A proposal to alienate 2.48 acres of Kings Point Park to create a parking lot for a community center died in the State Assembly on Tuesday.
The bill, proposed by Assemb. Daniel Norber (R-Great Neck), did not make it to the floor before the legislative session ended Tuesday. A companion bill proposed by State Sen. Jack Martins (R-Old Westbury) passed the Senate on Friday.
On Friday, June 20th, over 125 engaged citizens and governmental officials celebrated forty years of advocacy by partners of the Long Island Sound Study (LISS) to protect Long Island Sound, our nation’s second largest estuary, from pollution and other threats. The milestone was marked by the renaming of LISS to Long Island Sound Partnership (LISP) and the signing of a new bipartisan Comprehensive Conservation & Management Plan (CCMP). “The CCMP provides a blueprint for collaboration and establishes goals, objectives and actions for the next 10 years to further restore and protect the Sound.”
The New York Department of State has announced the availability of $1.5 million in grants to protect, preserve, and restore the South Shore Estuary Reserve on Long Island. The funding, timed to coincide with World Oceans Month, supports the implementation of the recently adopted $3.5 million SSER Strategic Investment Plan.
Targeted to municipalities, nonprofits and academic institutions, the grants aim to improve shoreline resiliency, enhance water quality, and expand public access to water-based recreation.
Funding Implements Strategies to Increase Shoreline Resiliency, Water Quality and Recreational Accessibility for Long Island Residents
Funding Coincides With and Celebrates World Oceans Month
In celebration of World Oceans Month, the New York Department of State today announced the availability of $1.5 million in funding through the South Shore Estuary Reserve (SSER) Local Assistance Grants Program. The grants will help communities advance SSER priorities, including improved water quality, shoreline resiliency, habitat health, accessible water-based recreation and tourism, environmental education and economic development. The Program is the first step in the implementation of the $3.5 million SSER Strategic Investment Plan to guide future funding opportunities.
Long Islander Lee Zeldin was thrust into the national spotlight with his nomination by President Donald Trump to be administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Trump said: “I have known Lee Zeldin for a long time, and have watched him handle, brilliantly, some extremely difficult and complex situations. I am very proud to have him in the Trump Administration, where he will quickly prove to be a great contributor.”
New legislation would establish New York State Road Salt Reduction Council and Citizen Advisory Committee to protect water, health, and communities
A coalition of environmental, municipal, and public health advocates is calling for swift passage of legislation (A.4481-A/S.6976-A) to establish a New York State Road Salt Reduction Council and Citizen Advisory Committee. This body would be tasked with implementing the recommendations published by the Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force in 2023. The Senate passed a version of this bill in 2024, and is poised to pass the bill once again.
As the Democrats on the Ways and Means Committee reported, the “GOP Tax Scam” cuts nearly $1 trillion from the health care system – effectively chipping away if not repealing entirely the Affordable Care Act - eliminating health coverage for at least 13.7 million Americans including 1.5 million New Yorkers.
Highlights the need for action against HABs to protect New York State’s water bodies
Albany, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham, chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, and State Senator Rachel May hosted a public hearing on May 21 here at the State Capitol to evaluate the efficacy of New York State’s monitoring and management of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and to examine potential legislative solutions.
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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WASHINGTON, D.C. – A group of 10 environmental groups filed a legal brief today in support of an effort by states and industry to overturn the Trump administration’s government-wide ban on new wind energy projects.
The administration of Donald Trump is making an unbridled push to block renewable energy projects—including last week halting the placement of 54 wind turbines in the ocean south of Long Island, New York—and is pushing fossil fuels, among them coal. The burning of fossil fuels is the leading cause of climate change. Trump has repeatedly called climate change a “hoax.”
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.
The Trump administration’s stop work order blocking construction of the Empire Wind 1 offshore wind project off the coast of Long Beach raised concerns over the fate of Sunrise Wind off Montauk.
U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s order to stop work on Empire Wind 1’s 54 turbines on April 16 triggered protests in Nassau County as Gov. Kathy Hochul vowed to reverse the decision. But given the unpredictable nature of President Donald Trump, it remained an open question if the Sunrise Wind project might be next on the chopping block.
Adrienne Esposito, the founder and longtime leader of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, has been launching new coalitions to further her environmental cause. One is Wind Works New York, whose diverse members are transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Another is the New York Clean Water Coalition, made up of water suppliers, wastewater treatment operators and environmental groups advocating for funding to upgrade sewage and drinking water infrastructure. Late last year, Esposito criticized the governor’s veto of the state Horseshoe Crab Protection Act, arguing that the species is subject to local extinction.
Advocates gathered on the front lawn of the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building for an Earth Day rally to challenge recent federal actions that have halted the Empire Wind 1 offshore wind project.
Organizations present included Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Renewable Energy Long Island, the New York League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resource Defense Council, Local Union 3 IBEW, Local Union 806, Local Union 290, Climate Jobs New York, the National Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club Long Island group, All our Energy, the Long Island Progressive Coalition, Minority Millennials and Vision Long Island
In an abrupt backtrack, Mayor Eric Adams’ administration in recent days has exempted most of New York City’s residential buildings from being fined for violating the composting law, which mandates that food scraps and yard waste be separated from the rest of the trash.
