Statement from Governor Hochul on the EPA

“The Environmental Protection Agency's announcement that it intends to dismantle vital environmental safeguards is a direct threat to the health of New Yorkers and communities across the country.

“In response to this outrageous overreach by the federal government, I am directing the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to use its full authority to continue to protect New York's natural resources and environment, and to block these acts wherever possible. I will also continue our work with Attorney General Letitia James to aggressively defend our state and our natural resources in court.

"The environmental movement began in New York with Republican Governor Theodore Roosevelt, bringing together New Yorkers across the ideological spectrum to ensure that current and future generations would have cleaner air and water. I recognize that sacred promise, and Administrator Zeldin — as a New Yorker, and particularly as a Long Islander where the entire region’s economy depends upon water quality — should know that as well.