What would a new Bethpage Community Park look like? One plan lays that out.
A Ticking Time Bomb on Fort Pond?
The East Hampton Energy Storage Center, which caught fire in 2023, and as a result, according to a recent lawsuit filed by the Suffolk County Water Authority, leaked perfluoropropionic acid, a so-called “forever chemical,” into the groundwater and the water authority’s nearby wells is not unique in the Town of East Hampton.
Navy Pitches Interim PFAS Cleanup Plan at EPCAL
In the wake of pressure from Suffolk County to clean up numerous environmental issues emanating from the former Grumman plant in Calverton, consultants for the U.S. Navy have unveiled a plan to capture a groundwater plume of the emerging contaminants PFAS that is believed to be spreading toward a nearby lake and the Peconic River.
Lee Zeldin's EPA moves to roll back standards on toxic chemicals in drinking water
Trump administration moves to roll back PFAS drinking water rules
The Trump administration announced plans this week to roll back portions of the nation’s first federal drinking water standards for PFAS chemicals, drawing criticism from environmental advocates on Long Island who say the move weakens protections for communities already grappling with groundwater contamination.
Citizens Campaign for the Environment Calls on East Hampton Energy Storage Center to Clean Up PFAS Contamination
Battery energy storage is a crucial clean energy technology, but it must be developed responsibly.
Battery Storage must be designed to protect Long Island’s aquifer.
For immediate release: June 22, 2026
For more information, contact:
Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, 516-390-7150, aesposito@citizenscampaign.org
Farmingdale, NY – Suffolk County Water Authority has closed two wells in East Hampton after finding contamination from toxic PFAS chemicals and has filed a lawsuit alleging a 2023 fire at the East Hampton Energy Storage Center is responsible for the contamination. This Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) was one of the first to be built in New York and is of an older, first-generation model that was put in place before New York implemented strict fire codes. New BESS facilities will be built with state-of-the-art fire mitigation systems that do not require water to be used, this older facility used over 2 million gallons of water to fight the fire and had no containment system to prevent contamination from seeping into Long Island’s groundwater.
Citizens Campaign for the Environment is urging East Hampton Energy Storage Center to take responsibility and clean up the contamination. CCE is also urging New York State and municipalities to require that new facilities implement stormwater management to prevent PFAS or other contaminates from entering groundwater. While the situation in the East Hampton fire would be prevented by the New York State fire codes, developers should still be implementing a system to ensure there is no potential PFAS in stormwater runoff from rain.
Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, issued the following statement:
“Battery Energy Storage Systems are a critical piece of our renewable energy mix and necessary to diversify our energy sources. They stabilize our energy grid in the face of more extreme weather events and provide capacity that will reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, leading to cleaner air for New Yorkers. Every large-scale energy project has impacts, but especially with newer technology such as BESS, it is crucial that we build them responsibly and in a way that is protective of our environment.
The East Hampton Energy Storage Center was one of the first BESS projects in the state. The fire helped spur New York to create a stringent, protective fire code to ensure these systems are built safely with no risk to the community. PFAS contamination was a result of using the sprinkler system designed to fight such a fire if one occurred, therefore, the company is at fault and we are calling on the developer to fully clean up that contamination. Moving forward, we need to ensure that no toxic contamination results from stormwater runoff at BESS facilities. We must protect drinking water and communities. We must also transition off fossil fuels by building renewable energy and energy storage. This can absolutely be done safely and responsibly.”
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Calverton plume at ex-Grumman site is more extensive than Navy acknowledges, Suffolk testing shows
Brookhaven sues state DEC over requirement to clean up toxic plumes at landfill, airport
Calverton RAB urges Navy to consider county health data from private wells
The Calverton Restoration Advisory Board has announced plans to host its own public meeting where the Suffolk County Health Department can present its independent testing data of private wells at the former Grumman site to the residents, after the U.S. Navy declined to have county officials present its findings.
Governor Hochul Celebrates Landmark $3.8 Billion Investment in Water Infrastructure During SFY 2025
$1.1 Billion in Targeted Grants are Making Projects Affordable for Communities
New SFY 2025 Clean Water Funding Report Details Coordinated Efforts of Seven Agencies
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the State’s $3.8 billion investment in local water infrastructure projects during State Fiscal Year 2025. A newly released New York State Clean Water Funding Report shows that New York delivered $1.1 billion in water quality grants in a single fiscal year, significantly reducing costs for local governments, families and businesses. Governor Hochul’s administration is providing unprecedented support to advance drinking water, wastewater and stormwater upgrades that are protecting public health and the environment, building community resiliency, improving quality of life and creating good-paying jobs.
SCWA Completes Phase 1 of Water Main Project
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.
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.
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
What’s In The Water: Exclusive look inside Yale University labs to study impacts 1,4 dioxane on the human body
What’s In The Water: Groundbreaking study offers insight into potential carcinogen in LI drinking water
News 12’s What’s In The Water series offers an exclusive look at a Yale University study into 1,4 dioxane and what the study will reveal about the dangers lurking in your drinking water.
A first-in-the-nation study hopes to answer questions about an emerging contaminant in Long Island water - and whether it can cause cancer.
EPA ban, phaseout on cancer-causing chemical found in Long Island groundwater partially stalled by industry challenge
Defending the environment, for all of us
Adrienne Esposito is executive director and a cofounder of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, a nonprofit organization fighting for stronger environmental policies.
Herald: Tell me about yourself.
Esposito: I grew up in Copiague, and I literally grew up with one foot in the water and one foot on the land. As a kid, we went crabbing and fishing and to the beach, and my mom would bring us blueberry-picking in the Pine Barrens. And my dad was a really tremendous fisherman and outdoorsmen, so we grew up on the water. So I think that that really connects you to the natural world and impresses upon you the beauty of it and the need to protect it.