Here's Just How Much Patchogue Residents Pay For Water

SOURCE:

https://patch.com/new-york/patchogue/heres-just-how-much-patchogue-residents-pay-water

A new study shows Patchogue residents shell out hundreds of dollars a year for water.

PATCHOGUE, NY — A new, in-depth analysis shows just how much Patchogue residents really pay for water. The Citizens Campaign for the Environment unveiled its comprehensive study on Tuesday. 

Patchogue, like 80 percent of the county, gets its water from the Suffolk County Water Authority, which services 1.2 million people. Here's the breakdown for the Suffolk County Water Authority:

Estimated cost for first 1,000 gallons of water: $2.028

Billing cycle: Quarterly 

Estimated cost per billing cycle: $88.75 (includes rates, taxes and service fees)

Estimated cost per year: $355 (includes rates, taxes and service fees)

Fee structure: 

·         Tier 1: $2.028/1,000 gallon for first 78,540 gallons

·         Tier 2: $2.34/1,000 gallon after first 78,540 gallons

·         Service fee per quarter: $27.91

Your turn: Tell us on Facebook or in the comments how much you pay for water.

While that may seem high, get this — New York American Water Service Area customers in the NorthShore-Sea Cliff area pay an estimated $1,124.52. That's more than anywhere else on the island. Shelter Island Heights and service area 1 of the New York American Water Service Area rounded out the three most expensive districts. 

Adrienne Esposito, executive director at the organization, told Patch on Wednesday they initially thought that determining the cost of water on Long Island would be easy — they would grab the water rates from the various districts and compare them. 

"We found it easier to find the lost continent of Atlantis," she said.

Finding out what water districts charge is actually "obscure," "convoluted" and "cryptic," she told reporters on Tuesday. Some districts tack on fees separate from the actual water rates included in the bill, some have a yearly access fee, and still other have hidden fees that are separate from the water rates and are not included in the consumer bill, such as for infrastructure and water treatment.

New York American Water has a residential water service charge applied to every bill based on size of water meter. Those with a 5/8-inch water meter pay $12.50, while those with a 1-inch meter pay $17.74. Furthermore, rates for the district are based on various factors that "substantially fluctuate" depending on the community.

Esposito said it's a public right to know the price of water, and the major takeaway is that people don't know how much they pay. 

"The bottom line is there's no uniform cost for water," she said. "The existing pricing scheme is confusing and obscure for the public and it needs to be more transparent."

The report looks at how much water costs, where the different water costs are hidden in water and tax bills, and what that means for residents.

There are 48 water districts on the island, 11 in Suffolk County and 37 in Nassau County. The researchers said they used the most recent data available on water districts' websites and annual drinking water reports for the study. The vast majority of districts were also called multiple times for further data and verification of costs, the group said.

Researchers assumed a typical family had four members, which the typical uses about 10,000 gallons of water per month, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

The organization also issued several recommendations: 

·         Consolidate water districts.

·         Establish a uniform rate structure with transparency.

·         Implement more incentives for conservation.

·         Educate the public on tiered water rate systems.

·         Ban private water districts.

Understanding the true cost of water on Long Island — it’s too complicated, group says

SOURCE:

https://riverheadlocal.com/2019/08/14/understanding-the-true-cost-of-water-on-long-island-its-too-complicated-group-says/

An analysis of the 48 water districts serving Long Island found “a confusing and widely variable network of costs” that makes it difficult for residents to decipher and understand the true cost of water — and does not provide incentives for conservation.

A report released yesterday by the environmental advocacy group Citizens Campaign for the Environment says the annual cost of water to residential customers on the island varies widely, from $148 for residents in the Greenlawn Water District in Suffolk to $1,124.52 for residents in the New York American Water Company’s service area two (North Shore-Sea Cliff in Nassau County.)

The Riverhead Water District is among the least expensive for residential customers in both L.I. counties, ranking as the 10th least expensive water provider at $333.71 annually for a typical residential customer, according to the analysis. A typical residential customer is one that uses approximately 10,000 gallons of water per month, according to the report. Riverhead last raised its water rates in 2016. 

The report initially ranked Riverhead the third least expensive provider on Long Island, but the original analysis did not take into account water district taxes paid by property owners, instead calculating only what a typical residential customer pays in usage fees.

The report will be corrected, Citizens Campaign for the Environment executive director Adrienne Esposito said.

The organization thought compiling data for a comparative analysis of residents’ water costs would be a straightforward task. They were surprised by the report states.

“Many water companies have additional costs on resident’s tax bills, some charge per 1,000 gallons of water, others are calculated by cubic feet of water. Some suppliers have flat costs, others have tiered costs. There are some water districts that do not have water,” according to the document. “A simple question turned into a rigorous investigative and mathematical analysis to determine how water rates differ between districts and communities.”

“It would have been easier to decode the Dead Sea Scrolls,” Esposito quipped.

In addition to assessing the variances in costs, the analysis looked at the factors that influence water rates, including privatization and annual property taxes.

“The public has a right to know about the true and total cost of water,” the organization said in an introduction to the report, titled “What Does Your Water Cost? A compressive analysis of residential water costs on Long Island.” Read full report here.

According to the report, a typical customer of the Suffolk County Water Authority pays $355 per year, including $111.64 annually in service charges. The water authority is by far the largest water provider on the island, serving 1.2 million customers.

The second largest provider on L.I. is the New York American Water company, a private, for-profit company that serves 135,000 customers in Nassau County. It is also has the most expensive water costs of all 48 districts, with annual water costs to residents of between $719 and $1,125 in its three service areas.

The organization advocates for holding Long Island’s drinking water supplies “as a public trust, not sold as a luxury item by private companies.”

All drinking water on Long Island needs to be controlled by public municipalities and priced fairly for all consumers because the public has a right to clean water, CCE says.

CCE recommends consolidation of small water districts with larger ones. Water districts that do not produce their own water — there are eight of them island-wide — and districts serving less than 10,000 people — 15 districts, according to the report — should merge with neighboring water districts, CCE says. Consolidation would reduce costs and ensure water quality.

Understanding water costs helps to incentivize participation in conservation efforts as well as promote behavioral changes to protect water from pollutants, the organization said.

All water districts should establish straightforward water rates in gallons — some presently charge by the cubic foot — and should have clearly identifiable tiers, or rates that increase with greater water use in order to promote conservation, CCE says.

“The tiers should be comprehensible, not based on hard to understand thresholds. Specific rates, tiers, and any additional fees or taxes should be readily available for customers to ascertain in consumer-friendly online information and on their printed bill. Each district should be required to maintain an updated website,” the report says.

CCE says water bills should include a line item which informs people of any taxes placed on their tax bill associated to the cost of water including but not limited to the cost for capital investments and treatment for that district. Separating the capital costs of water without adequately informing consumers misleads the public about the total cost of water, the report says.

Water districts should also implement more tangible incentives to conserve water, CCE says, including adopting separate and higher rates for sprinkler systems to better hold people accountable for this water usage, according to CCE.

Sculpture Unveiled At Jones Beach To Educate Public About Plastic Debris

SOURCE:

https://wcbs880.radio.com/articles/sculpture-unveiled-jones-beach-educate-public-about-plastic-debris

JONES BEACH, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — A new sculpture has been unveiled at Jones Beach and the artwork has a big message behind it.

It’s a 32-foot, 2,500-pound metal whale that’s been named “Jonesy” and towers over the bath house at Jones Beach. Currently, it’s just a shell, but the sculpture is meant to house plastic litter picked up at the beach.

“It's designed to teach people plastic pollution actually harms and kills our marine life, such as whales, but also dolphins, and turtles and seals,” explained Adrienne Esposito, of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

Once Jonesy is full of the plastic debris collected on the beach, the sculpture will serve as a reminder for the public to never leave garbage on the beach.

