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    2026 02 26 NYSDEC NOV
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KATHY HOCHUL Governor AMANDA LEFTON Commissioner

==> picture [157 x 42] intentionally omitted <==

February 26, 2026

Mayor and Village Board Village of Red Hook, Village Hall 7467 South Broadway Red Hook, NY 12571

Re: Sanitary Sewer Overflows at 01A & 01B WWTPs – Notice of Violation Order on Consent DEC Case No. R3-20250610-54

Village of Red Hook WWTP SPDES # NY0271420

Dear Village Officials:

On February 20, 2026, and February 24, 2026, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation received NY-Alerts for Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) at both wastewater treatment plants identified above due to excessive hydraulic loading at the plants. This is also due to insufficient capacity of the process units to process the influent flows to the plants. This indicates the bypasses of the critical process units, and as a result, the plant effluent was only partially treated with disinfection before it was discharged to the tributary of Saw Kill.

The unpermitted discharge of partially treated sewage into the waters of the State is a violation of Article 17 of the Environmental Conservation Law (ECL) and is subject to penalties of $ 37,500 per violation per day pursuant to the ECL.

As you are aware, the Village of Red Hook is currently under an Order on Consent (Case No. R3-20250610-54) with the Department to address violations of the SPDES permit. Pursuant to the Order on Consent, the Village has implemented temporary or interim measures to prevent SSOs and to comply with the SPDES permit limits. It appears that these measures are not effective, as they did not prevent these violations. As a result, more aggressive actions must be taken to address the violations and to implement the additional short-term upgrades described in the submitted Engineering Report, WWTP Upgrade, January 30, 2026. Towards this end, by March 20, 2026, please provide a schedule of implementation for actions and shortterm upgrades to address these violations.

The Department anticipates your compliance with the requirements of the SPDES program, which we will take into consideration before making a final determination regarding appropriate enforcement action for these violations.

Region 3 | Division of Water 21 South Putt Corners Rd. New Paltz, NY 12561 | www.dec.ny.gov | (845) 256-3000

If you have any questions, please contact me at (845) 256-3147.

Sincerely,

Vijay Gandhi EPS

cc: Meena George, PE, RWE, NYSDEC Ashley Johnson, OGC, NYSDEC Robert Flores, Delaware Engineering, D.P.C. Leslie Coon, H2O Innovation

Changes between versions

2026-03-09→2026-03-23
adopted+2 −31

The document transitioned from a set of guidelines to a formally adopted policy.

  • Title changed from 'Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools and Confidential Information' to 'Policy for the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools and Confidential Information'
  • Document date advanced from 2026-03-09 to 2026-03-23
  • Status changed from a guidelines document to a formal 'RESOLVED' clause indicating adoption
  • Removed detailed sub-sections including 'Verification of AI-Generated Content', 'Handling Sensitive or Confidential Information', and 'Responsible Use' in favor of a condensed summary
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**==>RESOLVED pictureclauses: - [68The xPolicy 68]for intentionallythe omittedUse <==** USEof OFArtificial ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCEIntelligence (AI) TOOLS AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION Village EmployeesTools and ElectedConfidential OfficialsInformation “Employees”is hereby adopted, establishing that employees may occasionally use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist with tasks such as drafting content, summarizing information, or generating ideas. While AI can be a helpful resource, itbut ismust importantverify to use these tools responsibly and with caution. Although AI may be utilized in the assistance of certain tasks, the individual employee remains responsible for the final work product, including any errors. ## Verification of AI-Generated Content: •all AI-generated content may be inaccurate, incomplete, or biased. Employees must always verify information from AI tools before using it in reports, communications, or any official documents. - Critical decisions, legal documents, financial information, or other business-sensitive materials should never rely solely on AI output. Handling Sensitive or Confidential Information: - Employees must not input confidential, proprietary, or personally identifiable information (PII) into AI tools. • PII is information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, eithermust alonecite orany whenAI combineduse within other information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual (definition from US Dept of Labor). - Examples of prohibited information include but are not limited to: employee personal data, customer or vendor details, financial recordsdocuments, and intellectualmust property. - Sharing sensitive information with AI systems could violate privacy regulations and company policy and may pose a security risk. Responsible Use: -use AI tools should be used as supportive aids, notrather than replacements for professional judgment, human review, or standard verification procedures. - Cite any AI use at the beginning of a document identifying the AI tool used. - When in doubt about whether information can be shared with AI or how to verify AI output, consult the Mayor or the Village Board. By adhering to these guidelines, employees help maintain the accuracy, security, and integrity of company information while leveraging AI responsibly
2026-03-23→2026-03-23
adopted+33 −2

The document transitioned from a single RESOLVED clause to a detailed, multi-section formal policy.

