Join us: How to combat pollution in Long Island Sound

Join us for a 3-week virtual workshop series:

“Long Island Sound: Driving Local Actions to Tackle Water Pollution” 

Join us for Long Island Sound: Driving Local Actions to Tackle Water Pollution, a collaborative workshop series advancing local actions for cleaner waters and healthy watersheds in Long Island Sound. Hear from scientists and practitioners about approaches to combat pollution and clean up coastal waters in communities around Long Island Sound.

This 3-week workshop series will bring folks from across the Sound together to learn about advancements in technology and policy that tackles our biggest water quality challenges—from fecal bacteria, nitrogen, and plastic pollution. Free and open to the public.

When: Tuesday, May 11 | 12:00pm-1:30pm | Fecal Bacteria Pollution

Wednesday May 19 | 12:00pm-1:30pm | Nitrogen Pollution

Tuesday, May 25 | 12:00pm-1:30pm | Marine Debris and Plastic Pollution

Topics: Fecal Bacteria Pollution, Nitrogen Pollution, Marie Debris and Plastic Pollution

Hosts: Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Save the Sound, and The Nature Conservancy with generous support from the Long Island Sound Funders Collaborative

Register here (after registering, you will receive a zoom link to participate)

Thank you for joining us!

Sincerely,
Your Friends at CCE

Highlights and Happenings: March 2021

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

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

Long Island: What’s in Your Water? 

In March, we released an investigative report revealing which Long Island water companies are not meeting NYS’s drinking water standards. Last year, New York adopted the strongest drinking water standards in the nation for 1,4-dioxane, PFAS, and PFOA – carcinogenic contaminants found at unsafe levels across Long Island’s water supply wells. Water suppliers are now required to test for these chemicals and invest in treatment technologies, but unfortunately 21 Long Island water suppliers were granted deferrals, or two-year delays, in meeting these standards. Check out our new report here to find out what’s in your water. 

Connecticut Priority Bills on the Move 

The Environment Committee in Connecticut advanced several of our priority bills in March, including prohibiting toxic PFAS in food service packaging, expanding food waste recycling, modernizing the CT Bottle Bill, and phasing out EPS foam (Styrofoam) lunch trays and single-use plastic straws. These four bills have all been voted favorably out of committee and are on their way to be voted on in the State Senate and House of Representatives. These bills advance critically important goals for reducing waste, increasing recycling, and preventing toxic pollution in Connecticut. Stay tuned for opportunities to help us get these bills over the finish line! 

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Happenings

Supporting New York Offshore Wind 

New York State is advancing five offshore wind projects and gaining momentum in transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy. After years of frustrating delays at the federal level, we were thrilled that the Biden administration committed to moving forward with offshore wind. In March, the administration announced their goal to generate 30 gigawatts of wind by 2030, finally designate a new wind energy area in the NY Bight (allowing New York to move forward with additional offshore wind farms) and invest in important offshore wind infrastructure. 

Fighting for the Great Lakes 

In March, we celebrated Great Lakes Days and once again led a team of advocates to meet with Congressional offices (virtually) in support of policies and funding to support Great Lakes. This year we are pushing hard for increased funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, upgrades to aging and failing wastewater and drinking water infrastructure, a study on how to better protect Great Lakes coastal communities from the impacts of climate change, and to ensure safe and affordable drinking water to all. 

Working to Tackle NY’s Solid Waste Crisis 

New York State is suffering from a growing solid waste and recycling crisis. Recycling markets in China and elsewhere closed their doors to the U.S., forcing us to start managing our long-standing solid waste problems. We are fighting for the Extended Producer Responsibility Act in NY, which will hold manufacturers, not taxpayers, responsible for their waste. This bill would minimize waste, improve recycling, prevent plastic pollution, reduce toxins in products, and save municipalities money. In March, we lobbied our Assembly and Senate leaders, but we still need your help to make sure this bill passes this year. If you haven’t yet, send an email to your representatives in support of Extended Producer Responsibility in NY. 

Don’t Flush Your Drugs 

Back in 2014, we partnered with King Kullen grocery stores on Long Island to implement a first-of-its-kind pharmaceutical take-back program, which allows residents to safely and conveniently dispose of unused medications for free at any King Kullen pharmacy. Thanks to this program, over 16,700 pounds (or 8+ tons) of medications, which could have ended up contaminating our sole-source aquifer, bays, or estuaries, were instead disposed of safely. Thanks to King Kullen and everyone who opted to use this program instead of flushing your drugs – you are helping to protect Long Island’s drinking water! Furthermore, the NYS Department of Health finally adopted long-awaited regulations to implement the NYS Drug Take Back Act, which will require a robust, manufacturer-funded drug take back program all across New York State. 

