Highlights & Happenings

Highlights and Happenings: March 2024

 

Image by Joshua Choate via Pixabay

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Highlights

Fighting for Clean Water Infrastructure 
Since 2017, New York has invested $5 billion in the Clean Water Infrastructure Act, and this funding has produced significant results for clean water from the Great Lakes to Long Island Sound. But there is still work to be done to address New York’s $80 billion drinking water and wastewater infrastructure needs. In her Executive Budget, Governor Hochul proposed to slash this critical funding in half. We are calling for $600 million for the Clean Water Infrastructure Act in the SFY 2024-25 budget. Last month, we joined Assemblymembers Michaelle Solages and Keith Brown for a bi-partisan press conference highlighting the need for this funding. The good news is that both the Assembly and Senate have restored the funding in their one-house budgets, but the fight continues to make sure clean water funding makes it into the final budget. Now is not the time to turn off the tap for clean water infrastructure funding, we need to increase state investments in the Clean Water Infrastructure Act. If you haven’t yet, take action today!

Victory! Construction of NY’s First Offshore Wind Farm is Complete 
We were thrilled to join Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to flip the switch on South Fork Wind. This is NY’s first offshore wind farm, with 12 turbines now powering 70,000 homes on the south fork of Long Island. New York is officially receiving clean renewable energy from offshore wind power. Thank you to all the leaders, civics, environmentalists, and labor organizations working together to forge a clean energy path! 

Happenings

Fighting for the Great Lakes in Washington, D.C. 
We led a team of Great Lakes advocates—students, business leaders, and environmental advocates—to meet with New York’s Congressional delegation in D.C. on Great Lakes Day. Our group shared stories of successful restoration projects from Buffalo to the eastern shore of Lake Ontario and called for continued investment in Great Lakes protection. Specifically, we are calling on Congress to reauthorize the successful Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which would provide the program with $500 million annually over 5 years to continue cleaning up toxic hot spots, restoring habitat, protecting drinking water, and more!

Advocating for our Ocean, Estuaries and Great Lakes in Albany 
New York’s environment, economy, and public health are dependent upon the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). From Buffalo to Long Island, all New Yorkers benefit from the numerous programs and projects in the EPF. One important line item in the EPF is the state’s primary source of funding to initiate projects to protect and restore our Ocean, Estuaries, and Great Lakes. We joined advocates from across the state fighting to support $25 million for crucial work to protect and restore our ocean, estuaries, and Great Lakes, within a $400 million EPF. 

Charging Ahead with Route Zero 
In March, we were proud to stand with New York League of Conservation Voters, Assemblywoman Michaelle C. Solages, Assemblymember Charles Lavine, and Nurses Alliance for Healthy Environments to urge the EPA and the Biden Administration to move forward with Route Zero vehicle pollution standards. These standards would reduce emissions from heavy trucks and buses, which will provide significant environmental and public health benefits to our communities!

Talking Waste at UBS Arena 
Last month, we had a great time participating in the first ever Sustainability Conference at UBS Arena on Long Island. We participated in the waste panel to talk about Long Island’s recycling crisis, how we can reduce waste and improve recycling locally, and how the NY Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act will ensure manufacturers, not municipalities, are responsible for dealing with the waste they produce. Thanks to UBS Arena for inviting us and for a lively event. 

Transitioning to Offshore Wind 
In addition to the major announcement on the completion of the South Fork Wind Farm, there are other important announcements on offshore wind: 

  • Sign the Offshore Wind Petition – Take action today to show your support for offshore wind! As New York’s offshore power kicks into action, it’s a critical time to come out strong for a clean energy future. Join us in urging Governor Hochul's administration to grow New York's renewable energy, including offshore wind! Sign the petition today! 

  • BOEM approves Sunrise Wind - The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has issued a Record of Decision approving Sunrise Wind. This project will be built off the coast of Montauk and provide 924MW of renewable energy to Long Island homes via a cable connection to the Holbrook substation. Sunrise Wind is now the next offshore wind project moving forward for NY and gets us closer to meeting our climate mandates, including 9,000 MW of offshore wind by 2035. The project developers, Orsted and Eversource, have also taken a Final Investment Decision on Sunrise Wind. This is another huge step forward for offshore wind in NY. 

  • Lunch and Learn: Battery Storage Basics - As part of our transition to offshore wind, we will need to use battery energy storage systems (BESS). These systems provide capacity that will reduce our reliance on fossil fuel based generated power, thereby providing significant environmental and public health benefits. They will also help stabilize the energy grid as we move towards achieving our state energy mandates, powering thousands of homes and bringing significant economic benefits to our region. In March we hosted a virtual event with our partners at the NY League of Conservation Voters. Check it out here. 

  • Upcoming Lunch and Learn: Propel NY - We will join our partners at the New York League of Conservation Voters for a webinar on Propel NY Energy. The Propel team will be giving updates on their proposed project to bolster the electric transmission network through parts of Long Island, New York City and Westchester County and create clean energy pathways to deliver clean energy, including offshore wind. Wind - developed by RWE Offshore Renewables and National Grid Ventures. Join us on April 9th at noon, register today. 

Upcoming; Earth Day Advocacy Day 
Join us and our environmental partners in Albany on April 16th to make your voice heard in support of key bills to protect New Yorkers and our environment. Urge legislators to pass bills that protect drinking water quality, reduce solid waste, prevent lead poisoning, promote clean energy and environmental justice, and much more! Register today and we will see you in Albany! 

Upcoming: Clean Water Symposium: Global Challenges and Local Solutions.
We are joining North Shore Land Alliance to co-host a conference that will bring together leaders in the field of water science. Leading experts will update attendees about the condition of local water, including surface water and drinking water. There will also be a robust panel discussion that will focus on solutions that both municipalities and homeowners can use to address the protection of Long Island’s critical natural resources. The symposium will be held on Thursday, May 16th, 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm at the Gold Coast Cinema at the LIU Campus in Brookville. Register here. 


Upcoming: Protecting Northport Harbor 
We are working with Village of Northport, LI to install 2 new rain gardens on Bluff Rd and James Street. Rain gardens prevent polluted stormwater runoff from reaching local waterways. They capture, store, and filter contaminants while protecting the shoreline and harbor. Join us April 10th at 7pm at Northport Village Hall for a presentation and to offer your feedback on this beneficial new project and learn more about the importance of protecting Northport Harbor from polluted runoff. Register here. 


Understanding the Health Risks of 1,4-Dioxane on Long Island 
Yale Superfund Research Center has crafted a study to better understand the impact of 1,4-dioxane exposure on Long Island residents. Last year, we launched our partnership with Yale to provide education and outreach to inform Long Islanders about this new, exciting program. If you live on Long Island and are interested in participating and finding out if you have been exposed to 1,4-dioxane, you can find out more here. Later this month, we will hosting a free community forum at the Hicksville Library so residents can learn more about this groundbreaking study and how they can participate. Join us on April 22nd from 7:00-8:30pm. Register today. 

Highlights and Happenings: February 2024

 

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Highlights

Fighting Back Against a Major Funding Cut for Clean Water 
Since 2017, New York has invested $5 billion in the Clean Water Infrastructure Act. From the Great Lakes to Long Island, this funding has helped to reduce sewage overflows, remove emerging contaminants from drinking water, replace lead pipes, and more. But there is still work to be done to address New York’s $80 billion drinking water and wastewater infrastructure needs. This year, Governor Hochul proposed to slash this critical funding by 50%, but we are fighting back. We are calling for $600 million for the Clean Water Infrastructure Act in the SFY 2024-25 budget. Now is not the time to turn off the tap for clean water infrastructure funding; we need to increase state investments in the Clean Water Infrastructure Act. If you haven’t yet, please take action today! 

Great News: NY’s 1,4-Dioxane Law is Working! 
NY’s law, which limits the carcinogen 1,4-dioxane in products, went into full effect at the beginning of this year. Last month, we released a report that included independent testing of laundry detergents—revealing that companies are complying with the law and members of the public are being exposed to significantly less 1,4-dioxane than they were just a few short years ago. We were delighted to learn that not only are New Yorkers benefiting, but products, including all those made by Proctor & Gamble, have reformulated and significantly reduced 1,4-dioxane for all of North America. You can find out more by watching our press conference revealing the testing results or reading the new report. This is a huge win for our drinking water and our health!

Happenings

Supporting a Fully Funded Environmental Protection Fund 
New York’s environment, economy, and public health are dependent upon the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). From Buffalo to Long Island, all New Yorkers benefit from the numerous programs and projects in the EPF. EPF projects improve water quality, protect clean air, conserve open space, save family farms, bolster recycling programs, revitalize waterfronts, build community parks, and support zoos, aquariums, and botanical gardens. We joined advocates from across the state to maintain the $400 million EPF and prevent those funds from being raided for agency staff costs! Offloading agency staff costs into the EPF would limit communities’ ability to protect and restore our precious environment in every region of the state. 

Transitioning to Offshore Wind 
There were a lot of big developments on offshore wind in February; here’s a rundown: 

  • Offshore Wind Petition Launched – Take action today to show your support for offshore wind! As New York’s offshore wind power kicks into action, it’s a critical time to come out strong for a clean energy future. Join us in urging Governor Hochul's administration to grow New York's renewable energy, including offshore wind! Sign the petition today! 

  • Empire and Sunrise Wind Rebid – Both the Sunrise Wind Farm, which will power 600,000 Long Island homes via a connection in Holbrook, and Empire Wind 1, which will power 500,000 NYC homes via a connection in Brooklyn, submitted rebids with NYS for their projects to continue to move forward. Great news: In February, these projects were both selected and are now continuing along towards final approval and construction. They are expected to be completed in 2026! 

  • Why Wind Works: NY’s New Offshore Wind Projects – We joined our partners at the New York League of Conservation Voters for a webinar on the new offshore wind projects coming to New York. These three projects will power over 2 million homes. Check out the webinar to find out more about Attentive Energy (developed by TotalEnergies), Rise Light & Power, Corio Generation, and Excelsior Wind (developed by Vineyard Offshore), and Community Offshore Wind (developed by RWE Offshore Renewables and National Grid Ventures). 

  • Projects in the NY Bight – The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has released a draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the offshore wind leases in the NY Bight (the area available for offshore wind between NY and NJ). Three projects—Community Wind, Excelsior Wind, and Attentive Energy—have already been selected by NY and will power millions of homes with clean power. This PEIS will help streamline the review process for offshore wind projects in this area, ensuring that projects are not repeating the same studies and moving us one step closer to a transition off fossil fuels. We testified in support and submitted comments last month. 

Long Island Lobby Coalition Goes to Albany 
Last month we headed up to Albany for our annual Long Island Lobby Day. We had great meetings with our Senators and Assemblymembers about funding for clean water, sewers, transportation, social services, renewables, waste reduction and more. Our 100+ member coalition is fighting to make sure this year's budget includes funding for critical programs to protect LI's water, health, and quality of life. Thanks to all who joined us for a very productive trip. 

Suffolk County Clean Water Referendum 
Nitrogen pollution impacts every waterway in Suffolk County. We are fighting for state legislation that would allow residents to vote on a clean water ballot initiative this November and need the Suffolk County Legislature to put the issue on the ballot and let the public decide if an increase of 1/8 cent in the county sales tax should be dedicated to protecting water resources by fixing sewer and septic infrastructure. Last month, we were thrilled to join Suffolk County Executive Romaine, Suffolk legislators, organized labor, and environmentalists for a good news announcement about the clean water referendum. We are extremely encouraged that a referendum for clean water funding can be on the ballot this November in Suffolk County. 

Understanding the Health Risks of 1,4-Dioxane on Long Island 
Yale Superfund Research Center has crafted a study to better understand the impact of 1,4-dioxane exposure on Long Island residents. Last year, we launched our partnership with Yale to provide education and outreach to inform Long Islanders about this new, exciting program. If you live on Long Island and are interested in participating and finding out if you have been exposed to 1,4-dioxane, you can find out more here. 

Climate Reality Project 
CCE’s Francine Gordon has been accepted to attend Climate Reality Leadership Training in NYC this Spring! The event will feature former Vice President Al Gore and an all-star lineup of thought leaders, climate experts, and organizers for a training that explores the climate crisis today and the road to a sustainable tomorrow. Congratulations to Francine on being selected for this great opportunity! 

Save the Date: Western Bays Community Meeting 
We’ll be joining our friends at Operation SPLASH to host a community meeting on restoring our Western Bays on the south shore of Long Island. The forum will review the importance of diverting sewage from the Western Bays, update residents on the proposal to connect the South Shore Water Reclamation Facility and Long Beach Sewage Treatment Plant to an existing ocean outfall pipe at the Cedar Creek Sewage Treatment Plant, and provide an overview of upgrades that have been made so far. Join us April 2nd at 7:30pm at Operation SPLASH, 202 Woodcleft Ave, Freeport. 

