Environmental group: 65 of 80 household products contain 1,4-dioxane

SOURCE:

http://longisland.news12.com/story/40198608/environmental-group-65-of-80-household-products-contain-14dioxane

FARMINGDALE -

Environmentalists say many household products like laundry detergent, shampoo, body wash and hand soap are contaminated with a known possible carcinogen called 1,4-dioxane.

Because 1,4-dioxane is a byproduct and not technically an ingredient, manufacturers are not required to put it on their labels.

"It's actually a very disconcerting issue that's come up," says Adrienne Esposito, of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. "It's not about just one product and one exposure. We use all these products usually on a daily basis."

The group says there are products with low or no detectable amounts of 1,4-dioxane.

There is legislation making its way through the state Legislature that would ban the 1,4-dioxane byproduct from all household items.

Environmental group says 65 of 80 household products contain 1,4-dioxane

SOURCE:

https://www.newsday.com/long-island/environment/1-4-dioxane-household-products-1.28968339

The chemical, designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a likely carcinogen, has been found in dozens of Long Island drinking water wells.

Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, with Tide Original laundry detergent, which has among the highest levels of 1,4-dioxane, on July 9, 2018, in Farmingdale. Photo Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan

By David M. Schwartzdavid.schwartz@newsday.com  @schwartznewsNYUpdated March 26, 2019 11:00 AM

Tests found the chemical 1,4-dioxane in 65 of 80 household products, including baby products, shampoos, detergents and body washes, according to a study released Tuesday.

The products with the highest levels include Victoria Secret’s shower gels, Tide Original laundry detergent and Dreft (Stage 1/Newborn) baby laundry detergent, according to the test commissioned by Citizens Campaign for the Environment, a Farmingdale-based group that is pushing a statewide ban of 1,4-dioxane in household products.

1,4-dioxane, designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a likely carcinogen, has been found in dozens of Long Island drinking water wells, and water providers have estimated it will cost $840 million to install treatment systems.

While 1,4-dioxane is primarily associated with industrial solvents, the chemical is also found in household products as a byproduct from the manufacturing process.

“It’s a critical concern for contaminating our groundwater and drinking water,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, who added it also could be a concern for skin exposure. "We really were shocked at some of these results."

A study in July by the group found 23 of 30 products contained 1,4-dioxane.

Manufacturers said their products are safe to use and called the study a “distraction” from the real issue with 1,4-dioxane, which is industrial sites.

“Consumers can feel confident in the safety of their favorite and highly trusted household products,"James Darr, manager of state government relations and public policy for the Household & Commercial Products Association, said in a statement Tuesday. "The evidence clearly shows that they are not the source of Long Island’s decades-long water contamination issues.”

No federal or state standard exists for the amount of 1,4-dioxane that can be contained in household products, Esposito said, though she said one recommendation from the European Union was not to use products that contain 1,000 parts per billion of the product. According to the report released Tuesday, products tested contained up to 17,000 parts per billion of the contaminant.

Lifelong exposure to 0.35 parts per billion of 1,4-dioxane in drinking water represents a 1-in-a-million cancer risk, according to the EPA. In December, the panel of state health and environmental officials, water providers and academics recommended a drinking water standard of nearly three times that — 1 part per billion for 1,4 dioxane.

Citizens Campaign for the Environment tested 80 products bought at Long Island stores and found the chemical in both high-end products and less-expensive alternatives, and products for men and women. Esposito said that on the positive side, many of the products marketed as environmentally friendly had no detectable levels of 1,4-dioxane.

"A lot of these green products really are green," she said.

She said the group originally tested the household products after seeing 1,4-dioxane contamination in drinking water supplies in areas without a history of industrial use.

The products were tested by ALS Laboratory in Rochester, New York, which is certified by the state Department of Health and can detect down to 25 parts per billion.

The products with the highest levels of 1,4-dioxane were Victoria's Secret Bombshell Body Wash, Victoria's Secret Love Body Wash, Tide Original Detergent, Ivory Snow 2X Ultra Detergent, Dreft Stage1/Newborn Detergent, Gain Original Detergent, Tide Simply + Oxi Detergent, The Home Store Lemon Scented Dish Soap, Baby Magic Hair and Body Wash, Up&Up (Target) Free + Clear Dish Soap, Persil Original Detergent, Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion Shampoo.

Environmentalists and water providers are pushing to ban 1,4-dioxane from products as state health officials have said they plan to set an enforceable drinking standard for 1,4-dioxane.

Removing 1,4-dioxane from drinking water is costly and expensive. Only one system in New York — owned by the Suffolk County Water Authority — has been approved for use in a drinking water system. There's no way for households to remove the chemical on their own, experts said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Plastic Bag Ban Sails Through Environment Committee

SOURCE:

https://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/archives/entry/20190325_plastic_bag_ban_flies_through_environment_committee/

by Jack Kramer | Mar 25, 2019 5:12pm

HARTFORD, CT — Perhaps pushed into it by towns that have moved on the issue far quicker, the Environment Committee Monday voted 25-4 in favor of a bill that would ban the sale of single-use plastic bags starting in 2020.

The bill also said that any paper bags provided by stores to customers who don’t bring their own shopping bags must be 100 percent recyclable.

The bill now goes to the Senate.

Stores that do not comply, according to the bill’s language, will be issued a warning on the first violation; after that a store would be fined $250 for a second and any subsequent violation.

It seems every day a new Connecticut town or city is passing a plastic bag ban. By advocates’ counts, more than 20 communities have passed bans — about half of which have been in the past few months as the momentum to ban the plastic bags is building around the state.

The bill takes note of that fact, stating that any town or city that has enacted a ban on its own should not have its law superseded by whatever final action the state winds up taking.

