The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is reviewing a permit for an existing cooling water system at 866 United Nations Plaza. The building withdraws water from the East River to cool its systems and then discharges that water back into the river. DEC has issued a draft five-year permit that would allow this discharge to continue but with stricter environmental limits and additional monitoring requirements. These include lower temperature and chlorine limits and new monitoring for certain metals and biological impacts. DEC is accepting public comments on the draft permit before making a final decision. Comments on this project must be submitted in writing no later than January 30, 2026 to:
CAITLYN P. NICHOLS
NYSDEC
47-40 21st St
Long Island City, NY 11101-5401
You can find the Notice of Complete Application for the draft permit here.
You can find the draft permit here.