FOR MORE THAN EIGHT YEARS, BASIL SEGGOS LED THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION WHICH IS THE LONGEST TENURE OF ANY DEC COMMISSIONER.

WE CAUGHT UP WITH SEGGOS DURING HIS LAST DAYS WITH THE DEPARTMENT TO UNPACK HIS WORK AND LEGACY.

HERE'S THAT CONVERSATION.

[ THEME MUSIC ] THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SIT DOWN WITH US, COMMISSIONER.

GREAT TO BE WITH YOU, SHANTEL.

THANKS FOR COMING IN.

I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT YOUR DECISION TO TAKE A STEP BACK FROM THE DEPARTMENT.

I IMAGINE AFTER OVER EIGHT YEARS, IT WAS A DIFFICULT DECISION.

SO WHAT WAS THAT DECISION-MAKING PROCESS LIKE?

YEAH.

THIS PLACE IS LIKE A SECOND HOME IN A WAY.

I MEAN, THE NUMBER OF DAYS I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 2015.

OBVIOUSLY, IT'S BEEN A LONG RUN.

I THINK IT WAS WHEN MY STAFF BROUGHT IN THE PLAQUE LAST YEAR, NOTING THAT I HAD BEEN THE LONGEST SERVING COMMISSIONER.

I STARTED TO THINK, WOW, MAYBE IT'S A SIGN, TIME TO MOVE ON.

IT IS A GREAT JOB.

I MEAN, EVERY SINGLE DAY IN THIS JOB IS A PRIVILEGE.

IT'S AN HONOR TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF NEW YORK, AND YOU JUST KNOW WHEN IT'S TIME TO GO.

I MEAN, THERE'S A REASON THAT COMMISSIONERS ARE SHORT-TIMERS GENERALLY.

THE CAREER STAFF ARE THE ONES THAT REALLY RUN THIS AGENCY FOR 20, 40, 50 YEARS IN SOME CASES THE COMMISSIONERS COME ALONG AND KIND OF PULL SOME LEVERS.

I THINK I HAVE DONE AS WELL AS I COULD TO PULL THOSE LEVERS OVER THE LAST EIGHT AND A HALF YEARS.

IT'S TIME TO TURN THE REIGNS OVER TO SOMEBODY ELSE.

IT'S BEEN AN AMAZING RUN.

YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO STAY ON UNTIL THE STATE BUDGET WAS PASSED.

SO I WAS CURIOUS, WHAT TYPE OF FUNDING WERE YOU HOPING TO GET FOR THE DEPARTMENT IN THE FINAL STATE BUDGET?

WHAT ARE YOUR CONVERSATIONS LIKE WITH THE GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATIVE LEADERS ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT.

?

LISTEN, WE'VE HAD NOTHING BUT AN AMAZING RUN OF SUPPORT FROM THIS GOVERNOR AND THIS LEGISLATURE AS WELL.

GOVERNOR HOCHUL REALLY PUT HER STAMP ON THE ENVIRONMENT.

EVERYONE TALK ABOUT THE BIG THINGS AND RIGHTLY SO.

LIKE THE BOND ACT, WHICH IS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT.

I OFTEN LOOK AT THE BIG THINGS AS THE MORE MUNDANE ISSUES.

HOW MUCH IS OUR BUDGET INCREASED?

OUR ANNUAL BUDGET IN THIS AGENCY.

HOW MUCH HAS OUR STAFFING INCREASED?

UNDER THIS GOVERNOR, WE ARE WAY UP ON BOTH THOSE THINGS.

THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

THESE ARE THE PEOPLE AND THE DOLLARS THAT WE NEED TO SPEND WHO ARE CARRYING OUT THE REALLY IMPORTANT WORK THAT THE PUBLIC WANTS US TO DO.

WE JUST CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT RESOURCES.

THIS GOVERNOR HAS BEEN TRANSFORMATIVE ON THAT FRONT.

THIS BUDGET IS A STRONG ONE AS WELL.

I KNOW THAT THERE'S EXTRAORDINARY DEBATE ABOUT WHERE DOLLARS SHOULD BE SPENT AND HOW MUCH SHOULD BE ALLOCATED TO VARIOUS PROGRAMS BUT ULTIMATELY, AND I LOOK BACK NOW.

