The June 24 Port Jefferson Station-Terryville Civic Association meeting at Comsewogue Library saw Adrienne Esposito, the executive director for the Suffolk based CCE (Citizens Campaign for the Environment), featured as a special guest. Esposito touched on a number of topics related to health, the environment and local infrastructure and in particular advocated for three bills in the state senate and assembly.
Environmentalists increasingly blame Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie — who’s firing back.
Tensions are still simmering among state lawmakers and advocates after the Assembly closed its 2025 session last week without passing any of this year’s flagship climate and environmental bills.
Legislators shelved measures to cut packaging waste, transition homes off fossil fuels, and ban toxic “forever chemicals” from everyday products. Each measure had passed the Senate, and an Assembly vote was the final hurdle. But most of them never came to a vote.
Despite widespread PFAS contamination on Long Island, SCWA delivers treated water with no PFOA or PFOS above federal limits.
The Suffolk County Water Authority announced today that all treated water it supplies to customers is in full compliance with the federal drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS—six years ahead of the 2031 compliance deadline set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
New York State has awarded another $5 million grant to the Port Washington Water District to build a granular activated carbon treatment system designed to remove PFOA and PFOS contamination from another of its wells.
The grant will help the water district, which serves about 9,400 households, provide “water that meets or exceeds any standard out there” for removing PFOA and PFOS chemicals, district superintendent Paul Prignano said in an interview.
For immediate release: Wednesday, June 18, 2025
For more information, contact:
Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, aesposito@citizenscampaign.org, 516-390-7150
Brian Smith, Associate Executive Director, bsmith@citizenscampaign.org,716-472-4078
Albany, NY—The New York State Assembly wrapped up their 2025 legislative session late last night, with Speaker Carl Heastie failing to allow major environmental bills the opportunity for a floor vote. After passing in the NYS Senate for the second year in a row, the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (A.1749) and a Ban on PFAS in Household Products (A.7738) both died in the Assembly without a vote.
In response to the Assembly inaction, Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE), issued the following statement:
“Tragically, once again, Speaker Heastie failed to allow votes on critical environmental legislation, despite having strong support from the public and from within the legislature. We had the votes to pass both bills in the Assembly, what we lack is the political will from its leadership. When it comes to transformative environmental legislation, time and time again, Speaker Heastie has shown that he will crumble in the face of industry pressure.
The time to act on the state’s solid waste and PFAS “forever chemical” crises is yesterday. The longer we wait, the worse the problems will get, and the more expensive the solutions will become. Our environment, health, and economy will needlessly suffer due to this inaction. Excessive plastic waste will continue to pollute our communities and overwhelm municipal budgets. Toxic PFAS chemicals will continue to contaminate our drinking water, requiring more communities to install expensive drinking water treatment technology.
At a time when the federal government is abdicating its responsibility to protect public health and the environment, New York State’s leadership is needed more than ever. Regrettably, Speaker Heastie’s inaction is failing to meet the moment. New York is not only failing to lead, it is falling behind several other states that have already passed similar legislation.
We are grateful to Assemblymember Glick’s steadfast advocacy and unwavering commitment to advancing these bills in the Assembly. We look forward to working with Assemblywoman Glick, along with our champion in the Senate, Senator Pete Harckham, to advance these critical issues in the future.”
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EPA administrator Lee Zeldin, a former Shirley congressman who spoke on Long Island last month, said the delayed deadline offers “common-sense flexibility in the form of additional time for compliance.” Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
The Trump administration plans to rescind the federal limits on four "forever chemicals" in drinking water and delay the deadline for compliance for two others, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Wednesday, weakening regulations of toxic contaminants that have been found in Long Island's water.
Some New Yorkers are at a higher risk of exposure to forever chemicals in drinking water.
An Environmental Working Group analysis found 189 of the state’s water systems have PFAS levels above the federal standard but below New York’s standard.
Assemblymember Glick and Senator Harckham at the PRRIA press conference in March 2025
We are drowning in garbage. Previous solutions like landfills and incinerators are insufficient and awful for public and environmental health. We need to get smarter about how we deal with our packaging & plastic waste. This bill promotes innovation & saves taxpayers over $1B.
For immediate release: May 14, 2025
For more information, contact: Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, 516-390-7150, aesposito@citizenscampaign.org
Farmingdale, NY—Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a press release to announce its perilous intentions to delay implementation of critical drinking water standards for two types of PFAS chemicals—PFOA and PFOS—back an additional two years. Furthermore, EPA announced that it intends to rescind and reconsider the drinking water standards for four additional PFAS chemicals.
In April of 2024, EPA adopted the historic drinking water regulations for six PFAS chemicals, which set Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion (ppt), MCLs for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA at 10 ppt, and a combined standard known as a Hazard Index for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, and PFBS. These regulations established the first national enforceable drinking water standards for PFAS chemicals and were all set to be enforced in 2029.
In response to today’s announcement, Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE), released the following statement:
“This is a broken promise, betrayal of public trust and adds a significant threat to public health. We needed a federal mandate to remove “forever chemicals” out of our drinking water quickly. Regrettably, what we have is an EPA that allows toxic chemicals to remain in our drinking water and dragging their feet on science-based standards needed to protect public health. Peer-reviewed science has made clear that there is no safe level of exposure to PFAS in drinking water, and delays in acting puts public health at risk to serious health impacts, including cancer and liver damage. This is clearly a decision that prioritizes saving money over saving lives.
While we are relieved that EPA is going to continue to defend its strong drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS, the two-year delay is unnecessary and risky. Water suppliers were given five full years to comply, and billions of dollars were made available to help communities invest in the necessary drinking water treatment technology. Kicking the can down the road doesn’t make the problem go away or save any money—the longer we wait, the worse the problem will get, and the more expensive the solutions will become.
The science is abundantly clear that all PFAS chemicals put our health and drinking water at an unacceptable risk. Rescinding the standards for four additional PFAS chemicals often found in drinking water has no scientific justification and will put Americans at significant risk to serious health impacts for years to come.
As one of the first states to move ahead with drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS, New York is well positioned to move ahead with stronger drinking water standards without delay. Now, more than ever, New York State must continue to lead the nation with public health protection. We are calling on New York to implement EPA’s original standards and timeline for all six PFAS chemicals. According to recent analysis by the Environmental Working Group, these standards would provide critical protections for at least 1.3 million New Yorkers, the majority of whom are on Long Island.”
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More than 1 million New Yorkers depend on public water systems for drinking water, and some are being exposed to manmade "forever chemicals" called PFAS, environmentalists say.
The tap water in New York is said to be safe to drink as it meets federal and state standards, but according to a study by the Environmental Working Group, as of March 2025, PFAS have been detected in public water systems in Westchester, Rockland, Nassau and Suffolk counties.
More than 1 million New Yorkers depend on public water systems for drinking water, and some are being exposed to manmade "forever chemicals" called PFAS, environmentalists say.
What It Means For Drinking Water
More than 1.3 million New Yorkers could lose critical protections from toxic “forever chemicals” in their drinking water if the Environmental Protection Agency weakens new federal PFAS standards, according to a report released Wednesday.
Administrator Lee Zeldin will decide fate of landmark ‘forever chemicals’ standards
ALBANY, N.Y. – More than 1.3 million New Yorkers could lose critical protections from the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS in their tap water if the Environmental Protection Agency rolls back its historic, science-based PFAS drinking water standards.
Boosts recycling, supports municipalities and reduces waste, plastic, and toxins
Albany, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham announced today that the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA) has successfully advanced through the Senate’s Environmental Conservation Committee, which he chairs.