Esposito is encouraging everyone to begin erasing plastic from their daily lives and use alternatives instead.

“It's easier than ever today to avoid using plastics. We have reusable bags, reusable water bottles. We even have reusable utensils made out of bamboo, but if people do use plastics, the message is don't throw them on the beach or on the ground,” she said.

Jonesy is modeled after a giant humpback whale.

Bee Warriors

SOURCE:
http://fireisland-news.com/bee-warriors/  

The first sentence in the introduction of a report by the Center for Biological Diversity, February 2017, “Pollinators in Peril: A systematic status review of North American and Hawaiian native bees,” by Kelsey Kopec and Lori Ann Burd, reads, “Bees are in trouble.” While of course most of us know this fact already, it remains both sad and scary to read.

The logo “Save the Bees” has been plastered all over the place for years now, and with good reason. A genuine sense of concern for their demise is ever present. But besides buying T-shirts and bracelets (of course for a good cause they help!) with cute yellow and black cartoon caricatures drawn on them I had to think, “What more can we do to help?” And, “Just how bad is the problem in our area of the world?”

According to the New York Bee Sanctuary, “Honey bees, wild bees, and other pollinators face a nexus of severe threats: Habitat loss and degradation, toxic insecticides, pests and pathogens, climate change, and the monoculture crop system have all been identified as factors in their decline.”

Standing on the frontlines dedicated to helping precious Anthophila (bees), is Guillaume Gauthereau, founder and executive director of New York Bee Sanctuary. When I asked Gauthereau what we can do to help, his quick reply will stop many people (especially landscapers) in their tracks, “Stop cutting your lawns,” he urges. “Everytime you cut a lawn, these working insects basically see them as dead.”

Gauthereau suggests the alternative of letting things grow wild. “Wild prairies are what bees and other pollinating insects need to do their job.”

While some folks may find the above action drastic, and never consent to getting rid of their lush green grass that has become a staple in their lives, there are of course other ways to help bees flourish. Setting up gardens with native Long Island flowers on at least parts of individual properties can surely help. These can in fact become part of the BEEsafe certified sanctuary program with the New York Bee Sanctuary. Simply head to their site to find out if your garden or space matches their criteria and register. All are welcome to apply.

Another proponent of bees is Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign Organization, who shares that, “Suffolk County is the second largest agricultural county in New York State, and relies on healthy ecosystems to sustain the viability and success of this industry.”

She continues, “The role of the bee is so incredibly intricate and valuable; yet so hidden.”

Esposito made it clear that besides crippling our food sources on Long Island, more things on Long Island that help keep us afloat financially would diminish without bees. Things such as our “massive horticultural industry and places such as wineries would suffer as well.” she said.

Esposito explained that we have to admit the dangers of pesticides when even global industries such as “Scott’s has agreed to phase out the use of neonicotinoids, which are the classification of pesticides that are associated with the die-off of several bee species including honey bees.”

Do we have a long way to go in the battle against getting rid of pesticides? Esposito says, “Yes! Pesticides are designed to kill insects and weeds. They have numerous unintended consequences and the dramatic decline in bee populations is one of those devastating consequences. We must change our reliance on these toxic chemicals. Our future depends on it.”

One thing I noticed while reading through the Center of Biodiversity’s review was that it eventually shifts from devastating numbers of decline to education on the different bees that exist. So how important is educating everyone on bees and their crucial role in our survival? Esposito and Gauthereau both agree that it could be a key component in helping pollinators survive and thrive.

It’s amazing how much work these heroes of bees are doing in order to save the lives of bees. But they are missing a big piece of support. When I mentioned the federal government’s recent decision for the Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to no longer collect data on honey bees, Esposito remarked, “The only one who seems to not understand this crisis is the federal government.”

The report ends with, “We need to take aggressive steps to better understand and protect our precious bee species before it is too late.” While some things seem to be in the wrong direction, there are many people giving it their all to save them.

Hybrid Cargo Boat Forges Farm Produce Shipping Route Between Long Island and Connecticut

SOURCE:

https://www.longislandpress.com/2019/08/20/hybrid-cargo-boat-forges-farm-produce-shipping-route-between-long-island-and-connecticut/

The Captain Ben Moore, one of the nation’s first hybrid cargo boats, is sailing the deep blue sea, or at least the Long Island Sound version of it, transporting farm produce between Huntington and Norwalk, Conn., in what may be the start of a new era in the way America delivers goods.

The 65-foot catamaran hybrid’s debut is a 10-year-old dream come true for Norwalk native Robert Kunkel, a former U.S. Navy lieutenant and Merchant Mariner who wanted to use the local waterways much the way people did over a century ago, before the construction of massive interstate highways, when trucking became king.

His Long Island Sound ferry service, Harbor Harvest, is named for an artisanal grocery and café in Norwalk he has run with his wife, Marilyn Kunkel, since 2015. The catamaran is named after a sailor who years ago became Kunkel’s mentor. “This is all about removing freight congestion from the highways and moving them to the waterways,” Kunkel says. “We had moved freight on the waterways for centuries in this country.” 

Harbor Harvest seeks to be an eco-friendly farm-to-fork distribution network. Kunkel said the key to his ferry service is to transport farm produce, and even some small packages, across the Sound in about 45 minutes, compared to several hours by trucks traveling the Long Island Expressway and I-95. Kunkel said his service will not only be faster, but cheaper and more environmentally friendly than trucking.

“The country became enamored with the trucking industry,” says Kunkel, a marine engineer. That began, he noted, once President Dwight Eisenhower instituted the Federal Highway Act in 1956, calling for the construction of 41,000 miles of an interstate highway system, then the largest public works project in American history.

Three years ago, Kunkel and Derecktor Shipyards of Mamaroneck, in Westchester County, one of the last of the famous New York shipbuilders, developed the hybrid boat, which runs on an electric battery system. The boat has 300 square feet of open cargo space, 100 square feet of indoor covered cargo space and 140 square feet of walk-in refrigerated space.

Kunkel said several Long Island and Connecticut produce companies and wineries have expressed interest in signing on with his ferry service.

In a recent major boost, Harbor Harvest was awarded a $1.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration, which will help defray the cost of building a second boat, which is now in the planning stages. The money is also to be used to build docking space in Huntington.

“The goal…is to provide a viable source of waterborne transportation for Connecticut and Long Island farmers and manufacturers by connecting neighboring communities, in addition to creating produce markets in both Connecticut and New York,” the Maritime Administration said in announcing the grant in March.

The ferry service has already won high praise from environmentalists. 

“We think this is an absolutely wonderful idea,” says Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “The farm-to-table movement is growing across the country, and this service is coming along at just the right time.” 

Kendra Hems, president of the 600-member Trucking Association of New York, says her organization supports efforts to help eliminate congestion on the roads.

“The projection for the growth of freight is astronomical,” Hems says. “We expect that there will be shifts in the manner in which goods are shipped. We’re not opposed” to shipping by water. But, she said, “There will always be a need for trucks.”

The future of waterway shipping could be very bright indeed.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has issued a request for proposals to companies or individuals interested in opening a new marine terminal in the South Bronx to serve businesses on the Hunts Point Peninsula, in hopes of providing an alternative to trucking to move food and other products.

“We understand that highway congestion is chronic in New York,” says Andrew Genn, senior vice president of ports and terminals for the NYCEDC. “We certainly don’t want to end all trucking, but to make the system more resilient. The cross-Sound project is a good idea.” 

For his part, Kunkel is happy to be sailing the Sound. 

“I’ve been working on this a long time,” he says. “We’re going to open new markets here.” 