Be on the Watch for Harmful Algal Blooms 

As the weather begins to get warmer, and we start spending more time outside and lakeside, it is important to be aware of dangerous harmful algal blooms (HABs). HABs pose an immense threat to our communities’ drinking water, public health, outdoor recreation, and wildlife. HABs are erupting across NY more frequently and more aggressively—in 2020, over 900 HABs were present in NY waterbodies. If you see a HAB in a lake or waterbody (looks like spilled green paint or pea soup), be sure to avoid it and report it using the DEC Suspicious Algal Bloom Report Form! 

New York Moves Forward with Great Lakes Wind Feasibility Study 

In order to meet NY’s ambitious and critical goal to generate zero-emission electricity by 2040, and to protect the health of our lakes from the growing threat of climate change, it is critical that New York consider responsibly-sited offshore wind in the Great Lakes. As a first step, the state has begun a feasibility study to study the potential for offshore wind, which is expected to be completed later this year. Check out a recent editorial by the Buffalo News explaining the importance of why we must explore the potential for Great Lakes wind.   

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Upcoming: Advancing Wind & Protecting Wildlife 

The third installment of CCE’s series of educational forums on offshore wind will be coming on April 21st at 7pm. Advancing Wind & Protecting Wildlife will explore how we can advance offshore wind and protect marine life. Expert panelists Dr. Howard Rosenbaum with Wildlife Conservation Society, Dr. Drew Carey with Inspire Environmental, and Catherine Bowes with National Wildlife Federation will discuss impacts to marine mammals and fish species, potential “reef effects,” and more. After the presentations, our panelist will answer questions from members of the public. Learn more about the event and register here. 

SAVE THE DATE!

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

CCE’s 2021 Environmental Equinox Awards Gala
September 30, 2021

We are currently hoping for an in-person event at The Piermont in Babylon but will be ready to pivot to virtual if COVID restrictions necessitate the change. There will be lots of scenic outside space with beautiful views of the bay! Join us to celebrate more than three decades of grassroots accomplishments and our special honorees:

Honorable Todd Kaminsky
New York State Senate 

Honorable Steve Englebright 
New York State Assembly 

CCE is honoring these environmental champions for their leadership in spearheading groundbreaking legislation to combat climate change which will lead New York towards a fossil fuel-free future, and for championing legislation that bans 1,4-dioxane from household products. 1,4-Dioxane, a probable carcinogenic, is currently found in laundry detergents, bath soaps, dish soaps, and baby products and is polluting our drinking water.    

Sponsorships are available. Please contact Maureen Murphy, Mmurphy@citizenscampaign.org or 516-390-7150 for information on sponsorships or individual tickets.

The equinox is the time of year when the sun crosses the equator, and the length of the day equals the length of the night on all parts of the earth. The equinox is a symbol of achieving environmental and societal harmony.

Thank you for your support. Together we make a difference!
Sincerely,
All of Us at CCE

Our Future is Blowing in the Wind

Join us for the next installment in our series of educational forums on offshore wind:

“Advancing Wind & Protecting Wildlife” 

Join Citizens Campaign for the Environment & New York League of Conservation Voters to learn more about how advancing offshore wind and protecting wildlife can be achieved. In 2019, NY passed the nation’s most aggressive climate law, which mandates 70% renewable energy by 2030 and 9,000MW of offshore wind by 2035. To meet these ambitious goals, New York is moving forward with several critically needed wind farms off the coast of Long Island. In this forum, expert panelists will discuss impacts to marine mammals and fish species, potential “reef effects,” and more. Participants will also have the opportunity to ask the expert panelists questions.

Topic: Advancing Wind & Protecting Wildlife
Date:  Wednesday, April 21, 2021
Time: 7:00pm -8:30pm 

Register here (after registering, you will receive a zoom link to participate)

Expert Presenters:

Dr. Howard Rosenbaum is a Senior Conservation Scientist and Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's (WCS) Ocean Giants Program, which aims to secure the future of whales, dolphins, and other marine species. For more than 30 years, Dr. Rosenbaum's innovative science has helped protect marine species from current and emerging threats in their most important habitats. In the NY Bight, Rosenbaum leads WCS’s efforts for research and conservation of marine mammals, which includes a collaborative effort to use state-of-the-art near real-time acoustic monitoring and other technologies to study whales and ocean noise.  

