While some important bills fell short, there is a lot to celebrate about the recently concluded New York State legislative session. The following CCE priorities passed in the legislature (most still need to be signed by the Governor):
Testing drinking water for emerging contaminants: Ensures that the drinking water for 2.5 million New Yorkers that are served by small water systems test for dangerous emerging contaminants.
Banning coal tar sealcoat: Coal tar sealcoat, which contains a known carcinogen, scrapes off roads and parking lots and ends up polluting our waterways and in our homes. Safer alternatives to “beautify” asphalt are readily available.
Keeping drinking water lead-free at schools: Sets a more protective standard for lead in school drinking water and increases the frequency of testing. There is no safe level of exposure to lead, especially for our children.
Environmental Bond Act: The $3 billion bond act will protect waterways, make our communities more resilient to climate change, and create jobs. The bond act will be considered by voters on the ballot in November of 2022.
Banning small plastic toiletry bottles at hotels: Hotels in NYC alone use an estimated 27 million of these unnecessary plastic bottles every year. The plastic bottles often end up in landfills, incinerators, or in our waterways.
Protecting our health and environment from fracking fluids: Bans fluids from oil and gas development from being spread on roads or on fields. Fracking fluids contain toxic chemicals and can be radioactive.
Thank you for your support—we could not have achieved this without you!
Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE
Photo by Lisa Fotios: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-drinking-glass-1346155/
We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity!
Congress is currently developing next year’s federal budget while also considering a major infrastructure package. This provides our nation with a critical once-in-a-generation opportunity to finally address our long-standing clean water needs! We have solutions to our clean water challenges, and it’s time to use them. Congress must act to:
Upgrade sewage and drinking water systems: The Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) is a program to provide support to municipalities for the construction and repair of sewage infrastructure, and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) is a program to upgrade drinking water infrastructure and ensure safe water at the tap. Congress should fund each program at $10 billion annually.
Replace Lead Service Lines: Between 6 -10 million homes nationwide continue to receive their drinking water through lead service lines, posing a serious risk to their health and disproportionately impacting low-income households. Congress should fund the Lead Service Line Replacement Program at $4.5 billion annually, which will provide grants for the full cost of replacing lead service lines.
Background Information
Aging and failing sewage infrastructure discharges raw or partially sewage into local waterways, jeopardizing human health, closing beaches, harming fish and wildlife, and damaging local economies. Our drinking water infrastructure is also in need of critical upgrades, with communities facing ever-increasing water main breaks every year and continuing to rely on lead service lines that threaten public health. Our water infrastructure has been ignored for far too long, causing needed repairs to pile up due to lack of sufficient funds. As the Congress looks to address the nation’s infrastructure needs, we need to ensure clean water infrastructure is an essential component of that effort.
The Costs of Inaction in New York, Connecticut, and the Nation: Antiquated sewage and drinking water infrastructure threatens our environment and our health, while compounding economic struggles.
There are an estimated 360,000 lead water service lines throughout New York (an estimated 6 -10 million homes nationwide) that pose a serious risk of leaching lead into our drinking water.
The American Society of Civil Engineers gave NY & CT’s infrastructure poor grades (NY drinking water infrastructure: C; NY wastewater infrastructure: D; CT drinking water infrastructure: C-; CT wastewater infrastructure: D+). We deserve better!
There are 5 overflows of raw or partially treated sewage into New York waters every day. More than 1 billion gallons of raw or partially treated sewage enter CT waterways each year.
Between 1.8 and 3.5 million Americans become ill annually from contact with recreational waters contaminated by sewage.
Clean Water Infrastructure Needs in NY & CT
While repairing and replacing NY & CT’s clean water infrastructure is imperative, it will also be costly. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) estimates that over $36 billion is needed to repair and upgrade sewage infrastructure, while the New York State Department of Health estimates drinking water infrastructure needs exceed $38 billion. According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), more than $8.6 billion worth of investments are needed over the next 20 years to maintain, repair and upgrade sewage infrastructure in Connecticut.