“This bill would not impede in anyway the plastic bans that any towns have already moved forward on this issue,” Sen. Christine Cohen, D-Guilford, co-chair of the committee said.

The Connecticut Food Association had submitted testimony during a public hearing on the bill, asking the state to act, stating it was difficult for the association to deal with it on a town-by-town basis.

“With 169 towns and cities in Connecticut, a one-by-one plan doesn’t make sense,” Wayne Pesce, president of the association, said. “This scenario is not broad enough, makes it difficult for retailers to comply, and is confusing to consumers.”

He said the statewide ban would reduce the amount of single-use bags distributed at retail and encourage consumers in Connecticut to use their own reusable bags for shopping.”

Pesce said grocers are trying to lead by example.

Recently Supermarket chain Big Y, which has 30 stores in Connecticut, announced that it will phase-out single-use plastic bags in its stores by next year. National chains Costco and Aldi, which both have stores in Connecticut, already do not provide free single-use plastic bags.

Gov. Ned Lamont has proposed a 10-cent tax on plastic bags, instead of calling for a ban. It’s unclear what that would mean the communities that have already banned them.

Meanwhile, the committee Monday passed a second bill pushed by environmentalists — one requiring the elimination of single-use styrofoam containers for a food establishment.

The goal of that bill is reduce litter in parks, waterways, and urban centers and also to create cost-savings in the recycling process.

The bill received strong support during the public hearing from Connecticut Program Director For Citizens Campaign For the Environment (CCE) Louis Burch.

“In addition to increasing public exposure to Styrene, expanded polystyrene is a significant contributor to the plastic pollution crisis choking our marine environment,” Burch said. EPS packaging never bully breaks down in our water, instead, it breaks into tiny pieces which persist for hundreds of years.”

He added: “Polystyrene waste also presents a problem for municipal recyclers. EPS foam cannot be easily recycled, it at all.”

That bill will move to the House.

Plastic Bag Ban Measure Passes In Rockland

 Zak Failla 

In an effort to “combat litter, help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the environment for future generations,” Rockland County s banning single-use plastic bags at retailers, restaurants and grocery stores.

In a bipartisan 14-3 vote, legislators in Rockland easily backed a measure that would ban the use of bags. The bill was sponsored by County legislators Laurie Santulli and Nancy Low-Hogan and will be sent to County Executive Ed Day for approval in the next three weeks.

"Plastic bags not only make Rockland County look terrible, they cause problems for our solid waste facility and pose a significant threat to the environment," Santulli said. "A simple change in our habits – switching to paper and reusable bags, will help us address these problems for the betterment of our county."

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, single-use plastic bags are one of the top five single-use plastics found in the environment by magnitude, and they are one of the top five items encountered in coastline clean-ups.

Under the law, department stores, home center and hardware stores, drug stores, supermarkets, liquor stores, gas station stores, restaurants, farmers' markets and other locations would be banned from providing single-use plastic carryout bags. They instead would be required to provide paper bags made of recyclable materials or reusable plastic bags with handles that are machine washable.

The law will not ban plastic bags used for loose bulk items such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, candy, cookies, small hardware items or to wrap meats, fish, deli and frozen foods; nor does it ban bags used by pharmacies to contain prescription drugs, newspaper bags, door-hanger bags and laundry-dry cleaning bags.

If approved, the law will be enforced by the Rockland County Office of Consumer Protection. Fines would range from up to $250 for a first-time offense; up to $500 for a second offense within a 12-month period; and up to $1,000 for a third and each subsequent offense within a 12-month period.

"The blight of plastic bags takes a devastating toll on our streets, our water and our natural resources, and we need to take action to protect our environment,” New York Gov. Cuomo said last year when supporting a statewide bill banning single-use plastic bags. "As the old proverb goes: 'We did not inherit the earth, we are merely borrowing it from our children,' and with this action, we are helping to leave a stronger, cleaner and greener New York for all.”

Between 500 billion and one trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Less than 1 percent of plastic bags are recycled in the United States and they are not acceptable at certain recycling centers.

"Passing the plastic bag ban is an example of what can happen when a community comes together in support of what is best for the whole community, not only in the short term, but in the long term,” Low-Hogan stated. “We are ready to make the choice that will benefit our environment and ultimately our world.”

The EPA estimates that 80 percent of plastic pollution in the ocean originated on land, which includes plastic bags, and in New York, residents use 23 billion plastic bags annually, which contributes to pollution both on and off land. These bags do not biodegrade and they persist for years.

"Plastic pollution has become a serious threat to our lakes, rivers and marine environment as well as public health. Scientists are finding plastic pollution in shellfish and finfish, making its way to our dinner plates,” Citizens Campaign for the Environment Executive Director Adrienne Esposito said. “Giving up plastic bags and using reusable bags is one easy, reasonable step each member of the public can take to help combat the plastic pollution epidemic. It is time for everyone to get on the plastic bag 'ban wagon.”

Legislator: 1 billion fewer plastic bags in Suffolk thanks to new law

Posted: Mar 21, 2019 6:07 PM EDTcUpdated: Mar 21, 2019 6:07 PM EDT

SMITHTOWN -

It's been a little over a year since Suffolk County's plastic bag law went into effect, and lawmakers and environmentalists on Thursday released statistics that they say proves the effectiveness of the law.

Legislator William Spencer says there are now about 1 billion fewer bags in Suffolk alone.

The legislation required stores to charge 5 cents for each plastic and paper carryout bag. Supporters say the law did what it was supposed to do -- change the behavior of shoppers.

In 2017, 5 percent of customers brought their own bag. That jumped to 26 percent in 2018.

Also in 2017, 20 percent of people didn't use any bags. It was 37 percent the following year.

Seventy-one percent of shoppers used plastic bags in 2017. That dropped to 28 percent in 2018.

Adrienne Esposito, of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, says the numbers show that the law works.

