Senate Bill S6825

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S6825

 TITLE OF BILL :
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to directing the
public service commission to require any utility company involved in a
vegetation management plan to give prior notification and to hold a
public hearing in affected communities


 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :
Section 1 of the bill amends the public service law by adding a new
section 66-m to require any utility company involved in a vegetation
management plan that includes the trimming or cutting of trees and/or
the elimination of overgrown vegetation to give 60 days notice prior
to such activity to the community affected thereby. The involved
utility company shall hold a public hearing within the affected
community at least 30 days prior to to the implementation of such plan
or activity, providing the residents of such community with the
details of such trimming, cutting, and/or vegetation management plan,
and providing residents with an opportunity to be heard with respect
to such plan.

Section 2 is the immediate effective date.

 JUSTIFICATION :
Consistently for several years, Consolidated Edison, a utility
              

regulated by the State's Public Service Department, as well as other
utility companies in New York State, has repeatedly entered the
process of what they deem to be necessary tree removal due to the
proximity of overgrown trees near power lines in residential areas of
Westchester County. However, many of the residents in communities of
Yonkers, Greenburgh and Mt.  Pleasant, as well as many others state
wide, have been dissatisfied with the process from its incipiency.
Many argued that far too many trees were removed yielding various
consequences that could have been avoided had there been a mechanism
for public input especially regarding site selection and the extent of
the trimming.

These consequences include the creation of naked areas that leave
sudden drop offs as well as the spread of branches and wood chips
making child friendly areas potentially harmful. Additionally, the
removal of trees along the New York State Thruway and Sprain Brook
Parkway has caused an increase in noise and artificial light entering
homes throughout the affected residential areas.

According to members of local environmental conservation groups, the
trees in many of these affected areas served as protections to
residents from natural processes such as flooding and erosion, which
can lead to property damage and personal injury. Several homes have
already experienced some of these results as water has run into
basements and increased wind speeds have caused damage to several
houses.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
New Bill- 2010

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
None to the State

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This bill will take effect immediately.