We Need Federal Investment in Clean Water Infrastructure
The federal government’s contribution to investments in water infrastructure fell from 63% in 1977 to 9% in 2014. The lack of federal investment has left communities unable to keep up with the large maintenance costs for aging systems. Many projects get delayed, and, in other cases, the costs of large infrastructure projects are passed on to ratepayers—leading to skyrocketing water bills. In some communities, water bills have tripled over the last 10 years.
A major federal investment in water infrastructure will protect our environment, help ensure safe, clean, and affordable drinking water is available to everyone, and set the stage for economic revitalization in towns and cities across New York.
Thank you for taking action!
Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE
With fewer than three days remaining in the Connecticut legislative session, we are running out of time to eliminate PFAS chemicals in our food packaging. We urgently need your help to get legislation (S.B. 837) called for a vote in the House so we can pass this important bill into law!
S.B. 837 restricts the use of takeout containers, fast food wrappers and other food packaging treated with toxic PFAS. These “forever chemicals” persist in our bodies and our environment for decades, and they contribute to serious human health issues, including developmental impacts and certain cancers.
The bill also authorizes the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to establish a take-back program for firefighting foams that contain PFAS and contaminate our environment and drinking water sources. This legislation brings CT in line with many neighboring states and has already passed the CT State Senate unanimously.
Why we are emailing you: we need your help today!
With so many important bills and limited time left in the session, we need to call on leadership in the House to call the bill and get it passed. Please take a moment to email House Speaker Matt Ritter and ask him to ban PFAS in food packaging today.
Thanks for taking action. Together we make a difference!
Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE
Image by Ben Scherjon 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.
Hosting the First Ever Long Island Sound Student Summit
We were thrilled to joined students from Brentwood, Northport, Smithtown, and Rocky Point High Schools on Long Island for the first Long Island Sound High School Summit. These future Long Island Sound leaders presented research projects on a variety for important topics, including water quality testing, storm drain monitoring, plastic pollution, and marine life in the Long Island Sound. Thank you to our partners AMSEAS, to Congressman Tom Suozzi for his inspirational opening remarks, and to the Long Island Sound Study and the Long Island Sound Futures Fund for their generous support of this project. These exceptional students are our future leaders and we are in great hands!
Bee-ware! Ban Toxic Neonic Pesticides in NY
We have been working aggressively over the last few years to address one of the biggest threats to pollinators—neonicotinoid pesticides (a.k.a neonics). These toxic pesticides are linked to the global decline of bee populations and are detected in water supplies in New York and across the nation. A law proposed in NY (Birds and Bees Protection Act) would ban certain unnecessary and harmful uses of neonics, including neonic treated corn, soybean, and wheat seeds, as well as ornamental, lawn, and garden uses. This would eliminate at least 85%-90% of all neonics used in the State! Help us pass this critical legislation and send an email to NYS Senate and Assembly Leadership. Want to know how you can protect pollinators at your own home? Take a look at CCE’s educational factsheet!
Victory! Southampton Sand Mining Permit Ruled Illegal
Sand Land, a 50-acre sand and gravel mine in Southampton, has long been controversial and is linked to groundwater contamination in the sole source aquifer of Southampton. We have been working for a decade with the Town of Southampton, Group for the East End, and the Noyac Civic Association to stop the expansion and close down the mine. In a landmark ruling in May, the NYS Supreme Court Appellate Division ruled in favor of aquifer protection and against the existing sandmining operation. Sand Land and the NYS DEC lost this critical court case and the courts ruled that DEC broke the law by issuing a permit extension and expansion to the sand mine located in the middle of a Special Ground Water Protection Area in Southampton Town.
