NY A09036

Department of Environmental Conservation must conduct a beneficial use study to determine ecological restoration needs in Jamaica Bay, including bathymetry mapping, borrow pit analysis, fin fish population data across seasons, and geotechnical conditions.

Study must analyze the ecological service quality of borrow pits at multiple depths and seasons, and assess their role in heat absorption during summer months when adjacent shallow areas experience ulva sulfide conditions.

Department must issue a report with findings and policy recommendations to the governor and legislature no later than March 30, 2029, and publish the report on its website.

Five-year moratorium on placement of any type of sediment or fill into Jamaica Bay borrow pits begins on the act's effective date and continues until the study is completed and published, whichever occurs later.

Act takes effect immediately upon enactment.