Save the Date: Clean Water Symposium: Global Challenges and Local Solutions. 
We are joining North Shore Land Alliance to co-host a conference that will bring together leaders in the field of water science. Leading experts will update attendees about the condition of local water, including surface water and drinking water. There will also be a robust panel discussion that will focus on solutions that both municipalities and homeowners can use to address the protection of Long Island’s critical natural resources. The symposium will be held on Thursday, May 16th, 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm at the Gold Coast Cinema at the LIU Campus in Brookville. Register here. 

Save the Date: Protecting Northport Harbor 
We are working with Village of Northport, LI to install 2 new rain gardens on Bluff Rd and James Street. Rain gardens prevent polluted stormwater runoff from reaching local waterways. They capture, store, and filter contaminants while protecting the shoreline and harbor. Join us April 10th at 7pm at Northport Village Hall for a presentation and to offer your feedback on this beneficial new project and learn more about the importance of protecting Northport Harbor from polluted runoff. Register here. 

Highlights and Happenings: December 2023

 

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Highlights

Victory! Governor Hochul Signs Birds and Bees Protection Act!
Bees are one of the most important species on the planet. Unfortunately, they are dying at an alarming rate. This loss of our bees and other pollinators has been largely linked to the excessive use of neonic pesticides. The Birds and Bees Protection Act was resoundingly passed by the NYS Legislature in June and was signed into law by the Governor in December. This critical law bans the most harmful and unnecessary use of toxic neonic pesticides. This is a huge victory for our pollinators, environment, and public health. Thank you to all our partners and everyone who urged the Governor to sign this crucial bill into law. And thank you to Governor Hochul for signing this landmark legislation into law!

Victory! Clean Water for New Yorkers
New York communities received a gift for the holidays this December—clean water! We joined Governor Hochul as she announced $479 million for clean water projects across the state. These projects included treatment technology to remove toxic PFAS and 1,4 dioxane from drinking water, funding to replace antiquated polluting septic systems, and funding to fix sewage infrastructure. Thank you to Governor Hochul for investing in clean water on Long Island and throughout NYS.

Happenings

Transitioning to Offshore Wind
There were some big developments on offshore wind in December:

  • Victory! NY’s First Offshore Wind Turbine is Generating Power South Fork Wind, NY’s first offshore wind farm, will soon power 70,000 homes on the east end of Long Island. Last month, we traveled 35 miles offshore to witness the construction of South Fork Wind, where two of the turbines are completed and one is already generating power. It was an incredible experience to see our clean renewable energy future up close. We also joined our partners for a press conference and celebration in East Hampton, where the cable connection will bring power onshore to the local substation. This is a major step forward for offshore wind in NY and the US!

  • Offshore Wind Legislative Breakfast We joined NY League of Conservation Voters and our offshore wind partners to host Our Offshore Wind Future: An Offshore Wind Legislative Breakfast in West Saville, Long Island. We were joined by elected officials from the local, state and federal level to talk about offshore wind. We heard updates from Orsted and Equinor, who are currently building the first offshore wind projects in NY. We also got presentations from Vineyard Offshore, Community Offshore Wind, and Attentive Energies about their offshore wind projects, which were selected by New York this fall and will generate over 4,000MW of power. It was a very informative event. Thanks to all who attended and to our great presenters.

  • Upcoming: NYSERDA Open Houses Throughout January, the NY State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is hosting offshore wind educational open houses in several locations. Join NYSERDA, New York State agencies, offshore wind project developers, and other industry partners to learn about the state’s work to responsibly develop offshore wind to advance the critical clean energy targets of New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. You can find more information on the open houses here.


Protecting Long Island Sound
Last month, we were awarded grant funding from the Long Island Sound Futures Fund to continue our collaboration with the Village of Northport to install two new rain gardens. These new rain gardens will enhance access to the Long Island Sound and filter harmful pollutants out of stormwater to protect water quality in the harbor. The project will prevent 75.2 lbs. of nitrogen, 15.9 lbs. of phosphorus and 4,456 lbs. of suspended solids flowing annually into Northport Harbor and Long Island Sound. Thanks to the LIS Futures Fund for their continued support.


Understanding the Health Risks of 1,4-Dioxane on Long Island
Yale Superfund Research Center has crafted a study to better understand the impact of 1,4-dioxane exposure on Long Island residents. This spring, we launched our partnership with Yale to provide education and outreach to inform Long Islanders about this new, exciting program. We will also be hosting an in-person meeting with Assemblywoman Taylor Darling in Hempstead Village on January 25th, so stay tuned for more info. If you live on Long Island and are interested in participating and finding out if you have been exposed to 1,4-dioxane, you can find out more here.

Highlights and Happenings: November 2023

 

Image by Tracey O'Brien from Pixabay

Help CCE build on our success, and support our campaigns to protect public health and the environment in NY and CT. 
Make a contribution today.

 

Highlights

Telling Governor Hochul to Save the Bees!
Bees are one of the most important species on the planet. Unfortunately, they are dying at an alarming rate. This loss of our bees and other pollinators has been largely linked to the excessive use of neonic pesticides. The Birds and Bees Protection Act was resoundingly passed by the NYS Legislature and is now waiting to be signed by Governor Hochul. This bill would ban the most harmful and unnecessary uses of toxic neonic pesticides. In November, we held a press conference on Long Island with our partners urging the Governor to sign this crucial bill into law, which you can watch here. Several of our partner groups also held a big rally in NYC. There was also a great op-ed in Newsday, check it out if you missed it. Help us fight the pesticide industry and protect our pollinators by sending an email to Governor Hochul and tell her it is time to save the bees and to sign the Birds and Bees Protection Act!

Happenings

Transitioning to Offshore Wind. There were a lot of big developments for offshore wind in November:

  • NY Announces New Bidding for Offshore Wind Projects. Due to the pandemic, supply chain issues and inflation, the offshore wind developers for the projects already selected in NY (Sunrise, Empire, & Beacon Wind) requested subsidies from NYS to ensure they could viably move forward with their projects. In October, their request was rejected. We joined many of our Wind Works NY partners in supporting the subsidies and have been pushing for an expedited rebidding process so that projects can move forward to meet our climate change mandate of 70% renewables by 2030. In November, New York State announced they will be holding the rebidding process with a very quick turnaround timeline (bids due in January, selection of winners in February) and that the existing contracts will not be canceled. This will allow early projects, if re-selected, to move forward on a reasonable timeline. This is very good news!

    New York State also announced plans to hold a fourth solicitation for additional offshore wind projects. Last month, we joined Governor Hochul as she announced three projects (Excelsior Wind, Community Offshore Wind, and Attentive) that will power over two million homes as a result of the third offshore wind solicitation. Another round of projects, in addition to the re-bidding process, is a huge step in moving offshore wind forward and achieving 9,000 mw of offshore wind by 2035.

  • BOEM NY & NJ Environmental Justice Forum. We attended an excellent NY and NJ Environmental Justice Forum at UPROSE in Brooklyn last month. We toured Equinor’s facility at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, a large offshore wind port that will house operations and maintenance for several large offshore wind farms. It was a great discussion and was very exciting to tour the facility and see that an abandoned industrial facility will be transformed into a productive offshore wind terminal.

  • Lunch and Learn: Why Wind Works. We joined our partners at the NY League of Conservation Voters to host a virtual presentation on Why Wind Works last month, featuring expert panelists from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, NYS Energy Research and Development Authority, and US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. We want to provide the facts on why offshore wind works, why it is needed in our state, and what benefits it brings to several regions throughout New York. Thanks to the almost 200 people who joined. If you missed it, check it out here.

Fighting to protect the Great Lakes in Washington
We joined with NY partners from the Healing our Waters Great Lakes Coalition for a trip to Washington DC last month. We had very productive meetings with our US Senators and Representatives from NYS—calling for continued investment in the successful Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and programs to upgrade our drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. We need Congress to support clean water in the final 2024 budget!

South Shore Estuary Reserve Stewardship Awards
We joined Deputy Secretary of State Kisha Santiago-Martinez to host the South Shore Estuary Reserve 2023 Stewardship Awards. The SSER Stewardship Award program is designed to recognize citizens and organizations that have made significant contributions to the improvement of the estuary. Congratulations to Richard Groh, Chief Environmental Analyst at the Town of Babylon and Dr. Artie Kopelman, President of the Coastal Research & Education Society of Long Island (CRESLI), who won awards for their dedication in protecting and restoring the Reserve!

Understanding the Health Risks of 1,4-Dioxane on Long Island
Yale Superfund Research Center has crafted a study to better understand the impact of 1,4-dioxane exposure on Long Island residents. This spring, we launched our partnership with Yale to provide education and outreach to inform Long Islanders about this new, exciting program. If you live on Long Island and are interested in participating and finding out if you have been exposed to 1,4-dioxane, you can find out more here.

UBS Arena Sustainability
We joined UBS Arena for their launch of new sustainability goals—100% renewable energy and zero waste! UBS Arena, located in Belmont, Long Island, is a certified LEED building and is now going further with their sustainability goals. The venue will make its own renewable energy and meet a zero waste goal, which includes donating and composting excess food. We applaud these efforts by UBS Arena and thank you for a terrific event.

Talking Pollinators at REI
REI held a grand opening for the new location in Huntington Station, Long Island, and we were there to talk about bees! We spent the day at the store opening, educating shoppers about the Birds & Bees Protection Act and the importance of banning neonic pesticides. Shoppers were eager to sign on and urge Gov Hochul to sign the Birds & Bees Protection Act!

Celebrating Board Member Richard Olsen-Harbich
We were honored to attend the book signing of our longtime board member Richard Olsen-Harbich at Bedell Cellars. Check out his great book, “Sun, Sea, Soil, Wine” available for purchase here. Congrats Rich!

Highlights and Happenings: October 2023

 

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Highlights

Tell Governor Hochul to Save the Bees! 
Bees are one of the most important species on the planet. Unfortunately, they are dying at an alarming rate. This loss of our bees and other pollinators has been largely linked to the excessive use of neonic pesticides. The Birds and Bees Protection Act was resoundingly passed by the NYS Legislature and is now waiting to be signed by Governor Hochul. This bill would ban the most harmful and unnecessary uses of toxic neonic pesticides. Help us fight the pesticide industry and protect our pollinators by sending an email to Governor Hochul and tell her it is time to save the bees and to sign the Birds and Bees Protection Act! Then, join us and our partners on November 15th for a rally in front of Governor Hochul’s NYC office to call on her to sign the Birds and Bees Protection Act into law. We will be hosting a press event on Long Island too, so stay tuned for more news! 

NY Selects 4,000MW of Offshore Wind!
Despite some setbacks for offshore wind last month, there was one HUGE step forward. We joined Governor Kathy Hochul and many of our Wind Works partners as she announced the state’s largest ever investment in renewable energy. The state has selected three offshore wind projects, plus 22 land-based renewable energy projects, which will power a total of 2.6 million homes. This is a massive investment in offshore wind, with these three projects making nearly half of the state’s offshore wind goal of 9,000 megawatts (MW) by 2035. Congratulations to the awarded projects: Attentive Energy, Community Offshore Wind, and Excelsior Wind! 

Happenings

Testifying in Support of Waste Reduction in Albany 
One of our priority bills in NY is the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, which would hold manufacturers—not taxpayers—responsible for their waste. We were in Albany last month to testify to the Senate and Assembly in support of this bill to reduce plastic packaging, improve recycling, and save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars annually! Many thanks to Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Deborah Glick for their leadership on this issue. NY must get the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure act passed in 2024! 

Heading to D.C. to Protect Long Island Sound 
Our annual Long Island Sound Study Education Day was an absolute success! We met with our NY and CT Representatives to update them on all the progress the coalition made over the last year to restore Long Island Sound, and to push for increased federal funding to further these LIS protection programs. Thank you to all our coalition partners who joined us on the trip, and thanks to all our Representatives and Senators who met with us and who continue to be champions for protecting Long Island Sound. 

The Problems with Artificial Turf 
Throughout the nation, natural grass playgrounds and athletic fields are being replaced with “artificial” or “synthetic” turf. The use of artificial turf raises significant environmental, health, and safety concerns that parents, schools, and policymakers must be made aware of. Last month, we joined the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) to co-host a virtual educational presentation to discuss the significant problems associated with artificial turf, including water quality impacts, PFAS contamination, microplastic pollution, and more. If you missed it, check it out here. 