Suffolk County Sees 80 Percent Drop In Plastic Bag Use

SOURCE:

https://wcbs880.radio.com/articles/suffolk-county-sees-80-percent-drop-plastic-bag-use

MARCH 21, 2019 - 5:28 PM

CATEGORIES: 

Local News

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The results of the plastic bag law in Suffolk County have been announced.

For some it was a rocky start in January 2018, when the plastic bag law took effect requiring all shoppers to bring their own reusable bag, use no bag at all or be charged a five cent fee for each plastic bag they used.

Though, after a year, most shoppers have adjusted to the change and many are seen leaving stores with their own bags and Adrienne Esposito, of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, says it’s paying off.

“Suffolk County is now using 1.1 billion less plastic bags each year,” she said.

According to WCBS 880’s Sophia Hall, stores are also reporting plastic bag use is down 80 percent.

“This legislation has changed the public’s behavior in three ways. Number one, more members of the public are bringing their own bags; number two, is more members of the public are foregoing any bag at all; and number three, the members of the public that are still using plastic bags are using much less,” Esposito explains.

She adds that there are multiple proposals for a New York statewide ban on plastic bags. 

Plastic bag use plummets with fees, report finds

By Jodi Goldberg

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - A new report claims that shoppers on Long Island are using more than a billion fewer plastic bags due to a fee to use them went into effect a year ago.

In 2018, stores in Suffolk County were required to start charging customers five cents for each plastic or paper bag.  The purpose was to encourage shoppers to use their own reusable bags and ultimately reduce waste.

"Plastic and paper use in stores has seen an eighty-percent reduction, forty-one perfect less bag litter is also being found on our beaches," said Dr. William Spencer. 

A recycling report was released Thursday.  plummeted the carryout bag law.   The findings show that people are becoming more aware of how they shop.

In 2017, five percent of the public brought their own bag to the grocery store. Last year it was 26 percent. In 2017, 71 percent of the public used plastic bags, last year only 28 percent used them. 

"Suffolk County is now using 1.1 billion less plastic bags each year," said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

Statewide, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed banning plastic bags in this year’s budget. The plan is still  being negotiated with lawmakers and could  be decided on by April 1. 

Lawmakers discuss proposal for statewide plastic bag ban

SOURCE:

https://www.informnny.com/news/state-news/lawmakers-discuss-proposal-for-statewide-plastic-bag-ban/1875209639

Lawmakers discuss proposal for statewide plastic bag ban

Proposal also includes a five-cent fee for use of individual paper bags

By:   Mariann Cabness 

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - A little over a week before the state budget deadline, Democratic Assemblyman Sean Ryan discussed a statewide proposal which would ban plastic bags and place a fee on paper bags in retail stores on March 23, 2019. 

“This ban will help us to protect our environment, and encourage consumers to bring reusable bags with them, which will drastically reduce the amount litter in our environment," said Ryan. 

Ryan, joined by Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and Brian Smith, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, gave details about the proposal at Delaware Park. 

The proposal is currently being considered for inclusion in the upcoming New York State Budget, according to Ryan. 

In addition to the plastic bag ban, the budget proposal calls for a five-cent fee to be charged for the use of individual paper bags. 

Ryan said the five-cent fee charged for paper bags will go to the environmental protection fund. 

The environmental protection fund would allot funds to go towards education for decreasing plastic pollution, distributing reusable bags to low or fixed-income communities, and cleanup of roads, shorelines, and waterways. 

"We all must work together to decrease plastic pollution and at the same time increase the distribution of reusable shopping bags," said Poloncarz.

The deadline for the 2019-2020 New York State Budget is April 1, 2019. 

$1M for tick-borne illness research back in state budget

SOURCE:

http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2019/03/1m-for-tick-borne-illness-research-back-in-state-budget/·   

An engorged blacklegged tick, otherwise known as a deer tick (Provided photo — Andre Karwath via Wikimedia Commons)

The New York state Senate reinstated $1 million in funding for Lyme and tick-borne illness research in its draft budget for 2019-20.

While that funding is still not guaranteed, the line item had been zero earlier this year.

Researchers such as Lee Ann Sporn at Paul Smith’s College and Holly Ahern at SUNY Adirondack have been advocating for the funding to be put back in the budget.

The $1 million last year helped fund Sporn’s unprecedented study of harvested deer blood in the Adirondacks. The study found that a potentially lethal virus called Powassan is more widespread than previously thought.

Others, including the Adirondack Mountain Club, have called on state leaders to secure the funding. In an op-ed, Executive Director Neil Woodworth said research supported by the state funding has “resulted in new ways for people to protect themselves through clothing and lawn treatments, and through tick bio-controls.”

With ticks found at higher elevations and in more northern areas of the country, the diseases and illnesses they carry are traveling with them.

The executive budget deadline is April 1.

To learn more about what ticks are carrying in your county, check out the state Department of Health’s tick collection data by searching for “ticks” on health.data.ny.gov.

–

Water infrastructure funding also in flux

–

Environmental organizations are also calling on state leaders to invest more funding in the Clean Water Infrastructure Act.

The state Senate budget proposal includes $2.5 billion, and groups like the New York Public Interest Research Group, Natural Resources Defense Council and Riverkeeper are looking for the Assembly and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to approve that.

Studies show that over the next two decades, $38 billion will be needed to update drinking water infrastructure across the state and $36 billion will be needed to upgrade wastewater infrastructure.

“The Clean Water Infrastructure Act has funded critical projects in every region of the state, helping to address emerging contaminants in drinking water, fight harmful algal blooms, reduce sewage overflows that foul our waters, and more,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment, in a release. “Despite the program’s success, water infrastructure needs continue to vastly exceed available resources.”

