New York proposes higher water quality classification for Newtown Creek; comments due in late November
The proposal moves the creek from Class SD to Class I; the State Register notice says comments close five days after the last hearing, so owners and applicants along the creek should confirm the deadline.
On September 16, 2026, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation ("DEC") published in the State Register, as I.D. No. ENV-37-26-00006-P, a notice of proposed rule making to amend 6 NYCRR Part 890 to reclassify Newtown Creek from Class SD to Class I. Public hearings are set for November 16 and November 19, 2026. The Register notice states that public comment will be received until five days after the last scheduled public hearing, which is November 24, 2026 if the November 19 hearing proceeds as scheduled, while DEC's rulemaking page states a deadline of 11:59 p.m. on November 30, 2026. A change in classification sets the water quality standards against which discharges and waterfront projects on the creek are measured, so owners and permit applicants along the creek should read the notice now.
State Register, Sept. 16, 2026, I.D. No. ENV-37-26-00006-P; 6 NYCRR Part 890