Suozzi Calls Out Administration’s Disastrous Rollback of Bedrock Environmental Policy, Stands with Conservationists in calling for the reinstatement of 2009 ‘Endangerment Finding’
Glen Cove, NY— Today, Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-Long Island, Queens) held a press conference to call out the Administration’s revocation of the ‘Endangerment Finding’ that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare—a move widely seen as a major setback to U.S. efforts to combat the climate crisis.
Improved wastewater infrastructure and healthy shellfish populations are the keys to improving the water quality of Stony Brook Harbor. On Tuesday, Feb. 3, environmental activists and scientists gathered at the Stony Brook Yacht Club for a water quality forum, specifically focusing on Stony Brook Harbor.
Endowed Chair of Coastal Ecology and Conservation and Distinguished Professor at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences Christopher J. Gobler spent the last two years monitoring water quality and shellfish populations in locations throughout the Stony Brook Harbor watershed. “We wanted to understand, what is controlling the growth of algae in Stony Brook Harbor?” he said.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal to fast-track certain housing projects by peeling back some environmental regulations is dividing some of the state’s most prominent climate advocacy groups.
The State Environmental Quality Review Act, or SEQRA, is intended to make sure projects don’t harm sensitive lands and waters, but developers have long criticized the process, saying it slows down construction times and drives up costs. Hochul said she’s trying to bring down housing costs amid New York state’s ongoing housing affordability crisis.
A roundtable discussion hosted by State Sen. Anthony Palumbo focused on proposed changes to New York's State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), which are part of Gov. Kathy Hochul's efforts to boost housing affordability. Environmental advocates and elected officials expressed concerns that the changes could weaken environmental protections without guaranteeing more affordable housing.
“Christmas has come early for the horseshoe crabs!” exclaimed Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, following New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s signing of the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act last month. The new law bans the removal of horseshoe crabs for bait and biomedical uses in New York waters by 2029.
Larger issue, supe says, is what comes after the closure
On Jan. 8, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, DEC, extended the deadline for completion of the Corrective Measures Assessment period and Report submission to ensure a complete assessment and adequate public engagement for the Town of Brookhaven’s landfill closure.
According to the DEC, the town must host a public meeting and conclude their assessment by April 15, 2026, and submit the Corrective Measures Assessment Report by May 1, 2026, a three-month extension from previous requirements.
Long Island developers hope a proposal to expedite an often lengthy environmental review process will make it easier to build in the region, where low supply has led to sky-high prices for homes in recent years.
While housing advocates have lauded the move, the reforms have drawn mixed feedback from Long Island lawmakers and advocates worried about the weakening of a strong legal tool to protect the environment.
The Long Island Power Authority and Suffolk County have launched a new partnership to evaluate large-scale solar energy opportunities across major industrial areas in the county.
The project, announced Jan. 14 by LIPA CEO Carrie Meek Gallagher and Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, will analyze rooftop solar potential, grid capacity, and permitting processes in key commercial zones. A consultant will be selected through a newly developed Request for Qualifications process.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul vowed this week to take "a hard look" at the environmental review steps developers must follow to have state and local governments approve new home-building projects.
The current review process hasn't been updated "in literally half a century," and, in its current form, it holds up the construction of affordable housing New Yorkers desperately need now, the governor said Tuesday in a State of the State address in Albany. The governor hinted that changes could be underway that would get housing construction projects approved much faster and more easily.
State environmental conservation officials have given Brookhaven Town an additional three months to recommend cleanup plans for a miles-long toxic plume emanating from the town landfill.
The Department of Environmental Conservation set a new May 1 deadline for finishing the report, which is expected to outline plans for cleaning up the landfill after groundwater testing in 2023 discovered so-called "forever chemicals" in the plume, which extends about 4 miles from Brookhaven hamlet south toward Bellport Bay.
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.
Cleanup remedies at five Long Island hazardous waste sites "continue to be effective in protecting human health," the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said this week, though some of the toxic areas need continued monitoring.
The agency conducted the federally mandated reviews at Superfund sites located in Glen Cove, Port Jefferson Station, Franklin Square and East Farmingdale. Across New York, New Jersey and Puerto Rico, 32 federal Superfund sites were appraised, which happen every five years, the EPA said.
NEW YORK — Environmental advocates are rejoicing after news that Governor Kathy Hochul has signed the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act, which will phase out harvesting horseshoe crabs from New York waters.
The Horseshoe Crab Protection Act prohibits the taking of horseshoe crabs from state waters for commercial and biomedical uses, environmental advocates said.
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.
Low-oxygen areas in Long Island Sound dropped last summer to the smallest footprint recorded in nearly 40 years, according to data from Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
"This is great news," said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment in Farmingdale. "This is what happens when you have reliable funding, meaningful collaboration, strong public support, and good science — all working together."
For immediate release: December 20, 2025
For more information, contact:
Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, 516-390-7150, aesposito@citizenscampaign.org
Albany, NY – Governor Hochul has signed the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act, which prohibits the taking of horseshoe crabs from state waters for commercial and biomedical uses. The bill will phase out taking horseshoe crabs over a three-year time frame and completely banning the antiquated practice by 2029. Horseshoe crabs are a keystone species in the food web that have walked the earth for 350 million years, but populations are in decline in the Northeast. This decline also threatens many species that depend on horseshoe crab eggs for food including several bird species and fish such as striped bass, weakfish, flounder and more. The Senate and Assembly passed legislation for the last two years that would prevent the taking of this crucial species for commercial or biomedical uses. The Governor vetoed the bill last year. This year, recent data shows further declines in horseshoe crab populations specifically in Long Island Sound. By signing the bill, New York has joined efforts with both New Jersey who banned harvesting in 2008 and Connecticut who banned it in 2024.
Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment, issued the following statement:
“Christmas came early for the Horseshoe Crabs! This is an amazing holiday gift, and Governor Hochul has given us a big reason to celebrate! Horseshoe crabs have walked the Earth since the time of the dinosaurs, and we want to make sure they don’t go extinct. The Horseshoe Crab Protection Act will prevent the taking of horseshoe crab for commercial and biomedical purposes, allowing horseshoe crab populations to rebound and New York to protect this historic species for future generations. This is an incredible holiday gift to our ecosystem and to the communities who love this important species. CCE applauds Governor Hochul, Senator Holyman and Assemblywoman Glick , for working together with environmental stakeholders, and scientific experts to ensure that the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act was signed into law this year.”
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