Ryan, Poloncarz urge plastic bag ban as budget deadline looms

SOURCE:

https://buffalonews.com/2019/03/23/ryan-poloncarz-urge-plastic-bag-ban-as-budget-deadline-looms/

By Robert J. McCarthy|Published March 23, 2019|Updated March 23, 2019

A pair of top Democrats urging a ban on plastic bags by New York retailers could not have gained a better “prop” for their Saturday morning press conference.

County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz and Assemblyman Sean M. Ryan only had to point to Delaware Park’s Rose Garden and a plastic grocery bag caught in the rosebushes. That bag and more than 20 billion others used throughout the state each year, Ryan and Poloncarz said, are causing serious problems and the new budget waiting approval in Albany should mandate the end of their regular use.

County Exec Poloncarz retrieves plastic bag in Delaware Park Saturday while calling for their ban in new state budget .

With an April 1 deadline for budget adoption looming, the pair called on the Legislature to follow through on Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s proposal to ban plastic bags that never fully decompose after an average use of about 12 minutes. They also want Albany to enact a 5 cent charge on use of paper bags that require more water and energy to manufacture than plastic bags and use more than 14 million trees each year to make.

“We can’t fix the world’s use of plastic bags, but we can start with the 20 billion that we are currently using in New York State,” Ryan said, pointing to major reductions in their use following bans in cities like San Jose and Washington.

“Such measures work,” he said.

A ban would apply to all stores, all retail and all restaurants, the assemblyman said, adding that his proposal would funnel the 5 cent paper bag fee into the state’s environmental fund.

“We need to focus on making reusable bags part of our daily life,” he said.

“A couple of years go by and you don’t think of it,” he added, pointing to the gradual and now almost universally acceptance of seat belts after initial opposition to their mandated use.

Poloncarz joined the Saturday effort by pointing to the practical benefits of a plastic bag ban. Erie County crews are constantly unclogging sewer drains and lines, he said, requiring continuous attention and unnecessary work.

“It is a big issue because it is not something that is easily remedied,” the county executive said. “Unfortunately, the bag that we use from whatever store we use … will be here a lot longer than each and every one of us.”

Poloncarz said while county efforts to ban plastic proved unsuccessful, a statewide law will prove far more effective.

“This is not something Erie County can do alone,” he said. “That’s why it’s very important this be handled on a statewide level.”

Brian Smith, associate executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, appeared with Ryan and Poloncarz to add his group’s endorsement. He said the “scourge of plastic bags” has contributed to Great Lakes pollution — about 5.5 million pounds in Lake Erie alone each year. They also cause between $300,000 and $1 million in damage to recycling facilities across the state each year, he said.

“As a society, we can no longer afford the single use plastic bag and it is time to ban them,” he said.

Ryan’s proposal to couple the plastic ban with a fee on paper bags appears to mirror one recently advanced by the State Senate in its budget negotiations. He said most of the discussion now centers around the nickel charge on paper bags, noting the Assembly remains wedded to direct deposit in an environmental fund, while retail lobbyists are also seeking some type of compensation.

Senate Democrats said earlier this month they will go along with Cuomo’s plan for a plastic ban, but are insisting on the paper bags fee to better encourage use of reusable bags. Ryan said retailers are opposed to the idea, but noted any problems they face will amount to a “short hiccup.”

The grocery industry has pushed back against the idea in recent years, with Wegmans telling The Buffalo News in 2018 that education and recycling also proves effective. Wegmans also noted that plastic bags are made of recycled plastic and natural gas, are lighter than reusable and paper bags and take up less space, requiring fewer trucks and fuel to transport.

Wegmans’ plastic bags are made from 40 percent recycled plastic, and its plastic bag recycling rate averaged nearly 50 percent in 2017, the company said.

Lawmakers discuss proposal for statewide plastic bag ban

SOURCE:

https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/lawmakers-discuss-proposal-for-statewide-plastic-bag-ban1/1871969450

Proposal also includes a five-cent fee for use of individual paper bags

By:   Franz Ross 

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - A little over a week before the state budget deadline, Democratic Assemblyman Sean Ryan discussed a statewide proposal which would ban plastic bags and place a fee on paper bags in retail stores on March 23, 2019. “This ban will help us to protect our environment, and encourage consumers to bring reusable bags with them, which will drastically reduce the amount litter in our environment," said Ryan. Ryan, joined by Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and Brian Smith, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, gave details about the proposal at Delaware Park. 

Plastic Bag

The proposal is currently being considered for inclusion in the upcoming New York State Budget, according to Ryan. 

In addition to the plastic bag ban, the budget proposal calls for a five-cent fee to be charged for the use of individual paper bags. 

Ryan said the five-cent fee charged for paper bags will go to the environmental protection fund. 

The environmental protection fund would allot funds to go towards education for decreasing plastic pollution, distributing reusable bags to low or fixed-income communities, and cleanup of roads, shorelines, and waterways. 

"We all must work together to decrease plastic pollution and at the same time increase the distribution of reusable shopping bags," said Poloncarz.

The deadline for the 2019-2020 New York State Budget is April 1, 2019. 

Trio of Leaders and Activists Announce Plan to Ban Plastic Bags in 2019-2020 New York State Budget

SOURCE:

https://www.buffalorising.com/2019/03/trio-of-leaders-and-activists-announce-plan-to-ban-plastic-bags-in-2019-2020-new-york-state-budget/

by queenseyes March 23, 2019, 5:29 pm 20 Comments

A number of public officials and eco advocates came together earlier today to announce a proposal to ban plastic bags in the 2019-2020 New York State budget. Finally, local leaders are stepping up to take action on this issue. Assemblyman Sean Ryan was joined today by County Executive Mark Poloncarz, and Associate Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment Brian Smith, who collectively stated that the goal is to place a ban retail stores from carrying plastic bags. The action serves to combat the scourge of single-use plastic bags that are laying waste to the environment, by ending up in our landfills and waterways. Most of these bags, and other single use plastic products, never fully break down, according to the trio of leaders and activists. 