I HAVE AN EIGHT AND A HALF YEAR LENS ON THIS.

I STARTED, WE WERE REALLY SCRAPING BY.

WE HAD LOW STAFFING NUMBERS.

WE HAD A VERY SMALL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION FUND, $136 MILLION.

NOW IT'S $400 MILLION.

WE HAD ZERO OTHER CAPITAL DOLLARS AND NOW ALMOST $9.7 BILLION.

WE JUST LOOK AT THE CHANGE IN SUPPORT THAT WE'VE GOTTEN OVER THAT TIME FROM THIS GOVERNOR AND THIS LEGISLATURE.

IT REALLY IS EXTRAORDINARY, AND YOU KNOW, I WILL LEAVE IT TO THE NEXT COMMISSIONER TO COME IN HERE AND FIND A PLACE THAT'S REALLY WELL RUN, THAT HAS RESOURCES TO CARRY OUT THE MISSION AND READY FORTH HUGE CHALLENGES OF THE FUTURE.

AS YOU MENTIONED, YOU HAVE A LONG RESUME OF ENVIRONMENTAL WORK, BUT WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT SURPRISED YOU WHEN YOU TOOK ON THE POSITION OF BEING AT THE HELM OF THE DEPARTMENT?

OH, MY GOD.

EVERY DAY.

I'M SURPRISED EVEN TODAY, I MEAN, SERIOUSLY, I THINK THAT'S WHAT I BROUGHT TO THE JOB IS JUST A BIG, OPEN MIND AND A QUEST FOR LEARNING ABOUT THE AGENCY AND ITS PEOPLE.

YOU KNOW, IF YOU TOLD ME THE DAY I STARTED THAT WE WOULD HAVE BECOME A PLUMBING COMPANY WITHIN TWO MONTHS, I NEVER WOULD HAVE BELIEVED IT.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.

WE HIT THE VILLAGE IN THE FALLS AND I TALKED ABOUT THAT, QUITE RECENTLY AND LOST ALL OF ITS WATER AND FORCED US INTO A CREATIVE POSTURE IN HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THAT.

IT REALLY BROUGHT US 600 STAFF INTO A CRISIS INTERVENTION GOING HOUSE TO HOUSE INSTALLING PLUMBING IN PEOPLE'S HOUSES.

THAT WAS JUST A HUGE PARADIGM SHIFT IN MY MIND ABOUT WHAT THIS AGENCY CAN DO.

WE'VE DONE-- YOU KNOW, WE WERE REACTIVE IN COVID.

WE BUILT AND MANAGED THE DRIVE-THRU TESTING FACILITIES, THE VACCINE SITES.

WE DELIVERED FOOD TO PEOPLE WHO WERE HOMEBOUND AND HUNGRY.

WE ARE SO CREATIVE HERE.

IT'S NOT JUST A MISSION AND THE SORT OF, YOU KNOW, TRADITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL WORK THAT WE DO HERE.

THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THIS AGENCY THAT DO INCREDIBLE STUFF THAT IS WAY BEYOND THEIR ABILITY AND I THINK WE HAVE A REAL TEAM APPROACH TO THINGS.

THAT ALWAYS SURPRISES ME.

JUST THE KINDS OF THINGS WE CAN DO.

THAT'S GOT TO MAKE PEOPLE, I THINK, FEEL LIKE THIS IS A GOOD GOVERNMENT, IT'S A WELL-RUN AGENCY, CALL UPON THEM TO DO LOTS OF REALLY IMPORTANT WORK, AND IT HELPS RESTORE FAITH IN GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, AS I THINK WE'RE AT A TIME RIGHT NOW THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TESTED, THEIR BELIEFS AND INSTITUTIONS FOR LOTS OF REASONS, AND SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN YOU'RE IN THESE POSITIONS TO RUN THIS PLACE WITH A SENSE OF INTEGRITY AND PROVE THAT GOVERNMENT CAN BE A FORCE FOR GOOD.

AND ARE THERE ANY ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES THAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OR THE TIME TO FOCUS ON THAT YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, DOVE INTO MORE?

GOD, THAT PROBABLY KEPT ME COMING BACK.

JUST KNOWING THAT THERE'S THE NEXT BIG THING TO WORK ON.