Parente calls water pricing study ‘flawed’

SOURCE:

https://theislandnow.com/williston-110/parente-calls-water-pricing-study-flawed/

A recent study cited by CBS News showed that East Williston is paying some of the highest water rates on Long Island,  but Mayor Bonnie Parente said the “flawed” analysis ignores the differences in taxes that other municipalities with water districts may also be paying.

“It was flawed,” Parente said. “It did not compare apples to apples.”

A study conducted by the Citizens Campaign for the Environment called “What Does Your Water Cost?” places East Williston’s water district at fourth place in the top 10 most expensive water districts on Long Island. The study hit the public eye after an Aug. 13 CBS story cited its findings.

When it comes to water bills and understanding why exactly they cost what they do, Adrienne Esposito, executive director for the organization, said: “There should be more clarity.”

Esposito said East Williston is one of the “waterless water districts” on Long Island since the village does not have its own water supply.  Instead, the village must purchase its water from the Williston Park Water District.

The organization’s study said while Long Island is a sole source aquifer, meaning 100 percent of water comes from underground aquifers, there are about 48 waters districts on Long Island. There are 37 in Nassau County and 11 in Suffolk County.

The study found that in East Williston, the approximate total annual cost of water is $814.80, averaging about $6.79 per 1,000 gallons up to 100,000 gallons of usage and then at $7.04 per 1,000 gallons over 100,000 gallons of usage.

By comparison the study said that in Williston Park’s water district, East Williston’s water provider, the approximate total annual cost of water is $616.80, averaging about $5.14 per 1,000 gallons and then at $5.36 per 1,000 gallons over 50,000 gallons of usage.

“They become the broker,” Esposito said about the Williston Park district. “People in Williston get the same water.”

Parente said the study did not take into account the differences other municipalities pay in taxes. The mayor said municipalities that have their own water districts also have other costs built into their taxes as a result of having to maintain the operation of their water district. Parente said CBS News and the study itself “did not do the work” by trying to break down and study these differences.

In fact, she said municipalities like East Williston should be praised for purchasing all of their water from another district, saying, “How many water towers do we want around Long Island?”

The study said East Williston has a population of 2,500. Esposito said that municipalities like East Williston, which is part of the study’s “districts serving less than 10,000 population” list, should merge with Williston Park’s water district and become what Esposito called “The Williston Water District.”

Parente said that consolidating Williston Park and East Williston into one water district had been considered by the villages years ago, but said  “that was discussed and dismissed.” She had no further comment on consolidation.

On the (water) table

SOURCE:

https://www.newsday.com/opinion/newsday-opinion-the-point-newsletter-1.35273965

A report by Citizens Campaign for the Environment on water rates paid by Long Islanders seems likely to have some legislative legs.

The report found that many water districts have confusing and abstruse ways of reporting how much water customers use, which obscures the cost of that water.

Released last week, the report comes on the heels of state legislation sponsored by Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach) passed in the 2018 session that takes effect on Jan. 1, 2020, requiring that water districts that serve more than 10,000 customers publish water used in gallons — as opposed to something unintelligible, like cubic feet per second. They also must include a seasonal variation so customers know how much water they have used over time.

“The idea is based on conservation,” Kaminsky told The Point. “If you know how much you used you might say, ‘Oh my God,’ and cut back.”

Kaminsky, chair of the Senate’s environmental conservation committee, said he and James Gaughran (D-Northport), chair of the local government committee, have talked about expanding the law’s mandate to include districts serving smaller numbers of customers.

“There’s no doubt we could reconsider that,” Kaminsky said, “and we could reconsider whether water districts that don’t have water should be selling water,” a reference to the eight providers in the report who buy water from a neighboring districts and sell it to their own customers with higher fees.

Kaminksy said he’s also mulling whether to subject elections for water district commissioners to campaign finance laws.

East Aurora bans Plastic Straws - Video

SOURCE:

https://www.wgrz.com/video/life/east-aurora-bans-plastic-straws/71-702a445c-625c-4182-b4ee-8a9f2c986679

Join us for a Jones Beach Cleanup and the Unveiling of “Jonesy the Whale”

Jonesy is a 32-foot, 2,500 pound metal sculpture designed to educate the public to fight plastic pollution in our Ocean!

Plastic pollutes our beaches, bays, and harbors; and is harmful to fish, turtles, birds, and other wildlife.  Help us to combat plastic pollution by participating in a beach cleanup and the unveiling of a giant whale metal sculpture.  This event brings together art and environmental activism.

Citizens Campaign for the Environment and Atlantic Marine Conservation Society will be joining Governor Cuomo and a coalition of water protection advocates for beach cleanup followed by a press event unveiling Jonesy the Whale, a 3D art instillation crafted from mesh metal. We will be filling Jonesy with the plastic pollution we collect. The end result will be a large-scale sculpture of the whale, which will symbolize the hazards of marine debris and serve as a reminder for the public to never leave garbage on the beach!

Please RSVP to education@amseas.org or 631.317.0030 to participate in the beach cleanup.

When:            
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Beach Cleanup: 9:30 a.m.

Press Conference and Sculpture Unveiling: 11:00 a.m.

Where:
Jones Beach State Park, East Bathouse, Wantagh, NY

Thank you for joining us!
Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE

The scoop on dog cleanup under new plastic bag law

SOURCE:

https://www.nhregister.com/local/article/The-scoop-on-dog-cleanup-amid-the-plastic-bag-ban-14275847.php

By Daphne Saloomey

Friday, August 2, 2019

Stew Leonard Jr., the president and CEO of Stew Leonard's, and his daughter Blake are among many kissing single-use plastic bags goodbye as a result of the statewide tax that went into effect Thursday, Aug. 1.

Supermarket shoppers may be adapting to the statewide plastic bag tax that took effect Thursday, but are dog owners ready?

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection says 30 percent of Connecticut households own dogs. Those that re-purpose plastic grocery bags as poop collectors might soon lose access to their never-ending supply. While there’s not an outright ban, Connecticut consumers are now being charged 10 cents for each single-use plastic bag.

There are alternatives, though.

Among the simplest is buying dog waste bags, which are readily available. Laura McMillan, director of communications for the Connecticut Fund for the Environment and Save the Sound, suggests reusing other plastic bags that have not been taxed, such as those used for meat or produce bags.

“Continuing to pick up dog poop is really critical,” McMillan said. “A lot of people think it’s OK to leave it on the ground because they think it’ll get absorbed the next time it rains, or they toss it in a storm drain, thinking it’ll go to a waste treatment plant.”

While there is some logic in both of those tactics, ultimately they are harmful to the environment, McMillan said. Dog waste can contain pathogens that are harmful to both humans and the ecosystem.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, exposure to dog poop can cause diseases such as tapeworm and campylobacteriosis, a diarrhea-inducing infection, in humans.

Bacteria from dog poop can also seep into the ground and into waterways, resulting in elevated pathogen levels at Connecticut beaches. Nitrogen from the waste that gets washed into the Long Island Sound can cause algae blooms which deoxygenate areas of the water, McMillan said.

A matter of manners

Collecting dog poop is not just an environmental issue.

“It’s part of being a good neighbor to pick up after your pet,” said Louis Rosado Burch, the Connecticut program director for the Citizens Campaign for the Environment and an advocate for a plastic bag ban.

Scooping is also the law in some municipalities — including Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk and Stamford — and violation can be punished by fines ranging from $50 to $150.

“We don’t view the bag (tax) as a barrier to everyday folks being able to pick up after their pets,” Burch said.

The bag tax might even spur dog owners to pursue more environmentally friendly collection methods that avoid using plastic.

“When you look at the old slogan of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ that’s actually a hierarchy,” Burch said. “We should be reducing and the plastic bag is a low hanging fruit — it’s easy to replace with something else.”