A proposal in the 2019-2020 New York State budget will call for a ban on carryout plastic bags from retail stores. 

In a statement released hours ago, the champions of the eco action pointed out that “anywhere between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year, and each of those bags is used for an average of 12 minutes.”

As an added incentive for shoppers to bring their own reusable bags when they shop, the leaders and activists are also calling for a five-cent fee to be charged for the use of individual paper bags. They noted that the manufacturing process and the shipping of the paper bags also pose a risk to the environment, from the energy and water used to make the bags, to the 14 million trees cut down every year. The five-cent fee would be allocated to the Environmental Protection Fund. The funds would be used for:

• Education for decreasing plastic pollution

• Distributing reusable bags to low or fixed-income communities

• Cleanup of roads, shorelines, and waterways

“Our waterways, beaches and roadsides have been polluted by decades for single use plastic bags,” said Assemblyman Sean Ryan. “This ban will help us to protect our environment, and encourage consumers to bring reusable bags with them, which will drastically reduce the amount litter in our environment.  I’m committed to helping this proposal be included in the upcoming budget, and I look forward to New York State taking another step in our efforts to preserve our environment for generations to come.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said: ”I fully support a ban of single-use plastic bags and I know many residents of Erie County feel the same way. Having previously called for a ban at the county level, I understand the importance of this issue. Banning carryout plastic bags from retail stores and earmarking a five-cent fee on the use of each paper bag for the environmental protection fund is an excellent strategy. We all must work together to decrease plastic pollution and at the same time increase the distribution of reusable shopping bags. As consumers we each have a role to play to protect our environment and this is a logical step to take. I applaud Assemblyman Ryan for his leadership on this very important issue.”

“Single-use plastic bags are costly, environmentally harmful, and completely unnecessary.  Banning plastic bags will result in cleaner communities and healthier Great Lakes,” said Brian Smith, Associate Executive Director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “We commend Assemblyman Ryan for pursuing a smart policy that includes a fee on paper bags, which will encourage the public to switch to the environmentally-friendly and cost effective alternative—reusable bags.”

A year later: Suffolk used 1.1 billion fewer plastic bags

SOURCE:
https://libn.com/2019/03/22/a-year-later-suffolk-used-1-1-billion-fewer-plastic-bags/

By: Adina Genn March 22, 2019

The Suffolk County carryout bag law that aimed to reduce single-use bags has changed shopping habits and reduced the use of plastic, officials said.

The county used 1.1 billion fewer bags since the carryout bag law was passed last year, according to a report.

“Plastic pollution is a global issue that we are confronting locally with successful results,” Legis. William Spencer said in a statement about the study.

The law to reduce the use of carryout bags in retail sales went into effect on Jan. 1, 2018. The law required stores to charge customers a minimum fee of 5 cents for carryout bags provided at shops. The law aimed to encourage consumers to bring reusable bags for shopping and to reduce the environmental impacts associated with single-use bags.

“We have made a difference in Suffolk County, and I believe we can make a difference around the world,” Spencer said.

“Suffolk County should be proud of this significant reduction of 1 billion plastic bags per year,” Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

“This is an exciting and meaningful reduction of our plastic waste,” she added. “As more and more evidence mounts about the dangers of plastic pollution it is critical that we change our behavior and reduce our use of plastics and that’s exactly what Suffolk County has achieved.”

According to the study, plastic and paper bag use at stores dropped 80 percent. More than 62 percent of shoppers are bringing their own bags or opting for no bag.  Consumers who still opt for single-use bags are using fewer of them per visit. And there are 41 percent fewer plastic bag litter found on local beaches.

$1M for Lyme, tick-borne illness research back in budget

BY GWENDOLYN CRAIG Glens Falls Post Star

GLENS FALLS — The New York State Senate reinstated $1 million in funding for Lyme and tick-borne illness research in the draft executive budget for 2019-2020.

While that money is still not guaranteed, the line item had been zero earlier this year.

Researchers including Lee Ann Sporn at Paul Smith's College and Holly Ahern at SUNY Adirondack have been advocating for the allocation.

The $1 million last year helped fund Sporn's unprecedented study of harvested deer blood in the Adirondacks that found a potentially lethal virus called Powassan is more widespread than previously thought.

Others, including the Adirondack Mountain Club, have also called on state leaders to secure the funding.

In an op-ed, Executive Director Neil Woodworth said research supported by the state funding has "resulted in new ways for people to protect themselves through clothing and lawn treatments, and through tick bio-controls."

With ticks found at higher elevations and in more northern areas of the country, the diseases and illnesses they carry are traveling with them.

The executive budget deadline is April 1.

CLEAN WATER FUNDS

Environmental organizations are also calling on state leaders to invest more funding in the Clean Water Infrastructure Act.

The Senate budget proposal includes $2.5 billion, and groups like the New York Public Interest Research Group, Natural Resources Defense Council and Riverkeeper are looking for the Assembly and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to approve that.

Studies show that over the next two decades $38 billion will be needed to update drinking water infrastructure across the state, and $36 billion will be needed to upgrade wastewater infrastructure.

"The Clean Water Infrastructure Act has funded critical projects in every region of the state, helping to address emerging contaminants in drinking water, fight harmful algal blooms, reduce sewage overflows that foul our waters, and more," said Adrienne Esposito, executive director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment, in a release.

"Despite the program's success, water infrastructure needs continue to vastly exceed available resources."

Suffolk County Reduces Plastic Bag Use By 1.1 Billion Bags

SOURCE:

https://patch.com/new-york/northfork/suffolk-county-reduces-plastic-bag-use-1-1-billion-bags

One year after Suffolk County imposed a 5-cent fee on single use plastic bags, usage has been drastically reduced. Do you use them less now?