Dr. Drew Carey is the Chief Executive Officer for Inspire Environmental. Dr. Carey was a leader on the many of the studies regarding marine life and the Block Island Wind Project. He has published papers on potential impacts to fish and the benthic region, key lessons learned for biological monitoring, and the “reef effect” of the turbine foundations. 

Catherine Bowes is the Program Director for Offshore Wind Energy for the National Wildlife Federation. The National Wildlife Federation, America's largest conservation organization, works across the country to unite Americans from all walks of life in giving wildlife a voice. They have been on the front lines for wildlife since 1936.

Thank you for joining us!

Sincerely,
Your Friends at CCE

Highlights and Happenings: February 2021

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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

Image by brisch27 from Pixabay

Fighting for our NY Budget Priorities 

We were thrilled to see several of our environmental priorities front and center in the executive budget proposal released by the Governor in January. In February, we lobbied our Assembly and Senate leaders to ensure that our priorities make it into the final budget (due April 1), including (but not limited to): 

• $500 million for clean water infrastructure: upgrades aging wastewater and drinking water infrastructure and protects water at its source.

• $300 million Environmental Protection Fund (EPF): funds programs in every part of the state to protect clean water, healthy communities, open space, and so much more.

• Manufacturer-funded (not taxpayer-funded) recycling of consumer packaging and paper: this policy would help reduce waste, increase recycling, create jobs, and save taxpayers money.

• $ 3 billion Clean Water and Jobs Environmental Bond Act: This historic investment would (if adopted in the budget and subsequently approved by the voters in November) protect communities from the impacts of climate change while protecting clean water and supporting green jobs.
  

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Happenings

Supporting Long Island Offshore Wind 

Long Island is becoming a national leader in offshore wind, with five wind farms now in the siting process. Some exciting developments on these projects is happening, but our work is far from over. On the federal level, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management released a draft Environmental Impact Statement on the South Fork Wind Farm and held a series of virtual meetings in February. Thanks to our Wind Works Long Island coalition partners who also participated in the meetings and submitted supportive comments on NY’s first offshore wind farm. To learn more about the South Fork Wind Farm DEIS or project in general, you can read the comments we submitted, along with our coalition members’ comments here. 

Image by SatyaPrem from Pixabay

Working to Modernize Connecticut’s Bottle Bill 

One of our top priorities in Connecticut is improving and modernizing the Bottle Bill. The law, which puts deposits on beverage containers, has been one of the most successful environmental laws in the state, but it needs to be updated. In February, we testified before the Connecticut General Assembly about the cost impacts to municipalities and the equity challenges under the current Bottle Bill program, as well as the challenges related to glass in the curbside recycling stream. According to Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority, wine and liquor account for approximately 60% of glass going into the blue bin! We need to establish a deposit on glass, wine, and liquor bottles here in CT. 

Clean Water Forum for NYS Legislators 

In February, we hosted our 3rd annual Clean Water Forum for elected officials, legislative staff, state agencies, and Clean Water Coalition members to discuss our clean water priorities for this year. Thanks to the over 70 people who attended the virtual Clean Water Forum and to our experts who provided presentations and answered questions on critical water quality issues and solutions for 2021. Priorities included, but were not limited to, investing in upgrades to wastewater infrastructure, installing treatment technology to remove emerging contaminants from drinking water, and protecting our water resources at its source. 

The Future is Blowing in the Wind—Long Islands Offshore Wind Projects 

In the second installment of CCE’s series of educational forums on offshore wind, offshore wind developers Orsted and Equinor discussed the offshore wind projects they are building off Long Island. The combined projects will power more than 2.4 million homes and bring us almost halfway to New York’s goal of 9,000 MW of offshore wind. Over 100 people joined in after the presentations, and Orsted and Equinor representatives answered questions from members of the public. You can watch a recording of the webinar here! 

Combatting PFAS Contamination 

Last month, we stood with U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Nassau County Executive Laura Curran to call for federal action banning toxic PFAS chemicals from firefighting foam. Senator Gillibrand has introduced legislation that would also provide resources to fire departments to switch to safer chemicals. We will continue fighting for this critical legislation, which protects fire fighters, our water, and public health. 