I MEAN, A LOT OF THIS STUFF IS LIKE TAKE CLIMATE CHANGE.

THIS IS A FIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE LAUNCHING THAT'S GOING TO TAKE 30 YEARS REALLY TO PLAY OUT.

I KNOW I CAN'T LAST THAT LONG, RIGHT?

RIGHT.

IN THIS JOB.

AND YOU TAKE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE THE SAME THING.

THE DISINVESTMENT OVER 30 YEARS AND NOW WE'RE REALLY HITTING IT, COMING ON HARD, JUST ANNOUNCED ANOTHER $150 MILLION OF INVESTMENT INTO WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.

THAT WILL NEVER END ALSO.

YOU KNOW, SOME THINGS THAT I THINK I HAVEN'T DONE AS MUCH AS I'D LIKE INVOLVE MORE OF THE AGENCY, ITSELF, THE STRUCTURE OF THE AGENCY, THE SORT OF MODERNIZATION OF THE AGENCY AND ITS CULTURE, ITS PEOPLE, DIVERSITY IN NUMBERS ARE STILL VERY LOW IN THIS AGENCY.

WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF FOUNDATIONAL WORK TO CHANGE THAT.

THE PIPE LINE'S INTO THE AGENCY, THE RETENTION ISSUES AND YET WE STILL HAVE, IT'S KIND OF TRADITIONAL MODEL OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATION, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, REALLY A THROWBACK.

YOU KNOW, FOR ME, PUTTING THE OFFICE OF DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND CIVIL RIGHTS, THAT WAS MY CHANCE, MY LAST CHANCE TO PUT IN PLACE SOMETHING DURABLE THAT WILL OUTLIVE ME.

THAT'S WHAT I AM MOST REGRETTING OF IS THAT I DIDN'T GET THAT DONE EARLIER.

IN TERMS OF REDUCING THE STATE'S CARBON FOOTPRINT, I WANTED TO TOUCH ON THE CLIMATE LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY PROTECTION ACT, WHICH WE KNOW HAS BENCHMARKS IN 2030, 2040, 2050, ONGOING BENCHMARKS.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE PROGRESS?

I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF INTEREST IN.

THERE ARE A LOT OF EYES ON IT.

EVERYONE'S VERY EXCITED, BUT ALSO NERVOUS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MEET THOSE BENCHMARKS, BUT FROM YOUR PURVIEW, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE PROGRESS BEING MADE?

LISTEN, I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT LIKE MY THOUGHT ON THE AGENCY'S DIVERSITY HERE.

WE ESTABLISHED THE FOUNDATION.

WE SET THE TARGETS, WHICH IS GOOD.

THAT WAS EASY.

IN FACT, IT WAS THE LEGISLATION THAT SET THE TARGETS AND NOW IT'S ON US AND HAS BEEN ON US FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS TO BUILD THE PLAN TO HIT THE TARGETS.

WE'RE NOW IN SORT OF YEAR ONE-ISH OF CRAFTING THESE LONG-TERM POLICIES THAT WILL THEN CARRY THAT OUT.

IT SOUNDS VERY BUREAUCRATIC AND SLOW.

PARTLY BY DESIGN.

I MEAN, IT WAS ENVISIONED BY THE LAW BUT ALSO THIS IS SUCH A DRAMATIC CHANGE THAT THE LAW ENVISIONS, THAT YOU HAVE TO DO IT IN A WAY THAT IS STEP-WISE IN NATURE AND INVOLVES THE PUBLIC AND PUT STAKEHOLDERS' CONCERNS AT EASE.

ULTIMATELY, WE SEE THE BENEFITS OF THE ACTION.

WE KNOW WHAT IT WILL DO FOR NEW YORK.

IT WILL BRING EXTRAORDINARY NUMBER OF NEW JOBS.

IT WILL GENERATE INCREDIBLE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.

IT WILL REDUCE AIR POLLUTION LOCALLY.

IT WILL LITERALLY SAVE LIVES, YOU KNOW, UPWARDS OF 1,500 PEOPLE A YEAR OVER A NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE.

WE'LL SURVIVE BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT WE DO.

