10 rules for unincorporated Nassau County, New York.
Verified from official government sources
Nassau County stormwater managed under NY SPDES MS4 permit program. Nassau County Department of Public Works oversees county stormwater. Development over 1 acre requires SWPPP. Illicit discharges banned. Individual villages enforce property-level stormwater codes.
Nassau County erosion control regulated under NYS Standards and Specifications for Erosion and Sediment Control (Blue Book). Construction sites must install silt fences, stabilized entrances, and inlet protection. Atlantic Ocean bluff erosion additionally governed under DEC Coastal Erosion Hazard Area Act.
Nassau coastal development along Long Island Sound and the South Shore requires NYSDEC tidal wetlands permits, FEMA flood compliance, and local zoning review, protecting shorelines, salt marshes, and the Sole Source Aquifer.
Nassau County flood zones extensive along Atlantic Ocean (Long Beach, Point Lookout, Atlantic Beach) and Long Island Sound North Shore. Hempstead and South Oyster Bays create massive VE and AE zones. Post-Sandy FEMA BFE elevations raised 2-4 ft. FEMA NFIP compliance mandatory.
Nassau County grading and drainage regulated by village and town codes plus NYS Residential Code. Positive drainage 6 inches in 10 ft required from foundations. Sump pump discharge to stormwater system typically prohibited. Grading permits required for disturbance over 100-500 cubic yards.
New York State limits vehicle idling to reduce air pollution, with stricter rules for heavy-duty diesel trucks. Nassau County enforces these statewide standards through police and traffic enforcement countywide.
Nassau County participates in NY Climate Smart Communities (CSC), pledging emissions reduction, climate adaptation, and sustainability planning across county operations and programs serving 1.4 million residents.
Nassau County purchasing policies favor energy-efficient equipment, recycled-content products, and lower-emission vehicles, advancing climate goals through county contracts and aligning with NY State green procurement guidelines.
Nassau County Code Chapter 230 adopts the NY State Energy Conservation Code, which encourages reflective roofing on low-slope commercial roofs to reduce cooling loads and urban heat-island effects countywide.
Nassau County promotes heat-island mitigation through tree planting, cool-roof guidance, and reflective pavement pilots in downtowns and around malls like Roosevelt Field, supported by NYSERDA and county programs.
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