NY S02149

Amends environmental conservation law to add "dredged material" to the definition of fill that requires a permit when placed in navigable waters, marshes, estuaries, tidal marshes, and wetlands.

Establishes strict criteria for permits to fill Jamaica Bay borrow pits: materials must comply with federal unrestricted ocean dumping criteria, pass toxicity and bioaccumulation testing, have no acute or chronic impacts, and require no special precautionary measures.

Requires the Department of Environmental Conservation to conduct a beneficial use pilot study on Jamaica Bay ecological restoration needs, including bathymetry mapping, ecological service quality assessment, geotechnical analysis, and comparison of state standards with federal criteria.

Mandates quarterly consultation with community-based groups (Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers and American Littoral Society) throughout the study and written responses to their comments before final report issuance.

Requires submission of study findings report to the governor and legislature by March 30, 2025, with the permit criteria provision set to expire June 30, 2026.