To the Editor:

In a stunning decision, New York Supreme Court Judge Ferreira has eviscerated the very heart of the State Environmental Quality Review Act, turning a once-powerful environmental safeguard into little more than a bureaucratic rubber stamp.

Residents of the town of Bethlehem filed an Article 78 petition in good faith, believing that SEQR was designed to ensure transparency, public participation, and a thorough assessment of environmental and human health risks before major construction projects commenced. Instead, Judge Ferreira’s decision undermines these fundamental protections, favoring unchecked development over responsible planning.

SEQR was never meant to be a procedural hurdle — it was enacted to give ordinary citizens a voice in decisions that affect their communities, their water, their air, and their safety. It was meant to prevent profit-driven entities from steamrolling over the concerns of residents and environmental experts alike. It was supposed to require meaningful engagement from all stakeholders, ensuring that public health was prioritized over corporate convenience.

But with the stroke of a pen, Judge Ferreira has cast aside this purpose, leaving residents to wonder: If SEQR cannot protect us, what will? Must we now accept that greed, disguised as progress, will dictate the future of our neighborhoods?

New Yorkers should be outraged. The people of this state deserve better than judicial decisions that strip them of their right to question, to challenge, and to protect their homes from environmental degradation. SEQR was meant to be the safeguard for the “little guy.” Judge Ferreira’s ruling ensures it is anything but.

Sylvia Rowlands

Bethlehem

Editor’s note: Sylvia Rowlands’ letter is related to a pro se case — meaning she and her fellow plaintiffs, all Bethlehem residents, represented themselves in the legal proceeding — filed in March 2023 to stop the construction of a wind tower manufacturing project on Beacon Island, located along the Hudson River in Bethlehem. The case was dismissed in October 2024. Rowlands was part of earlier suits that were also dismissed.