The most sustainable method is to use some sort of tool, a shovel or pooper scooper, for example, to collect the waste and flush it down the toilet.

Though many agencies, including Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, advise against flushing cat litter, disposing of dog waste in this manner is EPA approved and eliminates plastic use.

This method, however, only works in certain scenarios. Lugging a shovel on a long walk, for instance, is not as manageable as using one to clean up after a dog in the yard.

Breaking it down

Distance walkers might instead consider eco-friendly bags made out of bio-materials such as corn and vegetable oils.

When searching for these products, the distinction between biodegradable and compostable is an important one. Biodegradable bags are designed to break down naturally, but often there is no guarantee that they will do so quickly.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, biodegradable products are supposed to break down in one year, but some companies make the claim even if their products do not fit the criteria. In 2015, the FTC sent warnings to 20 dog waste bag manufacturers for making what the agency said were deceptive environmental claims.

It is generally safer to go for compostable bags, which are required to meet federal standards.

Still, Burch said, “It’s important that people understand (compostable bags are) designed to break down in certain conditions, like in a composting facility. Consumers can’t just dispose of them outside.”

While using compostable bags is acceptable, adding dog poop to a personal compost pile is not.

“Adding the waste of any animal that eats meat is an absolute no,” said Carol Quish, a horticulturist that teaches in UConn’s Master Composting Program.

Killing the pathogens that reside in dog waste independently is just too hard, as it requires a constant temperature of 165 degrees for at least five days, according to DEEP.

Rather than doing it on their own, dog owners looking to use pet waste as compost would be better off giving it to a specialized facility, such as Green Pet Compost Company in Oregon. But there appear to be no companies that currently offer similar services in Connecticut.

For those looking to send poop away without getting their own hands dirty, there are businesses, such as POOP911 or DoodyCalls, that offer residential waste-removal services.

If the new tax realizes its goal and fewer plastic bags are used, many dog owners will have to adjust.

“There’s going to be a little bit of a learning curve for folks,” McMillan said. “People who find ways that work for them should share them with their neighbors.”

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Highlights and Happenings: July 2019

Help CCE build on our success, and support our campaigns to protect public health and the environment in NY and CT. Make a contribution today.

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Highlights

Governor Cuomo Signs Nation’s Strongest Climate Bill into Law

We were excited to witness history as Governor Cuomo signed the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act into law. This law requires net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, 70% renewable energy by 2030, funding for low income and frontline communities, carbon-free electricity by 2040, and more. In addition, Governor Cuomo announced two new offshore wind projects, off of NYC and Long Island, which will generate 1,700MW—enough to power over one million homes with clean, local energy! Thank you again to Senator Kaminsky and Assemblyman Englebright for championing this legislation through the legislature.

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Happenings

Calling on Presidential Candidates to Support Great Lakes Restoration
We joined with our partners at the Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition to release a Great Lakes platform and urge presidential candidates to explain how they will support efforts to restore the Great Lakes and protect New York’s drinking water. The platform highlights the need for presidential candidates to support a $475 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, triple water infrastructure funding, uphold clean water protections, reduce harmful algal blooms, and prevent Asian carp from entering the lakes. CCE is not endorsing, nor opposing, any candidate.


Celebrating Water Reuse on Long Island
SUEZ and Nassau County have invested in Long Island’s largest water reuse project at their Cedar Creek wastewater treatment plant in Wantagh, NY. The project will save almost one million gallons of water per day and the water treated from the sewage treatment plant will be reused for plant operations. In July, CCE joined County Executive Curran, the SUEZ team, and other water protection advocates for a press conference and a tour of the water reuse operation at the facility.

Keeping Up the Fight Against 1,4-Dioxane
The New York State Legislature passed a bill banning 1,4-dioxane in household products, and we are now pushing for the Governor to sign the bill into law. In July, the NYS Department of Health proposed the strongest drinking water standard for 1,4-dioxane in the nation (1 part per billion)! While we push at the state level, we are continuing to work with municipalities to combat this emerging contaminant local level. In July, we joined several Long Island water suppliers and Nassau County Legislators for a press conference and a public hearing, including a panel discussion with CCE’s Adrienne Esposito, to discuss what Nassau County can do to protect our drinking water and public health from 1,4-dioxane at the local level.

Tackling PFAS Contamination in Connecticut
On June 12, 50,000 gallons of water and PFAS foam stored at Bradley Airport leaked into the Farmington River. In July, CCE joined U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, along with environmental advocates and local leaders, to call on congress to reclassify PFAS chemicals as hazardous substances in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019. This effort failed, but CCE and the Senator continue to push for federal regulation of PFAS chemicals by the EPA, and funding to clean up existing drinking water contamination from PFAS chemicals. In addition, we joined the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for a public forum to discuss the PFAS contamination in the Farmington River. For those in the area, contamination levels in the river have fallen, but DEEP still recommends avoiding eating fish caught in the river.

Next Up in the Fight Against Plastic Pollution: Balloons
The balloons we release into the air do not just fly away; they end up in our lakes and oceans, killing wildlife and breaking down into harmful microplastics. Earlier this year, the Town of East Hampton, NY banned the intentional release of balloons, and now Suffolk County is considering following suit. In July, CCE and our partners in the fight against plastic pollution testified in favor of a county law banning the intentional release of balloons and requiring signage to educate the public on this important issue. Thanks to all who came out to the public hearing and supported the bill. We’ll keep working until we get this local law passed!

Welcoming New Research to Combat Nitrogen Pollution
We were proud to stand with Dr. Chris Gobler, Senators Kaminsky and LaValle, Assemblymembers Englebright and Thiele, the NYS DEC, and Suffolk County for the ribbon cutting ceremony at the New York State Center for Clean Water Technology’s new Wastewater Research & Innovation Facility (WRIF) in Suffolk County, NY. The facility is designed to test advanced nutrient removal systems to be used as alternatives to traditional on-site septic systems. To conduct research, the facility utilizes a constant supply of domestic wastewater from the Suffolk County Department of Public Works' (SCDPW) existing wastewater pumping station. This research is part of an ongoing commitment from Suffolk County and NYS to reduce nitrogen and other pollution from septic systems.

Reimagining the Erie Canal
The Reimagine the Canals Task Force is in the process of examining how the historic Erie Canal system can be redeveloped to become a more vital force for boosting local economies, tourism, recreation, and strengthening environmental resiliency. We attended a public meeting in Syracuse to raise and discuss environmental priorities as the task force begins to develop their recommendation to the Governor. We highlighted that this is an opportunity to address invasive species, improve climate change resiliency, restore habitats, mitigate flooding, and increase equitable recreational opportunities. We are continuing to work to ensure that environmental benefits are a priority as recommendations for the Canal are developed.

Trawling for Microplastics in the Great South Bay, LI
CCE has joined with Protecting the Environment in Patchogue, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Fire Island National Seashore, and St. Josephs College to further understand microplastics in rivers, bays, and harbors. In the next few months we will be seen out on Patchogue River and in the Great South Bay collecting water samples that will be analyzed for microplastics by St. Josephs College. Stay tuned for results!

In June, the Public Service Commission held public hearings on South Fork Wind Farm and the much-needed cable connection between the offshore wind turbines and the East Hampton power grid. We came out in force and testified on the importance of bringing 130mw of clean wind to Long Island.  CCE thanks everyone who came out to support wind power. If you missed the hearings, you can check out Adrienne Esposito’s testimony here and submit your own letters of support to secretary@dps.ny.gov.

Save the Date: Water and Marine Mammals Forum on Fire Island
Join CCE and Atlantic Marine Conservation Society for a discussion on efforts to protect drinking water quality and marine mammals, including the record number of whales returning to our area. The forum is free and open to the public. It will be held on August 12, 11am-12:30pm, at Saltaire Library (103 Broadway) on Fire Island, NY.