Transitioning to Offshore Wind 
New York is poised to be a national leader in offshore wind, with a mandate of 9,000MW of offshore wind by 2035. In addition to the announcement on 4,000 MW of offshore wind mentioned above, there were other important developments in October: 

  • Empire Wind 2 Public Hearings and Wind Rally 
    In October, the NY Public Service Commission held public hearings in Long Beach on the Empire 2 project, which would power 600,000 Long Island homes via a cable connection through Long Beach to a substation in Island Park. We had a huge rally ahead of the hearing in support of offshore wind, particularly about the need to move forward with the existing projects and grant needed subsidies for offshore wind so we can hit our Climate Law targets. It was a fantastic rally with our environmental and labor partners. 

    At the hearings, hundreds of people were in attendance and City Hall was packed. One thing is clear – NYS must move the cable route instead of taking their planned route through Long Beach. The Governor recently vetoed a bill alienating parkland to allow for the planned Long Beach cable route, so stay tuned for updates on what is happening Empire Wind 2 and the cable connection! 

  • NY Denies Subsidies for Offshore Wind 
    Due to Covid, supply chain issues and inflation, the offshore wind developers for the projects already selected in NY (Sunrise, Empire, & Beacon Wind) requested subsidies from New York State to ensure they could viably move forward with their projects. In October, their request was rejected. We had joined many of our Wind Works NY partners in supporting the subsidies, without which we could see years-long delays in bringing these projects online, particularly for the early projects that are nearly through the approval process and have already made massive financial investments in the community. This was a major setback to our ability to reach our climate change mandate of 70% renewables by 2030. We are now urging New York to move forward quickly with a rebidding process to keep these early projects on track and ensure we do not lose four years of work! 

  • Our Offshore Wind Future, Part 2.
    Back in July, we placed an 8-page educational piece, “Our Offshore Wind Future”, in the Long Island Herald. It was a big hit, so we’ve created another piece with even more great educational info about offshore wind. It just ran in local papers all along the south shore. Check out the new factsheet here.

Long Island Water Quality Summer 2023 
We joined Stony Brook University’s Dr. Christopher Gobler in October to announce the water quality results for Long Island’s surface waters this summer. The news was not good! The 2023 Assessment of Water Quality Impairments for Long Island found more dead zones, toxic tides, fish kills, and a record-setting season for harmful algal blooms this past summer. Excessive nitrogen from sewage and septic systems has caused water quality impairments across Long Island and the problem is only going to get worse. This data highlights the need for a recurring revenue stream and significant investments to upgrade our wastewater infrastructure. 

Fighting Contamination at the Brookhaven Landfill 
Last month, a Newsday investigation found that Brookhaven Town had ignored whistleblower concerns about contaminated and improperly handled ash from local waste incinerators that was sent to the Brookhaven Landfill for disposal. This went on for years, and the Town sided with incinerator despite potential health risks to the local community. We joined the NAACP, Brookhaven Chapter for a press conference to call for an independent investigation into the dumping of potentially hazardous waste at the Brookhaven Landfill. This is just the latest in a long history of health concerns and environmental hazards associated with the Brookhaven Landfill. The community deserves better! 


Working Together to Protect and Restore our Great Lakes 
In October, we headed to Cleveland for the annual Healing Our Waters (HOW) Great Lakes Coalition Conference. The conference brings together advocates from all eight Great Lakes states to share information, visit successful restoration projects in Cleveland, and develop joint strategies to advance Great Lakes restoration. CCE serves as a state lead for the HOW coalition in New York State, and will continue working with our partners to advance Great Lakes restoration priorities in 2024, including addressing the impacts of climate change, fighting for environmental justice in Great Lakes communities, and more! 


Understanding the Health Risks of 1,4-Dioxane on Long Island 
Yale Superfund Research Center has crafted a study to better understand the impact of 1,4-dioxane exposure on Long Island residents. This spring, we launched our partnership with Yale to provide education and outreach to inform Long Islanders about this new, exciting program. If you live on Long Island and are interested in participating and finding out if you have been exposed to 1,4-dioxane, you can find out more here. 

Highlights and Happenings: August 2023

 

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

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Highlights

Governor Hochul: It’s Time to Save the Bees! 
In August, we joined NYS Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, environmental advocates, and farmers for a virtual press conference calling on Governor Hochul to sign the Birds and Bees Protection Act into law! This bill would ban the most harmful and unnecessary uses of toxic neonic pesticides that have been decimating bee and pollinator populations, contaminating water resources, and threatening public health. Neonics are likely the most ecologically destructive pesticides since DDT. Help us fight the pesticide industry and protect our pollinators by sending an email to Governor Hochul and tell her it is time to save the bees! You can also watch a recording of the press conference here. 

Taking a Major Step Forward in Protecting Long Island’s Water from Forever Chemicals! 
Unfortunately, carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane and PFAS “forever chemicals” have been detected in wells throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties. In August, we attended the site for a new Suffolk County Water Authority AOP System that will remove PFAS and 1,4-dioxane from our drinking water. Our work fighting for state clean water funding is paying off! We got a great tour of the facility and had a press conference celebrating the eight new AOP systems in total that will ensure Suffolk’s water meets state drinking water standards for these toxic chemicals. Thank you to Suffolk County Water Authority, Senator Mario R. Mattera, and Assemblyman Steve Stern for your work to provide clean water to Suffolk residents.

Happenings

Weighing in on NY’s Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Bond Act 
The $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Bond Act was approved overwhelming by New York State voters last November. This funding will allow our state to undertake urgently needed environmental improvement projects that are vital to New York’s future and provide necessary and overdue investments to solve pressing public health and environmental problems. Throughout July and August state agencies hosted listening sessions across NY to get ideas for projects from local communities. We attended listening sessions from Buffalo to Long Island and will be submitting a list of potential projects to improve water quality, fight climate change, preserve open space, and create green jobs. You can submit your ideas as well! 

Fighting to Preserve Plum Island 
We had a fantastic trip to Orient Point, overlooking Plum Island, with the Preserve Plum Island Coalition and Congressman Nick LaLota in August. Plum Island is an 840- acre island located 10 miles from Connecticut in the heart of Long Island Sound. Approximately 90% of the island is undeveloped, allowing pristine wetlands and grassland areas to flourish and giving the island tremendous ecological value. We are fighting to preserve Plum Island for future generations. 


Transitioning to Offshore Wind 
New York is poised to be a national leader in offshore wind, with five wind farms already selected and a mandate of 9,000MW of offshore wind by 2035. August saw some more big milestones for offshore wind: 

  • Sunrise Wind Virtual Open House: We joined a virtual open house to hear about progress on the onshore construction work for Sunrise Wind. The Sunrise Wind Farm will be located off the coast of Montauk and will power 600,000 Long Island homes via a cable connection in Town of Brookhaven. The first phase of onshore construction activities is under way, with additional phases occurring later this year and into next year. If you missed the open house, you can check out the info here. 

  • South Fork Wind: The South Fork Wind Farm will be NY’s first offshore wind, powering 70,000 homes on the east end of Long Island. The construction is under way and the project is expected to be online at the end of the year. As of last month, the foundations are now installed – Next step is installing the turbines! 

Understanding the Health Risks of 1,4-Dioxane on Long Island 
Yale Superfund Research Center has crafted a study to better understand the impact of 1,4-dioxane exposure on Long Island residents. This spring, we launched our partnership with Yale to provide education and outreach to inform Long Islanders about this new, exciting program. If you live on Long Island and are interested in participating and finding out if you have been exposed to 1,4-dioxane, you can find out more here. Last month we had a great meeting with NYS Senator Anthony Palumbo and Yale Superfund Research Center in Riverhead to spread the word and educate the public about this 1,4-dioxane health study. 

Be on the Watch for Harmful Algal Blooms
As we start enjoying summer here in New York, it is important to be aware of dangerous harmful algal blooms (HABs). HABs pose an immense threat to our communities’ drinking water, public health, outdoor recreation and wildlife. HABs are erupting across NY more frequently and more aggressively in NY waterbodies. To learn more about HABs and efforts taken to combat them on Cayuga Lake check out our short video. If you see a HAB in a lake or waterbody (looks like spilled green paint or pea soup), be sure to avoid it and report it using the DEC Suspicious Algal Bloom Report Form! 

Highlights and Happenings: July 2023

 

Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay

Help CCE build on our success, and support our campaigns to protect public health and the environment in NY and CT. 
Make a contribution today.

 

Highlights

Tell Governor Hochul to Save the Bees! 
After years of hard work and advocacy, the NYS Legislature recently passed the Birds and Bees Protection Act! If signed into law, it would ban the most harmful and unnecessary uses of toxic neonicotinoid (“neonic”) pesticides. Neonic pesticides not only kill bees at an alarming rate, but they also pollute our water, kill wildlife, and threaten public health. Our Executive Director released this brief statement in support of the bill. Now we need YOUR help to urge Governor Hochul to sign this monumental legislation into law! Join us in calling on the Governor to sign the bill by sending an email today! 

Weighing in on the Future of the Great Lakes  
The EPA is currently developing a plan to guide Great Lakes restoration efforts over the next five years—helping determine how billions of dollars in federal investments will be allocated. At an engagement session held in Rochester in July, we urged the EPA to continue progress on existing priorities (cleaning up toxic hot spots, restoring habitat, and more) while also focusing on protecting coastal communities from climate change and supporting restoration projects in underserved communities. Please take a moment and use our template to submit a comment to the EPA via email! 

Happenings

Pushing for Stronger PFAS Standards 
Last year, the EPA proposed new federal drinking water standards of 4 parts per trillion (ppt) for the toxic “forever chemicals” PFOA and PFOS, which is significantly stronger than the NYS standard of 10 ppt. EPA has found that there is virtually no safe level of PFAS exposure, making stronger standards essential. While these standards are a necessary step to tackle existing water contamination, we must also prevent additional PFAS chemicals from entering our waterways. In July, we joined U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to call for passage of the Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act of 2023, which would prevent manufacturing facilities from discharging PFAS chemicals into our waterways in the first place. 

Fighting for Clean Water in Suffolk County 
Nitrogen pollution impacts every waterway in Suffolk County. We fought for state legislation that would allow Suffolk residents to vote on a clean water ballot initiative this November. We needed the Suffolk County Legislature to put the issue on the ballot and let the public decide if an increase of 1/8 cent in the county sales tax should be dedicated to protecting water resources by fixing sewer and septic infrastructure. Despite years of work to get here and a large coalition of environmentalists, labor unions, chambers of commerce, civic organizations, and local businesses coming together in support, the Suffolk Majority voted no in July. The public was denied the right to vote on clean water this year. This was a huge disappointment, but we’re never done fighting for clean water. 

LI Water Quality at an All-Time Low 
Bad news for water quality on Long Island. We joined Dr. Gobler from Stony Brook University and The Nature Conservancy to unveil new data showing that the summer of 2023 is tracking as the worst water quality on record for Long Island. Excessive nitrogen from sewage is the main culprit—causing declining water quality, toxic algal blooms, fish kills, and turtle kills. Some of our harmful algal blooms are not only the worst in Long Island’s history but some of the most intense on record in the world. If you missed it, you can watch the press conference here. Suffolk’s clean water referendum would have helped leverage state and federal funding and solve some of our nitrogen pollution issues, which is why we and our partners are continuing to fight for funding to upgrade our sewage and septic systems. 

Restoration Project Spotlight: Using Rain Gardens to Protect Lake Erie 
Rain gardens play an important role in capturing polluted runoff, reducing flooding, preventing sewage overflows, and supporting biodiversity. In July, we joined with the Erie County Water Quality Committee to tour rain gardens in the Town of Evans, NY. These rain gardens in Evans Town Park not only look beautiful and support numerous pollinators, but they also prevent contaminated water from urban and rural roadway runoff from reaching Lake Erie (located just across the street)! 


Suffolk County Executive Candidate Forum 
Last month, we co-hosted the Suffolk County Executive Environmental Candidate Forum with the NY League of Conservation Voters Environmental Fund at Stony Brook University. There were hundreds of people in attendance to hear from candidates Ed Romaine (R) and Dave Calone (D) about their plan to protect our environment, public health, and our communities if they are elected. Thanks to NYLCV for organizing this important and very informative event. 

Celebrating Solar Energy 
The Calverton Solar Energy Center on Long Island celebrated its one-year anniversary in July. The 23 megawatt facility is currently providing clean, renewable solar energy to 4,000 homes. We joined National Grid US Ventures, the Long Island Power Authority, and NextEra Energy for a press conference and visit to the solar farm, which is helping NY meet its ambitious climate goals and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Suffolk County.

