Law Commons^™

Seqra And Climate Change, Michael B. Gerrard

Faculty Scholarship

New York's State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) is the centerpiece of environmental decision-making in the state. It requires state and local agencies to prepare environmental impact statements (EISs) for actions that could significantly affect the environment. SEQRA has become the principal framework for the identification and mitigation of environmental impacts.

The text of SEQRA provides that EISs should discuss the "effects of the proposed action on the use and conservation of energy resources, where applicable and significant." EISs under SEQRA are also required to consider, among many other things, a project's effects on air pollution. Since the main source …