Pushing for the CT Bottle Bill
We are fighting to pass legislation to improve and modernize Connecticut’s bottle bill (S.B. 1037) and we are making real progress. In May, we held a series of stakeholder and community meetings in New Haven, Hartford, Bridgeport and Waterbury to bolster support for this critical bill. We also participated in a number of litter cleanups across Connecticut to help clean up our communities and open spaces and talk to members of the public about the bottle bill. One of these great events was a workshop at the Reservoir Farm in Bridgeport to educate community members about our ongoing efforts to improve recycling in Connecticut. The program included a briefing from CCE’s Lou Rosado Burch and a litter cleanup around the farm. Thanks to everyone who participated and a big thank you to the Green Village Initiative for inviting us.
Combatting PFAS: Long Island’s Toxic “Forever Chemicals”
The EPA’s failure to regulate PFAS is causing tremendous health and economic damage on Long Island. In May, we joined expert panelists Phil Brown, University Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Health Sciences from Northeastern University; Tim Whitehouse, the Executive Director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility; and Kyla Bennett, the Science Policy Director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility for a virtual event to discuss the danger PFAS poses to Long Island’s environment and health and what needs to be done to combat these forever chemicals. The event, moderated by Christopher Sellers, the Professor of History at Stony Brook University, had a great turnout. If you missed it, - check it out here.
Tackling 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 would minimize waste, improve recycling, prevent plastic pollution, reduce toxins in products, and save municipalities money. In May, we had productive meetings with our Senate and Assembly leaders and have continued to lobby in support of EPR, 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.
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!
Long Island Sound: Driving Local Actions to Tackle Water Pollution
In May, we joined our partners at Save the Sound and The Nature Conservancy to host a collaborative workshop series to advance local actions for cleaner waters and healthy watersheds in Long Island Sound. Thank you to everyone who joined us to 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 brought folks from across the Sound together to learn about advancements in technology and policy that tackles our biggest water quality challenges—including fecal bacteria, nitrogen, and plastic pollution.
Upcoming: High School Presentation Series on Climate Change and Offshore Wind
Recruiting all High School teachers! We are providing FREE zoom presentations on Combating Climate Change by Investing in Offshore Wind Energy. Reach out to our Project Coordinator Olivia Del Vecchio (odelvecchio@citizenscampaign.org / 516-390-7150) to set up your Climate & Wind presentation. Don’t delay, schedule today!
Honeybees are an integral component of our food web, but global populations of honeybees have declined since 2005. Massive bee die-off events and colony collapse disorder are putting our ecosystem and food production at risk. In honor of National Bee Day on May 20th, we worked with Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski to craft and introduce an important bill to prevent exterminators in Suffolk from destroying honeybee hives without first calling a beekeeper to rescue the hive!
This bill would require homeowners, pesticide applicators, and exterminators who want to address unwanted honeybee infestations first call a beekeeper, who can safely relocate the hive. To learn more about the importance of protecting honeybees and the Suffolk County honeybee protection bill, check out this video with CCE’s Adrienne Esposito and Legislator Al Krupki.
There are two important ways you can help!
You can also join us virtually for the Suffolk County Public Hearing on the Honeybee Protection Bill and submit supportive comments. Details for the public hearing:
Date: Tuesday, June 8
Time: 2:00pm
How to Submit Public Testimony
Thank you for taking action!
Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE
Pollinators, such as honeybees, beetles, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds, are essential components of our food web. Massive bee die-off events and colony collapse disorder are putting our ecosystem and food production at risk. This rise in bee deaths has been largely linked to the explosive growth in the use of neonicotinoids (A.K.A. “neonics”) and other harmful pesticides.
Neonics are pesticides that attack the nervous system of insects. These pesticides largely added as a seed coating to plants, such as corn, wheat, and soybeans, and used as a spray for ornamental plants and turf. As a seed coating these chemicals persist and spread as the plant grows, making the entire plant toxic to bees and other pollinators.