By Lisa Finn, Patch Staff | Mar 21, 2019 7:52 pm ET

(Adrienne Esposito.)

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — One year after Suffolk County imposed a 5-cent fee on single use plastic and paper bags, government officials, environmentalists and others gathered for the unveiling of a report that indicates a drastic reduction — to the tune of 1.1 billion less — in the use of plastic bags.

Suffolk County Legislator William R. Spencer, local leaders and the Department of Health Services, evaluating the progress of the county's carryout bag law, said on Thursday that the findings, which include three sets of data, "indicate significant success in the county's effort to reduce the consumption and waste of single-use bags."

The report, measuring shoppers' bag choices, beach clean-up statistics and bag purchases by retailers before and after the implementation of the policy, "is an undertaking unique to Suffolk County. Such an extensive study has not been conducted in any other municipality throughout the country," organizers of the event said.

At the event, held at the Suffolk County Legislature building in Hauppauge, statistics on the sharp reduction in plastic bag use were revealed.

"Today we announced an historic accomplishment — Suffolk County reduced our plastic bag use by 1.1 billion bags last year," said Adrienne Esposito, executive director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment. "The legislation enacting a nickel fee changed public behavior in three ways — more people are bringing reusable bags to stores, more people are not using any bags, and those that are still using plastic bags are using much less. Our reports reveals an 80% reduction in plastic bag use in 2018 from 2017. Now, that's progress!"

According to data compiled, Esposito said, in 2017, the number of individuals using reusable bags was 5%; in 2018 it was 26%. In 2017, the number of people not taking any plastic bags was 20%, compared to 37% in 2018. And, while in 2017 the number of people using plastic bags was 71%, in 2018 it was 28%.

According to the "Annual Recycling Report, Progress of Single-Use Carryout Bag Reduction," on Jan. 1, 2018, the Suffolk County law requiring stores to charge a minimum of 5 cents for carryout bags took effect.

The 5 & 5 Education and Effectiveness Working Group, established by the Suffolk County Legislature to analyze the impact of the law, conducted a study to better understand bag usage behavior before and after implementation of the law, the report said.

"Teams were deployed to a supermarket, a pharmacy and a convenience store," in Suffolk County towns, the report said.

The teams were stationed outside of the establishments and the number of individuals using plastic, paper and/or reusable bags were counted. Hash marks were tallied as individuals were observed carrying products out of the stores, the report said.

In addition, data was collected at each location on one weekday night and one weekend day prior to implementation of the law, in November through December of 2017; and after implementation of the law, in November and December of 2018. Approximately 3,000 customers were observed in each study period; the study showed that use of reusable bags or no bags increased from 27.8% prior to implementation of the law to 60.1% after implementation of the law.

The data indicates that 32.3% of shoppers observed in our study have changed their behavior since implementation of the law and are now using reusable bags or no bags, the report said.

And the results have already been seen on cleaner shorelines.

The American Littoral Society*, northeast chapter, reported a 41.8% decrease in plastic bags, grocery and other combined, and a 41% decrease in paper bags collected from Suffolk County shorelines during volunteer cleanups in 2018 when compared with 2017.

The report also indicated that although the number of plastic and paper carryout bags collected was significantly lower, the number of volunteers participating in cleanups almost doubled in 2018 and the overall amount of debris collected in 2018 was significantly higher in 2018 than in 2017, the report said.

"Today's report shows that Suffolk County has achieved a drastic reduction in the scourge of plastic pollution, while at the same time reducing the use of paper bags by almost 80%," said Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming. "It's an exciting turnaround. Our economy depends on how well we care for our environment, and this is great news on that score. Everyone involved should be very proud of the example we are setting for our region, the country — and the world.”

Controversial Sand Land mine to close within 8 years as part of state agreement

SOURCE:

http://longisland.news12.com/story/40136974/controversial-sand-land-mine-to-close-within-8-years-as-part-of-state-agreement

Controversial Sand Land mine to close within 8 years as part of state agreement

Posted: Mar 15, 2019 10:25 PM EDTUpdated: Mar 15, 2019 10:25 PM EDT

NOYACK -

A controversial sand mine on the East End where groundwater contamination was detected will have to close down as part of a new agreement with the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

The Sand Land mine is allowed operate in Noyack for eight more years. For years, different groups and residents have been fighting to close the mine for good.

According to the Town of Southampton and environmentalists, illegal activities were taking place at the mine for years, including the production and sale of mulch and topsoil.

Under the agreement, DEC officials say Sand Land must immediately stop the acceptance of vegetated waste to protect water quality, implement an extensive groundwater monitoring program and prevent any horizontal expansion of the mine.

Adrienne Esposito, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, says it's a complete reversal from a few months ago, when Sand Land was mandated to close and was denied an expansion.

Also under the agreement, the company cannot expand the overall size of the mine, but it can dig down an additional 40 feet.

Bob DeLuca, head of the Group for the East End, says the Suffolk Health Department found that the 50-acre site had contaminated the groundwater with heavy metals and toxins. He questions why the state would give the mine eight more years to operate.

News 12 repeatedly reached out to the company but did not hear back. But Brian Matthews, an attorney representing the company, told Newsday that the settlement is fair. He said it strikes a balance between his client's rights to conduct mining on the property, the department's obligation to ensure that it is done properly and everyone's interest in protecting the groundwater from contamination.

Students on LI, worldwide demand action against climate change

SOURCE:

http://longisland.news12.com/story/40136142/students-on-li-worldwide-demand-action-against-climate-change

Students on LI, worldwide demand action against climate change

Posted: Mar 15, 2019 5:32 PM EDTUpdated: Mar 15, 2019 5:32 PM EDT

MINEOLA -

Students on Long Island and around the world demanded action against climate change Friday.

