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
Bill Passed to Protect NY’s Drinking Water from PFAS—Now we Need the Governor’s Signature!
Last month, the NYS Assembly and Senate passed legislation to further limit PFAS in our drinking water. While the EPA is working to roll back and delay implementing their federal PFAS standards, New York is moving forward with stronger, science-based measures to protect millions of New Yorkers from these toxic "forever chemicals." A huge thank you to Assemblywoman Grace Lee and Senator Brian Kavanagh for championing this crucial legislation. Now, we need Governor Hochul to sign the bill into law. Email Governor Hochul and urge her to sign legislation to implement stronger drinking water standards for toxic PFAS “forever chemicals”!
Welcome to Our Summer Interns!
Summer is finally here! We were very excited to welcome Carly, Richie, Rachel, Tenley, and Angelina, who will be interning with us this summer. In June, they headed out to several Long Island beaches and street festivals to conduct education on renewable energy, including offshore wind and solar, and protecting our drinking water from PFAS “forever chemicals”. Stop by our tent for environmental updates, plus fun prizes all summer! See you in the sun!
Bringing Clean, Renewable Hydropower to New York
We were so excited to join Governor Hochul, NYSDEC Commission Amanda Lefton, and our clean energy partners to celebrate flipping the switch on new hydropower to New York. Last month, the Champlain Hudson Power Express transmission project began delivering clean power from Canada to Astoria, Queens to power the NYC grid. This transmission project now delivers 1250 MW of renewable hydropower to NYC, which will reduce harmful emissions, create jobs, and save New Yorkers an estimated $17.3 billion over 30 years due to decreased wholesale energy costs!
Happenings
Long Island Sound High School Summit
We joined our partners at Atlantic Marine Conservation Society and Friends of the Bay for our 2026 LIS High School Summit. This spring we visited these high schools to educate students on the importance of protecting the Long Island Sound and renewable energy. In May, the six high schools spent a day at The WaterFront Center in Oyster Bay exploring the Long Island Sound! Students participated in beach seining and got hands-on experience interacting with marine life such as horseshoe crabs, whelks, oysters, and hermit crabs. They also took a boat trip where they conducted water quality testing and collected measurements of oysters they found during dredging exercises. It was a fun and educational experience that helped deepen their understanding of the Sound and the diverse marine life that call it their home.
Talking Sustainability at UBS Arena
Thank you to UBS Arena for inviting us to their 2026 Sustainability Forum this June. Our Executive Director, Adrienne Esposito, joined other experts for a panel discussion on coastal restoration efforts and how we can tackle global water challenges through local action. Thanks to all who came out, it was a great event.
Touring Long Island with NYS Senator Pete Harckham
Senator Pete Harckham, Chair of the NYS Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, came down to Long Island for a very informative tour. We joined Atlantic Marine Conservation society at their facility for a behind-the scenes look at their incredible rehabilitation center and met the Kemp Ridley turtles currently being rehabbed. We joined Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay at Stony Brook University for a tour around the Center for Clean Water Technology and learned about new methods to capture and safely destroy toxic PFAS chemicals from our drinking water supply. We then headed to the south shore to discuss issues facing the South Shore Estuary Reserve and our local bays. A huge thank you to Senator Harckham for joining us and for all your work championing environmental issues!
Protecting our Water on Fire Island
We have been working with Fire Island communities to combat nitrogen pollution and protect our local waterways. Last month, we enjoyed a great Saturday touring Point O’Woods and discussing water quality issues impacting the area. Thank you to all our wonderful hosts for showing us around and hearing about the great environmental initiatives.
Save the Date for Our Annual Gala
Join us October 1st at the Piermont in Babylon to celebrate 41 years of grassroots advocacy and a future worth fighting for! This year we will be honoring Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine for his dedication to improving water quality and advancing renewable energy in Suffolk County. For tickets and sponsorship opportunities, click here.
Upcoming: Planting a Pollinator Garden in Port Jefferson
This spring, we planted a beautiful pollinator garden in Patchogue with the help of some amazing volunteers. On Monday, July 13, from 9am – 3pm, we are going to be planting in Port Jefferson and are calling for volunteers to help. Join your Port Jefferson neighbors to help plant a native garden at the future Strong Homestead Park. The garden will provide valuable habitat to our pollinators and wildlife, filter runoff before it goes into Mt Sinai Harbor, and beautify the neighborhood for everyone to enjoy. Please register here if you are able to join us.