Understanding the Health Risks of 1,4-Dioxane on Long Island 
Yale Superfund Research Center has crafted a study to better understand the impact of 1,4-dioxane exposure on Long Island residents. This spring, we launched our partnership with Yale to provide education and outreach to inform Long Islanders about this new, exciting program. If you live on Long Island and are interested in participating and finding out if you have been exposed to 1,4-dioxane, you can find out more here. We will also be joining Senator Palumbo on August 9th at Riverhead Library for a community meeting to discuss the impacts of 1,4-dioxane on Long Island and this important health study. Register for the meeting here. 

Sea Turtle Release 
In July our team attended the sea turtle release of eight turtles that were being taken care of by the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society. It was an exciting evening as we watched these creatures return to their ocean homes. We had the pleasure of releasing one of the eight sea turtles. Thanks to AMSEAS for this incredible experience! Watch a video of the turtle release here. 

Transitioning to Offshore Wind 
New York is poised to be a national leader in offshore wind, with five wind farms already selected and a mandate of 9,000MW of offshore wind by 2035. This will not only bring environmental and health benefits to our communities but will also create thousands of jobs and make NY a hub of offshore wind development. In July, we continued our work to support offshore wind: 

  • What’s Brewin’ Offshore. We had a fun educational evening networking and discussing offshore wind at Six Harbors Brewing Company in Huntington, LI with New York League of Conservation Voters, Climate Jobs NY, the Long Island Association and many of our Wind Works LI partners. Thanks to Anabaric for sponsoring the event! 

  • Our Offshore Wind Future, LI Herald. In July we continued to educate the public on the south shore of Nassau County, where the Empire Wind 2 cable connection will be powering 600,000 homes. We placed an 8-page educational piece, “Our Offshore Wind Future,” in the Long Island Herald – if you missed it you can check out the piece here.

Highlights and Happenings: June 2023

 

Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay

Help CCE build on our success, and support our campaigns to protect public health and the environment in NY and CT. 
Make a contribution today.

 

Highlights

New York Legislative Session Wrap Up 
The NY legislative session wrapped up in June, and there are some significant achievements to celebrate! We want to congratulate and thank the new Chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, Senator Harckham, and the new Chair of the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee, Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, for their hard work! Thank you also to our coalition partners and everyone who contacted their legislators to get these crucial bills passed this session. Some of our priority bills passed by the state legislature (still need to be signed by the Governor): 

  • Birds and Bees Protection Act: Bans the most harmful and unnecessary uses of neonic pesticides, eliminating 85%-90% of all neonics used in NY. This will protect our pollinators, water quality and human health. Now we need Governor Hochul to sign the bill into law! 

  • Expanding Stream Protections: Protects an additional 41,000 miles of streams across the state, which will help protect drinking water quality and habitat for fish and wildlife. 

  • Lead Pipes Right to Know: Creates an inventory of lead pipes throughout the state and makes this information public, giving residents the right to know if they are drinking water that may be contaminated with lead. 

  • Offshore Wind Transmission: Requires NYSERDA to lead a transmission planning process for offshore wind and authorizes temporary parkland alienation in City of Long Beach for the offshore wind cable connection for Empire Wind 2, which will power 600,000 homes on Long Island.

Let’s not forget the major victories from the state budget that was passed earlier in the session, including matching an all-time high of $400 million for the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and $500 million to upgrade sewer and drinking water infrastructure. Unfortunately, one of our big priority bills, the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, which would reduce plastic packaging pollution and save local governments hundreds of millions of dollars annually, didn’t pass this session. We’re already gearing up for the fight next year to pass this necessary legislation. 

South Shore Estuary Reserve Program Celebrates 30th Anniversary! 
We partnered with the New York Department of State to host the first South Shore Estuary Reserve (SSER) Conference. The conference celebrated 30 years of progress to restore this estuary and assessed restoration needs still needed in the future. Speakers included New York Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez and Dr. Chris Gobler from Stony Brook University. Thank you to all our great speakers and everyone who joined—it was a fantastic event! 

Happenings

Pushing for Stronger PFAS Drinking Water Standards 
New York had been a leader in its efforts to protect public health from PFAS “forever chemicals” in drinking water, having adopted some of the nation’s strictest drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS in 2020. Last year, the EPA proposed new federal drinking water standards of 4 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and PFOS, which is significantly stronger than the NYS standard of 10 ppt. However, New York is pushing back against this new low standard and is rebuking the Biden Administration on several aspects of its proposed regulations. We attended the NYS Drinking Water Quality Council meeting in June to demand NY remain a leader in the fight to protect public health and ensure our state’s drinking water standards are reflective of the latest science, which indicates that there is no safe level of exposure to PFAS in drinking water. Reducing the standards from 10ppt to 4ppt would protect millions more New Yorkers from harmful PFAS. 

Transitioning to Offshore Wind 
New York is poised to be a national leader in offshore wind, with five wind farms already selected and a mandate of 9,000MW of offshore wind by 2035. This will not only bring environmental and health benefits to our communities but will also create thousands of jobs and make NY a hub of offshore wind development. We kept up our work on advancing offshore wind in June: 

  • Talking Offshore Wind with Uniondale High School. In June, we officially concluded our “Transitioning to Renewable Energy” series with Uniondale High School and Community Wind for this school year. CCE staff gave climate change and offshore presentations to 45 classes with over 1100 students! We had an amazing time bringing the students to the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center—the students learned about renewable energy, participated in taking wind readings, and saw a real wind turbine blade. 

  • Open House on Empire Wind 2. Equinor hosted meetings this spring on Empire Wind 2, which will power over 600,000 homes in Nassau County via a cable connection to Island Park. We attended a productive June meeting in Long Beach—thanks to everyone who came out to talk about wind.   

Fighting for Clean Water in Suffolk County 
Nitrogen pollution impacts every waterway in Suffolk County. We successfully fought for state legislation that would allow Suffolk residents to vote on a clean water ballot initiative this November. Next, we needed the Suffolk County Legislature to put the issue on the ballot and let the public decide if an increase of 1/8 cent in the county sales tax should be dedicated to protecting water resources by fixing sewer and septic infrastructure. Despite years of work to get here and a large coalition of environmentalists, labor, chambers of commerce, civic organizations, and local businesses coming together in support, the Suffolk Majority voted no. This was a huge step backwards, but we’re not done fighting for clean water in Suffolk. 


Understanding the Health Risks of 1,4-Dioxane on Long Island 
Yale Superfund Research Center has crafted a study to better understand the impact of 1,4-dioxane exposure on Long Island residents. This spring, we launched our partnership with Yale to provide education and outreach to inform Long Islanders about this new, exciting program. If you live on Long Island and are interested in participating and finding out if you have been exposed to 1,4-dioxane, you can find out more here. 

Welcome to our Summer Interns! 
We’re excited to welcome our summer interns! Belen Gonzalez and Malvika Shrimali are part of the Yale Conservation Scholars Program. Belen attends Fordham University and Malvika attends College of William and Mary. Adrianna Gardocki is also joining our team for the summer—Adrianna is entering her senior year studying Environmental Economics at Binghamton University. 


Be on the Watch for Harmful Algal Blooms
As we start enjoying summer here in New York, it is important to be aware of dangerous harmful algal blooms (HABs). HABs pose an immense threat to our communities’ drinking water, public health, outdoor recreation and wildlife. HABs are erupting across NY more frequently and more aggressively in NY waterbodies. To learn more about HABs and efforts taken to combat them on Cayuga Lake check out our short video. If you see a HAB in a lake or waterbody (looks like spilled green paint or pea soup), be sure to avoid it and report it using the DEC Suspicious Algal Bloom Report Form! 

Announcing our New Board Member 
CCE would like to introduce our newest board member, Lauren Sternberg. Lauren is the Communications Manager with Veolia North America. We have worked with Lauren for years to protect Long Island’s water quality and we’re excited to continue working with you as the newest members of our Board! 

Upcoming: Suffolk County Executive Candidate Forum 
We’ll be co-hosting the Suffolk County Executive Environmental Candidate Forum with the NY League of Conservation Voters Environmental Fund on July 17th at 6pm at Stony Brook University. Find out what candidates Ed Romaine (R) and Dave Calone (D) plan to do to protect our environment, public health, and our communities if they are elected. This is a free event but space is limited, so make sure to RSVP early! 

Highlights and Happenings: April 2023

 

Photo by Xavi Cabrera on Unsplash

Help CCE build on our success, and support our campaigns to protect public health and the environment in NY and CT. 
Make a contribution today.

 

Highlights

Victory! NYS Final Budget has Big Gains for the Environment
The final NYS budget includes funding for critical programs to restore our waterways, fight climate change, and protect public health. A huge thank you to Governor Kathy Hochul and our Senate and Assembly champions for fighting for crucial environmental victories this year. Highlights include:

  • $500 million for clean water infrastructure, which helps to stop sewage overflows, remove emerging contaminants from drinking water, and more;

  • $400 million Environmental Protection Fund, which supports environmental programs to protect our land, air, and water in every community across the state;

  • $22.5 million to protect and restore our Ocean, Estuaries, and Great Lakes;

  • A record $2 million to support restoration of the South Shore Estuary Reserve; and

  • Authorization for Suffolk County to create a unified water district and hold a clean water ballot referendum this November.

NYS Assembly Passes Birds and Bees Protection Act!
One of our key priorities in Albany this year is the Birds and Bees Protection Act. This bill would limit unnecessary uses of toxic neonicotinoid pesticides (A.K.A neonics), which have decimated bee populations, polluted drinking water, and have been linked to adverse human health impacts. In April, the NYS Assembly passed this legislation to ban the sale of neonic treated corn, soybean, and wheat seeds; and cosmetic uses on lawns, gardens, and golf courses. By banning just these few uses, we could eliminate 85-90% of all neonics used in NY. A big thank you to Assemblywoman Glick for your leadership! Now, we are working to ensure the NYS Senate also passes this crucial bill this year.

Victory! Manorville Residents Will Get Clean Water
We were thrilled to join Manorville residents on Long Island for a celebration last month to announce there is now full funding to connect 64 homes to public water. These residents are drinking from private wells contaminated with toxic PFAS chemicals and VOCs and have been demanding #cleanwaternow for the last four years. Thank you to our local, state, and federal policy makers who got this critical funding, and most of all, thank you to the residents who never stopped fighting!

Happenings

Celebrating Earth Day 2023
To celebrate Earth Day, we joined advocates from across New York to voice our support for a comprehensive legislative agenda to protect our water, land, and pollinators; improve recycling, reduce toxins, and fight climate change. We had a very productive time in Albany and were successful in passing several important bills through the Assembly and Senate, which protect pollinators, reduce PFAS pollution, reduce food waste, and much more. A huge thank you to everyone involved in a great Earth Day Advocacy Day.

Fighting to hold manufacturers—not taxpayers—responsible for their waste
One of our top NYS priorities this year is working to pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Act, which will hold producers, not taxpayers, responsible for their waste. We have been fighting for a strong policy that will reduce product packaging, eliminate toxins in packaging, increase packaging recyclability, prevent plastic pollution, and save taxpayers money—it is estimated the policy would save local governments across the state $420 million annually! We will continue to fight to pass this critical legislation this year and urge you to take action in support.

Transitioning to Offshore Wind
New York is poised to be a national leader in offshore wind, with five wind farms already selected and a mandate of 9,000 MW of offshore wind by 2035. This will not only bring environmental and health benefits to our communities but will also create thousands of jobs and make NY a hub of offshore wind development. Recent updates on our offshore wind work:

  • Open Houses on Empire Wind 2. Equinor is hosting meetings on Empire Wind 2, which will power over 600,000 homes in Nassau County via a cable connection to Island Park. We just attended the meeting in Island Park but there will be another in Long Beach on June 8, we’d love to see you there. Find more information and register here.

  • Talking Offshore Wind with Uniondale High School. We recently kicked off our partnership with Community Offshore Wind and Uniondale High School, with more than 800 students slated to participate. We will be in classrooms for several days talking with students about “Transitioning to Renewable Energy” - an educational program designed to inform and engage the next generation of Long Islanders on the clean energy future.

Understanding the Health Risks of 1,4-Dioxane on Long Island
Yale Superfund Research Center has crafted a study to better understand the impact of 1,4-dioxane exposure on Long Island residents. This spring, we launched our partnership with Yale to provide education and outreach to inform Long Islanders about this new, exciting program. In April, we hosted a Lunch and Learn with Yale to talk about:

  • The latest science on drinking water and health impacts of 1,4-dioxane

  • More information on the large quantities of 1,4-dioxane in popular products

  • The new partnership between Yale and CCE and the health study to begin this year for Long Islanders.

If you live on Long Island and are interested in participating in the study and finding out if you or the drinking water in your home have been exposed to 1,4-dioxane, you can find out more here.

