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.
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.
Wastewater improvement projects from Oakdale to Huntington Station totaling $3.5 billion could be first in line for Suffolk County funding from its Water Quality Restoration Fund based on the newly formed board's rankings of 30 projects.
The board also recommended the county increase its grants for homeowners to upgrade to enhanced septic systems by $5,000.
Coney Island, NY, Aug. 6, 2025—New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton joined the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society (AMSEAS), elected officials, and environmental leaders to release a rehabilitated Kemp’s ridley sea turtle back into the Atlantic Ocean outside the New York Aquarium. The event celebrated the New York State Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) that helps protect and restore the health of the state’s ocean and coasts.
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.
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.
“Trump’s EPA to repeal core of greenhouse gas rules,” was the Reuters headline this week as Lee Zeldin, chosen by Donald Trump to be administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, announced what Reuters said “will rescind the long-standing finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger human health, as well as tailpipe emission standards for vehicles, removing the legal foundation of greenhouse gas regulations across industries.”
You flush and forget about it. But what goes down doesn’t just disappear. On Long Island, where it ends up has been a problem for decades. Outdated septic systems and cesspools leak pollutants into the groundwater. As a result, these aging systems pose serious threats to drinking water, the environment, public health, and the local economy. It’s been a long fight for change, but on July 23rd, Suffolk County took a huge step toward cleaner water.
As the Environmental Protection Agency lays the groundwork to potentially end its own ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, a delegation from the advocacy group Long Island Sound Citizens Advisory Committee went to Washington last week to meet with someone they knew well: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. The agenda: ensure consistent protection for Long Island Sound amid harsh federal funding cuts.
Suffolk County homeowners will soon be able to upgrade to enhanced septic systems that reduce dangerous nitrogen pollution at a higher discounted rate, thanks to a surge of state funding announced Wednesday.
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill Wednesday morning at Suffolk County Community College in Brentwood that increases the reimbursement rate for installation of an enhanced septic system to 75%, or up to $25,000. The governor also announced Suffolk County will receive $20 million in new grant funding it can use toward its Septic Improvement Program that provides homeowners $10,000 grants for the upgrade.
Legislation S8241-A/A8807 Makes It Easier and More Cost-Effective for New Yorkers to Upgrade to Advanced Septic Systems That Significantly Reduce Water Pollution
State Septic System Replacement Program Targets Priority Geographic Areas Like Long Island Which Rely on Sole-Source Aquifers
Funding Incentivizes Replacement of Old Septic and Cesspool Systems to Prevent Water Pollution
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand was on Long Island Monday to harshly criticize the proposed $8 million in funding cuts in President Donald Trump’s 2026 budget for the National Estuary Program, which supports clean water initiatives, including those on the Island.
U.S. Senator Kristen Gillibrand paid a visit to Riverhead on Monday morning to warn about President Donald Trump’s proposed $8 million federal funding cut from the National Estuary Program, which could threaten ongoing efforts to maintain and restore the Peconic Estuary and Long Island Sound.
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — New York’s Public Service Commission decided on Thursday to stop the project that would bring offshore wind power to New York City. They said that their decision would protect New Yorkers from paying for expensive power lines that might not be needed soon.
In a major environmental and affordability win, Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay announced the unanimous passage of her legislation (A8807/S8241-A) in both the New York State Assembly and Senate. The bill updates the reimbursement structure of the New York State Septic System Replacement Fund, making it easier and more affordable for New Yorkers to upgrade to advanced septic systems that significantly reduce water pollution, according to a press release.
