Senate committees advance Amanda Lefton nomination to lead NY DEC after questioning on staffing, wetlands, CLCPA and permits

A joint hearing of the New York State Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee on May 27 moved Governor Kathy Hochul's nominee, Amanda Lefton, to the full Senate for confirmation after an hours-long question-and-answer session about department priorities and ongoing permitting reviews.

The nomination was advanced after the committees compared notes and "have enough votes to move acting commissioner Lefton to the floor for confirmation," Senator Liz Krueger, chair of the Finance Committee, said at the close of the hearing.

The hearing matters because the Department of Environmental Conservation administers state programs that implement the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), state wetlands law, the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act programs delegated to the state, and the recently approved Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act. Those authorities affect permitting, grant funding and programs across urban, suburban and rural districts.

Amanda Lefton, the governor's nominee for commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), opened with a statement that she has worked with DEC in prior roles and pledged partnership with the Legislature and local governments. Lefton said she would prioritize implementing the Bond Act and other climate and environmental programs while defending state programs from federal rollbacks. "You all have increased our staffing levels in this year's budget by 58 people," Lefton said, and added that additional statutory responsibilities would require…