Neonics are also threatening New York’s waters. A 2018 U.S. Fish and Wildlife study found neonics in New York’s streams “in excess of toxicity and regulatory thresholds.” Additionally, extensive testing of New York’s surface waters by the USGS in 2016 found the neonic imidacloprid in nearly 40% of samples. Neonics are persistent in our water and environment, posing a serious threat to health and pollinators.
Corn, soy, and wheat treated seeds account for an estimated 73% of all neonics used in New York, while lawn, garden, ornamental, and turf (aka cosmetic) uses make up an additional 15%. A 2020 report by Cornell University found that neonic treated corn, soy, and wheat seeds provide "no overall net income benefits" to farmers yet pose significant risk to bees and other pollinators. Likewise, cosmetic uses posed some of the highest risk to pollinators but are easily replaced with safer alternatives.
The Birds and Bees Protection Act (S.669B/A.7429) would ban these low benefit/high risk uses of neonics in NY. This will eliminate at least 85% - 90% of all neonics used in New York, protect water quality, and ensure we are not poisoning our birds, bees, and other pollinators with this toxic pesticide.
How You Can Help! Email NYS Senate and Assembly Leadership!
Send an email to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and tell them to pass the Birds and Bees Protection Act (S.669B/A7429) to ban neonic treated corn, soy, and wheat seeds and ban ornamental and turf neonic uses.
Thank you! Together we can make a difference.
All of Us at CCE
Join 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 final workshop will bring folks from across the Sound together to learn about advancements in technology and policy that tackles our biggest water quality challenge — marine debris and plastic pollution. Hear from expert speakers like Robert A. DiGiovanni from the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, Dr. Kelsey Leonard from Shinnecock Nation, and our own Executive Director Adrienne Esposito from Citizens Campaign for the Environment! Additionally, new research on plastics in the Sound will be presented by students from Brentwood High School and Northport High School.
Date: Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Time: 12:00pm-1:30pm
Topic: 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
SOURCE:
By Charlie Specht - May 19, 2021
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — To Margaux Valenti, the 1970s were the “bad old days” on Buffalo’s waterfront.
“We had a Buffalo River that was on fire,” said Valenti, legal and program adviser for Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper. “We had a Lake Erie that was pronounced dead. And we had a failing economy that was in part due to a polluted waterfront.”
That has changed dramatically, with Lake Erie and the Buffalo and Niagara rivers becoming hot spots for those who want to live, work and play downtown.
But all isn’t well on our corner of the Great Lakes.
Recent Stories from wkbw.com
The 7 Eyewitness News I-Team has obtained federal data showing that multiple companies have violated pollution laws that were enacted decades ago to keep our land and water safe.
The federal government has classified two Buffalo businesses -- the Aurubis Buffalo brass and copper manufacturing plant off Military Road and Harbour Place Marine Sales on Niagara Street -- as “significant” violators of laws enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency, according to hundreds of pages of government records reviewed by the I-Team.
The records revealed violations of two federal laws on pollution: the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 and the Clean Water Act of 1977.
“In the ‘70s, we start to get these big environmental laws,” said Valenti. “And what they gave us was knowledge, accountability and enforceability.”
Aurubis Buffalo, according to its website, “produces copper and brass plate, which is used to manufacture a number of widely used products such as roofing copper and brass hose nozzles.
It also handles 2,500 pounds of hazardous waste per month, documents stated, and is considered by state regulators to be a “large quantity generator,” which means it is subject to additional regulations.
A DEC inspector visiting the factory in May 2016 found multiple violations relating to the improper storage of hazardous waste. The inspector stated in DEC documents that workers did not properly label a 250-gallon tote of Hydrochloric acid as hazardous waste and failed to provide records regarding the proper training of employees to handle hazardous waste.
Factory officials also failed to produce, as required by law, a contingency plan “designed to minimize hazards to human health or the environment from fires, explosions, or any unplanned sudden or non-sudden release of hazardous waste or hazardous waste constituents to air, soil or surface water.”