Whale Tales and Whale Facts
We had a great Lunch and Learn virtual webinar on the recent whale deaths off NY’s coast and discussed what we can do to protect whales. There has been concern that these whale deaths are the result of offshore wind development, despite evidence to the contrary. The truth is that offshore wind is crucial to fighting climate change and protecting marine species. We heard great presentations from the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, and Atlantic Marine Conservation Society about the real threats to whales off our coast. Thank you to the almost 400 people who joined and all who participated in the Q&A. If you missed it, check it out here.

Highlights and Happenings: March 2023

 

Image by Rebecca Matthews from Pixabay

Help CCE build on our success, and support our campaigns to protect public health and the environment in NY and CT. 
Make a contribution today.

 

Highlights

Victory! Celebrating the Sunrise Wind Community Benefits Agreement
In March, Long Island celebrated another big step forward for offshore wind in NY! We joined elected leaders, labor groups, community representatives and environmentalists for a press conference to announce the communities benefit agreement for Sunrise Wind. Sunrise wind will be located approximately 30 miles off Montauk, will generate 924MW of electricity, and power nearly 600,000 Long Island homes. The energy will be brought to Suffolk County, in the Town of Brookhaven, via a cable connection to the Holbrook substation. This agreement between developers Orsted/Eversource and the municipalities means $700 million in investments going back to communities for green jobs, park improvements, sewers, schools and more!

Great News! EPA Proposes Limits on PFAS “Forever Chemicals” in Drinking Water
PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” are being found in drinking water supplies in NY, CT, and across the nation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new enforceable drinking water standards, known as Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs), for two PFAS chemicals (PFOA and PFOS), as well as a combined standard for a mixture of four additional PFAS chemicals (PFNA, PFBS, PFHxS, and GenX). The MCLs for PFOA and PFOS are proposed at 4 parts per trillion (ppt), which is significantly stronger than New York State's existing MCLs of 10ppt for both PFOS and PFOA. CT does not have an enforceable standard for these chemicals. EPA has crafted a strong proposal that is needed to protect public health. Look for updates from us soon on how you can submit a comment to EPA in support of the proposed regulations during the public comment period!

Happenings

Fighting to Protect the Great Lakes in Washington D.C.
In March, advocates from all eight Great Lakes States traveled to Washington to attend Great Lakes Day. We led a team to meet with New York’s congressional delegation, calling for increased investments in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and clean water infrastructure, as well policies to protect our wetlands and small streams.


Fighting Climate Change in Nassau County
We joined Nassau County Legislator Joshua Lafazan as he announced a new bill that will fight climate change, invest in energy efficiency and embrace renewable energy. The bill will make Nassau County municipal operations carbon neutral by 2035. New York’s climate law mandates a carbon neutral economy by 2050. We applaud Leg. Lafazan for working to make Nassau County a leader in fighting climate change!



Check out our Clean Water Video Series: Progress and Challenges in New York
To celebrate World Water Day, we released a series of six short videos on the progress and challenges associated with protecting NY’s water resources. These videos highlight what successful water quality protection projects look like in the Great Lakes, Finger Lakes, and Long Island. Learn more about the work that has been done to protect New York’s treasured waters, the work left to do, and why we need continued state and federal investments in protecting clean water in New York.


Transitioning to Offshore Wind
New York is poised to be a national leader in offshore wind, with five wind farms already selected and a mandate of 9,000MW of offshore wind by 2035. This will not only bring environmental and health benefits to our communities but will also create thousands of jobs and make NY a hub of offshore wind development. March saw some more big milestones for offshore wind:

  • NYS hearings on Empire Wind 2. NYS held a public comment period for the Empire Wind 2 project as part of their Article VII process. Empire Wind 2 will power over 600,000 homes in Nassau County via a cable connection to Island Park. We participated in very lively public hearings on the project last month.

  • City of Long Beach Votes on Empire Wind 2. City of Long Beach voted yes to maintain control of Ocean Beach where the cable for Empire Wind 2 plans to come onshore, which will allow the city to participate in the review process for the project. We testified at the hearing and are planning to do extensive outreach in Long Beach and Island Park this spring and summer, so stay tuned for more events.

  • We hosted a Lunch and Learn with Community Offshore Wind, a joint venture between RWE Renewables and National Grid. Community Offshore Wind was one of the six lease winners in the New York Bight and their awarded seabed is the largest parcel, with the potential to host three gigawatts (GW) of capacity and power over one million homes. Community Offshore Wind has submitted to NYSERDA's third offshore wind solicitation and provided an overview of the project including information from their fisheries, stakeholder engagement, permitting, and project development teams.

  • Wind Education at Uniondale High School. CCE is working with Uniondale High School to educate the students about Offshore Wind. We met with the faculty staff in March and presented to them about offshore wind. In the spring, we will be engaging the students in a three-part educational program about Offshore Wind, Renewable Energy and Climate Change which will end with fun and exciting discussions and adventures for the students. We look forward to this journey!

Protecting Our Pollinators
One of our top legislative priorities for 2023 is the Birds and Bees Protection Act. This bill would limit unnecessary uses of toxic neonicotinoid pesticides (A.K.A neonics), which have decimated bee populations, polluted drinking water, and have been linked to adverse human health impacts. Last month we continued to push for state legislation to ban the sale of neonic treated corn, soybean, and wheat seeds; and ornamental uses on lawns, gardens, and golf courses. By banning just these few uses, we could eliminate 85-90% of all neonics used in New York and protect our pollinators, water quality, and human health. Email your elected representatives today and urge them to pass the Birds and Bees Protection Act!

Pushing for Water Reuse on Long Island
We were proud to stand with Seatuck Environmental Association as they released their new Water Reuse Road Map & Action Plan for Long Island last month. Reusing water has the potential to reduce harmful nitrogen in coastal waterways while restoring the region’s aquifer resources. Water reuse is a crucial component of restoring water quality and protecting our sole-source aquifer for future generations, and this important plan provides guidance for important water reuse projects.

2023 Long Island Sound Summit
We partnered with The Nature Conservancy and Save the Sound to host the 2023 Long Island Sound Summit: Funding & Strategies to Tackle Local Water Pollution. This fantastic Long Island Sound clean water event brought together 100 Network members, policy makers, environmental advocates, and clean water professionals across the Sound to learn about resources for clean water project design and implementation and to discover new collaboration opportunities to advance key projects. Thanks to all who attended and made the event such a success!

Upcoming: Lunch and Learn with Yale - Impacts of 1,4-Dioxane Contamination on Long Island
1,4-Dioxane is an emerging contaminant of concern found in drinking water throughout the nation and was found in 80% of personal care products tested. New York has been a leader in the fight to combat 1,4-dioxane contamination, but there is still a lot of work to be done to protect our communities from this toxic chemical. We have partnered with the Yale Superfund Research Center to engage with Long Island communities to better understand the impact of 1,4-dioxane exposure on Long Island communities and ways to mitigate that impact. Join us on April 24th at noon. Register today for this free virtual Lunch and Learn.

Upcoming: Join Us for Earth Day Advocacy Day in Albany!
Earth Day is right around the corner and to celebrate CCE is joining advocates from across the state for a lobby day in Albany. Join us to show your support for healthy people and a healthy planet in an in-person Earth Day Advocacy Day with NYS policy leaders on Tuesday, April 25th. Talk to your legislators, urge them to pass key environmental bills to protect New Yorkers! Register TODAY and we will see you in Albany!

Highlights and Happenings: January 2023

 

Image by planet_fox from Pixabay

Help CCE build on our success, and support our campaigns to protect public health and the environment in NY and CT. 
Make a contribution today.

 

Highlights

Pushing for our Environmental Priorities in the NYS Budget
We were in Albany for Governor Hochul’s 2023 State of the State address and were thrilled to see some of our top priorities for the year highlighted and included in the Governor’s budget proposal. We’ll be in Albany for the next few months urging our Assembly and Senate members to include some of our key priorities in the final budget, including:

  • Waste Reduction and Recycling: Ensures that manufacturers, not taxpayers, pay for the cost of recycling product packaging. This will help to cut plastic pollution, increase recycling, and save local governments money.

  • PFAS Cleanup: Provides $60 million to local governments to clean up toxic “forever chemicals” and protect drinking water.

  • Environmental Protection Fund (EPF): We are pushing for at least $400 million in the EPF, including robust funding to support protection of our ocean, Great Lakes, and estuaries.

  • Clean Water Funding: We are pushing for a billion dollar investment in much-needed clean water infrastructure improvements, including upgrading sewer systems, treating drinking water for emerging contaminants, replacing lead pipes, and more.

Happenings

Transitioning to Offshore Wind
New York is poised to be a national leader in offshore wind, with five wind farms already selected and a mandate of 9,000MW of offshore wind by 2035. This will not only bring environmental and health benefits to our communities but will also create thousands of jobs and make NY a hub of offshore wind development. January saw some more big milestones for offshore wind:

  • Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released a draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Sunrise Wind. This project, located approximately 30 miles off Montauk, will generate 924 MW of energy and power nearly 600,000 Long Island homes via a cable connection to the Holbrook substation. We attended a series of public hearings in January; thanks to all who joined and spoke up for wind!

  • BOEM hosted three public meetings on the DEIS for the Empire Wind project, which will power over a million homes throughout NYC and Nassau County. Thanks to all who joined and spoke up in favor of wind, and everyone who submitted written comments in January.

  • NYS hosted public meetings last month on the Beacon Wind project as part of their Article VII permitting process. The Beacon Wind project will be located approximately 60 miles off the coast of Montauk and will generate 1,230MW of energy, enough to power over 600,000 homes in NYC. If you missed it, you can submit written comments until February 17th.

Move School Away from the Brookhaven Landfill
Last month we stood with Javien Coleman’s mother as she announced a lawsuit against South Country Central School District and the Town of Brookhaven. Her son sadly passed away at age 13 from cancer after being exposed to toxics, such as TCE and benzene. Javien went to Frank P. Long Intermediate School, which is adjacent to the landfill and has a history of air quality and health issues in the community. We are strongly urging the school board to move the school in order to protect students and teachers. The school has been featured in the documentary “Sick School” on Netflix.


Protecting Pollinators from Toxic Pesticides
We are working to protect our pollinators from toxic neonicotinoid (neonics) pesticides throughout New York. Neonics decimate pollinator populations, contaminate water resources, and harm human health. In January, we joined our partners for a statewide virtual lobby day in support of the Birds and Bees Protection Act. We met with New York elected officials to discuss the importance of banning certain uses of neonics which pose the highest risks to pollinators. This is one of our top priorities for 2023 and we’ll be in Albany in the following months fighting to get this crucial bill passed this year.

Patchogue Gets a Living Shoreline
We had a great time with our partners at the Protecting the Environment in Patchogue (PEP) committee, Suffolk County Executive Bellone, and Secretary of State Rodriguez celebrating the groundbreaking of the largest “living shoreline” on the south shore of Long Island. This $5 million project will help to protect the coast from flooding as it acts as a buffer and reef for different species. We hope to see more projects like this on Long Island and across the state!

Kicking off the LI Sound High School Summit
We were busy in January providing presentations to participating students for this year’s Long Island Sound High School Summit. We have 8 Long Island schools participating and are currently developing projects that they will present at the Summit in May. Students’ projects aim to advance protection and restoration of Long Island Sound and this year include researching how light pollution impacts crabs, conducting water quality monitoring in local embayments, studying the impacts of plastic pollution on local beaches, and more. We are excited to see all the great projects! Thank you to the Long Island Sound Study and the Long Island Sound Futures Funding for their generous support of this program.

Highlights and Happenings: December 2022

 

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Highlights

Victories! Governor Hochul Signs Key Environmental Legislation into Law in NY
We had a very productive 2022, with several critical bills to protect New York’s environment and public health being signed into law. Thank you to Governor Hochul for signing these important bills into law in December:

  • 30 by 30: Sets a state goal of conserving 30% of NY’s land and water by 2030

  • Carpet Recycling: Mandates that manufacturers, not taxpayers, fund recycling programs for carpets and bans dangerous PFAS chemicals in carpets

  • Making Polluters Pay: Requires companies that have contaminated drinking water with 1,4-dixoane, PFAS, and other toxic chemicals to pay the full cost of cleanup and installation of water treatment technologies.

  • Cumulative Impacts: Prevents the approval of environmental facilities, such as waste

    management facilities, that would pollute in already overburdened disadvantaged communities.

  • Ban on PFAS chemicals in clothing: New York joins California in being the first two states to ban PFAS “forever chemicals” in clothing

  • Green Cemeteries: Allows natural organic reduction facilities that decompose bodies into soil as an eco-friendly alternative to burial or cremation

Unfortunately, a bill that would increase protection for small streams was not signed this year, but we will keep pushing forward with streams protection and other priority legislation, including banning neonic pesticides and reducing waste & improving recycling in 2023!

