Dive Brief:
A high-profile EPR for packaging bill did not pass in New York before the end of the legislative session this weekend, despite last-minute updates meant to address stakeholder concerns.
Nitrogen pollution from sewage is responsible for massive fish kills, turtle die offs, toxic algal blooms, and beach closings across Suffolk County. Long Island's clean waters create jobs and generate millions of dollars every year for our regional economy and tourism industry. Nitrogen pollution is adversely impacting our environment, health, economy, and quality of life. The science is clear; the majority of nitrogen pollution in our local waterways comes from outdated sewage and septic systems. We need to upgrade our sewage infrastructure to restore the health of Suffolk County’s waterways and that costs money!
This year’s New York State budget included language allowing Suffolk County to advance a ballot referendum that will allow residents to vote on clean water funding. If the Suffolk County Legislature votes to put this issue on the ballot, residents will be able to decide this November if an increase of 1/8 cent in the county sales tax should be dedicated to protecting water resources by expanding and upgrading sewers and installing upgraded nitrogen-removing septic systems to replace antiquated cesspools and septic systems. We need the Suffolk County Legislature to pass legislation that will let the voters decide on clean water this November.
We need you! Please join us at the Suffolk Legislature to show up, stand up, and speak up in favor of I.R. 1512-2023 and I.R. 1573-2023 to create a unified wastewater management district and to let the public vote on a clean water referendum.
Date:
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
Time:
Rally for Clean Water at 3:30pm; Public Hearing at 6:30pm
Where:
Suffolk County Legislature
Evans K. Griffing Building
300 Center Drive, Riverhead, NY
If you cannot attend the meeting, you can still make your voice heard. Email your Suffolk County Legislator today. Urge them to support 1512-2023 and 1573-2023. Let the public vote on clean water this November.
Suffolk is 74% unsewered, with 360,000 homes relying on antiquated septic and cesspool technology to treat wastewater. The impacts of nitrogen pollution from inadequately treated sewage are appearing in virtually every bay, harbor, freshwater lake, and pond in the county.
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) cites algal blooms and nitrogen from sewage as the primary reasons many LI water bodies are impaired. The numerous fish and turtle die-offs in our estuaries over the last decade were found to be caused mainly by nitrogen pollution from sewage. Moreover, some toxic algal blooms constitute a serious threat to human health, such as Blue-Green Algae in lakes and ponds and Red Tide in several harbors. Long Island has the greatest frequency of Blue-Green Algae in the entire state.
After years of study, Suffolk County released a plan which details the sources of nitrogen pollution entering all 191 sub-watersheds in the county and provides a pathway to restoring our waterways to a healthy condition. The study found the primary cause of nitrogen pollution in our waterways to be sewage from antiquated sewers and septic systems. The Sub watersheds Plan provides a pathway to replace outdated cesspools and septic systems with advanced on-site systems and, where appropriate, improving and expanding sewer systems. The longer we wait to implement these changes, the more expensive and difficult our water quality problems will be to fix.
To fully implement this plan, we will need a unified wastewater management district and dedicated funding stream to implement these clean water projects.
Thank you for taking action!
Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE
For immediate release: June 9, 2023
Albany, NY – The NYS Senate and Assembly resoundingly passed the Birds and Bees Protection Act. This law bans the use of neonicotinoid (neonic) treated corn, soybean, and wheat seeds, as well as ornamental uses such as on lawns, gardens, and golf courses. A diverse coalition, made up of environmental organizations, health care professionals, and organic farmers worked for several years to advance the bill.
“The birds are chirping, and the bees are buzzing with praise for our Senate and Assembly members taking action to address toxic neonic pesticides.” said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “Neonics not only threaten our pollinators, but also contaminate our entire environment. From Long Island to the Great Lakes, neonics are contaminating our water resources and are often found at high levels. By eliminating the high-risk/low benefit uses of this pesticide, we can protect our pollinators, food security, water quality, health, and environment. CCE applauds Senator Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblywoman Glick for sponsoring and championing this bill”.
Neonicotinoids (A.K.A. “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 also threaten New York’s water resources, food security, and public health.
The harmful overuse of neonics has devastated pollinator populations across the globe and in New York. These pollinator losses have been attributed to the sudden spike in use of neonics, mainly from treated seeds. Corn, soybean, and wheat treated seeds account for over 73% of all neonics used in New York and ornamental uses make up an additional 15%. According to a 2020 report by Cornell University, these uses provide no net income benefit to users yet pose some of the highest risks to pollinators.
