Pete Grannis Heads Dept of Environmental Conservation

Alexander B. "Pete" Grannis is Commissioner of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Mr. Grannis was first elected to the Assembly in 1974 and represents the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Roosevelt Island. As a legislator, Grannis was a leader in fighting for the passage of SEQRA, the original bottle bill, and the clean-up and revitalization of the state's brownfields. Mr. Grannis has also played a key role in the enactment of a wide range of environmental legislation, including measures related to acid rain, clean air and water, fluorocarbons and recycling. He chaired the Assembly's first Subcommittee on Toxic Wastes, sponsored legislation ensuring a worker's right to know about hazardous materials in the work place and has worked to regulate the transport, storage and disposal of toxic wastes. Mr. Grannis authored the state's rapid transit noise code and has been at the forefront of the fight to have the MTA convert its polluting diesel bus fleet to clean fuels.

A nationally recognized leader in the fight to curb the health hazards posed by smoking, Mr. Grannis authored New York's 1989 Clean Indoor Air Act (CIAA) and amendments adopted in 2003 to protect all working men and women from deadly secondhand smoke. His legislative efforts to curb smoking, including the historic CIAA and the Adolescent Tobacco Use Prevention Act have received global recongnition. Mr. Grannis’s work has been hailed by numerous public health organizations including the American Cancer Society and the New York State Association of County Health Officials. Mr. Grannis is a three-time winner of the Legislator of the Year award from the Environmental Planning Lobby and was accorded similar honors by the Audubon Society, the Environmental Action Coalition and Environmental Advocates. He also received the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Public Service Award in recognition of his efforts in promoting the humane treatment of animals.

Mr. Grannis lives with his family in New York City. He is a graduate of Rutgers University and the University of Virginia Law School. Prior to entering the Assembly, Mr. Grannis practiced law in New York City and served as Compliance Counsel for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. (Source)