Bill > S06530

This bill prohibits the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) from issuing permits for new or expanding large Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), which are agricultural facilities with a high density of livestock. Specifically, the bill prevents the DEC from granting licenses, permits, or approvals for new large CAFOs or expansions that would cause an existing operation to become or increase the size of a large CAFO, as defined in regulatory code 6 NYCRR 750-1.2(a)(23). The bill requires the DEC to revise its existing SPDES (State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) general permit for CAFOs to mandate additional departmental approval for any proposed expansions and to deny expansions that would result in the operation becoming a large CAFO. Additionally, the bill removes the right to a public hearing for applicants seeking permits for large CAFOs and prohibits the issuance of any SPDES permits to operations classified as large CAFOs. However, the bill does not affect existing permits, meaning operations that already have permits prior to the bill's effective date can continue to operate. The bill will take effect 90 days after becoming law.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S6530