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Steven C. Russo

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Steven C. Russo co-chairs the Environmental Practice and chairs the firm’s New York Environmental Practice. He focuses his practice on environmental law and litigation, permitting, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) review, energy project siting, renewable energy, Brownfields redevelopment, toxic tort litigation, including emerging contaminants, environmental crimes, government law and policy and the environmental review and permitting, environmental due diligence and risk management, and the environmental components of land use and real estate law. Steven is equally experienced litigating in federal and state courts, as well as counseling his clients with regard to the development of major industrial, energy and residential development projects. He also practices election and campaign finance law.

Prior to joining the firm, Steven was the Chief Legal Officer of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. There, he supervised approximately 90 attorneys in Albany, as well as the agency’s nine regional offices. He also supervised the agency’s legislative affairs department and Office of Environmental Justice. At the agency, Steven initiated a reform of the state’s environmental impact review regulations and assessment forms, completed the issuance of new power plant siting regulations pertaining to environmental justice and carbon emissions, and revised the agency’s environmental audit policy.

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New York’s Climate law, the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act (CLCPA), set a bold target to achieve 70% of its electric generation capacity from renewable sources by 2030. That…

Continue Reading New York to Miss 2030 Renewable Energy Target Despite Making Substantial Progress Following Adoption of Its Climate Law

On April 24, 2024, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released an audit report on the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES), which was established under the Climate Leadership and…

Continue Reading Delays in Renewable Energy Siting in New York: A Closer Look at State Audit Findings

Governor Kathy Hochul’s Executive Budget proposal (the Transportation, Economic Development, and Environmental Conservation budget bill (A.8808/S.8308)) includes two pivotal energy proposals: the Renewable Action Through Project Interconnection and Deployment Act…

Continue Reading New York State Proposes ‘Rapid Act’ and Other Bill to Aid in Transition to Renewable Energy and Away From Natural Gas

On Sept. 27, 2023, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) released a draft policy (DEP-23-1) to implement the environmental justice provisions of the Climate Leadership and Community…

Continue Reading New York Regulator Releases Draft Policy to Implement Environmental Justice Provisions of NY Climate Law

On Dec. 20, 2021, the New York State Climate Action Council (Council) voted unanimously to approve the most recent draft of the scoping plan, a roadmap to achieve compliance with…
Continue Reading New York State Environmental Regulator Issues Draft Plan to Achieve GHG Emissions-Reduction Goals

On Oct. 6, 2021, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) announced Phase 1 of a proposed two-phase rollback of the most significant substantive changes included in the National…
Continue Reading Turning Back the Clock: CEQ’s Recently Announced NEPA Amendments Aim to Restore Pre-Trump Administration Approach to Environmental Review