by Brianna Crandall — January 9, 2015—New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently signed into law the exemplary Dark Skies bill, which establishes requirements for outdoor lighting applications installed or maintained by state agencies, so the necessary amount of lighting is used, but only in the direction needed. The bill, A.7489-B/S.5275-B, was sponsored by Linda B. Rosenthal in the Assembly and Carl Marcellino in the Senate.
Specifically, the bill requires the use of properly shielded light fixtures that direct light through a single point to prevent unnecessary up- and side-lighting. This reduces glare, which can cause night blindness in drivers, as well as sky glow, which limits the ability to see the starry night sky. The bill also limits lighting to only recommended levels for particular applications.
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) praised the legislation as a model for outdoor lighting and “an excellent example of how private stakeholders and our elected leaders can work together to address an issue through legislation.” The group says the legislation addresses challenges in a comprehensive manner while still following the principles and practice of good lighting design and application.
Along with NEMA, a coalition of major industry and advocacy groups played a significant role in passing this legislation, including the International Association of Lighting Designers, Illuminating Engineering Society, and International Dark-Sky Association.
The new law was also praised by such groups as the not-for-profit Adirondack Council, caretakers of New York’s 9,300-square-mile Adirondack Park (the largest in the contiguous USA), since light pollution can be harmful to plants, animals and people—in particular, to wildlife navigating during migration and breeding activities.
