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.
On the morning of April 14, an approximate total of 30,000 gallons of partially treated sewage was discharged into Port Jefferson Harbor over the course of two hours. According to the Suffolk County Department of Public Works, the discharge was caused by an electrical malfunction on a ultraviolet disinfection unit. Upon identifying the problem, the plant ran the effluent through a second UV system, while they repaired and tested the first, then returned to routine operations. While the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed that the plant is now operating normally, but there are still health concerns.
A major wind farm project slated to begin off the coast of Long Island that is said to power 500,000 homes was halted after an order from U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum.
Burgum directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Wednesday to halt construction on Empire Wind, a fully-permitted project. He called for further review, saying the Biden administration rushed the approval.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum has ordered a halt to an offshore wind project off the coast of Long Island, making good on an executive order from President Donald Trump in January that put a moratorium on new or upcoming offshore wind projects.
Long Island residents living near Port Jefferson Harbor were warned by officials to stay away from the water, and to not even have dogs walk along the shore line. That’s because of a huge sewage spill into the harbor meant high levels of bacteria and viruses were floating around. NBC New York’s Pei-Sze Cheng reports.
A two-hour electrical malfunction led to a sewage spill in Port Jefferson Harbor.
Thirty thousand gallons of partially treated sewage was discharged from its plant, the Department of Environmental Conservation said. The problem was a partial malfunction of the electrical sewage ultraviolet disinfection system.
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.
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.
President Donald Trump’s wild-card pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency has emerged as one of the most devoted public champions for his efforts to demolish the Biden agenda — and MAGA world is taking notice.
The notion that we must choose between a clean environment and a strong economy is an antiquated myth that was debunked decades ago. Decades of experience and peer-reviewed studies demonstrate that what’s good for our environment also drives economic development, saves families money and saves lives.
He once talked about the need to fight climate change. Now, he embraces Elon Musk, lavishes praise on the president and strives to stand out in a MAGA world.
When President Trump’s cabinet secretaries clashed with Elon Musk this month over the billionaire’s chain saw approach to shrinking government, Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, made it clear where he stood.
Albany, NY – More than 15 different environmental, civic and faith-based groups, plus several state legislators joined New York State Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Deborah Glick at the State Capitol today to call for support of the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA).
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.
It is said that time changes people, and so does power. Perhaps that explains the metamorphosis of Lee Zeldin as EPA administrator. Based on his work and dedication to protecting Long Island as a congressman, I hoped he would be a voice of reason and moderation to help fight climate change and protect our air, water and land resources. Recent announcements of unprecedented rollbacks to major environmental regulations have caused that hope to die.
At a 2025 Environmental Roundtable hosted by State Senator Anthony Palumbo in Riverhead last Thursday, where elected officials from across the East End met with environmental interest groups, East Hampton Town Councilwoman Cate Rogers used her time to speak about one of the town’s biggest environmental issues, coastal resilience, and the fear that the some projects may no longer get the federal funding that small municipalities rely on.