State regulators required the facility to fix the violations and in June 2018 slapped Aurubis Buffalo with a $35,500 fine.
But just five months later, records show a DEC inspector again found problems with the company’s petroleum bulk storage program, including unreported spills, incorrect labeling of kerosene, a lack of maintenance for spill-prevention equipment and tanks that were not inspected as required by law.
The facility in its November 2018 inspection also lacked overfill prevention measures, corrosion-resistant pipes, check valves and operating valves on some of its tanks, according to violation notices issued by the DEC.
Then came the spills.
The company in April 2018 failed to report the release of 60,000 gallons of sodium hydroxide wastewater, DEC records stated.
Two months later, hazardous waste spilled again -- this time, in the form of dust -- because company officials did not maintain proper fire suppression systems, state officials said.
In December 2019, more hazardous dust was released from the facility’s bag house into the surrounding neighborhood, including an adjacent property, documents stated.
And twice in 2020, more than 100 gallons of sulfuric acid spilled on the factory’s concrete floor, including an estimated 85 gallons that washed into the storm drain, according to state environmental records.
“Anytime that toxic or hazardous waste is discharged into our lakes, there is significant cause for concern,” said Brian Smith, associate executive director for the nonprofit Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “These lakes provide drinking water to millions of residents, they support billion-dollar industries locally, and they’re really just essential for quality of life.”
Because Buffalo has a combined sanitary and stormwater sewer system, if spills happen on rainy days, there’s a greater chance that chemicals could pour into our waterways, Valenti said.
“The contaminants, and the water, and any sanitary waste all go unfiltered, straight discharged into the water without going through the treatment plant,” Valenti said. “So that is one way that contaminants can end up directly in a waterway without any kind of treatment.”
This March, company officials agreed to a settlement with DEC officials that required them to pay $240,399 in fines and make improvements to the facility. But the latest data on the EPA website stated that the company was still considered to be a “Significant Noncomplier” with six sections of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
In a written statement, a spokesperson for the DEC stated that the agency “is committed to holding facilities accountable for violating state environmental laws and regulations” and that its latest enforcement actions “are part of DEC’s active and ongoing efforts to monitor operations at these facilities and enforce compliance with all applicable permits, laws, and regulations to protect public health and the environment.”
Aurubis Buffalo officials declined an interview request but in a written statement, company president Dustin R. Snyder said, “We take our environmental, health, and safety responsibilities very seriously at Aurubis. Our work with the DEC reflects our commitment to compliance and continuous improvement in environmental performance. We have come to agreement on our environmental upgrade projects. Work is already underway to complete them. We appreciate the DEC’s efforts in working cooperatively with us to achieve this outcome.”
The other place in Buffalo identified by the EPA on its website as being in “significant” noncompliance was Harbour Place Marine Sales, Inc., a marina and boat shop on Niagara Street adjacent to AcQua restaurant and event center.
In April 2015, officials at Harbour Place Marine Sales received a letter from the DEC stating that the company failed to submit Discharge Monitoring Reports for the 2014 calendar year. The company, as part of its stormwater discharge permit, is required to submit the reports by Feb. 28 of each year.
“The only issue we’ve had from them is a late filing fee,” Harbour Place president Gary Hall said when reached by phone, referring to regulators.
One day after receiving the letter, officials hired by the company provided the DEC with its discharge report but soon received bad news from state regulators: it was discharging too much iron and aluminum into state waters, documents stated. The company was required to test again and submit follow-up samples to the department.
“I’ll be honest with you,” Hall said. “I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about there. We pay dearly for an environmental film to do our testing and fill out all the required forms with DEC annually, because the average human being cannot understand their forms, their terminology.”
Valenti, of Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, said the discharge reports play an important role in ensuring transparency about what is in our water.