  • Status changed from a 'RESOLVED' clause to a full 'Adopted' policy document
  • Scope expanded from 'employees' to include 'Village Employees and Elected Officials'
  • Added 'Verification of AI-Generated Content' section detailing requirements for accuracy and bias checks
  • Added 'Handling Sensitive or Confidential Information' section including a specific definition of PII and examples of prohibited data
  • Added 'Responsible Use' section including a requirement to 'Cite any AI use at the beginning of a document identifying the AI tool used'
  • Added escalation procedure: 'When in doubt... consult the Mayor or the Village Board'
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RESOLVED**==> clauses: -picture The[70 Policyx for69] theintentionally Useomitted of<==** ## ArtificialPOLICY IntelligenceFOR THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) ToolsTOOLS AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION Village Employees and ConfidentialElected InformationOfficials is hereby adopted, establishing that employees“Employees” may occasionally use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist with tasks such as drafting content, summarizing information, or generating ideas. While AI can be a helpful resource, butit mustis verifyimportant allto use these tools responsibly and with caution. Although AI may be utilized in the assistance of certain tasks, the individual employee remains responsible for the final work product, including any errors. Verification of AI-Generated Content: - AI-generated content may be inaccurate, incomplete, or biased. Employees must always verify information from AI tools before using it in reports, communications, or any official documents. - Critical decisions, legal documents, financial information, or other business-sensitive materials should never rely solely on AI output. Handling Sensitive or Confidential Information: - Employees must not input confidential, proprietary, or personally identifiable information (PII) into AI tools. - PII is information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, musteither citealone anyor AIwhen usecombined inwith documentsother information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual (definition from US Dept of Labor). - Examples of prohibited information include but are not limited to: employee personal data, customer or vendor details, financial records, and mustintellectual useproperty. - Sharing sensitive information with AI systems could violate privacy regulations and company policy and may pose a security risk. Responsible Use: - AI tools should be used as supportive aids, rather thannot replacements for professional judgment, human review, or standard verification procedures. - Cite any AI use at the beginning of a document identifying the AI tool used. - When in doubt about whether information can be shared with AI or how to verify AI output, consult the Mayor or the Village Board. By adhering to these guidelines, employees help maintain the accuracy, security, and integrity of company information while leveraging AI responsibly. Adopted by the Board of Trustees on March 23, 2026
2026-03-23→2026-04-09
date reset+0 −0

The document date was updated from 2026-03-23 to 2026-04-09.

  • Document date changed from '2026-03-23' to '2026-04-09'
Show red-line diff
**==> picture [70 x 69] intentionally omitted <==** ## POLICY FOR THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) TOOLS AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION Village Employees and Elected Officials “Employees” may occasionally use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist with tasks such as drafting content, summarizing information, or generating ideas. While AI can be a helpful resource, it is important to use these tools responsibly and with caution. Although AI may be utilized in the assistance of certain tasks, the individual employee remains responsible for the final work product, including any errors. Verification of AI-Generated Content: - AI-generated content may be inaccurate, incomplete, or biased. Employees must always verify information from AI tools before using it in reports, communications, or any official documents. - Critical decisions, legal documents, financial information, or other business-sensitive materials should never rely solely on AI output. Handling Sensitive or Confidential Information: - Employees must not input confidential, proprietary, or personally identifiable information (PII) into AI tools. - PII is information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone or when combined with other information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual (definition from US Dept of Labor). - Examples of prohibited information include but are not limited to: employee personal data, customer or vendor details, financial records, and intellectual property. - Sharing sensitive information with AI systems could violate privacy regulations and company policy and may pose a security risk. Responsible Use: - AI tools should be used as supportive aids, not replacements for professional judgment, human review, or standard verification procedures. - Cite any AI use at the beginning of a document identifying the AI tool used. - When in doubt about whether information can be shared with AI or how to verify AI output, consult the Mayor or the Village Board. By adhering to these guidelines, employees help maintain the accuracy, security, and integrity of company information while leveraging AI responsibly. Adopted by the Board of Trustees on March 23, 2026

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