Nassau lawmakers ask Andrew Cuomo to sign bill regulating 1,4 dioxane

SOURCE:
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/1-4-dioxane-nassau-1.34432530

July 29, 2019 

Nassau County legislators called on Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to sign legislation regulating the chemical 1,4 dioxane and asked for state grant money so Long Island water districts can purchase technology to enable them to meet strict new water quality standards by next year. 

In a public hearing Monday night in Mineola lawmakers, environmental advocates and water officials spoke about cost and timeline challenges of removing the 1, 4 dioxane from water wells on Long Island. The chemical is found in household cleaning products such as detergents and shampoos and, long term, can cause kidney and liver damage.

Legis. Laura Schaefer (R-Westbury), chairwoman of the county legislature's Planning, Development and the Environment committee, said lawmakers are concerned that without federal or state funding, the cost of treating 1,4 dioxane would get passed on to water district customers.   

"We just want to make sure that the state and the federal government are working with us so that it's not a tremendous impact on the taxpayer — it's important to us here in Nassau County where we pay very high taxes," Schaefer said. 

Earlier this year, Long Island water providers said it could cost $840 million to add treatment systems to 185 drinking water wells contaminated by 1,4-dioxane.

Hicksville Water District Superintendent Paul Granger said they are looking to implementing the technology to remove 1, 4 dioxane from their wells before the state standards are in place. The estimated cost is about $60 million for 10 wells where the chemical has been detected. The district receiving a $3 million grant, he said, and will pass the rest of the costs onto water customers.

"This lack of funding would force our district to raise water and tax rates more than 80 percent, respectively," Granger said. "We hold the product we serve to the highest standard, and as such will not provide our residents with water that does not meet the federal or state standards."   

The chemical is more prevalent in Long Island’s water than anywhere else in the state and far exceeds the national average, according to a federally mandated survey of emerging contaminants. 

Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said she understands the cost problem for water districts and ratepayers but "let's not lose site of the compelling issue here."

"We have to get a cancer-causing contaminant out of our drinking water," Esposito said. 

The state health department identified 89 wells statewide — 82 of them on Long Island — where 1,4 dioxane was found at concentrations higher than 1 part per billion, the maximum level recommended by a state drinking water quality council panel.

A bill regulating 1,4 dioxane passed the State Legislature and awaits Cuomo's signature. It would ban the chemical in household products by the end of 2022. The manufacturing industry has fought the bill's passage saying it would result in the removal of many popular products from store shelves. 

A state spokesman said the governor is reviewing the bill.

Every member of the Nassau County Legislature supports the governor signing the bill.

“I am pleased that the Nassau County Legislature is unified in its call for Governor Cuomo to sign this law mandating the removal of 1, 4 — dioxane from personal care products. By banning the use of this harmful chemical, we can make great strides in our efforts to remediate Long Island's precious drinking water and protect public health," Legis. Debra Mulé (D-Freeport) who's office sent a letter to the governor.

Nassau Lawmakers Push Legislation To Limit Chemicals In Water Supply

SOURCE:

https://wcbs880.radio.com/articles/nassau-lawmakers-push-legislation-limit-chemicals-water-supply

JULY 29, 2019

MINEOLA, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — Nassau County legislators on Monday will hold an informational meeting on the cancer causing chemical showing up in drinking water across Long Island.

For months, a known carcinogen called 1,4-dioxane – found in laundry detergent, shampoos, and other cleaning products – has been turning up in 185 drinking water wells on Long Island.

In Hicksville, the chemical is found at some of the highest levels and the scary part, according to Adrienne Esposito of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, is that there is nothing residents can do or buy to filter it out of the water.

“People have been calling me saying, ‘you know, there’s a sign at such-and-such store saying, I sell filters that eliminate 1,4-dioxane.’ It's just not true,” Esposito said.

Lawmakers are asking Gov. Andrew Cuomo to sign legislation to ban 1,4-dioxane from all cleaning products, including laundry detergent.

“We’re saying to them, you have to either reformulate or you have to filter. You figure out how to make laundry soap that doesn’t give us cancer when we drink the water,” Esposito said.

The county has already asked the federal government to set new stricter standards for the levels of chemicals allowed in drinking water and for hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up what was found in many districts.

As they await federal funding, some water district officials have, or will soon be adding filters to clean up the chemicals.

Water officials implore state to phase in dioxane regulations

SOURCE:

https://theislandnow.com/news-98/water-officials-implore-state-to-phase-in-dioxane-regulations/

While many Long Island water consumers have fears about the health effects of the  contaminant 1,4-dioxane, water officials also worry about the impacts proposed regulations will have on their ability to supply water. 

The Nassau County Legislature Planning, Development and Environment Committee hosted a 1,4-dioxane hearing on Monday night where water officials implored the state to phase in the proposed maximum contaminant level of 1 part per billion for the contaminant. 

The contaminant is a solvent often used in the manufacturing of other chemicals and has been classified by the EPA as a likely carcinogen. 

In December, the state Drinking Water Quality Council recommended a maximum contaminant level of 1 part per billion. In July, the state health commissioner ordered the  state Health Department to begin the process of adopting the recommended regulation. 

Donald Irwin of the Nassau County Department of Health told the Legislature that if the regulations are to be implemented by January, water authorities won’t be able to install the needed treatment infrastructure in time, a process that takes a minimum of two to three years. 

The only approved treatment in the state for 1,4-dioxane is an advanced oxidation process, whose installation is estimated to cost $15 million for water systems serving over 10,000 people, he said. The annual operating costs are estimated at $725,000. 

Irwin said that water departments will not be able to issue the same amount of water to residents and will have to impose strict water use restrictions. He said water pressure will drop and there will be less water reserved for firefighting needs. 

Dan Kelleher of H2M Engineers in Melville, who is a member of the Long Island Water Conference, said the 1,4-dioxane crisis is the worst he has seen in his 40 years in the industry. 

Officials also requested that the state Health Department take the lead in providing public education concerning the health risks associated with low-level contamination of 1,4-dioxane and short-term effects of drinking water above the maximum contamination level until the compliance date. 

Kelleher said that water departments do not plan on delivering water in violation of the maximum contaminant level and are considering action plans such as a blending of wells to produce water below the maximum contaminant level, sharing water between water suppliers, deepening wells and constructing new wells. 

“The water suppliers of Long Island find it hard to believe that the New York State Health Department can establish an MCL that may have an effective date that is less than one year from now,” he said, “knowing that water suppliers need at least two to three years to construct a treatment system.” 

Kelleher said the Garden City Park Water District, Town of Hempstead Water Department and Port Washington Water District are Long Island’s water districts that will be the most heavily impacted by the regulations. 

Democratic county legislators all signed a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo requesting that he sign legislation mandating the removal of 1,4-dioxane from all personal care products in the state. 

Adrienne Esposito of Citizens Campaign for the Environment said a study launched by the organization on 80 household products found high numbers of 1,4-dioxane in most of the products ranging from high to low quality. 

She said higher-priced products do not have less of the contaminant. Of all the products studied, Esposito said Victoria’s Secret products were found to have the highest levels of 1,4-dioxane. 

“Her secret is, she’s trying to kill us,” Esposito said.

Long Beach sewage plan approved

SOURCE:

http://liherald.com/stories/long-beach-sewage-plan-approved,116974

County votes on $66 million bond for sewer consolidation plan

The City of Long Beach could soon be out of the sewage business.

In what officials called one of the city’s most important environmental initiatives, the Nassau County Legislature voted 18-1 on July 15 to approve a $66.4 million bond to reroute Long Beach’s sewage to the Bay Park Water Reclamation Facility and stop the flow of waste into Reynolds Channel.

