Relates to the reuse of building construction, deconstruction, and demolition, materials

• Democratic5

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Brian Kavanagh says this is needed

Under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) of 2019, the Climate Action Council's Scoping Plan Waste Sector Vision for 2050 calls for a dramatic shift in the way waste is managed, to the point that landfills and combustors are only used sparingly for specific waste streams, and reduction and recycling of waste are robust and ubiq- uitous. According to the 2023 draft New York State solid waste plan, construction and demolition debris (CDD), including all wasted construction materials from new building construction, demolition, road construction, and construction excavation materials, is, after municipal solid waste, the largest component of discarded materials in the state, constituting approximately 27% or approximately 6.6 million tons in 2023. Increasing the practice of building deconstruction rather than demoli- tion will reduce the generation of construction and demolition waste going to landfills thereby extending their useful lifespan, reduce the carbon emissions associated with demolition and construction and with the production of new materials for construction, and lessen the adverse health impacts associated with building demolition through the release of dust, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds and pollu- tants into air, water and soil. In New York State, local governments carry responsibility for materials management and solid waste management, but they lack targeted State funding to invest in systems supporting the deconstruction and salvage of valuable materials from buildings for reuse. Further, there is currently no deconstruction contractor certification program, needed to support a functioning market for salvaged building materials. This bill incentivizes municipalities in New York State to adopt and implement local deconstruction ordinances, establishes a grant program to support localities in implementing such ordinances, and directs the establishment of a deconstruction contractor certification program.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.