Deluge of New York City Laws Guards Against Flooding, Protects Environment

By Michael Gerrard

The last year of Michael Bloomberg’s 12-year term as mayor of New York City saw a remarkable and little-noticed deluge of new environmental laws. The City Council passed and the mayor signed more than 50 environmental bills. Over half of these laws were passed in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy and focused on making infrastructure more resilient, improving emergency preparedness and response, and easing recovery for homeowners and businesses. In addition, laws were enacted concerning clean energy, improving energy and fuel efficiency, reducing emissions from vehicles, and strengthening the city’s recycling laws. Published in Vol. 251 of New York Law Journal.

Read the article Deluge of New York City Laws Guards Against Flooding, Protects Environment in Columbia Law School's Scholarship Archive.