CCE in the News

Suffolk County's Proposition 2 aims to improve water quality by funding sewers

Suffolk County's Proposition 2 aims to improve water quality by funding sewers

Proposition 2 asks voters to approve a small new sales tax to protect drinking water and waterways. 

Suffolk County voters are reminded and urged to turn their ballots over, where they'll find Proposition 2. It aims to set up a new sales tax fund to clean up Suffolk's waterways and drinking water by expanding public sewers and providing grants to homeowners to replace polluting cesspools. 

Record number of water quality problems in Long Island bays this summer, report finds

Record number of water quality problems in Long Island bays this summer, report finds

Fish kills, algal blooms and oxygen-deprived “dead zones” affected almost all of Long Island’s bays and estuaries this summer, according to scientists who monitor water quality at Stony Brook University's School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences.

Long Island congressional candidates present climate action plans at environmental forum

Long Island congressional candidates present climate action plans at environmental forum

Candidates from the first, second and third districts discussed their views and policies on climate and the environment.

Candidates from the fourth district were not present.

District 1: Nick LaLota (incumbent, R), and John Avlon (D)

Nick LaLota is the incumbent representative for New York’s first district. He currently co-chairs the bipartisan Congressional Offshore Wind Caucus, which aims to create policies that will improve offshore wind technology and workforce.

Congressional Candidates Talk Climate

Congressional Candidates Talk Climate

When it comes to climate change, “if ever there was a Ground Zero for Long Island, it’s really the First Congressional District,” says Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, of the district that encompasses the entire East End. “It’s very critical to hold our congressional leaders accountable for climate change. People still actually don’t believe in climate change, as if it’s a faith based system. You can’t believe or not believe in gravity. You have to understand it is real.”

Brookhaven landfill fire may be a result of recent drought and high temperatures

Brookhaven landfill fire may be a result of recent drought and high temperatures

It's been cited for violations by the state in the past.

The more than 270-foot Brookhaven landfill caught fire Wednesday, and it could be in part because of the weather.

2024 Long Island Business Influencers

2024 Long Island Business Influencers

Adrienne Esposito
Executive Director
Citizens Campaign for the Environment

As executive director and a co-founder of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Adrienne Esposito has worked on numerous environmental campaigns for more than 35 years.  

Algae blooms threaten Long Island wildlife and waterways

Algae blooms threaten Long Island wildlife and waterways

LONG ISLAND - Harmful algae blooms are popping up in multiple bodies of water across Long Island.

The bays, lakes and ponds are not as clean and clear as they need to be - this according to an annual assessment of water quality report. 

"We had a record number of dead zones in 2024 with oxygen levels of less than 3mg oxygen per liter. Ideally, our coastal waterbodies will have 4.8mg oxygen per liter," said coastal ecologist Dr. Christopher Gobler at Stony Brook University. 

Rain garden at Huntington Beach helps divert pollutants from stormwater

Rain garden at Huntington Beach helps divert pollutants from stormwater

A rain garden designed to keep Huntington Harbor free of pollutants from stormwater runoff has been installed at a known flooding area near Gold Star Battalion Beach.

Algal blooms, oxygen-depleted zones affected Long Island waters in 2024, report says

Algal blooms, oxygen-depleted zones affected Long Island waters in 2024, report says

Last summer, dozens of Long Island’s ponds, lakes, bays and estuaries were affected by oxygen-depleted zones and harmful algal blooms, researchers from Stony Brook University found, which were triggered by excessive levels of nitrogen and exacerbated by record-high temperatures.

Suffolk County water quality on the ballot as voters consider Proposition 2

Suffolk County water quality on the ballot as voters consider Proposition 2

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. - Bays, ponds and estuaries on Long Island are losing oxygen

According to a new report, 36 different bodies of water have been deemed dead zones, and 25 marine waterways have harmful algal blooms. 

Algae blooms threaten Long Island wildlife and waterways

Algae blooms threaten Long Island wildlife and waterways

Harmful algae blooms spread across LI waters

Harmful algae blooms are popping up in multiple bodies of water across Long Island. FOX 5 NY’s Jodi Goldberg explains what’s causing this and the impact it's having on fish and other animals.