The county and the City Council also approved an intermunicipal agreement that officials said would improve water quality and save taxpayer costs in order to redirect the flow of sewage from the city’s wastewater treatment plant. The $77 million project, which is expected to take several years to complete, calls for converting the city’s 70-year-old wastewater treatment plant into a pumping station and diverting up to 5 million gallons of raw sewage per day to the Bay Park facility.

The city’s untreated wastewater would be transported through a yet-to-be-built, four-mile-long pipe under Reynolds Channel leading to the Bay Park plant for treatment, and then to the Cedar Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, in Wantagh, through a viaduct under Sunrise Highway. It would then be pumped into the Atlantic Ocean through a planned three-mile-long ocean outfall pipe.

“In the long run, it’s immediately going to be beneficial to the City of Long Beach, but it will ultimately be beneficial to the residents throughout Nassau County,” said Legislator Denise Ford (R-Long Beach). “Once we take away the sewage treatment plant and make it a pumping station, the residents who especially live on the north side of Long Beach will [benefit from] having much better air quality and not having a stench permeating their neighborhood.”

“Ultimately, when we divert Bay Park to Cedar Creek, there will be no discharge of effluent into to the Western Bays, other than the East Atlantic Beach plant that is further west of these facilities,” said Ken Arnold, the county’s public works commissioner. 

Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, and other activists have said for years that the pumping of effluent — or treated sewage — into Reynolds Channel is to blame for the high nitrogen and ammonia levels in the Western Bays. 

Nitrogen and ammonia accelerate seaweed growth, which removes dissolved oxygen from the water and kills marine life.

The current water treatment plant in Long Beach is obsolete, and struggled for years to meet current water treatment standards and state Department of Environmental Conservation regulations, the city said. Additionally, to meet new DEC regulations, the facility would have to undergo $50 million in upgrades. The current plant is also a pollution risk during storms as severe as Hurricane Sandy. Overall, city officials have said, updating the facility would cost $178 million.

County and city officials said that Bay Park, which underwent $830 million in upgrades after Sandy, is now a state-of-the-art facility that is much better equipped to handle and treat the city’s wastewater, and that work on the Long Beach project could begin next year. 

John Mirando, the city’s commissioner of public works, called the measure one of the most important environmental and financial projects in the city that would benefit the environment and residents. 

Officials said that both the county and city could face fines of $38,000 per day if they don’t move forward with the project. 

“We are faced with a consent order from the DEC — and at this point we’re either faced with consolidating with Nassau County or meeting the new ammonia standards,” said Mirando, adding that more federal and state regulations will have to be met, such as removing pharmaceuticals from wastewater. “The plant will continue to show its age and continue to cost huge sums of capital money to upgrade. This plant is just going to keep bleeding money.”

City officials have said the consolidation project would stop the pumping of about 60 million gallons of effluent per day, with more than 15 tons of pollutants, into Reynolds Channel and the Western Bays, and the dilution of the effluent would reduce nitrogen and ammonia levels. The county is pursuing state grants to pay for the bulk of the project. 

Long Beach’s share of costs associated with the project is $18 million, and officials said that the city had already received $7.5 million in state funding, and would apply for another $10 million in grants on Friday. Long Beach would also cover the county’s debt service and operational costs associated with the plan through the collection of sewer fees.

City officials said that under the intermunicipal agreement, the city’s treatment plant workers would not be laid off as a result of the deal, and would be integrated into different departments or be offered opportunities with the county. 

“I strongly believe that this is an environmental victory not only for the City of Long Beach but for Nassau County,” Councilwoman Anissa Moore, who lauded Mirando and other city officials for moving the plan forward, said at the July 16 council meeting. “Also, I think this is once again another way to minimize the financial risk we continue to deal with.”

Some legislators expressed concerns about what would happen if the city, which is struggling financially, were to declare bankruptcy. 

“I am not confident that, under the [intermunicipal agreement], the taxpayers of Nassau County are sufficiently protected from liability for costs of the project, which should be borne strictly by the City of Long Beach,” said Legislator Howard Kopel (R-Lawrence). “Unfortunately, the recent management of the city does not give me great assurance that its promises will be honored in a timely fashion.”

Local environmental activists lauded the agreement and the vote to approve the bond, with Esposito saying that the project is vital to residents throughout Nassau.

Esposito and Long Beach resident Scott Bochner — a member of the Western Bays Coalition, a co-founder of the Sludge Stoppers Task Force and a member of the Long Beach Environmental Advisory Board — called on Kopel to support the plan before he cast the lone dissenting vote and expressed concerns about details of the intermunicipal agreement. Both said that residents of his district would benefit from the project.

“I’ve been living on the bays for a really long time, and we’ve been watching the degradation of the bays for years and years, and this is the only way we’re going to correct the problem,” Bochner said. “In order to get this pipe diverted, we’ve been really patient and it takes time to get a project like this under way. If you don’t take that effluent out . . . there won’t be any protection.”

Esposito urged legislators to vote yes, saying that the project would improve wetlands to protect from flooding and storm surges while also restoring water quality and the shellfish industry.

“We have been working together for 15 years on this particular campaign on this particular issue,” she said. “Here we are today with a successful program.”

Suffolk comptroller Kennedy takes shot at opponent, County Executive Bellone

SOURCE:

https://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/kennedy-sewers-1.34535753

Suffolk Comptroller John Kennedy, GOP nominee for county executive, attacked Executive Steve Bellone’s plan seeking $4 billion in new revenue over 50 years to fund high tech residential sewage treatment systems, and charged he has raided existing environmental funds to meet payroll costs.

“We need to deal with our gaping fiscal hole and put our house in order before we start talking about spending $4 billion to build new castles in the air,” said Kennedy, in an interview after a news conference at Blue Point's Corey Beach, recently closed over pollution issues.

Kennedy’s attack came after the county health department Tuesday put forward the subwatersheds wastewater plan to combat nitrogen pollution in Suffolk’s bays and estuaries. Bellone and county experts have blamed those woes on cesspools and septic systems that do little to remove nitrates. The new plan calls for creating a recurring, but unspecified $50-70 million annual funding stream — to help homeowners with grants and loans to install the new systems that cost about $20,000 plus maintenance. Suffolk has 360,000 homes that are now unsewered. 

“This is rich coming from a career politician who has done nothing to solve the water quality crisis,” said Marykate Guilfoyle, a Bellone spokeswoman. “It’s time for the comptroller to stop playing politics with clean water and sabotaging the county’s efforts to protect water quality.”

Leading environmentalists also praised Bellone’s new plan. Kevin McDonald, a local policy adviser for the Nature Conservancy, called the plan a “blueprint for healthier waters on Long Island.” He said the problem — generations in the making — “can recover, if we make the necessary investments … now.”

Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said, “This … landmark plan identifies a realistic path we can follow that will result in healthy, productive marine ecosystems,” adding “The challenges are funding, the political will and public engagement.”

However, Kennedy also questioned whether some Innovative Alternative systems will meet standards. “Even by their own admission their enhanced septic systems are not operating properly,” he said. “At least get the technology correct before you codify the thing.”  

Kennedy also charged Bellone has raided nearly $30 million in the county’s quarter-cent water quality program by diverting what is popularly known as “477 funding” for capital projects to improve water quality and is instead using it for unrelated payroll expenses to help balance the budget.

But Guilfoyle said the use of water quality funds for staffing went before the county legislature for approval, and Kennedy, as a former lawmaker “voted repeatedly” to do so. She said the comptroller should explain why he approved using these funds "for purposes voters never authorized.”

Kennedy conceded he sometimes voted for personnel, but only for jobs like design engineer, connected to capital projects. “They have filled positions that have nothing to do with groundwater protection, including a guy cutting grass on the golf course,” he said.

