Water Views

Sandra L. Allen, Director, Division of Water, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

New York State waters and the people who care about them have lost one of their staunchest champions. It is with great sadness that I tell you about the passing of N.G. Kaul, longtime director of the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Division of Water, on February 25. He was a cherished friend and colleague who shaped much of the content and ethic of our current water program. He touched many of our lives as a leader and teacher. As we go to press, this event is still too overwhelming for me to adequately express all that N.G. meant to New York’s environment, but I feel I must try to articulate some small portion of his legacy.

N.G. came to the DEC in 1975. His contributions are too numerous to list in entirety, but I’d like to highlight a few, including establishing a hazardous waste reduction program and pesticide notification regulations; leading the department in the historic New York City Watershed Agreement; implementing the 1996 Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act; developing comprehensive conservation management plans for Long Island Sound, the New York/New Jersey Harbor, and Lake Champlain; moving the nonpoint source management program forward; and laying the foundation for the storm water phase II permit program.

DEC Commissioner Erin M. Crotty summarized his work best when she wrote, “N.G. was instrumental in many of the department’s highest priority initiatives that have achieved a better, more protected environment for ours and future generations. N.G. was a leader and a catalyst for change and progress.”

In 2002, with characteristic energy and dedication, he answered a call for his unique combination of skills, experience, and personality and went on to direct the USEPA’s Hudson River Field Office, assisting in the implementation of the $490 million PCB remediation work.

N.G. had a profound impact on New York’s water quality and the approach we now take to manage it, but even more significant is the attitude he brought to his work and his life. Dedicated as N.G. was to achieving Division of Water goals, he was noted still more for his unfailing honesty, kindness, and fairness. He injected humor into even the most contentious negotiations. In all endeavors, N.G. established and cemented enduring alliances with partner agencies and organizations, especially those with a hands-on role in delivering New York State’s water programs.

N.G.’s intelligent and balanced approach to environmental regulation enlisted allies from all sectors. He always promoted inclusion rather than exclusion, and his ability to listen and consider every point of view won over even those with opposing positions. He also had the courage to stick to his convictions, even when his stance was unpopular.

Thus, his legacy is greater than his many accomplishments; it also stands as an example of how to conduct environmental work by building bridges, rather than erecting walls. And that is fitting, given the role he played as teacher and mentor to so many of the people closest to him.

Over the years, I have been blessed to have spent special times working side by side with this man who made me think and laugh. I will miss his courage, wisdom, and engaging wit. Thank you, N.G., for all you shared with us.

—Sandra L. Allen, Director of the NYSDEC Division of Water