Tackling PFAS Contamination
We were hard at work advocating for NYS to adopt more stringent drinking water standards for PFAS— highly toxic chemicals that persist in our environment and are found in waterways throughout the nation. Last month, we launched a new interactive map that shows widespread PFAS contamination on Long Island in drinking water.
This data was compiled using 2021 annual drinking water quality reports. Our interactive map has become a meaningful educational tool for the public with over 800,000 views! If you haven’t yet, check out the map to see if there is PFAS in your drinking water district and get involved in our campaign to require stricter state drinking water standards for these toxic “forever chemicals.”

Final Federal Budget a Victory for the Great Lakes!
Late in December, Congress passed the final FY2023 federal budget, which contained victories for programs critical to the health of the Great Lakes. Highlights include $368 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, $3 million to continue a study on how to make Great Lakes coastal communities more resilient to flooding and extreme weather, and $2.76 billion for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure programs.

Happenings

Transitioning to Offshore Wind
New York has become a national leader in offshore wind, with five wind farms already selected and a mandate of 9,000 MW of offshore wind by 2035. This will bring environmental and health benefits to our communities and will also create thousands of jobs and make NY a hub of offshore wind development. December saw some more big milestones for offshore wind:

  • The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Sunrise Wind. This offshore wind project, located approximately 30 miles off Montauk, will generate 924 MW of energy and power nearly 600,000 Long Island homes via a cable connection to the Holbrook substation. There are a series of public hearings in January, we hope you can join and voice your support for wind.

  • BOEM hosted three public meetings on the DEIS for the Empire Wind project, which will power over a million homes throughout NYC and Nassau County. Thanks to all who joined and spoke up in favor of wind, and if you missed the opportunity to comment at the hearings, BOEM is still accepting comments through January 17th.

  • CCE and Equinor, the developer of the Empire Wind projects, co-hosted two well attended community meetings. The first one in Island Park in November, followed by Long Beach in December.

  • NYS announced plans to host public meetings on January 19th and 24th on the Beacon Wind project as part of their Article VII permitting process. The Beacon Wind project will be located approximately 60 miles off the coast of Montauk and will generate 1,230MW of energy, enough to power over 600,000 homes in NYC.

Protecting the South Shore Estuary Reserve
In December, we hosted the first South Shore Estuary Reserve (SSER) Legislative Breakfast in preparation for the 2023- 2024 NYS legislative session. The event brought together environmental experts and policy makers for presentations and discussions highlighting SSER program successes and to advance next steps needed to restore water quality in our bays, harbors, and estuary. This year, we will be in Albany fighting to increase funding for this crucial estuary, which spans from the Western Bays to Southampton along the south shore of Long Island.

Highlights and Happenings: October 2022

 

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Highlights

Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Bond Act 
On November 8th, New Yorkers will have the opportunity to vote on Prop 1: The Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Bond Act. If enacted, the Bond Act will allocate $4.2 billion to a variety of critical environmental programs and projects that will protect drinking water and upgrade infrastructure, protect communities from extreme weathers, conserve open space, and fight climate change. We are working around the state to educate the public on the benefits of this important funding and reminding everyone to vote yes on Prop 1. In October, we joined our partners, community stakeholders, and environmentalists for a series of press conferences and rallies in support of the Bond Act. On Long Island, we joined Students for Climate Action, water suppliers, business owners, farmers and more for a great rally on Halloween. In Buffalo, we joined environmental partners and labor leaders for a rally at Canalside. We also hosted a Lunch and Learn on the importance of the Bond Act with The Nature Conservancy and NY League of Conservation Voters. This November, make sure you vote yes on Prop 1! 


Investing in Workforce Training and Education for Long Island’s Offshore Wind Future 
New York is poised to be a national leader in offshore wind, with five wind farms already selected and a mandate of 9,000MW of offshore wind by 2035. This will not only bring environmental and health benefits to our communities but will also allow us to create thousands of jobs and make NY a hub of offshore wind development. To get ready for this new industry, a National Offshore Wind Training Center will be opening in Brentwood, Long Island. Last month, we stood with our union partners and Governor Kathy Hochul to announce the site of the $10 million National Offshore Wind Training Center and $9 million in grants for workforce training initiatives! 

Happenings

Congressional Candidate Climate Change Chats 
Long Island is on the front lines of climate change. Our Congressional representatives from Districts 1, 2, 3 and 4 have a crucial role to play in ensuring protections for our coastal communities, local economy, and environment. In October, we joined Students for Climate Action (S4CA) and the Citizens Climate Lobby to talk with several Long Island candidates running for Congress and learn how to plan to address climate change if they are elected. The event features interviews with Jackie Gordon, Andrew Garbarino, Laura Gillen, Robert Zimmerman, and Bridget Fleming, so make sure to check it out. 

Developing a Shared Vision for Clean Water in New York 
For the sixth year in a row, we convened a diverse group of stakeholders from around the state for our annual Clean Water Roundtable. This group of environmental leaders, water suppliers, wastewater treatment operators, environmental justice organizations, construction contractors, and other stakeholders work together to develop a list of shared priorities for clean water in New York State. Roundtable participants heard from agencies and experts who gave presentations on drinking and wastewater infrastructure needs, emerging contaminants, source water protection, and lead drinking water pipes. Based on the presentation and subsequent discussion, we will be creating a collaborative action plan our diverse group can work together to achieve in 2023, so stay tuned! 


Working with Advocates from around the Great Lakes to Advance Restoration 
We joined with hundreds of advocates from all the Great Lakes states for the annual Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Conference, held in Milwaukee. We celebrated our recent success of a billion dollar federal investment in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, but also planned ahead for 2023, when we will be fighting for additional GLRI funding, investments in upgrading water infrastructure, equitable investments that benefit disadvantaged communities, and more! 

How Was Long Island’s Water Quality for Summer 2022? 
Want to know more about the health of Long Island's waters this year? We joined Dr. Chris Gobler, The Nature Conservancy, and Friends of the Bay for the release of the summer 2022 water quality map. This summer, we saw an unprecedented number of fish kills and are seeing worse harmful algal blooms in our bays and estuaries due to the combo of nitrogen pollution and climate change. However, there is good news. In places like western LI Sound, we are once again seeing a much smaller dead zone and improved water quality due to upgrades to sewage treatment plants. We have a problem, but we have solutions too—we must reduce nitrogen from sewage and septics to restore our bays, lakes, and harbors. You can learn more about this summer’s water quality impairments and see the map here. 


Preserving Plum Island 
We have fought for years to preserve Plum Island; an 840 acre, largely undeveloped island in Long Island Sound that serves as a critical habitat for birds and has tremendous ecological value. We are urging the Biden administration to designate Plum Island as a National Monument, ensuring that wildlife is protected, cultural and historical values are maintained, and people are able to enjoy this unique ecosystem for generations to come. If you haven’t yet, send an email to the administration in support of permanently preserving Plum Island. 

Protecting Our Coastlines 
As part of the Inflation Reduction Act, there will be upcoming opportunities for local municipalities to invest in coastal resiliency, shoreline restoration, and protection of local bays, harbors, and estuaries. We had a great press event last month with U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, the Town of Hempstead, and Operation SPLASH to highlight the importance of these funding options for Long Island municipalities, particularly as we recognize the 10th anniversary of Superstorm Sandy. 


Remembering Superstorm Sandy 
On the 10th anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, we joined Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and other key stakeholders to tour Smiths Point Marina on Long Island. This area was severely damaged during the storm, along with much of the coastline throughout the south shore. The county has just completed restoring 80 acres of marshland in this critical area, and overall has restored nearly 400 acres of wetlands and natural buffers along south shore Suffolk County. Projects like these, which bolster natural buffers against storms and sea level rise, are necessary to protect coastal homes, combat flooding, and reduce pollution to our local bays and harbors. 


Dedication of Crab Meadow Beach 
This summer, the Huntington Town Board unanimously accepted a plan 10 years in the making to protect the environmental asset known as the Crab Meadow Watershed. The Crab Meadow Watershed Hydrology Study and Stewardship Plan studied this unique and special area of glacially formed features that drains into Long Island Sound. The Crab Meadow Beach, in addition to be a crucial Long Island Sound Stewardship Area, is beloved by the local community. In October, Crab Meadow Beach was dedicated to former Huntington Town Supervisor Frank Petrone for his commitment to environmental protection. It was a beautiful event – congratulations again to Supervisor Petrone. 

Highlights and Happenings: September 2022

 

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Highlights

Celebrating our Annual Equinox Gala 
We had an amazing night celebrating 37 years of grassroots accomplishments with our partners, supporters, and friends at our annual Equinox Gala. This year we were overjoyed to honor Matthew Aracich, President of the Long Island Building and Construction Trades, for his work promoting offshore wind and fighting climate change; and Charles Vigliotti, President of American Organic Energy, for his leadership in food waste recycling and his work to reduce solid waste in New York. A huge thank you to everyone who came out and made the night so unforgettable! 

Happenings

Prop 1: NY’s Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Bond Act 
On November 8th, New Yorkers will have the opportunity to vote on Prop 1: The Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Bond Act. If enacted, the Bond Act will allocate $4.2 billion to a variety of critical environmental programs and projects from Buffalo to Long Island that will protect drinking water and upgrade infrastructure, protect communities from flooding and extreme weather, conserve open space and family farms, and fight climate change. We are working around the state to educate the public on the benefits of this important funding and reminding everyone to flip your ballot in November and vote on Prop 1. In September, we joined our Senate and Assembly members, Long Island elected officials, labor leaders, community stakeholders, and environmentalists for a press conference and rally in support of the Bond Act. This month, we are also going to be hosting a Lunch and Learn on the importance of the Bond Act on October 18th from 12:00pm -1:00pm. Register for the zoom forum today. 

Combatting ‘Forever Chemicals’ in NY 
The EPA has indicated that there is no safe level of exposure to PFAS chemicals in drinking water. Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers live in communities that discovered PFOA, PFOS, and other PFAS chemicals in their water, but at levels below NY's current and proposed standards—meaning that these communities are not required to clean up their water. In September, we joined environmental groups, public health advocates, and community leaders to call on the NYS Department of Health and Governor Hochul to strengthen standards for harmful PFAS chemicals in drinking water. 


Talking about Long Island’s Offshore Wind Future 
Last month we co-hosted the Offshore Wind Developers Meet and Greet Networking Forum with the NY League of Conservation Voters and the New York Offshore Wind Alliance. The event brought together 80 stakeholders—community leaders, labor, businesses, environmental groups, civic organizations, elected officials, and academics—with the wind developers that have projects and/or leases off the coast of New York. Updates were provided by Equinor on the Empire and Beacon Wind Projects, Ørsted on the Sunrise and South Fork projects, and each of the six companies that acquired offshore wind area leases in the New York Bight earlier this year. It was beneficial to have all the developers and so many key decision makers and wind advocates together in one room to get to know one another and to discuss the future of offshore wind for Long Island. Thank you everyone that joined us! 

Protecting Crab Meadow Watershed on Long Island 
This summer, the Huntington Town Board unanimously accepted a plan 10 years in the making to protect the environmental asset known as the Crab Meadow Watershed. The Crab Meadow Watershed Hydrology Study and Stewardship Plan studied this unique and special area of glacially formed features that drains into Long Island Sound. The Crab Meadow Watershed is designated as a “Long Island Sound Stewardship Area,” meaning that a high level of protection is needed. We stood with local residents to urge the Huntington Town Board to act now to protect this special coastal resource and not continue to approve development that will further degrade it. 

Restoring the South Shore Estuary Reserve 
Last month, New York released an updated Comprehensive Management Plan for the South Shore Estuary Reserve, which spans the Western Bays to Shinnecock Bay along the south shore of Long Island. This document will drive protection efforts to restore water quality in our bays and to combat nitrogen pollution, climate change, harmful algal blooms, and more. We joined New York Department of State Deputy Secretary of State Kisha Santiago Martinez and our friends at Seatuck, The Nature Conservancy, and Operation Splash for the release of this crucial plan and to take a boat tour of the beautiful SSER bays. 


Preserving the Long Pond Greenbelt 
PSEG has proposed to drill an underground 69kv transmission cable through Long Pond Greenbelt, a preserved ecologically diverse area which is home to critical vernal ponds, wetlands, and habitat. Millions of dollars have been spent to protect this important resource, which is considered a jewel of the community and a critical public resource. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement for this proposal includes an alternate route, which would leave Long Pond Greenbelt preserved and untouched. In September, we joined community leaders and Southampton residents to urge PSEG to choose this alternate route and protecting the Long Pond Greenbelt. 