“The discharge reports correlate to the company's permit, and it enables the public to look up exactly how much of what contaminants, in what neighborhood, and what effects it's having,” Valenti said. “Without those permits, without those reports, nobody would really have any way to know but for the company itself.”
But in 2019, the company again failed to submit the discharge reports for the first half of the year to the state, according to a DEC violation notice sent to the company. In February 2020, it reached a settlement with the DEC that required it to pay a $1,140 fine for its failure to submit the reports. Hall said the environmental firm hired by his company reimbursed Harbour Place for the fine because the firm was responsible for the filing error.
But recent data on the EPA website stated that the company still did not submit discharge monitoring reports through the end of 2020 and was considered by regulators to be in “Significant/Category I Noncompliance” of portions of the Clean Water Act.
Asked whether his company was currently in compliance with all state water regulations, Hall said, “Absolutely. We do whatever we have to do to comply.”
Environmental laws like the Clean Water Act, as well as state laws enforced by the DEC, have been “largely effective” at stopping the discharge of industrial waste into the Great Lakes, said Smith of Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
“But rather regrettably, there are still bad actors out there that continue to pollute,” he said. “So we have to be diligent and ensure that we're enforcing and holding these companies accountable.
The problem isn’t limited to Buffalo.
The cost of upgrading and maintaining wastewater infrastructure over the next two decades is an estimated $40 billion in New York State alone, Smith estimated.
Much of the funding to this point has been targeted through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which according to its website, provides “funding to 16 federal organizations to strategically target the biggest threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem.
Those threats include the introduction of PFAS, commonly known as “forever chemicals,” into Great Lakes waterways, as well as microplastics and overflows from combined sewer systems in cities like Buffalo.
Experts point to the Buffalo River as an example of how cleaning a polluted body of water can lead to almost instant economic development and recreational opportunities.
“That has been so successful in removing these legacy contaminants and helping to spur economic growth along our waterfront,” Smith said. “So on one hand we can't be making these major investments in cleaning up the legacy pollution, while continuing to allow industry to continue to pollute. It's one step forward and one step back.”
Citizens who want to look up water quality or environmental data on the EPA’s website can visit https://echo.epa.gov/.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, joined by Long Island politicians and environmental activists, helped break ground on the Bay Park Conveyance Project on Thursday.
The new structure, which will take about two years to complete, will run pipes that will transport treated water and reduce nitrogen levels in the Western Bays. Elected leaders and clean water advocates came together for the groundbreaking on the world’s 51st celebration of Earth Day.
HARTFORD, Conn. -- A coalition of Connecticut groups and lawmakers in support of new state bottle-deposit legislation are rallying in honor of Earth Day to raise awareness about reducing plastic waste.
At the direction of local musician Freddy B, New Haveners marked Earth Day by singing, clapping and waving posters to the chorus of the anti-war classic “Give Peace A Chance.”
The event united organizations that promote anti-gun violence, climate justice, and peace/antiwar causes. Earth/Peace Day also served as a public response to a non-binding referendum on the 2020 municipal election ballot, in which 83 percent of voters approved a call for redirecting national military spending to cities for an environmentally sustainable economy, jobs, and human needs.
ALBANY — New York lawmakers want hotels in the Empire State to get rid of single-use plastic toiletry bottles altogether.
The Democratic-led Senate is slated to vote on a measure Monday prohibiting hotels from providing small plastic bottles used for personal care products, such as shampoo, conditioner and liquid soap.
Join Citizens Campaign for the Environment for a webinar on PFAS: Long Island’s Toxic “Forever Chemicals.” The EPA’s failure to regulate PFAS is causing tremendous health and economic damage on Long Island. This important discussion will identify steps the EPA should take to regulate PFAS, so that they do not pose unintended or unreasonable risks to humans, animals, and the environment.
The webinar will feature expert panelists, including Phil Brown, University Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Health Sciences at Northeastern University; Tim Whitehouse, the Executive Director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility; Kyla Bennett, the Science Policy Director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility; and Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. The webinar will also be moderated by Christopher Sellers, the Professor of History at Stony Brook University.