New Yorkers for Clean Water & Jobs Lobby Day 

We joined members of the New Yorkers for Clean Water & Jobs for a virtual lobby day in February. The coalition met with NYS Senate and Assembly members to advocate for our budget priorities, including clean water infrastructure funding, maintaining a fully funded Environmental Protection Fund, supporting New York parks, and to preventing further raids of revenue generated from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. 

Transforming New York’s Transportation System 

The New York Climate Action Council’s Transportation Advisory Panel hosted a virtual public meeting to provide information on proposed policy strategies to achieve New York’s greenhouse gas reduction targets. We provided comments urging the Panel to include the Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI) program in their recommendation. TCI is an opportunity for New York to join with other Northeast/MidAtlantic states to bolster the clean transportation economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by advancing clean vehicles and fuels, safe and affordable public transportation, equitable options of disadvantaged communities, complete streets safe for walking and biking, and much more! 

New Studies Help Advance LI Water Protection and Support CCE’s Work on 1,4 Dioxane 

Dr. Chris Gobler at the Stony Brook University Center for Clean Water Technology released two important studies last month. One study advances new technology to remove nitrogen and 1,4- dioxane entering groundwater through septic systems, and another provides further evidence that 1,4-dioxane in everyday products poses a threat to our drinking water. We joined Dr. Gobler and our clean water partners for a virtual event last month to press the importance of preventing 1,4- dioxane and nitrogen contamination in Long Island’s waters and detailing the role this new research can play in developing good policy at the local and state level. 

Join Us for a Virtual Public Forum: Save the Western Bays

Image by Daniela Dimitrova from Pixabay

Join us to get critical updates on restoring Western Bays water quality, the Bay Park Conveyance Project, and Long Beach STP Consolidation

Join Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Operation SPLASH and The Nature Conservancy for a virtual forum on restoring our Western Bays.  The forum will review the scientific need for diverting sewage from the Western Bays, provide updates on the connection of the South Shore Water Reclamation Facility (Bay Park Sewage Plant) and Long Beach Sewage Treatment Plant to an existing ocean outfall pipe at the Cedar Creek Sewage Treatment Plant, and provide an overview of upgrades that already made to South Shore WRF.  There will be a panel discussion at the end to answer your important questions!

When:   Thursday, April 8, 2021, 12:00pm -1:00pm

Speakers: Senator Todd Kaminsky

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)

Nassau County 

Adrienne Esposito, Citizens Campaign for the Environment

Carl Lobue, The Nature Conservancy 

Panel Discussion: NYS DEC, Nassau County, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Operation Splash, The Nature Conservancy and SUEZ

Register in advance to receive a zoom link

Background

The Western Bays are dying.  The science has been very clear— treated sewage effluent  entering into Reynolds Channel is choking our bays.  For over a decade, we advocated for significant upgrades to the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant and to divert the treated sewage to the ocean instead of the bay. New York State and Nassau County are advancing a monumental project known as The Bay Park Conveyance Project that will use an aqueduct under Sunrise Highway to connect the SSWRF and Long Beach Sewage Treatment Plant to an existing outfall pipe at the Cedar Creek Sewage Treatment Plant. This plan saves money and time—a win for the Western Bays and the public. 

Thank you for joining us!

Sincerely,
Your Friends at CCE

WE NEED ACTION ON NEW YORK’S SOLID WASTE CRISIS

Image by MichaelGaida from Pixabay

Hold manufacturers—not taxpayers—responsible for their waste!

New York State is suffering from a growing solid waste and recycling crisis. Recycling markets in China and elsewhere have closed their doors to the U.S., forcing us to start managing our long-standing solid waste problems. As a result, municipal recycling costs have skyrocketed, recycling rates have declined, and our environment and health are suffering from pollution.

Signs of our solid waste crisis are evident across New York:

Plastic packaging and paper recycling are in crisis: New York generates more than 17 million tons of municipal solid waste annually. An estimated 40 percent of that waste is composed of product packaging and paper products, such as plastic containers, steel cans, plastic film, glass bottles, newspaper, and cardboard. Unfortunately, less than half of this waste is being recycled properly. Instead of being recycled, much of this waste is ending up as litter in our communities, shipped to landfills, or burned in trash incinerators. 

Costs to local governments—and taxpayers—have skyrocketed: Municipalities were once getting paid for recyclables, however now, they must pay to recycle. Instead of generating revenue from recyclables, many municipalities face recycling costs in the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars per year. The increased cost for local governments to process these materials is estimated to total $80 million across NYS in 2021. Local officials are now forced to consider raising fees on residents and/or reducing the recycling services provided to their communities.