From Washington, D.C., to the South Pacific and Stockholm, tens of thousands of students skipped school Friday "to teach a lesson" and share their fears about climate change.

The international "day of action" was organized on social media. The mission of the "Youth Climate Strike" organizers is to demand what’s been called a "Green New Deal." In the U.S., it includes 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, upgrading the current electric grid, and no creation of additional fossil fuel infrastructure.

Amelia Medved skipped class at Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Syosset to join the demonstration at the Mineola Long Island Rail Road station.

News 12 spoke with Pegeen Freise, a senior at Northport High School, via FaceTime as she and 17 other students returned from a Manhattan protest. She says there's no doubt they'd be able to bring about change if more people were interested in the environment.

Adrienne Esposito, of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, says student-run movements are essential in keeping the pressure on politicians.

The United Nations secretary-general says he was inspired by the student climate strikers to call a special summit in September to deal with what he called "the climate emergency."

Sand Land mine agrees to settlement with state DEC that will close Noyack facility

SOURCE:

https://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/sand-land-mine-dec-water-quality-1.28553057

Sand Land mine agrees to settlement with state DEC that will close Noyack facility 

Operators must close it within 8 years, but in the meantime vegetated waste can no longer be accepted, and a groundwater monitoring program must be implemented.

Operators of the Sand Land mine in Noyack have agreed to a legal settlement that includes implementing several actions to protect water quality. Photo Credit: Doug Kuntz

By Jean-Paul Salamancajeanpaul.salamanca@newsday.com  @JPaulSalamancaUpdated March 15, 2019 5:56 PM

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Operators of the Sand Land mine in Noyack have agreed to cease operations within eight years and implement several new actions to protect water quality, state Department of Environmental Conservation officials announced Friday.

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos told Newsday the mining operation had agreed to conditions in a settlement addressing the facility’s operating permit that would place it on a path to closure.

The facility is operated by Wainscott Sand & Gravel of Bridgehampton. 

Residents opposed to the expansion of the Sand Land mine visited the site in August 2018 and were among environmental groups and Southampton officials protesting the mine's application to enlarge the site. Newsday / Chuck Fadely Photo Credit: Chuck Fadely

The company has submitted a revised five-year mining permit application documenting the settlement’s terms. On Wednesday, the agency will make that application available for a 30-day public comment period. After comments are reviewed, the DEC will decide whether to grant the company the permit. The company will have to close the mine eight years from the date the permit is issued.

The conditions include Sand Land immediately no longer accepting vegetated waste to protect water quality and the implementation of an extensive groundwater monitoring program at the site.

As part of that program, Seggos said the DEC will begin next week sending drilling teams to the site as part of a study to monitor groundwater in the mine vicinity and detect any changes in groundwater quality that could be attributed to the mine or other sources. Seggos said that if the study finds that groundwater conditions are worse than initially believed, the agency could close the mining site at an “immediate” pace.

Sand Land is also prohibited from any horizontal expansion of the mine, with the site to undergo a complete reclamation in less than 10 years to ensure its return to productive use, Seggos said. 

“There is nothing in the agreement that would prevent us from exercising our full authority, and we intend to aggressively oversee the process to make sure everything we outlined here is adhered to,” Seggos said.

The settlement also limits vertical expansion at the mine to no more than 40 feet and no greater than 100 feet above the water table, which DEC officials said are the strictest limitations the agency has enacted upon such a site. An independent third-party monitor will be chosen to oversee the mining operation, Seggos said.

Despite the agreement, Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Farmingdale-based Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said she found it “disturbing” that sand mining was still allowed at the site instead of its operators being forced to close it immediately.

“It’s upsetting that this settlement agreement happened without the town or the stakeholders involved and appears to be an undermining of any progress we made,” Esposito said.

Esposito was referring to a DEC order in September ordering Sand Land to cease mining in the wake of a June 2018 report by the Suffolk County Health Services Department that found elevated levels of manganese and iron in the groundwater at the site. The company is allowed to use the mine under State Administrative Review Act guidelines, DEC officials confirmed.

Brian Matthews, an East Hampton-based attorney representing the company, said Friday that the settlement is fair.

“In our view, the settlement strikes a balance between our client’s long-established rights to conduct mining on the property, the department’s obligation to ensure mining is done in a proper manner and everyone’s interest in ensuring that no groundwater contamination occurs at the site as a result of the operations,” he said.

D.E.C. to Let Sand Land Mine Stay Open

SOURCE:

https://www.easthamptonstar.com/Government/2019318/DEC-Let-Sand-Land-Mine-Stay-Open

D.E.C. to Let Sand Land Mine Stay Open

By Johnette Howard | March 18, 2019 - 2:48pm

Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. and environmental advocates reacted with strong dismay Monday to an announcement by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation regarding a "comprehensive" settlement with the Sand Land Mine in Noyac that rolls back the timing and circumstances under which the industrial mine has to close, even though it has been found to be contaminating the area's water table.

Mr. Thiele blasted the deal.

"Sand Land is a proven polluter and lawbreaker," he said in a statement. "The Suffolk County Department of Health Services issued a report conclusively demonstrating that the groundwater under the mine is contaminated with pollutants associated with activities conducted at the mine. State courts have found that Sand Land has not complied with the Southampton Town zoning code. The state D.E.C. acknowledges that state mining regulations have been previously violated, resulting in a consent order and penalties."

"What are the consequences for polluting the groundwater and violating the law? The polluter was rewarded," Mr. Thiele added. "Despite intense community interest, the settlement was negotiated behind closed doors with no community involvement."

Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, called the settlement "a mind-boggling backroom deal."