Topic: PFAS, the “Forever Chemical”
Date: Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Time: 12:00PM - 1:00PM
Where: Zoom - click here to register today! After registering, you will receive a zoom link to participate.
Thank you for joining us!
Sincerely,
Your Friends at CCE
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.
NY Earth Day Victories
The NYS Senate and Assembly passed key CCE priority bills as part of an Earth Day legislative package. Thank you to all our legislative champions and our environmental partners who helped push for these important bills. The following passed both houses and will be sent to the Governor for his signature:
Ban on plastic toiletry bottles in hotels. NYC hotels alone use 27 million of these plastic bottles annually.
Ban on spreading fracking fluids on roads and fields. These fluids can contain toxic chemicals that put our water and health at risk.
100% Zero Emission Vehicles sold in NY by 2035. The transportation sector is NY’s largest source of climate pollution, making it critical for NY to switch to electric vehicles.
Victory! Breaking Ground at the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant on Long Island
After 15 years of hard work, we were thrilled to celebrate Earth Day with Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senator Todd Kaminsky, The Nature Conservancy in New York, and Operation Splash at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Bay Park Conveyance Project. This transformative project will connect the Bay Park and Long Beach sewage treatment plants, which were discharging treated sewage into Reynolds Channel, to an ocean outfall pipe at the Cedar Creek plant. We are closer than ever to restoring the Western Bays. We also held a virtual Save the Western Bays Educational forum last month. Check it out to learn more about this crucial project and ongoing efforts to combat nitrogen pollution in the bays.
Celebrating Earth Day!
We celebrated with a virtual advocacy event joined by our environmental colleagues and advocates from across New York. This event highlighted many aspects of the environmental movement with a broad legislative agenda aimed at protecting our water, land and pollinators, as well as addressing solid waste, toxics, and environmental justice issues. CCE and over 100 advocates from across the State called on the New York State Legislature to take action on key environmental issues this Earth Day!
Supporting New York Offshore Wind
New York State is advancing five offshore wind projects and working hard to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. After years of frustrating delays at the federal level, we are thrilled the Biden administration committed to moving forward with offshore wind. In March, the administration announced they aim to generate 30 gigawatts of wind by 2030, designated a new wind energy area in the NY Bight (allowing New York to move forward with additional offshore wind farms), and are investing in important offshore wind infrastructure. In April, we participated in public meetings on the new wind energy areas and submitted comments in support to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. This is just the beginning of a long process, so stay tuned for more opportunities to support offshore wind in NY.
Tackling 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 packaging waste, improve recycling, prevent plastic pollution, reduce toxins in products, and save municipalities money. In April, we had a great educational forum and discussion with our Long Island Assembly leaders and have continued to lobby in support of EPR, 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. To learn more about the EPR, also check out this great video from our Executive Director, Adrienne Esposito, during the 2021 Earth Day Lobby Day.
Rallying for the CT Bottle Bill on Earth Day
We were excited to join members of the State House of Representatives, coalition partners, and members of the public on Earth Day to highlight their work on the bottle bill and to call on members of the Senate to pass S.B. 1037 (the bill to modernize the CT bottle bill). At the rally, we presented a sign-on letter with more than 60 state & local organizations and 7 mayors/1st selectmen in support of expanding the container deposit to cover juices, teas, sports drinks and liquor ‘nips’, as well as to raise the deposit from $.05 to $.10 on covered containers.
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!
Combatting Nitrogen Pollution on Long Island
Degraded water quality, depleted oxygen, and harmful algal blooms plague nearly every waterway on Long Island, and excessive nitrogen from septic systems and cesspools is the primary culprit. The good news is that both Nassau and Suffolk Counties are making great progress helping homeowners upgrade to nitrogen-reducing septic systems. In April, Suffolk County announced $100 million in funding to upgrade septics and connect homes to sewers. In Nassau County, we celebrated the launch of Nassau County’s septic grants program with County Executive Curran. Grants are now available to homeowners in both counties to upgrade their old or failing septic tank to newer technology that combats nitrogen pollution on Long Island!
