NY Env Conserv L § 21-0917 (2021)
2021 New York Laws ENV - Environmental Conservation Article 21 - Pollution Control Compacts Title 9 - Great Lakes Basin Compact 21-0917 - The Great Lakes Basin Advisory Council.

§ 21-0917. The Great Lakes Basin advisory council.   1. As used in this section:   a.  "Great Lakes Basin" means the watershed of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River, upstream from Trois Rivieres, Quebec, consisting  in New  York  State  of  the  Lake  Erie, Niagara River, Lake Ontario minor tributaries, Genesee River, Seneca-Oneida Oswego River, Black River, St. Lawrence River, and Lake Champlain drainage basins.   b. "Great Lakes region" means the geographic region  composed  of  the states  of  Illinois,  Indiana,  Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin, the  commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  provinces  of Ontario and Quebec, Canada.   2.  There  is hereby established within the department the Great Lakes Basin advisory  council  (hereinafter  referred  to  as  the  "council") consisting   of   nineteen  members  to  advise  the  governor  and  the commissioner on matters  relating  to  the  state's  role  in  regional, federal,  and  international  activities  aimed at the protection of the quality and quantity of water in the Great Lakes,  domestic,  municipal, industrial  and  agricultural  water supplies, navigation, hydroelectric power and energy production, recreation, fish and wildlife habitat,  and a  balanced  ecosystem  which are all vital to the future environmental, social, and economic health of New York State and the other  states  and provinces comprising the Great Lakes region.   a. The council shall:  (i) advise the commissioner and the governor on the implementation and any  modifications to any comprehensive long-term Great Lakes management plan developed by the department;  (ii) advise the state's members on the board of directors of the Great Lakes protection fund;  (iii) annually identify specific research or program needs for funding from the New York Great Lakes protection fund, after  consultation  with the  Great  Lakes  protection  fund,  other Great Lakes states and other concerned parties. Such annual program, with as much detail on the scope and expectations of each project as is practical, shall be submitted  to the  commissioner,  who shall select specific projects from the program, recommended by the  council  and  shall  submit  such  projects  to  the department for implementation; and  (iv)  evaluate  and  report to the governor and the legislature on the projects funded by the New York Great Lakes protection fund.   b. The governor shall appoint nine members with  one  representing  an institution that performs research on the issues and the problems of the Great  Lakes,  one representing a labor union whose members derive their livelihood from the Great Lakes,  three  representing  environmental  or conservation  organizations with interests in the Great Lakes Basin, two representing business organizations whose commercial  interest  lies  in activities in or around Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and/or the St.  Lawrence River,  one  representing  a  municipality  adjacent  to Lake Erie, Lake Ontario or the St. Lawrence River, and one representing a county  having a  population  of two hundred and fifty thousand people or less adjacent to Lake Erie, Lake Ontario or the  St.  Lawrence  River.  The  temporary president  of  the  Senate  and  the  speaker of the Assembly shall each appoint two members who have a demonstrated  knowledge  in  Great  Lakes issues. The commissioner, the commissioners of the departments of state, health,  transportation,  economic  development  and the chairman of the power  authority  of  the  state  of  New  York  or   their   designated representative shall be ex-officio members. The appointed members of the council shall serve terms of three years; provided, however, that of the members  first appointed by the governor, three shall be appointed for a term of three years, three shall be appointed for a term  of  two  years  and  three shall be appointed for a term of one year.  An appointment to fill a vacancy shall be made for the remainder of the affected  term  in the  same manner as the original appointment was made.  Such appointment shall be made within sixty days of the date the position becomes vacant. Members  shall  serve  until  their  successor  has  been appointed. The governor shall designate the chairperson.   3. The advisory council shall meet at a minimum of two times annually.   4. Advisory council members shall receive no  compensation  for  their services,  but  shall  be  reimbursed  for  their  actual  and necessary expenses incurred during the performance of their duties.   5. The council shall submit a report prior to January first  beginning in  nineteen hundred ninety and annually thereafter to the governor, the speaker of the Assembly, the temporary president of the Senate  and  the chairmen   of  the  Senate  and  Assembly  committees  on  environmental conservation. Such report should include an evaluation of  the  problems and  conditions  of the Great Lakes and recommendations for departmental or legislative solutions.