Bill > A06928

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 or permits 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 general permit for CAFOs to mandate additional independent approval for any proposed expansion and explicitly deny expansions that would result in becoming or increasing the size of a large CAFO. Additionally, the bill stipulates that owners of large CAFOs cannot receive any State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permits, and removes the right to a public hearing for permit denials related to large CAFOs. Existing operations that already have permits prior to the bill's effective date are grandfathered in and can continue to operate. The bill will take effect 90 days after becoming law, potentially impacting agricultural operations that rely on large-scale animal farming in New York State.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A6928