Advancing Wind & Protecting Wildlife
Last month, we hosted the third installment of our series of educational forums on offshore wind. Thank you to cohost NY League of Conservation Voters and expert panelists Dr. Howard Rosenbaum with Wildlife Conservation Society, Dr. Drew Carey with Inspire Environmental, and Catherine Bowes with National Wildlife Federation, who discussed impacts to marine mammals and fish species, potential “reef effects,” and more. If you missed it, you can check out a recording of the event here.
We Need the NYS Environmental
Bond Act
Governor Cuomo and the NY State Legislature included an historic $3 billion Environmental Bond Act as part of the 2021-2022 state budget. This funding, which will be voted on by the public in November 2022, will allow New York communities to improve coastal resiliency, protect open space, upgrade water infrastructure, restore habitat, and combat harmful pollution. Last month, we were proud to stand with Senator Kaminsky, Assemblyman Englebright, the Nassau and Suffolk County Executives, and our environmental and labor partners from across the state in celebrating the importance of the Environmental Bond Act for NY communities.
Upcoming - Long Island Sound: Driving Local Actions to Tackle Water Pollution
We will be hosting a collaborative workshop series with our partners at Save the Sound and The Nature Conservancy to advance 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. Click here to register!
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
Upcoming - PFAS: Long Island’s Toxic “Forever Chemicals”
Join us on May 18th from 12:00pm – 1:00pm for a live webinar on the toxic chemical PFAS.
The webinar will feature expert panelists like Phil Brown, University Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Health Sciences from Northeastern University; Tim Whitehouse, the Executive Director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility; Adrienne Esposito, the Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment; and Kyla Bennett, the Science Policy Director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. The event will be moderated by Christopher Sellers, the Professor of History at Stony Brook University. Click here to register.
Bottle deposit machines on every corner. Breezes free of incinerated trash particles. No litter in sight.
Climate activist Louis Rosado Burch painted this idyllic picture to Dwight neighbors as the outcome if the Connecticut General Assembly passes a new version of the bottle bill.
“I personally believe it will eliminate litter from nips,” Burch said.
Burch, Connecticut program director for the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, pitched the bill at the monthly Dwight Central Management Team meeting held virtually Tuesday night.
Connecticut’s container deposit law (aka “the Bottle Bill”) was enacted in 1978 and has served as a critically important recycling program—capturing billions of single-serve beverage containers for recycling, reducing pollution and litter, and saving municipalities millions in solid waste costs over time.
Unfortunately, the program is out of date and has not kept up with changing market trends and inflation. As a result, Connecticut’s redemption rate has fallen to around 49% (a 44% drop since 2001). Instead of being recycled, more than 69,000 tons of glass, plastic and aluminum is being disposed of as solid waste every year!
The Solution: Modernize Connecticut’s Bottle Bill! Proposed legislation (S.B. 1037) would modernize the state’s existing container deposit program in 3 important ways:
Improve consumer convenience: Requiring bottle deposit machines in more locations across the state will make it easier for everyone to take bottles back!
Expand the program to cover more beverage container types: By expanding the Bottle Bill to include beverage types that have become very popular, Connecticut can virtually eliminate unsightly litter from juices, teas, sports drinks and miniature liquor bottles!
Raise the deposit from $.05 to $.10: States like Michigan and Oregon have a $.10 deposit and boast redemption rates of 80 - 90%! Litter from improperly discarded bottles and cans has effectively been eradicated.
Additional action: Take just 60 seconds to fill out a quick survey so we can get your feedback on the Bottle Bill!
Thanks for taking action. Together we make a difference!
Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE
