Join Us: Learn about the Human Story Behind the Love Canal Environmental Crisis

Bestselling author Keith O’Brien will be in Niagara Falls and Buffalo to discuss his new book, Paradise Falls

Keith O'Brien—a former reporter for the Boston Globe and a New York Times bestselling author whose work has appeared in Politico, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and on National Public Radio—will be in Niagara Falls and Buffalo for two free events to discuss his new book, Paradise Falls.

Paradise Falls tells the human story behind the Love Canal crisis—the mothers who organized around their kitchen tables to save their families and escape their own homes. In the span of just two years, they went from being ignored by local officials to having the ear of the EPA, the White House, and even President Jimmy Carter himself. It is a story of resistance in the face of impossible odds and a story that remains all too relevant today. 

You can learn more at www.KeithOB.com or by watching the book's video trailer here.  

Event info:

Where: Niagara Falls Public Library (Lasalle Branch)
When: Tuesday, April 19, at 6:30pm

Where: Buffalo History Museum
When: Wednesday, April 20, at 6pm

Thank you for joining us! Together we make a difference!

Sincerely, 
Your friends at CCE

Join the Long Island Sound Coastal Watershed Network for our 2022 webinar series!

Long Island Sound: Driving Local Actions to Tackle Water Pollution is a webinar 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 year’s workshop series will focus on creating connections, collaborations for change, and reducing cost barriers for implementation.

The webinar series will bring people 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 marine debris/plastic pollution. These forums will inspire action. Each webinar will allow time for a question-and-answer session with the panelists and technical break-out groups for those that want to take a deeper dive on pollution issues.

2022 Webinar Schedule:

• Thursday, April 14 from 12:00pm-1:30pm: Marine Debris and Plastic Pollution

• Thursday May 12 from 12:00pm-1:30pm: Nitrogen Pollution

• Friday, June 16 from 12:00pm-1:30pm: Fecal Bacteria Pollution

Click here for registration and more information!

The Long Island Sound Coastal Watershed Network is hosted by  Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Save the Sound, and  The Nature Conservancy  with generous support from the LIS Funders Collaborative and LIS Study funding.

Thank you for joining us!

Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE

Protect New York’s Wetlands

Image by Alain Audet from Pixabay

Urge lawmakers to pass legislation in the state budget to protect 1 million acres of wetlands!

New York’s wetlands’ regulations are outdated and grossly inadequate, leaving millions of acres of valuable wetlands vulnerable to being destroyed or polluted. In fact, NYS has already lost at least 60% of its wetlands—over 1.5 million acres.

Governor Hochul and the New York State Senate have proposed to update and improve the state’s wetlands program in their respective budget proposals. If enacted in the final state budget that is due on March 31, this policy would protect over 1 million acres of wetlands across the state. Protecting wetlands will safeguard drinking water sources, shield communities from flooding, help fight climate change, and provide habitat for fish and wildlife. 

CCE has been fighting to modernize New York’s wetlands’ protections for nearly two decades—we are closer than ever to finally getting the job done and we need your help! Email elected leaders today and urge them to protect New York’s freshwater wetlands in the final state budget due on March 31.

Why are our wetlands so important? Wetlands, regardless of size, provide numerous benefits to people, environment, and economy of New York State. Wetlands:

• Protect clean drinking water: Often referred to as “nature’s kidneys,” wetlands absorb pesticides, nitrogen, and other contaminants before they pollute drinking water sources.

• Absorb floodwaters: Wetlands save billions of dollars in property damage annually by acting as a buffer against storm water and absorbing floodwaters. One acre of wetlands can store 1.5 million gallons of storm water.

• Provide habitat for wildlife: More than half of all threatened or endangered species depend on wetlands during their lifecycle.

• Help fight climate change: Wetlands can store 81 to 216 metric tons of carbon per acre, helping to fight climate change.

Thank you for taking action!

Sincerely, 
Your friends at CCE

Reduce Waste and Increase Recycling in New York

Hold manufacturers—not taxpayers—responsible for their waste!

New York State is suffering from a solid waste and recycling crisis—recycling costs for municipalities and taxpayers have skyrocketed, recycling rates have declined, and our environment and health are suffering from pollution caused by excessive plastic packaging. Currently, corporate brand owners bear no responsibility in managing the product packaging waste they have created.  

A proposed policy known as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) would require product manufacturers—not taxpayers—to be responsible for the cost of collecting and recycling the packaging and printed paper they create. A strong EPR policy will help:

• Reduce waste: EPR incentivizes producers to produce less packaging in the first place!

• Increase recycling: New York’s recycling rate is approximately 18%, while countries that have adopted an EPR policy have rates over 70%.