SO IF YOU WANT TO HIT THOSE NUMBERS, YOU WANT TO HIT-- GET ALL THOSE BENEFITS LONG TERM, YOU'VE GOT TO CREATE A PATHWAY THAT DOESN'T SCARE EVERYONE OFF BECAUSE CHANGE IS SCARY.

AND THIS IS ECONOMYWIDE.

IT TOUCHES EVERY PART OF NEW YORK STATE AND EVERY PART OF THE ECONOMY.

WE HAVE TO DO IT IN A VERY DELIBERATIVE MANNER WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF PUBLIC MEETINGS THOUSANDS OF PUBLIC COMMENTS AND WE HAVEN'T CRACKED THE SURFACE YET.

WE WILL BE AT THIS FOR YEARS TO COME AND RIGHTLY SO.

I THINK WE WILL, YOU KNOW, BE CHALLENGED TO HIT THE TARGETS.

THIS IS NOT AN EASY SLAM DUNK, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS GOVERNOR BEHIND US.

I MEAN, GOVERNOR HOCHUL SAID DO IT, COME UP WITH A PLAN, IMPLEMENT THE PLAN AND MAKE IT NATION LEADING.

SO LOTS OF WORK GOING ON IN ADDITION TO HITTING THOSE TARGETS.

WE HAVE ALL THE WORK AND WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY ON THE WAY IN THE STREET, SOLAR, HEAT PUMP INDUSTRY COMING ONBOARD, VEHICLES, AND ALL THAT IS UNDERWAY.

WE'RE NOT STARTING AT ZERO.

THE LONG-TERM PLAN WILL BE A REAL CHALLENGE.

WE'LL MEET IT.

YEARS FROM NOW WHEN HISTORIANS LOOK BACK AT YOUR TENURE YOU'RE, LEADING THE DEPARTMENT, WHAT LEGACY-- ONE HISTORIAN MAYBE.

ALL HISTORIANS, WHAT LEGACY ARE YOU HOPING TO HAVE HAD?

I THINK THAT I WOULD BE REMEMBERED AS BEING SOMEBODY WHO WAS AT THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME, WHO HAD THE RIGHT MINDSET TO BRING THIS AGENCY TO NEW LEVELS, NEW HEIGHTS, YOU KNOW.

THAT IS LIFE IN GENERAL, RIGHT?

YOU SORT OF ARE-- YOU CAN PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THESE KINDS OF JOBS.

YOU CAN STUDY.

YOU CAN LEARN, YOU CAN GET PROFESSIONAL DEGREES, BUT SUCCESS SOMETIMES IS A PRODUCT OF CIRCUMSTANCE.

I MEAN, I CAME IN DURING SORT OF A MODERN REBIRTH OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE, WATER, THOSE TWO THINGS.

PEOPLE BEGIN TO COME AROUND TO THAT.

IT HAPPENED TO BE DURING MY TENURE.

SO I THINK-- I THINK I COMPETENTLY MANAGED THIS AGENCY, BUT ALSO I WAS ABLE TO LEAD WITHIN THE STATE, LEAD ISSUES, LEAD INITIATIVES AND LEAD PEOPLE DURING THIS TIME AND I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S A BIG TEAM EFFORT.

SO AGAIN, I'M GOING TO BE HUMBLE ON THESE THINGS.

I WORK WITH A FEW THOUSAND PEOPLE HERE WHO REALLY ARE THE HEROES.

AWESOME.

WE WISH YOU THE ABSOLUTE BEST.

UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE FOR TODAY.

GOOD TO SPEND TIME WITH YOU.

THANK YOU.

WE WERE SPEAKING WITH COMMISSIONER BASIL SEGGOS GOES, OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION.

[ THEME MUSIC ] NOW THAT THE LONGTIME DEC COMMISSIONER HAS LEFT THE DEPARTMENT, IT'S UP TO THE GOVERNOR TO NOMINATE A NEW LEADER WHO WILL THEN BE CONFIRMED BY THE STATE SENATE.

IN THE MEANTIME, SEAN MAHAR, WHO WORKED AS DEPUTY COMMISSIONER UNDER SEGGOS, WILL BE LEADING THE DEPARTMENT AS INTERIM COMMISSIONER WE WILL BRING YOU UPDATES ON WHO WILL BE TAPPED AS THE PERMANENT LEADER OF THE DEPARTMENT IN THE MONTHS AHEAD.