LONG ISLAND - Harmful algae blooms are popping up in multiple bodies of water across Long Island.

Energy company wants green light for battery storage facility on site next to Phillips Avenue Elementary School

Energy company wants green light for battery storage facility on site next to Phillips Avenue Elementary School

An energy company seeking an exemption from Southampton Town’s moratorium on battery energy storage facility applications faced scrutiny by Town Board members and strong opposition from the Riverhead Central School District Board of Education during a hearing on its exemption application last night at Southampton Town Hall.

The Fate of the State’s Abandoned Oil Wells May Depend on the Presidential Election

The Fate of the State’s Abandoned Oil Wells May Depend on the Presidential Election

Mike Hastings, 41, has lived in Western New York his entire life. His home, which he shares with his wife and three children, is situated on 170 acres of forested land near the town of Allegany. The property is home to a winding creek and a diverse range of wildlife, including bears, coyotes and foxes. It also contains 80 abandoned oil wells, remnants of a 19th-century drilling boom in the region.

Ørsted proposes “Long Island Wind” project to deliver more clean offshore energy, investment and jobs for New Yorkers

Ørsted proposes “Long Island Wind” project to deliver more clean offshore energy, investment and jobs for New Yorkers

New York’s offshore wind leader, Ørsted, announced today that it has submitted a finalized proposal for its Long Island Wind project, which would power up to 1 million New York homes with renewable energy while further strengthening Ørsted’s Northeast Hub. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York has become a national offshore wind leader, and the Long Island Wind project would deliver major new investments to New York’s workforce and offshore wind supply chain.

Up Close & Personal with the South Fork Wind Farm

Up Close & Personal with the South Fork Wind Farm

It was just below 70 degrees, with a light breeze, the sun shining bright, and mild seas – perfect sailing weather.

Passengers on this excursion drove almost to the end of Sound Avenue early on a Wednesday morning – a rare trip if you don’t live or work on the North Fork – and saw the village of Greenport wake up. It was far from the Manhattan-level autumn traffic on the North Fork or the bustling party town that is Greenport in the summer.

Stamford prohibited plastic bags. Now city reps. are exploring a paper bag ban, too.

Stamford prohibited plastic bags. Now city reps. are exploring a paper bag ban, too.

STAMFORD — Months after speaking about possibly lifting a city requirement to charge customers 10 cents for a paper bag at checkout, members of the Board of Representatives have turned to another idea: prohibiting stores from even selling or giving out paper bags.

City Rep. Virgil de la Cruz, D-2, a deputy majority leader of the board who often advocates for measures to combat climate change, presented draft language for a potential ban on paper bags to the board’s Legislative and Rules Committee last week. But the committee decided not to advance the proposal to a public hearing yet and first conduct more research.

DEC adopts final rules limiting 1,4 dioxane in consumer products

DEC adopts final rules limiting 1,4 dioxane in consumer products

Regulations limiting the amount of the toxic chemical 1,4-dioxane in consumer products in New York State were adopted in final form by the State Department of Environmental Conservation last month.

New trail access point on the South Shore

New trail access point on the South Shore

FAST FACTS

The water-based South Shore Blueway Trail is designed for kayakers, canoeists and other non-motorized boaters along the South Shore of Long Island. It spans the coastal waterways of Nassau County, connecting scenic spots, nature preserves, parks and other access points between the western part of the county near the Western Bays, extending toward Suffolk County.

The trail provides a way for paddlers to explore the diverse coastal ecosystems, including marshes, wetlands and barrier beaches, while offering opportunities for recreation, wildlife observation and environmental education. It features multiple launch sites and stops for paddlers, with varying difficulty levels depending on the weather and tidal conditions.

Winters Bros. drops plan for controversial Yaphank waste transfer station

Winters Bros. drops plan for controversial Yaphank waste transfer station

West Babylon trash hauler Winters Bros. is dropping plans for a proposed Yaphank waste transfer station project that was seen by local officials as critical to managing Long Island's future trash removal needs but drew opposition from local residents and others, a company spokesman told Newsday on Friday.