Climate disasters in the Adirondacks: Who will pay?
https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/stories/climate-disasters-adirondacks
A suite of environmental bills passed in the state Senate this week to mark last month’s Earth Day. One measure, delivered to the Assembly on Tuesday, could result in a multi-million annual grant for the North Country to help with disasters caused by extreme weather.
The money is anticipated under the Climate Superfund Act introduced by Sen. Liz Krueger, D-Manhattan. It would require oil and gas companies to contribute to a fund of $3 billion each year to foot climate disaster bills. The legislation was excluded from this year’s $237 billion state budget.
“By passing the Climate Change Superfund Act we are making it clear that when it comes to the hundreds of billions of dollars our state will have to spend to repair and prepare for climate change-driven extreme weather, we don’t believe New Yorkers should be left holding the bag and paying those costs alone,” Krueger said in a press release. “The companies that made the mess — big oil and gas — should help clean it up.”
Climate clean-ups in the Adirondacks
From 2011 to 2021, New York saw 16 disaster declarations related to extreme weather. Data from the nonprofit Rebuild by Design show the state required $26.3 billion in federal assistance following the disasters.
Flooding is at the top of extreme weather risks as precipitation increases with warmer temperatures. In the Adirondack Park, roads and ecosystems were damaged by immense flooding in 2023.
In July, parts of the park saw record-breaking rainfall, including the central Adirondacks. The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry’s Huntington Wildlife Forest in Newcomb was flooded by 13.7 inches of rain, breaking a previous record of around 9 inches from 2021. The rain damaged trails and interrupted long-term monitoring projects in the forest.
In August, Gov. Kathy Hochul pledged $3 million in emergency assistance to counties hit by the rain. The money was intended to help low- and middle-income homeowners.
Michael Richardson, an activist with the climate group Third Act Upstate, said towns and villages need the money now more than ever. “Big oil has known for a long time that burning their fossil fuel causes climate change, but they never saw fit to pay for the consequences,” he said in a statement.
Results of a survey of climate scientists released the same week of the Senate passed the Climate Superfund bill showed a widespread expectation that the planet will warm at least 2.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. A goal made during the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference aimed to limit warming to below 2 degrees Celsius.
In the Adirondacks, heat waves and flood events are expected to increase, according to the New York State Climate Impacts Assessment. The superfund legislation intends to help regions recover from damage caused by the weather events.
The bill was first introduced in 2023 and failed to pass the Assembly in January 2024. Its Senate passing earned praise from environmental groups including NY Renews. “New York communities need the $3 billion a year the act would bring in by making the worst corporate polluters pay for the damages they’ve caused to our climate and communities,” said Stephan Edel, NY Renews’ executive director.
Both houses in Vermont passed a similar measure this session although Gov. Phil Scott has signaled he will likely veto it because of concerns about how much it would cost to bring companies to court and how long it would take to recoup damages, according to Vermont Public.
Under New York’s bill, Clinton, Fulton and Warren counties could receive $6.3 million annually, according to information from the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG). Herkimer, Jefferson, Oneida and St Lawrence counties could see $19.6 million each year.
A third of the money would go to disadvantaged communities identified by the state. In the Adirondacks, one of those designated communities is a Census tract near Keeseville and Au Sable Forks. The fund would be distributed annually for 25 years.
Sen. Krueger’s bill has substantial support in the Assembly, where more than half the 150-person Assembly’s members are sponsors, including leaders of several key committees, but it is unclear if it will reach two-house passage this session, said Blair Horner, NYPIRG’s executive director.
Opponents of the bill include the Business Council of New York State which warns assessments on the large companies tied to greenhouse gas emissions would be passed on to consumers.
A 2022 study from New York University showed the bill’s passage would be unlikely to alter the price of gas at the pump.