The Birds and Bees Protection Act (S.1856A/A.7640) would ban these low benefit/high risk uses of neonics in New York. 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 pollinators from this toxic pesticide. Now, we look forward to working with the Governor to sign this landmark legislation and eliminate these unnecessary and dangerous uses of neonic pesticides.
Albany, NY — The New York State Legislature has passed the Birds and Bees Protection Act (A.7640/S.1856A), a first-in-the-nation bill that would rein in the use of neurotoxic neonicotinoid pesticides (“neonics”), which now heads to Governor Hochul’s desk for her signature. The Birds and Bees Protection Act bans the neonic uses that in-depth Cornell University shows provide no economic benefits to users or are replaceable with safer, effective alternatives — specifically neonic coatings on corn, soybean, and wheat seeds and lawn and garden uses (with an exception for invasive species treatments). This eliminates 80%–90% of the neonics entering New York’s environment yearly.
THE DEVESTATING IMPACTS OF THE CANADIAN WILDFIRE ARE THE LATEST EXAMPLE OF WHY WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
DATE: Friday, June 9th, 2023
CONTACT: Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, 631-384-1378, aesposito@citizenscampaign.org
Farmingdale, NY – The public health impacts of the unprecedented wildfires across Canada accent the widespread adverse impacts of climate change on our environment and our health.
Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment, issued the following statement:
“Climate change is real and climate change is here. The Canadian wildfires are the latest heartbreaking example of a ‘new normal’ that includes extreme weather events, flooding, droughts, heat waves, wildfires and more. While there have been wildfires in Canada in the past, the months-long drought and temperatures almost 13 degrees higher than last spring have contributed to the catastrophic damage of recent fires. These events do not happen in a vacuum. Summers will continue to get hotter and dryer, extreme weather events will continue to get more severe and more frequent. They impact all of us, and as a society we must transition off fossil fuels as quickly as possible to curb the worst impacts of climate change. The time for debate or delay is over. It is time to act.”
There have been misleading messages about the legislation currently being considered by the state legislature, known as the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (S.4246/A.5322). The simple fact is that the proposed policy would begin to reduce plastic pollution in our Great Lakes and increase recycling, all while saving taxpayers money.
The NYS legislative session comes to an end on June 8th, and we only have a few legislative session days left to pass two of our priority bills; the Birds and Bees Protection Act and the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act. We need your help in calling on the NYS Legislature and urging them to pass these monumental bills. Email your elected officials today and tell them to pass these critical bills this session!
The Birds and Bees Protection Act (S.1856A/A.7640) would ban neonicotinoid (“neonic”) treated corn, soybean, and wheat seeds and ban cosmetic lawn and garden neonic uses. 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 pollinators from this toxic pesticide. The rise in bee deaths has been largely linked to the explosive growth in the use of neonic pesticides. Across New York, neonics are common contaminants found in groundwater and pose a threat to our drinking water. The NYS Assembly has already passed this legislation, now we need NY Senators to vote yes and ensure this crucial legislation gets passed this year!
The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (S.4246/A.5322) would require manufacturers – not taxpayers – to be responsible for the cost of collecting and recycling the packaging waste they create. This will reduce packaging waste, increase recycling, eliminate toxic chemicals in packaging, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and save local taxpayers over $400 million annually! New York State is suffering from a solid waste and recycling crisis and has a recycling rate of just 17%. Most of the waste is ending up as litter in communities, plastic pollution in our waterways, sent to landfills, or burned in trash incinerators. We need the NYS Legislature to pass this critical legislation and hold manufacturers responsible for the waste they create!
Thank you! Together we can make a difference.
All of Us at CCE
New County Project Will Connect Lake Avenue in Saint James to County Sewer District
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone today joined Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim, State and County elected officials, and local business leaders to announce a new County project to provide a connection to sewers for Lake Avenue businesses, and a new $10 million grant award to help advance the long-awaited Smithtown Business District sewer project to construction.
There are currently 5 offshore wind projects selected for New York which will power over 2 million homes in New York City and Long Island. Each project is moving through the regulatory process. We know that the public has questions, and we want to provide a forum to provide science and fact-based answers. There will be an opportunity for the public to ask questions after the presentations.
When:
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 from 7:00-9:00 pm
Where:
Long Beach City Hall, 1 W Chester St, Long Beach, NY
Speakers/Topics:
Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment – Offshore Wind Coming to New York State
Rob DiGiovanni, Atlantic Marine Conservation Society – Marine Mammal Protection
Dr. Ben Cotts, PhD, Principle Engineer, Exponent – EMFs
Ryan Stanton, Executive Director, Long Island Federation of Labor &
Matthew Aracich, President, Nassau and Suffolk County Building Trades Association – Labor Benefits and Job Opportunities
*The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will also be at the event to provide additional information.
Register: Click here
Thank you for joining us!
Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE
The NYS Assembly has passed the Birds and Bees Protection Act! This is a huge step forward in protecting our pollinators from a dangerous and toxic pesticide—neonicotinoids (aka “neonics”). Neonics kill bees, pollute our water, and threaten public health! Now we need your help in calling on the NYS Senate and urging them to pass this monumental legislation. We need your help—there are only a few weeks left to pass this bill!
The Birds and Bees Protection Act (S.1856/A.3226) would ban neonic treated corn, soybean, and wheat seeds, as well as cosmetic uses on lawn and gardens in New York State. 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 pollinators with this toxic pesticide. Here on Long Island, neonics are common contaminants found in groundwater and pose a threat to our sole-source aquifer system. We need our Long Island State Senators to vote yes and ensure this crucial legislation gets passed this year. There are only a few weeks of legislative session left—we cannot wait any longer!
Pollinators, such as honeybees, 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 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. There are currently 117 pesticides found in Long Island’s groundwater, with neonics being one of the most prevalent pesticides detected. 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. 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 pose a high risk to pollinators but are easily replaced with safer alternatives. These uses are unnecessary and must be banned to protect our pollinators.
Thank you for taking action!
Sincerely,
All of Us at CCE
Join CCE on May 24th at 7:00pm at Long Beach City Hall for a free educational forum on offshore wind. There are currently 5 offshore wind projects selected for New York which will power over 2 million homes in New York City and Long Island. Each project is moving through the regulatory process. We know that the public has questions, and we want to provide a forum to provide science and fact-based answers. Join us for presentations followed by a Q&A with experts on topics including the environment, whales, labor, and EMFs.
When: Wednesday, May 24, from 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Where: Long Beach City Hall. Register today for this free educational forum
Thank you for joining us.
Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE
Photo by Xavi Cabrera on Unsplash
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.
Victory! NYS Final Budget has Big Gains for the Environment
The final NYS budget includes funding for critical programs to restore our waterways, fight climate change, and protect public health. A huge thank you to Governor Kathy Hochul and our Senate and Assembly champions for fighting for crucial environmental victories this year. Highlights include:
$500 million for clean water infrastructure, which helps to stop sewage overflows, remove emerging contaminants from drinking water, and more;
$400 million Environmental Protection Fund, which supports environmental programs to protect our land, air, and water in every community across the state;
$22.5 million to protect and restore our Ocean, Estuaries, and Great Lakes;
A record $2 million to support restoration of the South Shore Estuary Reserve; and
Authorization for Suffolk County to create a unified water district and hold a clean water ballot referendum this November.
NYS Assembly Passes Birds and Bees Protection Act!
One of our key priorities in Albany this year is the Birds and Bees Protection Act. This bill would 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. In April, the NYS Assembly passed this legislation to ban the sale of neonic treated corn, soybean, and wheat seeds; and cosmetic uses on lawns, gardens, and golf courses. By banning just these few uses, we could eliminate 85-90% of all neonics used in NY. A big thank you to Assemblywoman Glick for your leadership! Now, we are working to ensure the NYS Senate also passes this crucial bill this year.
Victory! Manorville Residents Will Get Clean Water
We were thrilled to join Manorville residents on Long Island for a celebration last month to announce there is now full funding to connect 64 homes to public water. These residents are drinking from private wells contaminated with toxic PFAS chemicals and VOCs and have been demanding #cleanwaternow for the last four years. Thank you to our local, state, and federal policy makers who got this critical funding, and most of all, thank you to the residents who never stopped fighting!
Celebrating Earth Day 2023
To celebrate Earth Day, we joined advocates from across New York to voice our support for a comprehensive legislative agenda to protect our water, land, and pollinators; improve recycling, reduce toxins, and fight climate change. We had a very productive time in Albany and were successful in passing several important bills through the Assembly and Senate, which protect pollinators, reduce PFAS pollution, reduce food waste, and much more. A huge thank you to everyone involved in a great Earth Day Advocacy Day.