• Eliminate toxic chemicals: Prohibit the harmful “forever chemical” PFAS and other toxic chemicals often used in packaging.

• Reduce plastic pollution in our waterways: Lake Erie is polluted with 381 metric tons of plastic while Long Island Sound has an estimated 165 million plastic particles floating in the water at any given time.

• Save taxpayers money: Local governments (outside of NYC) pay $80 million annually to keep recycling programs going.

• Fight climate change: EPR can lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by over 2.3 million metric tons — the equivalent of taking half a million cars off the road or reducing the state’s GHG emissions from waste by 18%

Urge your representatives in the NY Senate and Assembly to pass a strong EPR policy this legislative session!

Thanks for taking action. Together we make a difference!

Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE

Highlights and Happenings: February 2022

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

VICTORY! Celebrating $1 Billion for Great Lakes Clean Up 
Our Associate Executive Director, Brian Smith, joined with Rep. Brian Higgins, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, & the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last month to celebrate a $1 billion investment from the bipartisan infrastructure bill in Great Lakes restoration. This funding will help clean up four toxic hot spots in NY’s Great Lakes waters (Buffalo River, Niagara River, Eighteen Mile Creek, Rochester Embayment) over the next several years! These toxic hot spots have polluted sources of drinking water and threatened public health for decades. This is a huge step forward!  

VICTORY! New York’s First Offshore Wind Farm Breaks Ground 
Last month, we celebrated the groundbreaking of NY’s first offshore wind farm – South Fork Wind. After 10 years of work with environmental organizations, labor partners, and the public, we were very excited that NY’s offshore wind future is finally becoming a reality. South Fork Wind will bring renewable energy to 70,000 homes and accelerate our just transition to green energy. Thank you to Governor Kathy Hochul, Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland, the Director of BOEM, Amanda Lefton, and NYSERDA for working so hard to make offshore wind a reality for NY. 

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Happenings

Protecting Our Pollinators 
We joined with advocates from across the state representing public health, farming and environmental groups for a virtual lobby day in support of the Birds and Bees Protection Act. We highlighted the critical need to limit unnecessary uses of toxic neonicotinoid pesticides (A.K.A neonics), which have decimated bee populations, polluted drinking water, and have been linked to adverse human health impacts. This coalition has been working to pass state legislation to ban the sale of neonic treated corn, soybean, and wheat seeds; and ornamental uses on lawns, gardens, and golf courses. By banning just these few uses, we could eliminate 85-90% of all neonics used in New York and protect our pollinators, water quality, and human health. Help us by emailing your elected representatives today and urge them to pass the Birds and Bees Protection Act! 

Pushing for Electric Vehicles 
In February, we joined Congressman Tom Suozzi as he announced $26 million in federal funds to help New York build a network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. New York has a goal of 1 million EVs by 2035, which means we need charging stations installed throughout the state quickly and broadly. In addition to these federal funds, we are also working to pass state legislation allowing for uncapped direct sales of EVs in NY (there are currently only 5 EV direct sale locations permitted in downstate NY). Florida, which currently allows for the uncapped direct sales of EVs, had 60% higher sales of EVs than NY in 2020, and nearly twice as many EVs on the road. We need to catch up if we are going to meet our important climate change goals! 

Calling for Federal Investments in Climate and Environmental Solutions 
We joined state elected leaders and advocates for virtual events in both Western and Central New York calling on Senator Schumer to continue to his leadership and push for the U.S. Senate to make significant climate investments. These press conferences highlighted the impacts of climate change that are being felt in the upstate NY. Sewage overflows, increased flooding, lead drinking water pipes and harmful algal blooms are all threats that could be addressed with the $550 billion investment the House has already approved. Now we need Senator Schumer to continue to fight for New Yorkers and combat climate change by getting the $550 billion climate and environmental solutions investment to the Senate floor for a vote. Thank you NYS Senators Ryan, May and Mannion, Assemblyman Conrad, and our colleagues at the NY League of Conservation Voters and Mothers Out Front, for joining us in bringing attention to these federal investments that New York and the nation desperately need. 

Crews Break Ground On Major Offshore Wind Project In East Hampton

SOURCE:

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/video/6199084-crews-break-ground-on-major-offshore-wind-project-in-east-hampton/

February 11, 2022

New York's move toward clean energy hit a milestone Friday with a groundbreaking in East Hampton for a major offshore wind project. It will be only the second in the nation; CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff reports.

Highlights and Happenings: January 2022

Image by planet_fox from Pixabay

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

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Highlights

CCE Priorities in the NYS Executive Budget 
We are thrilled Governor Hochul’s 2022-2023 budget proposal includes many of our top environmental priorities. The final state budget is due by April 1, and we are working to ensure that these proposals (and more) make it into the final New York State budget. The proposed budget includes: 

• $4 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act: This historic bond act will go before the voters on the November ballot, and if approved, will support clean water, protect communities from climate change, and support over 65,000 jobs. 

• An all-time high of $400 million for the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF): Allows communities to protect clean water, conserve open space, save family farms, bolster recycling programs, revitalize waterfronts, build community parks, support zoos, and more. 

• $500 million to grow the offshore wind supply chain: Creates jobs and helps to ensure NY meets its ambitious 9,000 MW of offshore wind by 2035 target.

• $500 million for clean water infrastructure: Supports clean drinking water, upgrades to sewer systems, and more. We are working to increase funding for this important program in the final budget. 

• Holds manufacturers, not taxpayers, accountable for recycling their packaging waste: This policy would reduce packaging waste, improve recycling, prevent plastic pollution, and save local governments millions of dollars. A complimentary policy would ban toxic chemicals, like PFAS, in product packaging. 

• Strengthening protections for our critical wetlands: The program will support the protection of more than a million additional acres of wetlands throughout the state. 

• $200 million for state parks: Enhances and improves our state parks that provide amazing recreational opportunities and support tourism.

VICTORY: Killingly Gas Plant in Connecticut Cancelled! 
Federal regulators have delivered a final death blow to the proposed 650 MW gas-fired power plant, which would have significantly delayed Connecticut's progress on transitioning off dirty fossil fuels and combatting climate change. This decision clears the way for clean renewable energy and energy efficiency in our communities. Congratulations and thank you to everyone who weighed in on this important issue! 

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Happenings

New Wastewater Infrastructure on Long Island! Clean Water Project Breaks Ground 
In January we celebrated breaking ground for the Forge River sewer project. This project will finally provide residents of Mastic-Shirley with sewers that will replace their septics and cesspools with modern sewage treatment technology. After so many years of work, we were proud to join Suffolk County Executive Bellone, NYS DEC Commissioner Seggos, Congressman Zeldin, many state and local representatives, labor leaders, environmental partners, community stakeholders, and more for this historic event. This sewer project will reduce nitrogen loading in the Forge River by 70%. We look forward to a cleaner, healthier river! 

Protecting Plum Island 
We have fought for years to preserve Plum Island, an 840 acre, largely undeveloped island in Long Island Sound that serves as a critical habitat for birds and has tremendous ecological value. In January, the Preserve Plum Island Coalition stood together to urge NY Governor Hochul to support the coalition’s fight to preserve Plum Island and protect this irreplaceable natural resource. 

Urging our NY Legislators to Invest in Clean Water 
We joined our New York Clean Water coalition partners to host the 4th Annual Clean Water Legislative Briefing. The virtual event was attended by over 95 elected officials, staff, and clean water stakeholders to hear from experts on New York’s water quality needs and the coalition’s priorities. Last year, the coalition worked collaboratively to develop a shared 2022 agenda for clean water in New York. Priorities included, but were not limited to, increasing investments in clean water infrastructure, a $4 billion Environmental Bond Act, $400 million Environmental Protection Fund, protecting freshwater wetlands, replacing lead service lines, and more. We are pushing to ensure these important clean water programs and increased funding make it into the final budget. 

Learning More about the Sunrise and South Fork Wind Farms 
In January, we co-hosted a virtual forum with the New York League of Conservation Voters to hear from representatives from Orsted and Eversource on their South Fork and Sunrise Wind Farms. Thanks to all who joined us to find out more about these two projects off the coast of Montauk, which together will power hundreds of thousands of Long Island homes. If you missed it, you can watch the recording here. 

What’s in Governor Hochul’s Proposed 2022 Budget for Long Island’s Environment? Join Us and Find Out!

Join us for a virtual presentation featuring NYS Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid to learn more about funding for water quality, parks, offshore wind energy, and more!

Register for the Virtual Event Here

Governor Hochul’s proposed 2022-2023 budget supports critical environmental programs: 

• A $4 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act

• All-time-high Environmental Protection Fund at $400 million

• Significant investments in offshore wind

• Funding for clean water infrastructure

• Increased funding for state parks

• Policy to reduce paper and plastic packaging waste, and to improve recycling

• Enhanced protections for wetlands

CCE is hosting a virtual presentation with Erik Kulleseid, Commissioner of New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, to discuss how these important budget proposals will affect Long Island communities, waterways, parks, and natural resources. 

The presentation is open to the public, free to join, and there will be an opportunity for questions and answers from the audience. 

Date: Tuesday, February 8, 2022 

Time: 11:00am

Where: Via Zoom—Register Here

Thank you for joining us!

Sincerely,
Your Friends at CCE