Plastic Bag Ban To Take Effect At Prominent Connecticut Grocery Store

SOURCE:

https://dailyvoice.com/connecticut/fairfield/business/plastic-bag-ban-to-take-effect-at-prominent-connecticut-grocery-store/772781/

Plastic Bag Ban To Take Effect At Prominent Connecticut Grocery Store

Zak Failla

07/27/2019

Plastic bags will soon be a thing of the past at a prominent Connecticut grocery store, as they begin phasing them out as part of efforts to become more economically friendly.

Big Y announced that as of Thursday, Aug. 1, it will be eliminating single-use plastic bags from more than 80 markets and specialty stores located in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

"By working with shoppers, Big Y aims to further reduce consumption to make a difference across New England," the company announced. "As laws and regulations across the local communities that Big Y serves continue to change, the grocer will support shoppers in the transition by offering discounts on reusable bags through the month of August at all of its locations. They’re also providing online resources so shoppers can learn the best ways to keep their reusable bags clean for shopping trips."

Officials said that consumers use billions of plastic bags annually, which do not biodegrade, creating massive amounts of litter in neighborhoods and waterways and posing a threat to the health of area residents and the environment. The ban is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastic bag production and disposal.

"You see plastic bags hanging in trees, blowing down the streets, in landfills and in our waterways, and there is no doubt they are doing tremendous damage," officials stated. "Twelve million barrels of oil are used to make the plastic bags we use every year and by 2050 there will be more plastic by weight in the oceans than fish. We need to stop using plastic bags, and today we're putting an end to this blight on our environment.”

“At Big Y, beyond providing great quality, great prices and great customer service, we also try to be smart about the resources and energy we use,” Big Y Senior Vice President Richard Bossie said.  “By working with our shoppers, we can further reduce consumption to make a difference in and around the tight-knit communities that we serve across New England.”

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.

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.

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.”

"More than just an eyesore, plastic bags are a major source of pollution and cause tremendous environmental damage. The 23 billion plastic bags used by New Yorkers each year get stuck in our trees, blow along our beaches and parks, and endanger our marine and wildlife," Sen. José Serrano, Chair of Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation, said. "For the last decade, I have been working with my colleagues to reduce or eliminate plastic bag use in New York and I am thrilled to see the enactment of this statewide ban, making New York one of the leading states to tackle this important issue."

(Public News Service): Great Lakes Presidential Platform

Coalition Seeks Commitment on Clean Drinking Water

July 25, 2019

NEW YORK – A coalition of more than 160 local, state and national environmental groups is asking every presidential candidate how he or she will address threats to drinking water supplies for more than 30 million people.

The Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition has released a presidential platform to restore and protect lakes and drinking water for people in New York and seven other states.

According to Brian Smith, associate executive director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, the federally funded Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has made considerable progress since it was launched 10 years ago, but there still is a lot of work to do.

"We still have toxic hotspots that linger in parts of the Great Lakes,” he points out. “We have beaches that are closed due to high bacteria levels, and we have invasive species that threaten our fishing industry."

The Coalition's five-point platform has been distributed to major party candidates in advance of the next president debate being held in Detroit next week.

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump proposed cutting funding for the initiative by 90% to just $30 million, but then announced his support for $300 million in funding.

Kyle Rorah, acting director of public policy for the group Ducks Unlimited, says that's not enough.

"The Healing Our Waters Coalition is asking candidates who support the Great Lakes to restore funding for the GLRI at the $475 million level, as it was in its initial fiscal year of 2010," he states.

Over the past 10 years, the initiative has invested more than $2.4 billion in more than 4,700 projects throughout the region.

Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters Coalition, adds that without healthy water Americans cannot have healthy families, healthy communities or healthy economies, so clean drinking water needs to be a top issue in the presidential campaign.

"Every candidate has the responsibility and the moral obligation to explain how they will put an end to toxic water pollution, and how they will clean up drinking water sources like the Great Lakes, and provide clean, safe and affordable drinking water to all Americans," she stresses.

The full Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition presidential platform is online at healthylakes.org.

Disclosure: National Wildlife Federation contributes to our fund for reporting on Climate Change/Air Quality, Energy Policy, Environment, Water. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.

Andrea Sears, Public News Service - NY

Connecticut bag ban spurs contentious food waste debate

SOURCE:

https://www.wastedive.com/news/connecticut-bag-ban-spurs-contentious-food-waste-debate/556721/

By: Cole Rosengren

Published by: Wastedive.com

July 11, 2019

Connecticut's newly passed bag bill marks an incremental step forward in plastic reduction efforts. It's also being described as a missed opportunity by many involved in the process.

As finalized in a budget bill recently signed by Gov. Ned Lamont, Connecticut will require retailers to charge a 10-cent fee for any "single-use checkout bag" starting Aug. 1. By July 1, 2021, all such bags will be banned entirely.

The law defines "single-use" as plastic bags less than 4 mils thick – excluding bags for meat, fish, produce, newspapers and dry cleaning. The dozen-plus municipalities that already have their own policies in place will be allowed to keep them, and others can still pass stricter ordinances.

Environmental groups wanted to see paper bags included as well, while companies in the organics world pushed for compostable bags to be exempted entirely. The final version has resulted in a universally palatable stalemate of sorts, but tension remains after a heated legislative process.

Path to the ban

“We've been advocating for a ban on plastic checkout bags with a charge on paper bags, with the end goal of obviously producing a policy that promotes reusable bag use," said Lou Burch, state program director for the Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE). "This law does not do that. However, we do think it’s a good step in the right direction."

CCE, Surfrider Foundation and the Connecticut Food Association originally pushed a bill that went much further than what has now been enacted, or even what preceded it.

The legislature's favored bag bill, passed out of the General Assembly's environment committee in April, would have banned single-use bags made of "plastic, paper or other material" by 2020. Paper bags would be allowed if they were deemed 100% recyclable, made from 40% post-consumer recycled content and included the phrase "Please Reuse and Recycle This Bag."

This open-ended language raised the alarm for two companies with Connecticut interests — Novamont, an Italian bioplastics company and Quantum Biopower, owner of the state's first anaerobic digester.

The two have been ongoing partners in an effort to expand organics processing in Connecticut. Quantum is actively looking for ways to attract residential tonnage, and Novamont saw an opportunity to expand market share for bags to line those hypothetical curbside carts.

In fact, Novamont told Waste Dive it was actively pursuing plans to build a new manufacturing facility in the state.

"I thought, why couldn't we make Connecticut the model in North America that Milan is to the whole globe and have food scrap collection and have anaerobic digestion and have [compostable] T-sacks in all the stores and curbside collection?" said Dan Martens, vice president of Novamont's North American operations.

According to Martens, the state's Department of Economic and Community Development was favorable to the idea and asked what it could do to help. Martens mentioned the bag issue.

When the governor's budget bill — which included the milder bag ban language that eventually passed — came out in early June, it contained a key new provision: an exemption for compostable bags.

Fearing this could result in essentially a one-for-one switch from thin plastic to compostable bags at grocery stores, environmental groups pushed back hard.

Melissa Gates, Northeast regional manager for Surfrider, described the language as "alarming" and "a terrible precedent to set this early in the game."

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The ensuing back-and-forth public debate — featuring 5 Gyres literature around performance standards of various bags, Novamont-backed literature decrying a "nasty campaign" to ban the bags and plenty of other claims in between — didn't last long.

Late in the budget amendment process, the compostable exemption language was stripped from the bill. While compostable bags are not banned, they're not encouraged.

Food waste fallout

In the aftermath, it wasn't immediately clear whether environmental groups were just concerned about the bags entering grocery stores or if they also didn't want to see them used as cart liners.

Quantum, which continues to eye expansion options even though a bill to pilot residential programs failed to pass this session, stands by the bags.