Image by flockine from Pixabay

New York’s waterways are suffering from increased plastic pollution: All too often, plastic packaging is littering our communities, ultimately making its way into our treasured rivers, lakes, bays, and ocean. Plastics do not biodegrade once they enter the environment—instead they break down into tiny pieces known as microplastics, which are frequently mistaken for food and ingested by fish and other aquatic wildlife. Recent research indicates that Lake Erie contains 381 metric tons of plastic—more than 50 times greater than the previous estimates at the surface. In NY/NJ Harbor Estuary, there are an estimated 165 million plastic particles floating in the water at any given time. In Long Island Sound coastal communities, voluntary clean ups report finding over 110,000 pounds of marine debris on beaches over the last 8 years.

Large Brands are Failing to Take Responsibility: Currently, manufacturers bear no responsibility for disposing of packaging waste they create. Large brands have externalized the cost of disposing of packaging onto our municipal recycling programs and local taxpayers.  For example, an estimated 165 billion packages are shipped in the U.S. every year, and yet companies currently bear no responsibility for managing any of this packaging waste that their businesses create.  Instead, taxpayers are shouldering the financial burden for disposal. 

The Solution to Reducing Waste and Saving Taxpayers Money: Hold Manufacturers Responsible for their Waste: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) would require manufacturers to take responsibility for their products throughout their entire product life cycle, by bearing the cost of proper recycling and responsible disposal for packaging and printed paper. Not only does this provide relief to taxpayers, but it also serves as an incentive for producers to minimize packaging materials, improve recyclability, and reduce the toxicity of their products. Packaging EPR policies have existed in Canada and the EU for decades and resulted in recycling rates upwards of 90%.

New York Must Take Action on Our Solid Waste Crisis!

Governor Cuomo and the New York State legislature can reduce waste, increase recycling, save taxpayers money, and protect our treasured waters by passing the Extender Producer Responsibility Act (S.1185A/A.5801) for packaging and paper. Take action and urge the Governor, along with your representatives in the NY Senate and Assembly, to support passage of this important legislation as soon as possible!

Thanks for taking action. Together we make a difference!

Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE

Support New York’s First Offshore Wind Farm

Urge BOEM to move forward with approval for the South Fork Wind Farm

New York is poised to be a global leader in the fight against climate change, but we cannot get there without embracing offshore wind. On the South Fork of Long Island, a projected increase in energy demand necessitates either an offshore wind farm or new fossil fuel power plant. LIPA’s approval of the South Fork Wind Farm allows for the increased energy demand to be achieved with renewable energy and not with a new fossil fuel power station.  This project will bring 130 MW of renewable energy to Long Island.

Your voice is needed! The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released the draft Environmental Impact Statement and is set to make a decision on whether to move forward with the project by the end of the year. Dozens of studies are already completed to ensure the project is responsibly developed, mitigates potential impacts on wildlife, and protects the coastline. 

Now we need you to speak up in support of the South Fork Wind Farm.

Submit public comment to BOEM today. Urge the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to ensure the South Fork Wind Farm moves forward quickly and provides reliable, clean power to Long Island.

Thanks for taking action. Together we make a difference!

Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE

Highlights and Happenings: January 2021

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

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Highlights

Victory! 2020 NY Environmental Bills Signed into Law 

Although 2020 was a difficult year due to the pandemic, we continued to fight for crucial environmental and public health legislation and achieved historic victories to protect our air, land, water, and communities. Thank you so much to everyone who continued to support our important work, and thank you to Governor Cuomo for signing these priority bills into law as we closed out 2020: 

• Banning the harmful chemical “TCE” in manufacturing

• Preventing illegal dumping of dangerous construction waste

• Banning the toxic “forever chemical” PFAS in food packaging

• Banning the dangerous pesticide glyphosate on state property

Victory! Big Steps Forward for Offshore Wind 

In January, New York selected two new offshore wind projects off the Atlantic coast – Beacon Wind and Empire Wind 2 – which will bring renewable energy to 1.3 million homes. These new projects will bring NY to almost halfway to our goal of 9,000MW of offshore wind by 2035. Along with the South Fork Wind Farm, Sunrise Wind, and Empire Wind, these five projects will play a critical role in transitioning our state away from fossil fuels. New York State is also making historic investments in offshore wind manufacturing, operations, and job training to ensure we not only fight climate change but also grow a greener economy. 

Photo Credits: NOAA

Protecting our Ocean Monument! 