Educating Visitors at the New York Aquarium 
We were thrilled to join the Wildlife Conservation Society at the New York Aquarium in Coney Island for the Blue Beacon Dive into Hudson Canyon event. We had a great time visiting the aquarium and talking to visitors about our work on offshore wind, reducing plastic pollution, the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Bond Act and more. 

Highlights and Happenings: August 2022

 

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Highlights

Victory! U.S. Passes Historic Climate and Energy Bill into Law  
After a long campaign by CCE and partners across the nation, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, which undoubtedly represents the most significant action that our nation has taken to fight climate change. The investments made under this law will help the U.S. reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030, while increasing clean renewable energy, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, providing clean transportation in disadvantaged communities, supporting sustainable farming, and lowering energy costs for all Americans. Thank you to our Senate and House champions from NY and CT for fighting to pass this vital legislation. 

Image by awsloley from Pixabay 

NY Receives Crucial Funding to Plug Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells!  
New York has documented more than 7,000 orphan oil and gas wells in the state—largely in WNY and the Southern Tier— although state agencies estimate there may be as many as 34,000. These wells leak methane (a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change) and toxic chemicals that pollute groundwater. As part of the initial grant program under the U.S. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, New York received $25 million last month to plug and remediate documented orphan wells in the state, while creating thousands of jobs. 

Happenings

Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Bond Act on November’s Ballot in NY 
On November 8th, New Yorkers will have the opportunity to vote on Prop 1: The Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Bond Act. It has been 26 years since the last environmental bond act was adopted. This year’s Bond Act will provide necessary and overdue investments to solve pressing public health and environmental problems from the Great Lakes to Long Island. If enacted, the Bond Act will allocate $4.2 billion to a variety of critical environmental programs and projects across four categories: water quality improvement and resilient infrastructure, restoration and flood risk management, open space land conservation, and climate change mitigation. Additionally, the Bond Act will provide crucial support for New York’s economy—supporting over 100,000 jobs. We are working around the state to educate the public on the benefits of this important funding and reminding everyone to flip your ballot in November and vote on Prop 1! 

Checking out Canadian Hydropower 
Last month, we took an educational trip with New York League of Conservation Voters to James Bay to visit Hydro-Québec’s hydropower facilities. Existing Canadian hydropower is slated to help New York reach our clean energy goals, diversify our energy sources, and reduce our reliance on dirty fossil fuels. We learned a lot and can’t wait to see hydropower replace our local fossil fuel peaker plants in downstate NY. 

Tell us Your Thoughts on Offshore Wind 
We are working throughout the state to educate residents, environmental stakeholders, and policymakers on offshore wind. To help guide our education campaign and help us provide feedback to key decision makers, we’re asking you to please fill out a brief survey. Let us know your thoughts on offshore wind. 


Be on the Watch for Harmful Algal Blooms 
Summer isn’t over quite yet, and it’s still important to be aware of dangerous harmful algal blooms (HABs) as we spend time by the water. HABs pose an immense threat to our communities’ drinking water, public health, outdoor recreation and wildlife! HABs are erupting across NY more frequently and more aggressively in NY waterbodies. If you see a HAB in a lake or waterbody (looks like spilled green paint or pea soup), be sure to avoid it and report it using the DEC Suspicious Algal Bloom Report Form! 

Highlights and Happenings: July 2022

 

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Highlights

Victory! $255 Million Going to Fix Water Infrastructure 
We joined Governor Kathy Hochul in July for an exciting announcement on clean water funding. New York state will be issuing $255 million in grants for clean water programs across the state, including funding for upgrading sewage treatment plants and addressing emerging contaminants, such as PFAS and 1,4-dioxane, in drinking water. This also includes $20 million for Suffolk County and $2 million for Nassau County to replace antiquated septic systems. This is great news for clean water! 

$2.6 Billion Coming to New York to Replace Dangerous Lead Pipes 
We joined with U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in Buffalo to highlight historic funding coming to New York to replace lead drinking water pipes. The recently passed bipartisan infrastructure bill will provide $2.6 billion in federal funding to help improve water infrastructure and replace the roughly 360,000 lead service pipes across New York State. There are approximately 100 miles of lead pipes in Buffalo that provide water to 60% of the homes, and Buffalo suffers from some of the highest rates of childhood lead exposure in the nation. 

Victory! Suffolk County Votes YES on Offshore Wind 
Last month, the Suffolk County Legislature passed two bills that allow the Sunrise Wind cable connection infrastructure to be installed underground in county parkland and roadways—enabling the project to bring renewable energy to over half a million homes! Based on the environmental impact review, the cable infrastructure would be minimally disruptive to county parkland and roads and would not cause significant or long-term environmental or community impacts. Thank you to all who came out and testified in support of offshore wind for Suffolk. For more offshore wind updates and ways to get involved, check out Wind Works. 

Happenings

Fighting to Protect Long Island Sound 
Each year, we head down to D.C. for our Long Island Sound Education Day with our coalition partners to talk about the issues facing the Long Island Sound, an Estuary of National Significance. We had great meetings with our U.S. Senate and House members from New York and Connecticut and all agreed investing in LI Sound is a wise investment. Cleaner waters, robust fish populations, opening shellfish beds, schools of dolphins, and the return of the Bald Eagle all demonstrate our success so far, but more needs to be done to address climate change and combat nitrogen pollution. Thanks to all our LI Sound protection partners for a very productive D.C. trip! 

Fighting to Preserve Plum Island 
We have fought for years to preserve Plum Island, an 840 acre, largely undeveloped island in Long Island Sound that serves as a critical habitat for birds and has tremendous ecological value. We are urging the Biden administration to designate Plum Island as a National Monument, ensuring that wildlife is protected, cultural and historical values are maintained, and people are able to enjoy this unique ecosystem for generations to come. If you haven’t yet, send an email to the administration in support of permanently preserving Plum Island. 

EPA Must Ban Unnecessary Uses of Neonic Pesticides 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently reviewing the safety of several neonic pesticides and is anticipated to complete the review by late 2022. EPA won't be required to review these toxic chemicals again for another fifteen years! They must take the opportunity with this current review to ban harmful and unnecessary uses of neonic pesticides in order to protect pollinators, water quality, human health, and our environment. Email EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan today and urge him to ban unnecessary and harmful uses of neonics! 

Be on the Watch for Harmful Algal Blooms 
As we hit the height of summer, it is important to be aware of dangerous harmful algal blooms (HABs). HABs pose an immense threat to our communities’ drinking water, public health, outdoor recreation and wildlife. HABs are erupting across NY more frequently and more aggressively in NY waterbodies. If you see a HAB in a lake or waterbody (looks like spilled green paint or pea soup), be sure to avoid it and report it using the DEC Suspicious Algal Bloom Report Form! 

Highlights and Happenings: May 2022

 

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Highlights

Critical Bills Pass in Connecticut! 
As the CT legislative session came to an end in May, we were thrilled to see some of our priority bills get passed by the CGA: 

  • Ban on the harmful pesticide chlorpyrifos on golf courses throughout CT

  • Set a goal of 100% zero-carbon electricity by 2040 in CT

  • Require manufacturers to take responsibility for proper disposal of gas cylinders (known as Extended Producer Responsibility)

Protecting Northport Harbor Water Quality with New Rain Gardens 
We partnered with the Northport Yacht Club and the Village of Northport to install three rain gardens in the Village of Northport on Long Island. The rain gardens will capture 15,000 gallons of storm water and remove harmful pollutants like motor oil, pesticides, and nitrogen before entering Northport Harbor and Long Island Sound! Last month was planting day. We joined a group of volunteers, including the Village of Northport Mayor, for a great day of planting and implementing this important project. It looks great – make sure you check it out if you are in the area. 

Happenings

Combatting Ocean Acidification with Kelp 
We joined Dr. Chris Gobler from Stony Brook University and Mike Doall, Associate Director of Shellfish Restoration and Aquaculture, to announce the results of an important study on the impacts of kelp harvesting. A Stony Brook-led study found that locally grown kelp can help combat ocean acidification and reduce nitrogen pollution in local waterways while benefiting local shellfish farmers. This is a finding of global significance that can help improve water quality, combat the worst climate change impacts in targeted water bodies, and support shellfish farming locally. It was a great event –check out the press conference here. 

Sharing CCE’s Experience with Visitors from Kazakhstan 
Through the International Institute of Buffalo, we met with a group of journalists and non-profit representatives from Kazakhstan. CCE’s Brian Smith shared information about how CCE advances policies to protect our environment and public health in NY and the nation, which the group can learn from and bring back to their country. We learned a lot too and were grateful for the experience! 

Check out our recently released Offshore Wind Roundtable Discussions 
Long Island is on the front lines of climate change and we are already experiencing impacts of rising sea levels, extreme weather events, ocean acidification and more. The good news is that we are also in the midst of a massive shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy, especially offshore wind. We worked with our partners in labor and leading environmental experts to film two roundtable discussions to clarify the benefits of offshore wind for Long Island. Learn more and check out the videos here. If you are on Long Island, you can also check out these videos on Altice public access channel 115 on Fridays from 5pm-6pm. 

Long Island Sound High School Summit 
In May, we were excited to hold our first in-person Long Island Sound High School Summit. We had a great event with 8 schools, 100 students, and 30 unique Long Island Sound protection projects. It was fantastic to see the depth and diversity of the student’s work and we are proud of these future Long Island Sound protection leaders. Thank you to all the teachers and students for their hard work and to our partners at the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society and Friends of the Bay. 

Be on the Watch for Harmful Algal Blooms 
As the weather begins to get warmer, and we start spending more time outside and lakeside, it is important to be aware of dangerous harmful algal blooms (HABs). HABs pose an immense threat to our communities’ drinking water, public health, outdoor recreation and wildlife! HABs are erupting across NY more frequently and more aggressively in NY waterbodies. If you see a HAB in a lake or waterbody (looks like spilled green paint or pea soup), be sure to avoid it and report it using the DEC Suspicious Algal Bloom Report Form! 

Upcoming: Protecting Long Island Sound 
We are working with our partners at The Nature Conservancy and Save the Sound to host a 3-part webinar series “Long Island Sound: Driving Local Actions to Tackle Water Pollution” to discuss, convene, and share solutions to marine debris, nitrogen, and fecal bacteria pollution. Last month we co-hosted the second webinar on combatting nitrogen pollution. The June 16th webinar will include presentations and a panel of experts discussing ways to tackle fecal bacteria pollution in the Sound. Each webinar will allow time for a question-and-answer session with the panelists and technical break-out groups for those that want to take a deeper dive into pollution issues. Register now! 

Highlights and Happenings: April 2022

 

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Highlights

Victory! New York Passes Historic Environmental Budget 
Governor Hochul and New York State legislature passed the final 2022-23 state budget, providing historic investments in protecting our environment. Some of our top priorities for the year made it into the final budget, including: 

  • Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act ($4.2 billion): The largest environmental bond act in the state’s history, and the first since 1996, this bond act will invest in climate mitigation, clean water, flood risk reduction, open space, environmental justice, and improved recreational opportunities—while supporting nearly 100,000 jobs. New Yorkers will vote on the bond act in November.

  • Environmental Protection Fund (EPF): Funded at an all-time high of $400 million, with increased funding for Great Lakes and ocean protection, protecting open space, fighting climate change, and more!

  • Clean Water Infrastructure Act: Includes $500 million to upgrade aging and failing drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, while also protecting the sources of our drinking water.

  • Wetlands Protection: After nearly two decades of advocacy by CCE and our partners, the freshwater wetlands program was updated and will protect an additional one million acres of critical wetlands across the state.

  • Offshore Wind Investment: The budget provides $500 million to support the offshore wind supply chain and support job growth in offshore wind industry.

East Coast’s Largest Anaerobic Digester Breaks Ground on Long Island 
After 10 years of work, the anaerobic digester in Yaphank, Long Island, broke ground in April! We joined American Organic Energy, Suffolk County Executive Bellone, and our community partners for the groundbreaking ceremony. This facility marks a change in the way we think about food waste on Long Island by converting 180,000 tons of food scraps and create 6 megawatts of locally generated renewable energy. Recycling food waste and fighting climate change is a win for NY! 

Happenings

We Are One Step Closer to Banning Unnecessary Uses of Toxic Neonic Pesticides 
In April, we joined advocates from across the state in Albany to build support for the Birds and Bees Protection Act, which was recently passed by the NYS Assembly! This bill will ban the use of neonicotinoid (neonic) treated corn, soybean, and wheat seeds, as well as cosmetic uses on lawns and golf courses. A diverse coalition, made up of environmental organizations, health care professionals, and organic farmers, worked for several years to advance the bill. We applaud Assemblyman Steve Englebright for sponsoring and championing this bill and the NYS Assembly, and now look forward to continuing our work with the Senate bill sponsor and champion, Senator Brad Hoylman, to pass this bill through the Senate before session ends on June 2. 

