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February 28, 2006
Impact studies must be put on Web
Environmental law begins in N.Y. this week
Poughkeepsie Journal
By Dan Shapley
A new state law requires all environmental impact statements be accessible on the Internet.
The state Environmental Quality Review Act, known as SEQRA, defines the review process, and gives the public its single-greatest opportunity to influence projects considered by government.
The article has a sidebar that outlines the basic steps in the SEQRA sequence.
NoLandGrab: A positive step foward, this means the Atlantic Yards Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) should be available on line when it is released.
The EIS is a long and fairly technical document that requires professional expertise and experience that is often not available to most communities. Community groups in Central Brooklyn will have difficulty weeding through the Atlantic Yards EIS if they are not able to hire experienced consultants.
So far, there has not been the political will to make funds available in order to help local community groups hire a consultant, despite the availability of hundreds of millions of dollars in direct subsidies to Bruce Ratner.
Posted by lumi at February 28, 2006 7:38 AM