Hochul considers push to reconvene task force to study sea level rise

As climate week convenes in New York City, Gov. Kathy Hochul is considering a bill to reconvene the state’s sea level rise task force. The task force would be in charge of updating data and making recommendations for how to best address the issue.

The task force was last convened back in 2007 and presented its report in 2010. Those pushing the bill stress that our understanding of climate change and the data available have changed drastically since, and so should the state’s strategy.

With federal data finding that between 2018 and 2022, there was a billion-dollar disaster every three weeks, Tyler Taba, director of resilience at the Waterfront Alliance, told Spectrum News 1 that New York needs to move away from a reactive approach to natural disasters like hurricanes and flooding.

“It’s really important to make sure that we are preparing for that risk in the long term,” he said. “It always feels like we are responding to those events rather than being prepared and thinking about how to plan.”

That’s why he is urging the governor to support a new report from the task force. If the bill passes, it would need to be delivered to the governor and legislative leaders by Dec. 31.

The task force would be responsible for taking stock of the state’s accomplishments since the body last compiled its report, while determining where future action is needed based on updated data.

“To help New York state better understand what the risks are, where the risks are, and what we can be doing to make sure communities and infrastructure in those areas have adequate funding but also the infrastructure to be prepared,” he said.

As for where the risks are, he explained that New York City and Long Island face obvious and pressing challenges made even more apparent by disasters like Hurricane Sandy, but also at risk is the Hudson Valley up to about Albany. Because of interconnected infrastructure and economic drivers, the actual risks extend to the entire state.

“We’re a city of 520 miles of coastline but we’re also a state with a lot more coastline and estuaries and rivers that are going to be impacted by default,” he said.

The bill’s sponsor, state Sen. Monica Martinez, echoed that urgency in a statement to Spectrum News 1.

“Each flooding event on Long Island and across the State serves as a reminder that protecting our shores must be an ongoing effort,” she said. “The resurgence of this task force will enable New York to apply updated scientific knowledge about rising sea levels and their impacts, ensuring the long-term safety and resilience of our coastal communities in a rapidly changing climate.”

In addition to directly dealing with issues of infrastructure and readiness the bill also requires a public information campaign to prepare those in impacted areas for what action will need to be taken in the coming years to address sea level rise.