Supporting a Strong Climate Plan for New York State 
New York State has the most aggressive climate law in the nation, requiring 70% renewable energy by 2030, carbon-free electricity by 2040, and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The state’s Climate Action Council has developed a draft scoping plan to implement these ambitious and critical goals. We recently attended public hearings on the plan in Buffalo and on Long Island, providing support and calling for improvements to the plan. Look for an email alert from us soon with more information and tips to submit your own written comments! 

Check out our newly released Offshore Wind Roundtable Discussions 
Long Island is on the front lines of climate change and is already seeing the impacts of rising sea levels, extreme weather events, ocean acidification and more. The good news is that we are also in the midst of a massive shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy, especially offshore wind. We sat down with our partners in labor and leading environmental experts for two roundtable discussions on the benefits of offshore wind for Long Island. Learn more and check out the videos here. 

Clean Energy Will Soon Be on the Way to NYC 
The NY Public Service Commission voted 5-2 last month to approve Clean Path New York and Hydro-Quebec's Champlain Hudson Power Express, two transmission projects that will deliver a combined 2500+ MW of renewable power to the downstate NY grid and significantly slash harmful emissions in NYC. Want to learn more about these two important projects? Check out our Lunch and Learn series on each proposal, co-hosted with New York League of Conservation Voters: Bringing Hydropower to NY and Clean Path NY.

Celebrating Earth Day 2022 
In celebration of Earth Day, advocates from across New York came together to voice their support for a comprehensive legislative agenda to protect our water, land, and pollinators; improve recycling, reduce toxics, and fight climate change! CCE joined the efforts in Albany and virtually and were successful in passing several of priority bills through the Assembly and Senate. We had a very busy Earth Week and some of our favorite events were when we: 

  • Joined Congressman Tom Suozzi and our Long Island Sound protection partners to celebrate $31 million in federal funding for Long Island Sound, $1 million for North Hempstead Beach Park, $1 million for Glen Coves Nancy Court pump station, and $300,000 for shellfish seeding in Hempstead Harbor.

  • Joined best-selling author Keith O’Brien in Niagara Falls as he spoke about his new book Paradise Falls, which tells the human story behind the environmental disaster at Love Canal.

  • Attended an event with Governor Hochul to highlight the environmental victories in this year’s budget, including an all-time high Environmental Protection Fund and $4.2 billion environmental bond act.

  • Supported our friends at the Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO for an event honoring Attorney General Leticia James and Roger Clayman.

  • Hosted a Lunch and Learn with the NY League of Conservation Voters and NYSERDA president Doreen Harris to discuss the latest on offshore wind in New York.

  • Had a great time at “What’s Brewin’ Offshore?” at the Brickhouse Brewery in Patchogue, where we co-hosted a fun and informational session about everything offshore wind and jobs it will create.

Upcoming: Protecting Long lsland Sound 
We are working with our partners at The Nature Conservancy and Save the Sound to host a 3-part webinar series “Long Island Sound: Driving Local Actions to Tackle Water Pollution” to discuss, convene, and share solutions to marine debris, nitrogen, and fecal bacteria pollution. Last month we kicked off the series with our first webinar “Local Actions to Tackle Marine Debris and Plastic Pollution”. The May 12th webinar will include presentations and a panel on nitrogen pollution and reduction practices in the Sound, including: 

  • Residential Lawn Fertilizer Use and Nitrogen Loading 

  • Healthy Lawns, Health River Fertilizer Reduction Campaign 

  • Collaborating to Speed Up Clean Water Implementation on Long Island’s North Shore 

Each webinar will allow time for a question-and-answer session with the panelists and technical break-out groups for those that want to take a deeper dive into pollution issues. Register now! 

Highlights and Happenings: March 2022

 

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Help CCE build on our success, and support our campaigns to protect public health and the environment in NY and CT. 
Make a contribution today.

 

Highlights

Victory! $1 Million for Suffolk County Coastal Resiliency 
Last month we joined Suffolk County Executive Steven Bellone, Suffolk Legislators Bridget Fleming and Al Krupski, our friends at The Nature Conservancy, and others for the launch of the Suffolk County Coastal Resiliency Project Advisory Committee and the announcement of $1 million in additional funding for coastal resiliency. This funding will enable the county to protect over 1,000 miles of shoreline, restore natural barriers to reduce flooding and storm surges, and help mitigate climate impacts to our coastal communities. At the press conference announcing the funding, CCE Executive Director Adrienne Esposito stressed the importance of making Suffolk County more resilient to climate change, stating “We are the most vulnerable. We’re on the frontlines.” 

Happenings

Visiting the Shinnecock Bay Kelp Farm 
We were honored to be invited to the Hampton Bays to visit a Kelp Farm in Shinnecock Bay this March. The project is a collaboration between the Shinnecock Kelp Farmers and Sisters of St. Joseph that will help restore water quality in the bay. Check out our series of interviews with Darlene Troge and Teela, who are members of the Shinnecock Nation, and Sister Karen Burke from the Sisters of St. Joseph to learn more about this fantastic program! 

Leading Great Lakes Days in Washington (Virtually) 
Along with our partners at Audubon NY, we lead a series of virtual meetings with members of New York’s congressional delegation to call for increased funding for Great Lakes restoration and clean water infrastructure as Congress develops its FY2023 federal budget. While we successfully fought for a historic $1billion investment in Great Lakes restoration in last year’s federal infrastructure bill, there is more work to do to restore the lakes and we cannot afford to let up on our efforts. While this year’s “Great Lakes Days” were held virtually, we’re looking forward to traveling back to Washington D.C. soon to fight for our federal priorities in person! 


Offshore Wind Leases Hit Record Highs in NY Bight 
Earlier this year, BOEM designated six offshore wind lease areas in the NY Bight off New York and New Jersey. Now, we have seen a record $4.37 billion sale for these leases after several intense days of auction. These leases are critical to keep up the progress we have made as a state to ensure we achieve 9,000MW of offshore wind by 2035. We think Interior Secretary Deb Haaland summed up this record $4+ billion sale best, stating: "This week's offshore wind sale makes one thing clear: the enthusiasm for the clean energy economy is undeniable and it's here to stay." 

Greening the Northport Yacht Club 
We are working with the Northport Yacht Club and Village of Northport to install a rain garden on Bluff Rd in Northport on Long Island. The garden will capture 15,000 gallons of storm water and remove harmful pollutants like motor oil, pesticides, and nitrogen fertilizer before the water enters Northport Harbor and Long Island Sound. In March, we joined Assemblyman Keith Brown, Northport Yacht Club, Northport Village, and community members to learn more about this exciting project at a press conference and a community meeting. Thank you to Long Island Sound Study and the Long Island Futures Fund for your support on this project. We can’t wait to see the rain garden this spring! 

  

Protecting Our Pollinators 
Declining honeybee populations and contamination of New York’s water resources from toxic neonicotinoid pesticides (AKA neonics) is widespread, threatening our health and environment across the state. Neonic treated corn, soy, and wheat seeds, as well as ornamental uses, pose an unnecessary risk to pollinators and our environment, while providing no net benefit to farmers and gardeners. CCE continues to fight to protect our birds, bees, water, and public health from toxic neonic pesticides by working to ban the most dangerous and unnecessary uses of neonics through passage of the Birds and Bees Protection Act! Help us advance this critical legislation by emailing your elected officials today! 

Long Island Lobby Coalition Goes to Albany 
After two years away, we headed back to Albany with the Long Island Lobby Coalition. We had great meetings with Senators and Assembly members from Long Island about funding for clean water, the Environmental Bond Act, sewers, transportation, social services, renewables, waste reduction, and more. Our 100+ member coalition fought to make sure this year's budget includes funding for critical programs to protect LI's water, health, and quality of life. Thanks to all who joined us for a very productive trip. 

Fighting to hold manufacturers—not taxpayers—responsible for their waste! 
New York State is suffering from a solid waste and recycling crisis—recycling costs for municipalities and taxpayers have skyrocketed, recycling rates have declined, and our environment and health are suffering from pollution caused by excessive plastic packaging. Currently, corporate brand owners bear no responsibility in managing the product packaging waste they have created. One of our big NYS priorities this year is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging and paper, which will hold producers, not taxpayers, responsible for their waste. We have been fighting for an EPR policy which will reduce packing, eliminate toxins in packaging, encourage more recyclable materials, prevent plastic pollution and save taxpayers money. In March, both Tompkins County and New York City passed resolutions in support of a NYS EPR law and we are in Albany continuing to fight to make sure it gets done this year. 

Upcoming: Lunch and Learn on Offshore Wind in NY. 
Get the latest on offshore wind in NY! Join us on April 19th from noon-1pm for a virtual Lunch and Learn on NY's Offshore Wind Future. We'll join New York League of Conservation Voters and NYSERDA's Doreen Harris for a presentation on the 5 offshore wind projects that will power over 2 million homes in NYC and LI, followed by a Q&A. Register Now! 

Highlights and Happenings: February 2022

 

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Help CCE build on our success, and support our campaigns to protect public health and the environment in NY and CT. 
Make a contribution today.

 

Highlights

VICTORY! Celebrating $1 Billion for Great Lakes Clean Up 
Our Associate Executive Director, Brian Smith, joined with Rep. Brian Higgins, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, & the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last month to celebrate a $1 billion investment from the bipartisan infrastructure bill in Great Lakes restoration. This funding will help clean up four toxic hot spots in NY’s Great Lakes waters (Buffalo River, Niagara River, Eighteen Mile Creek, Rochester Embayment) over the next several years! These toxic hot spots have polluted sources of drinking water and threatened public health for decades. This is a huge step forward!  

VICTORY! New York’s First Offshore Wind Farm Breaks Ground 
Last month, we celebrated the groundbreaking of NY’s first offshore wind farm – South Fork Wind. After 10 years of work with environmental organizations, labor partners, and the public, we were very excited that NY’s offshore wind future is finally becoming a reality. South Fork Wind will bring renewable energy to 70,000 homes and accelerate our just transition to green energy. Thank you to Governor Kathy Hochul, Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland, the Director of BOEM, Amanda Lefton, and NYSERDA for working so hard to make offshore wind a reality for NY. 

Happenings

Protecting Our Pollinators 
We joined with advocates from across the state representing public health, farming and environmental groups for a virtual lobby day in support of the Birds and Bees Protection Act. We highlighted the critical need to limit unnecessary uses of toxic neonicotinoid pesticides (A.K.A neonics), which have decimated bee populations, polluted drinking water, and have been linked to adverse human health impacts. This coalition has been working to pass state legislation to ban the sale of neonic treated corn, soybean, and wheat seeds; and ornamental uses on lawns, gardens, and golf courses. By banning just these few uses, we could eliminate 85-90% of all neonics used in New York and protect our pollinators, water quality, and human health. Help us by emailing your elected representatives today and urge them to pass the Birds and Bees Protection Act! 

Pushing for Electric Vehicles 
In February, we joined Congressman Tom Suozzi as he announced $26 million in federal funds to help New York build a network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. New York has a goal of 1 million EVs by 2035, which means we need charging stations installed throughout the state quickly and broadly. In addition to these federal funds, we are also working to pass state legislation allowing for uncapped direct sales of EVs in NY (there are currently only 5 EV direct sale locations permitted in downstate NY). Florida, which currently allows for the uncapped direct sales of EVs, had 60% higher sales of EVs than NY in 2020, and nearly twice as many EVs on the road. We need to catch up if we are going to meet our important climate change goals! 

Calling for Federal Investments in Climate and Environmental Solutions 
We joined state elected leaders and advocates for virtual events in both Western and Central New York calling on Senator Schumer to continue to his leadership and push for the U.S. Senate to make significant climate investments. These press conferences highlighted the impacts of climate change that are being felt in the upstate NY. Sewage overflows, increased flooding, lead drinking water pipes and harmful algal blooms are all threats that could be addressed with the $550 billion investment the House has already approved. Now we need Senator Schumer to continue to fight for New Yorkers and combat climate change by getting the $550 billion climate and environmental solutions investment to the Senate floor for a vote. Thank you NYS Senators Ryan, May and Mannion, Assemblyman Conrad, and our colleagues at the NY League of Conservation Voters and Mothers Out Front, for joining us in bringing attention to these federal investments that New York and the nation desperately need. 

COMING UP ON OUR CALENDAR

 
Featured
Long Island Clean Water Symposium
May 16
Long Island Clean Water Symposium