Assembly Budget Increases Funding for the Environmental Protection Fund to $435 Million

Speaker Carl Heastie and Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Deborah Glick today announced the Assembly State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2023-24 Budget increases funding for the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) by $35 million for a total allocation of $435 million. The Assembly’s proposal also allocates $600 million to support clean water initiatives.

“With last year’s approval of the Environmental Quality Bond Act, New York voters spoke loud and clear: investing in our environment is an investment in our future,” said Speaker Heastie. “The Assembly Majority will continue fighting for a cleaner and safer environment for all New Yorkers.”

“The increase to the Environmental Protection Fund reflects our continued commitment to supporting the programs which preserve our state’s clean air and water resources, reducing greenhouse emissions, protecting our farmlands and parks and strengthening the stewardship of our state’s natural resources,” said Assemblymember Glick.

The Assembly budget allocates $435 million to the Environmental Protection Fund, which include increases to the following:

• $6 million for land acquisition;
• $6 million for Zoos, Botanical Gardens and Aquariums (ZBGA);
• $5 million for public access and stewardship for a total of $53.7 million;
• $3 million for the Water Quality Improvement Program;
• $3 million for farmland protection;
• $3 million for municipal parks;
• $2 million for agriculture non-point source pollution control;
• $2 million for non-agriculture non-point source pollution control;
• $1.4 million for municipal recycling;
• $1.1 million for the Hudson River Park;
• $1 million for the oceans and Great Lakes;
• $1 million for environmental justice; and
• $1 million for the Finger Lakes Lake Ontario Watershed Protection Alliance (FLLOWPA).

The Assembly allocates $600 million, an increase of $100 million over the executive proposal, for clean water infrastructure as follows:

• $300 million for the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA) and $37.5 million for Intermunicipal Water Infrastructure Grant program;
• $50 million for replacement of lead drinking water service lines;
• $50 million for water quality improvement projects;
• $50 million for projects to protect the New York City watershed;
• $25 million for land acquisition for source water protection;
• $25 million for projects to protect harmful algal blooms, which was not included in the executive proposal;
• $25 million for septic systems and cesspools; and
• $20 million for green infrastructure projects.