Testing is underway at dozens of Long Island schools after lead was found in the water in both Nassau and Suffolk counties. It comes after New York changed the acceptable levels of lead that can be found in school drinking water. NBC New York’s Greg Cergol reports.
Hundreds of schools across New York must remove their old water fountains
Dozens of Long Island school districts test positive for lead in water
According to the state, more than 40 school districts in Suffolk County and over 20 districts in Nassau County have faucets or water fountains with lead levels exceeding the state’s newly enforced limit.
New data from the New York State Department of Health shows that dozens of Long Island school districts have tested positive for lead in their drinking water, prompting concerns among parents and advocates and requiring districts to take corrective action.
Elevated lead levels found in drinking water at Farmingdale schools
Suffolk County Legislator Englebright honors CCE for 40 years of advocacy
Suffolk County Legislator Steven Englebright (D-Setauket) invited Citizens Campaign for the Environment co-founder Adrienne Esposito and CCE board and staff members to the Suffolk County Legislature’s Nov. 25th General Meeting to honor them for 40 years of advocacy. Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst) joined Englebright at the podium, where the CCE team received a proclamation along with flowers and balloons.
Advocates warn Hudson Valley water systems may contain lead pipes
Esposito: For reliable power, Long Island needs offshore wind
In Brief:
Experts warn New York could face energy shortages as early as 2027.
Offshore wind offers clean, reliable power and price stability.
South Fork Wind Farm already powers 70,000 Long Island homes.
Upgraded transmission and new wind projects are urgently needed.
This fall, New Yorkers across the state showed up and spoke up to demand clean, affordable, reliable, safe and healthy energy infrastructure during the state’s energy plan hearings. Tragically, the Trump administration is wreaking havoc on our nation’s clean energy progress, making it more important than ever for New York to step up and lead the way to the sustainable, resilient system we need. Right now, we’re not on track.
SCWA Completes Phase 1 of Water Main Project
Residents speak out at state energy plan hearing in Stony Brook
On Sept. 29, a mix of grassroots organizers, student activists, utility workers, elected officials, and environmental professionals voiced varying priorities at the New York State draft energy plan hearing at Stony Brook University. The university saw multiple outdoor rallies in addition to 2 ½ hours of public comments on the 15-year plan, with concerns covering jobs, affordability, environmental safety, and more.
DEC: Brookhaven must submit landfill cleanup plan after report cites dump as a source of toxic plume
Brookhaven officials have been ordered by state environmental authorities to prepare a landfill cleanup plan that could include closing the 51-year-old facility after an inspection earlier this year found elevated levels of so-called "forever chemicals" in a miles-long plume emanating from the dump.
Editorial: Federal money, not delays needed to protect the water we drink
No place could be more impacted than Nassau County by the EPA’s decision to postpone by two years the deadline for water utilities to comply with new federal water standards for PFAS until 2031.
These chemicals are dangerous, having been linked to a large number of illnesses – kidney cancer, testicular cancer, high cholesterol, immune suppression, thyroid disease, and pregnancy complications.
The Editorial Board: New Yorkers deserve better oversight of local waterways than the DEC is providing
Attorney General Letitia James is right when she states: “Every New Yorker deserves clean, safe water.”
But it takes more than an assertion to make clean water happen. Fighting the pollution that continues to threaten the water we drink and area waterways that support wildlife and recreation takes leadership and aggressive measures from the state. It doesn’t look like we’re getting enough of either from New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation.
Environmentalists urge Long Island's congressional reps to join Suozzi effort in reversing 'forever chemicals' rule delay
Oyster Bay suit: Northrop Grumman 'concealed' extent of heavy metal contamination at Bethpage Community Park
After the discovery of chemical drums at Bethpage Community Park last year, Oyster Bay officials worried about the presence of hexavalent chromium, a cancer-causing toxin, in the soil near the drums, federal court records show.
They were concerned by what they saw: yellow and green sludge, a sign of chromium contamination, according to a filing in the town's lawsuit against Northrop Grumman, which seeks to accelerate and widen the scope of the plan to clean up the 18-acre property Grumman Aerospace used as a toxic dumping grounds for decades.
New York State announces record investment in water infrastructure
In the most recent fiscal year, New York made more investments in water infrastructure than in any prior year.
Announcing the record spending Wednesday at Albany’s Corning Preserve, President and CEO of New York’s Environmental Facilities Corporation Maureen Coleman says nearly 330 projects were executed with financial assistance in the last fiscal year -- a 55 percent increase year-to-year.
Governor Hochul Celebrates Record $3.4 Billion Investment in Water Infrastructure in State Fiscal Year 2025
Environmental Facilities Corporation's Financial Assistance is Making Projects Affordable for New Yorkers, Safeguarding Drinking Water, and Improving Water Quality in Support of Nation-Leading Clean Water Goals. More Than a Half Billion Dollars Awarded to Local Governments that Worked with Governor Hochul’s Community Assistance Teams
Navy set to open treatment plant in September to contain Grumman plume
The U.S. Navy is set to open a new treatment plant that is expected to help contain the extensive Grumman groundwater plume slowly moving south in Nassau County.
The Navy plant on Union Avenue, near Hempstead Turnpike in Bethpage, is expected to be operational in September, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
Cheese manufacturer polluted water for months before Ischua Creek die-off
Great Lakes Cheese often polluted Ischua Creek, data shows
It has been nearly a month since the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation began investigating wastewater discharge from Great Lakes Cheese that likely killed tens of thousands of fish and countless other aquatic species in Ischua Creek.
EPA policy shift plan will have detrimental consequences for climate and public health, LI advocates say
The Trump administration's plan to rescind a rule used to enforce limits on greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles will jeopardize health and safety on Long Island while undermining billions of dollars New York has spent electrifying the transportation sector, local environmental advocates and scientific experts say.

