October 22, 2007

Meet New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis

New York City Bar Association
Land Use Planning and Zoning Committee and Environmental Law Committee

Environmental professionals met for breakfast with Pete Grannis, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, at the New York City Bar Association. Commissioner Grannis discussed DEC’s environmental initiatives this year. Topics included climate change, brownfields, environmental justice, clean air, and clean water.

Mr. Grannis began his role as DEC Commissioner in April 2007. Prior to taking this position, he championed environmental issues as a member of the Assembly representing the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Roosevelt Island. During his 30 years on the Assembly, he served on its Environmental Conservation Committee, playing a key role in enacting laws on a number of issues, such as acid rain, fluorocarbons, and recycling. Mr. Grannis chaired the Assembly’s first Subcommittee on Toxic Wastes, and has worked to preserve open spaces, reduce packaging waste, and advocate for funding of Superfund site clean-up. Mr. Grannis authored the state’s rapid transit noise code and has been in the forefront of the effort to convert buses to clean fuels.