"The D.E.C. betrayed the public and is putting our groundwater at risk," Ms. Esposito said.

The settlement is an about-face from the D.E.C.'s decision last September for a notice of intent to modify the sand mining permit for Sand Land. That ruling, had it stood, would have provided for the closure of the mine and its reclamation within two years after its permit expired last November.

At the time, the ruling was hailed for potentially ending a two-decade-long fight between the mine's owner, John A. Tintle of Wainscott Sand and Gravel, and local elected officials, the Town of Southampton, and citizens and environmental groups such as the Noyac Civic Council, the Group for the East End, and Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

Mr. Tintle exercised his right to appeal the D.E.C.'s permit ruling, and the multifaceted settlement he and the D.E.C. reached — which also includes provisions for testing and monitoring of the site — would now allow Sand Land to not only continue mining at the site until 2027, but also expand its existing mine by a depth of 40 feet.

Reclamation of the site would now be pushed back to at least 2029.

"This is truly a disaster. Beyond disturbing," said Bob DeLuca, president of the Group for the East End. "This settlement stands as one of the most significant examples of bureaucratic incompetence that I have seen in my 30-plus years as an environmental professional, and its negative implications on water quality will be felt well beyond this site."

Sand Land sits over a Special Groundwater Protection Area that is important to the South Fork's long-term drinking water supply, not just that of nearby residents. The mine is in the deepest groundwater recharge area east of the Shinnecock Canal.

The Suffolk County Health Department released a study on June 29 that confirmed for the first time what Sand Land's critics had long argued: The company's mining and other operations such as the processing of vegetative waste, construction debris, compost, and mulch resulted in the release of iron, manganese, thallium, sodium, nitrate, ammonia, and gross alpha (radioactivity) into the aquifer and deep-water recharge area beneath the 50-acre site.

Iron was found at concentrations over 200 times the drinking water standard, and manganese was found at concentrations almost 100 times the drinking water standard.

But even the county's ability to conduct those tests at the mine was a litigious, drawn-out process.

Sand Land officials had initially agreed in 2015 to allow the county to do on-site well drilling and water testing, then rescinded permission. County officials ultimately went to court to gain access. That didn't happen until October of 2017, when the wells were finally drilled.

The county's lab completed testing of the samples in February of 2018.

A month later, the county's hydrogeologists finished quality control and validation processes and sent samples to the D.E.C. and the New York State Department of Health. About the same time, the Noyac citizens group and others hired their own expert to review the county's raw data, which they obtained via a Freedom of Information request. The expert's report came to the same general conclusions that the Suffolk County Health Department's report had: The plant is a hazard.

At the time, Sand Land's attorney, Brian Matthews of Matthews, Kirst & Cooley of East Hampton, responded by arguing that the county's findings were flawed.

Now that the D.E.C. has reversed course, the long fight is likely to resume, perhaps back in court.

The D.E.C. statement said Sand Land had submitted a revised mining permit application documenting all of the terms of the settlement that the D.E.C. will make available for public review and comment on Wednesday. After reviewing all applicable public comments, the D.E.C. will make a determination whether to issue the permit.

Mr. Thiele said he is among those who intend to fight. He called for the D.E.C. to hold public hearings on the mine, and demanded that the settlement with Sand Land be subjected to "the most stringent environmental review required by law."

Mr. DeLuca urged a strong response from Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman, who, like Mr. Thiele, has supported the closing of Sand Land in the past.

"It will be critical for the Town of Southampton to quickly engage," Mr. DeLuca said, "to formally reject this settlement and stiffen its resolve to invoke its own authority under the mining law to prohibit any further expansion. There should be an immediate town board resolution to this effect, and it must be part of the record for the new permit application review."

"I see this as a big victory for Sand Land; I’m not seeing it as a big victory for the town," Mr. Schneiderman said Monday. "The other day we were looking at the [2018 D.E.C.] letter that said you’re done, no more mining, reclamation only. And that was exactly the result we were looking for. And then suddenly everything is turned on its head. And we’re all left scratching our heads. Today we’re looking at eight more years of sand mining. And it goes against the position the town has had in terms of not wanting to see additional intensification of mining at that site too."

"I need to talk about it with the town board and our legal counsel, as to what the town's response will be," he added. "But I was not happy."

"If the town is ignored," Mr. DeLuca said, "it must sue the D.E.C. to preserve its rights under the state mining law."

Great Lakes advocates speak out against Trump budget

SOURCE:

https://www.wxxinews.org/post/great-lakes-advocates-speak-out-against-trump-budget

Credit: Veronica Volk

Great Lakes advocates speak out against Trump budget

By Veronica Volk • Mar 14, 2019

The GLRI funds habitat restoration like this cattail remediation project in Braddock Bay, New York.

Credit Veronica Volk / WXXI News

President Donald Trump’s budget proposal includes major cuts to Great Lakes restoration efforts.

The administration's 2020 budget proposal would cut funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative by more than 90 percent.

This initiative funds projects from habitat restoration to shoreline improvement programs, and is usually fully funded at $300 million a year. This budget would knock that down to $10 million.

Brian Smith is with the Citizens Campaign for the Environment in Buffalo. He said now is not the time to reduce efforts to restore the health and sustainability of the lakes.

"Not only would this stifle the tremendous progress that we're making on Great Lakes restoration," Smith said, "but it would put at risk the billions of investment we've already made to date."

This isn’t the first time the Trump administration has threatened to make deep cuts to Great Lakes funding. Smith said even though Democrats and Republicans have fought together to protect the lakes in the past, he’s not taking this lightly.

"We are really counting on Congress to once again step up work together and restore full funding to the GLRI," he said.

Not everyone is disappointed by the budget proposal. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is receiving more than $4 billion for its Civil Works projects, a portion of which will go to maintain federal shipping channels and navigation in Buffalo.