“[W]hen we look at where the successful diversion programs were taking place in the state and outside of the state, almost all of them were built around a fundamental tool — which was a compostable bag," said Quantum Vice President Brian Paganini. "Obviously, limiting exposure to plastic is important on many levels — certainly for the environmental impacts that we all know of — but I think the part that didn't make it into the conversation fully was the impact on food waste diversion."

Burch said CCE never had any issues with potentially using the bags as liners for food waste collection. He even considered language in the residential pilot bill favoring bags as cart liners "reasonable."

"But to suggest that we're going to make compostable bags exempt from the ban and exempt from the charge and we're going to offer them at the checkout counter — in the hopes that bag is going to find its way to an anaerobic digester — is just completely inappropriate," he said. "It completely undermines everything that thousands of citizens activists across the state have been working on for years — and that is to make single-use checkout bags a thing of the past."

Gates said she didn't currently see a role for liners of any kind in organics collection carts until infrastructure is in place to ensure they're safely handled. Her overriding concern is also about bags taking over in grocery stores.

Surfrider remains opposed to substituting products of any kind with new material — compostable or otherwise.

"We steer away from any single-use product because part of the issue is the consumer paradigm," she said.

Reflecting on next steps, Martens declined to confirm whether Novamont would still be pursuing plans for a new facility in the Connecticut. He stood by his products, maintaining that they're considered viable in many cities — either as bags in stores where plastic is banned, or for use in curbside organics carts.

Examples cited include Boston, Seattle, Palo Alto and San Francisco, California, as well as multiple European cities.

"We see our products not as a replacement for plastics but as a tool to facilitate food scrap diversion," said Martens, going on to criticize "shortsighted" efforts that might limit Connecticut's organics potential. "If you cut the tools out of the beginning, you kind of cut your nose off to spite your face — but they don't really see that far."

Interest in organics diversion remains high for many stakeholders in Connecticut, but this particular compostability discussion is expected to quiet down for the time being.

Still, it's just the latest in a series of examples of why assumptions about consumer behavior, vested manufacturing interests and state-specific political factors make passing any type of packaging legislation so challenging

Highlights and Happenings: June 2019

Help CCE build on our success, and support our campaigns to protect public health and the environment in NY and CT. Make a contribution today.

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Highlights

New York and Connecticut Legislative Victories

CCE had one of our most successful years lobbying in Albany and Hartford ever. Here are the highlights:

Connecticut:

• Approved the State Water Plan, which will ensure that water is a public trust and that CT’s current and future water supply needs are met equitably for years to come.

• Placed a 10 cent charge on plastic bags and bans them completely by August 2021.

• Banned hazardous hydrofracking waste statewide.

• State mandate of 2,000 MW  offshore wind procurement by 2030.

• Passed a package of “New Green Economy” initiatives that will extend existing renewable energy programs, encourage solar development, and invest in net metering.

New York:

• Banned hidden carcinogen 1,4-dioxane in household products.

• Passed the Climate and Community Protection Act, which requires net-zero green house gas emissions by 2050,   70% renewable energy by 2030, funding to help disadvantaged communities, and more.

• Banned toxic chemicals from children’s products.

• Required that large generators of food waste to donate edible food to the needy, and send food scraps to create compost or generate renewable energy through anaerobic digestion.

• Banned plastic bags. The law will go into effect March, 2020.

• Prohibited offshore drilling off  NY’s coast.

• Protected Menhaden, (aka bunker fish) from dangerous overfishing.

• Required manufacturers to establish a paint recycling program, which takes the burden off municipalities and taxpayers for disposing of unwanted paint.

• Funded the Environmental Protection Fund at a historic $300 million.

• Allocated an addition $500 million to upgrade wastewater and drinking water infrastructure.

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Happenings

Welcoming “Shelley the Turtle” to Sunken Meadow State Park

CCE and Atlantic Marine Conservation Society are working to keep plastic pollution out of Long Island Sound. In June, we held a beach cleanup at Sunken Meadow State Park. Following the clean up we unveiled Shelley the Sea Turtle, a 3D art instillation crafted from mesh metal and filled with the plastic pollution we collected. Shelley the Turtle will be a lasting reminder for the public to never leave garbage on the beach and to reduce their use of throw-a-way plastics.

Cleaning Up the Bethpage Plume

The NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation proposed a comprehensive plan to clean up contamination at the US Navy/Grumman Plume in Bethpage, Long Island. The plume, which  contains 24 contaminants including known and likely carcinogens, has impacted the drinking water and human health of residents in and around Bethpage for decades. CCE is supporting the state’s proposal but will be also be urging NY to include a plan for public involvement, soil remediation, an expedited clean up timeline, and treatment for contaminants like 1,4-dioxane and Radium in their final plan.

Fighting for a More Resilient Lake Ontario Coastline

As Lake Ontario homes and businesses continue to suffer from coastal flooding caused by record snowmelt and precipitation, we continue our efforts to build a coast that is more resilient to the impacts of extreme weather.  We welcomed the news in June that the Governor committed $300 million for Lake Ontario resiliency, and CCE is working to ensure that nature-based solutions, like wetlands and green infrastructure, play a key role in those resiliency efforts.

Calling for Federal Action on Emerging Contaminants

In Connecticut, about 50,000 gallons of firefighting foam containing PFAS was spilled into the Farmington River near Bradley airport. CCE and our partners stood in support of federal legislation, sponsored by Senator Blumenthal, which will provide funding to clean up toxic PFAS in our groundwater and identify safer alternatives to PFAS in firefighting foam.  In New York, we joined our Long Island Congressional Representatives, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, Suffolk County Water Authority, environmental groups, and residents for a press conference calling on the EPA to set safe drinking water standards for emerging contaminants 1,4-Dioxane and PFAS chemicals.

Celebrating the Kings Park Solar Farm

New York has passed the most aggressive plan to fight climate change in the country. The only way we'll get there is to promote local renewable energy projects, which is why we were thrilled to stand with NextEra Energy Resources and PSEG Long Island for a ribbon cutting at the Kings  Park Solar Farm. The project will bring 4 megawatts of clean, renewable energy to 1,000+ Long Island homes!                               

Polluters, not the Public, Must Pay for Clean Drinking Water

CCE was proud to stand with Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen to demand that polluters pay to remove contaminants PFOA and PFOS from our drinking water. Treatment for emerging contaminants will cost millions. The companies that contaminated our water must pay to clean up their mess. Now, we need Governor Andrew Cuomo to sign legislation (passed by the Senate and Assembly) that will allow the Town of Hempstead and other municipalities to sue the manufacturers of products containing these emerging contaminants.

Say YES to Wind for LI’s South Fork

In June, the Public Service Commission held public hearings on South Fork Wind Farm and the much-needed cable connection between the offshore wind turbines and the East Hampton power grid. We came out in force and testified on the importance of bringing 130mw of clean wind to Long Island.  CCE thanks everyone who came out to support wind power. If you missed the hearings, you can check out Adrienne Esposito’s testimony here and submit your own letters of support to secretary@dps.ny.gov.

Restoring  Long Island’s Shellfish

We joined Governor Cuomo and many of our water protection partners in Bellport to support the Long Island Shellfish Restoration Project. It was a beautiful day to head out on the boat and help seed native clams, which will help improve water quality in the bay.

Nominations are Open Now for the South Shore Estuary Reserve Stewardship Award

The SSER Council Stewardship Award Program recognizes citizens and organizations that have made significant contributions to protect and restore the South Shore Estuary’s unique natural environment and maritime traditions. Do you know someone who has made contributions to preserve and protect the South Shore Estuary? Nominate them for the 2019 South Shore Estuary Reserve Council Stewardship Award by July 31st here.