One of President Joe Biden's first acts as POTUS was to take steps towards reversing Trump Administration rollbacks to our National Monuments, including the only marine national monument in the Atlantic! The Northeast Canyons & Seamounts is a unique geological landscape of tremendous ecologically value. It was listed as federally protected in 2016 but threatened under the previous administration. Millions of Americans spoke out about the need to safeguard our protected places and permanently protect our ocean monuments. We look forward to working with the Biden Administration to make this a reality. 

Top 2021 NY Budget Priorities 

Last month there was good environmental news in Governor Cuomo’s executive budget proposal. We were thrilled that many of our environmental priorities were proposed to receive full funding, and we will work to ensure these crucial items make it into the final budget. These include funding to upgrade our aging water infrastructure ($500 million) and full funding for the state’s Environmental Protection Fund ($300 million), which supports healthy Great Lakes and estuaries, clean drinking water, green jobs, and so much more! 

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Happenings

Supporting Long Island Offshore Wind 

Long Island is on the verge of becoming a national leader in offshore wind, with five wind farms now in progress. There are some exciting developments on these projects, but our work is far from over. On the local level, the Town of East Hampton has voted unanimously to approve a cable connection and community benefits agreement for the South Fork Wind Farm, which will be the first offshore wind farm in NY and only the second in the nation. On the federal level, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has released a draft Environmental Impact Statement on the South Fork Wind Farm and is holding three virtual meetings this month. We need you to voice your support of the South Fork Wind Farm – find out more about the BOEM meetings and South Fork Wind Farm DEIS here. 

Image by SatyaPrem from Pixabay

Pushing for a Better Bottle Bill in Connecticut 

Glass is one of the major challenges facing municipal recycling programs due to its weight and potential to contaminate the recycling stream when crushed. Last month, our staff and volunteers participated in Housatonic Resource Recovery Authority’s 2021 Glass Characterization study, which concluded that approximately 60% of all glass going into curbside recycling programs in CT is comprised of wine and liquor bottles! This strengthens CCE’s commitments to modernize Connecticut’s bottle bill by putting a refundable deposit on wine and liquor bottles. This will go a long way towards increasing glass recycling in our state, cleaning up our waste stream and saving municipalities (and taxpayers!) money. 

Tackling Toxic Sites on Long Island 

There are 126 homes south of the Navy/Grumman contaminated site in Calverton, Suffolk County that are drinking from private wells and unable to access public water, despite the presence of carcinogenic chemicals in groundwater around the site. Independent testing by Suffolk County revealed that perfluorinated compounds, or PFAS, were detected in 15% of these private drinking water wells. We are working with community members who are fighting to have their homes connected to public water. In January, we joined with residents, elected officials, and the Suffolk County Water Authority in a united call to the Navy to step up and pay for public drinking water for the residents. 

Join us for the next installment in our series of educational forums on offshore wind

New York’s Offshore Wind Projects: 
The Future is Today

New York is poised to be a leader in offshore wind. In 2019, NY passed the nation’s most aggressive climate bill, which mandates 70% renewable energy by 2030 and 9,000MW of offshore wind by 2035. To meet these ambitious goals, New York is moving forward with a series of wind farms off the coast of Long Island. In the second of three virtual forums (via zoom), offshore wind developers Orsted and Equinor will discuss the offshore wind projects they are building off Long Island. 

• Equinor is developing the Empire Wind Farm off the coast of Long Beach, which will deliver 816 MW of renewable energy to NY. Equinor was also recently selected to build two additional projects—Empire Wind 2, which will be 20 miles off the south shore of Long Island; and Beacon Wind, 50 miles off of Montauk.

• Orsted is building New York’s first offshore wind project, the South Fork Wind Farm, sited 35 miles off Montauk, as well as Sunrise Wind, which will be off Suffolk County and will deliver 880MW of power to Long Island.

Join us to learn more about these critical projects, which combined will power more than 2.4 million homes and bring us almost halfway to our goal of 9,000 MW of offshore wind in NY State.

After the presentations there will be a question and answer session with our speakers and moderator Adrienne Esposito, CCE’s Executive Director. 

Topic: New York Offshore Wind Projects
Date: Monday, February 8, 2021
Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm 

Register now (after registering, you will receive a zoom link to participate)

This is the second of three offshore wind forums. The next installment in our series, “Offshore Wind and Community Benefits” will be held in March. Date TBA.

Thank you for joining us!

Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE