The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) today announced awards for eight new bulk energy storage projects and 13 large-scale renewable energy projects. Combined, these projects are expected to provide 1.7 gigawatts (GW) of new large-scale energy resources, create more than 1,000 family-supporting jobs and generate over $3.7 billion in private investment. This reinforces New York’s commitment to the development of locally-produced clean energy, energy storage, grid resiliency and economic development.
More than one-third of Long Island schools had at least one water fixture used for drinking or cooking that exceeded the state's standard for lead, according to a new report.
Across Nassau and Suffolk, 1,031 of 22,345 fixtures tested — about 4.6% — exceeded the state standard of 5 parts per billion for lead levels in school drinking or cooking water, according to a study conducted by the Environment America Research & Policy Center, New York Public Interest Research Group and Frontier Group.
Brookhaven faces a November deadline to fix plans for cleaning up a toxic plume south of the town's landfill after the state faulted them for containing a series of errors.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation said it could not accept Brookhaven's draft report outlining five potential cleanup proposals. In an Aug. 5 letter to the town, the DEC said Brookhaven's plan was riddled with factual and mathematical errors.
ingston, NY — More than 100 organizations and 700 individuals have urged New York State to strengthen proposed regulations governing the management and treatment of landfill leachate as the public comment period comes to a close on September 9, 2026.
Mary Fontana doesn’t trust the water that comes out of the tap in her upstate New York home. Nor do most of her neighbors in Tupper Lake, an Adirondacks village where she is mayor.
“When I’m putting my kid in the bathtub at the end of the night, when the tub fills up with rust-colored water, it’s really hard to look at that and not think that you’re doing some kind of harm,” said Fontana, who has pushed the state for help cleaning up her village’s water.
A bill aimed at strengthening drinking water protections in New York is now awaiting action from Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and local officials are calling on the U.S. Navy to expedite cleanup efforts at a former development site and of a toxic groundwater plume that is inching toward the Peconic Bay.
Schumer appeared in Calverton Thursday to call on the U.S. Navy to resume testing of the plume at Enterprise Park after the Navy pushed back a deadline 10 years to 2039, to conclude its assessment and come up with a plan to clean up contaminants from the former Grumman weapons plant.
“We represent over 2,000 individuals from Nassau and Suffolk counties who have developed four types of cancer — liver, kidney, thyroid and testicular cancers — and also ulcerative colitis, in litigation involving PFAS,” said Jeffrey Guzman, a founding member of a law firm based on Wall Street in Manhattan, Krentsel Guzman Herbert.
The Environmental Protection Agency has named Nicole “Nikki” Tachiki as the new director of the Long Island Sound Partnership, placing a longtime agency scientist and program planner at the helm of a regional effort focused on improving the health of the Long Island Sound and the communities that surround it.
An upstate federal judge ruled that a New York law that would have forced major fossil fuel companies to foot the bill for infrastructure upgrades necessary to withstand the impacts of climate change is unconstitutional, saying the state overstepped its authority by passing it.
A life scientist with the Environmental Protection Agency is the new leader of an interagency program created to improve the health of Long Island Sound.
Nicole Tachiki, named acting director of the EPA's Long Island Sound office in 2025, is now in charge of Long Island Sound Partnership, which began in 1985 as the Long Island Sound Study — an EPA-run effort in collaboration with New York and Connecticut aimed at cleaning up the Sound.
At the head of the Nissequogue River in Head of the River, a home nestled within rolling green pastures that was once a grist mill dating back to the 1700s still stands. But the family that has served as its steward for four generations is seeking to pass it on to preserve it.
As she sat with other family members in the wood shingle-covered home on Mill Dam Road, Molly Micciche said she could tell the exact times when the low and high tide for the Nissequogue River occurred. Micciche, 81, is one of the four children of Herbert G. Luther, who converted the centuries-old mill into a home in the 1950s.
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Celebrating our Annual Gala
We celebrated our 41st year of working to protect our environment and public health with over 400 hundred of our friends and colleagues at our annual gala. Thank you so much to everyone who came out and made the night a big success. This year, we honored Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine for his dedication to improving water quality and advancing renewable energy. Special thanks to our speakers, Commissioner Amanda Lefton from the NYS DEC and Doreen Harris, President and CEO of NYSERDA.
U.S. Senate Passes Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Reauthorization!
In late September, the U.S. Senate voted to reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) for four more years at $475 million annually. The GLRI has been wildly successful to date, investing over $576 million in on over 1,371 projects in New York State, including projects to clean up the Buffalo River and Rochester Embayment, fight invasive species, prevent harmful algal blooms, and much more. Earlier this year, the U.S. House voted to reauthorize the GLRI for five years. We will be pushing the House and Senate to secure agreement on a final matching bill before the end of the year.
Bill Passed to Protect NY’s Drinking Water from PFAS—Now we Need the Governor’s Signature!
In June, the NYS Assembly and Senate passed legislation to further limit PFAS in our drinking water. While the EPA is working to roll back and delay federal PFAS standards, New York is moving forward with stronger, science-based measures to protect millions of New Yorkers from these toxic "forever chemicals." Now, we need Governor Hochul to sign the bill into law. She has until the end of the year, but the sooner the Governor signs the bill the more protected New Yorkers will be. Email Governor Hochul and urge her to sign legislation to implement stronger drinking water standards for toxic PFAS “forever chemicals”!
Cleaning up the Calverton Plume
In September, we joined U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer at a press conference calling on the U.S. Navy to take immediate action to address the contamination from the Calverton plume. For decades, Long Island communities have been waiting for them to take urgent action. Every delay has allowed this problem to grow, which will make clean-up efforts more expensive. We are calling on the Navy to accept the science, take accountability, provide greater transparency, and deliver a real clean up plan. It’s been 30 years too long. Long Islanders need this contamination cleaned up now!
Presenting at the Great Lakes National Conference
We traveled to Detroit to attend the Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Conference in September. CCE’s Brian Smith joined our partners at Environmental Advocates NY and Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper to present at the conference on our successful advocacy related to New York’s Clean Water Infrastructure Act, which has invested a nation-leading $6.5 billion in protecting NY’s water from its source to our taps!
Talking Environmental Protection with the Attorney General
We had the pleasure of joining NYS Attorney General Letitia James’ Environmental Roundtable last month on Long Island. It was an honor to join with environmental leaders and legislators to discuss important actions and opportunities to protect our local community. We had a productive discussion and thank the AG for her continued efforts to defend our environment and public health throughout NY.
Protecting Endangered Species
We were happy to host the Endangered Species Coalition at our office on Long Island for a robust discussion of endangered species protection. We strategized with local and national experts on policies to help these critical species thrive. Thank you to the diverse range of groups that attended and made it a successful event.
Upcoming: South Shore Estuary Reserve Plastic Pollution Conference
We are joining our partners at Operation SPLASH and Atlantic Marine Conservation Society to host the first South Shore Estuary Reserve Conference focused on challenges and solutions to plastic pollution. This FREE conference will feature the latest science, policy experts, and community leaders who are working on the front lines addressing this problem. Join us on Wednesday, October 28 from 9:30 am – 1:00 pm at The Mansion at West Sayville to get the latest science and find out what we can do to solve the plastic pollution crisis harming our South Shore. Register Here.
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Join us for the first South Shore Estuary Reserve Conference focused on challenges and solutions to plastic pollution and other forms of marine debris. This FREE conference will feature the latest science, policy experts, and community leaders who are working on the front lines addressing this problem.
Plastic pollution and marine debris such as bottle caps, bottles, plastic bags, cigarettes, food wrappers, and more do not break down in the environment. Instead, they break apart into smaller and smaller pieces, accumulating on our beaches and in our harbors and bays, poisoning wildlife and polluting marine ecosystems. Unfortunately, these items are too commonly found in our South Shore beaches, parks, marshes, and bays.
Where is all this marine debris coming from? We have the answers. Learn what we can do to solve the plastic pollution crisis harming our South Shore.
Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Time: 9:30am - 1:00pm
Location: The Mansion at West Sayville, 200 Main St, West Sayville, NY 11796
Space is limited, please Register Here.
Thank you for joining us!
All of Us at CCE
Gov. Kathy Hochul visited the Montauk Lighthouse over the weekend to sign new protections for whales into law.
Called the Whale Awareness Act, the legislation is centered on education and integrates marine mammal protection into both New York State boater safety courses and the vessel registration process.
Key Points
Riverhead is working on draft revisions to its battery energy storage code.
The discussion follows PFAS detections in public water wells near the 2023 East Hampton BESS fire site.
SCWA says PFPrA was detected in water that migrated from the fire; state officials say the source remains under investigation.
Rothwell opposes a moratorium but wants runoff containment and removal of utility-scale BESS from Residence A-80 zoning.
Several Suffolk towns have adopted or extended BESS moratoria while reviewing local rules.
