TRAVERSE CITY — The irony is not lost on Michelle Klein.
The dirty sanitizing wipes, the used face masks and latex gloves that are found on the ground at gas stations, in parking lots as well as sidewalks and streets have Klein, the director of personal health at the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department, scratching her head.
Connecticut’s container deposit law, known as the “Bottle Bill,” has been a critical part of our state’s recycling infrastructure for the last 40 years. Refundable container deposits are a proven, effective way to incentivize recycling of single-serve beverage containers and reduce litter in our communities. Unfortunately, the system has not been updated in several years to keep up with changing market trends and inflation.
Helen Lowman looks at litter a lot. It’s her job. But while walking her dog in Westport, Conn., in March, she noticed an alarming trend. First she passed some dirty wipes on the ground. Then there were gloves. And finally a mask. Four months later, she said the litter of personal protective gear has only gotten worse.
Long Island’s largest mass of carcinogenic groundwater pollution, the Grumman plume is expanding a foot a day from Bethpage toward the Great South Bay, centerpiece of the region’s South Shore estuary system.
The spread of its 24 contaminants, most notably the cancer-causing solvent trichloroethylene, or TCE, contrasts markedly with the shrinking of a similarly toxic groundwater plume from the property of the Brookhaven National Laboratory, 35 miles east.
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — There’s a warning on Long Island about the water supply.
The Suffolk County Water Authority says residents should stop watering their lawns during the early morning hours.
Open spaces and protected natural sites offer unparalleled opportunities to find solace and restore our sense of balance during these challenging times. The beauty and grace of our natural resources reminds us that some things remain untouched, holding promise and comfort as we navigate into the future.
Yes, Long Island is slowly recovering from the devastating financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the three-month shutdown of our public and private sectors has left the local economy in disarray. Nassau County’s 2020 projected deficit was recently revised upwards another $100 million to a stunning $384 million. And Suffolk County’s COVID-19 Fiscal Impact Task Force projected a deficit of close to $1.5 billion over the next three years. If you drill down further, Long Island’s towns, villages, and cities are also on fiscally shaky ground.