Fighting to hold manufacturers—not taxpayers—responsible for their waste
One of our top NYS priorities this year is working to pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Act, which will hold producers, not taxpayers, responsible for their waste. We have been fighting for a strong policy that will reduce product packaging, eliminate toxins in packaging, increase packaging recyclability, prevent plastic pollution, and save taxpayers money—it is estimated the policy would save local governments across the state $420 million annually! We will continue to fight to pass this critical legislation this year and urge you to take action in support.
Transitioning to Offshore Wind
New York is poised to be a national leader in offshore wind, with five wind farms already selected and a mandate of 9,000 MW of offshore wind by 2035. This will not only bring environmental and health benefits to our communities but will also create thousands of jobs and make NY a hub of offshore wind development. Recent updates on our offshore wind work:
Open Houses on Empire Wind 2. Equinor is hosting meetings on Empire Wind 2, which will power over 600,000 homes in Nassau County via a cable connection to Island Park. We just attended the meeting in Island Park but there will be another in Long Beach on June 8, we’d love to see you there. Find more information and register here.
Talking Offshore Wind with Uniondale High School. We recently kicked off our partnership with Community Offshore Wind and Uniondale High School, with more than 800 students slated to participate. We will be in classrooms for several days talking with students about “Transitioning to Renewable Energy” - an educational program designed to inform and engage the next generation of Long Islanders on the clean energy future.
Understanding the Health Risks of 1,4-Dioxane on Long Island
Yale Superfund Research Center has crafted a study to better understand the impact of 1,4-dioxane exposure on Long Island residents. This spring, we launched our partnership with Yale to provide education and outreach to inform Long Islanders about this new, exciting program. In April, we hosted a Lunch and Learn with Yale to talk about:
The latest science on drinking water and health impacts of 1,4-dioxane
More information on the large quantities of 1,4-dioxane in popular products
The new partnership between Yale and CCE and the health study to begin this year for Long Islanders.
If you live on Long Island and are interested in participating in the study and finding out if you or the drinking water in your home have been exposed to 1,4-dioxane, you can find out more here.
Whale Tales and Whale Facts
We had a great Lunch and Learn virtual webinar on the recent whale deaths off NY’s coast and discussed what we can do to protect whales. There has been concern that these whale deaths are the result of offshore wind development, despite evidence to the contrary. The truth is that offshore wind is crucial to fighting climate change and protecting marine species. We heard great presentations from the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, and Atlantic Marine Conservation Society about the real threats to whales off our coast. Thank you to the almost 400 people who joined and all who participated in the Q&A. If you missed it, check it out here.
For immediate release: Wednesday, May 3, 2023
For more information, contact:
Brian Smith, CCE Associate Executive Director, 716-831-3206, bsmith@citizenscampaign.org
Maureen Murphy, CCE Executive Programs Manager, 516-390-7150, mmurphy@citizenscampaign.org
Albany, NY—Last night the New York State Legislature wrapped up voting on the final SFY 2023-24 budget, which included funding for a host of important environmental programs. In response, Brian Smith, Associate Executive Director at Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE), said:
“The final budget continues to fund programs that are critical to protect clean water, safeguard public health, fight climate change, and support environmental justice. Staffing for environmental agencies increased, with 265 positions added across multiple agencies that are needed for implementation of the state’s recently adopted environmental bond act. We commend the Governor, Senate and Assembly for continuing New York’s strong national leadership in protecting our environment.
The Clean Water Infrastructure Act was again funded at $500 million, bringing the total investment up to $5 billion since 2017. This nation-leading program is helping to protect drinking water from emerging contaminants, reduce harmful sewage overflows, create jobs, and so much more. The NYS Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) was again funded at $400 million, matching the program’s all-time high. Within the EPF, we are thrilled that the South Shore Estuary Reserve (SSER) program funding doubled from last year, up to $2 million. This additional funding for the SSER will help accomplish new priorities and goals aimed at protecting and restoring this critical natural resource.
CCE thanks the Governor and legislature for setting the stage to create a unified wastewater district in Suffolk County. This will allow the public to vote for clean water this November. This initiative is a vital step forward to restore water quality in our local rivers, bays, and harbors.
We now look forward to working with the legislature and Governor to tackle the state’s environmental needs that were not addressed in the budget before the end of session, including passage of the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, Birds and Bees Protection Act, and a host of bills needed to protect clean water and public health from dangerous PFAS chemicals.”
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The Empire Wind 1 and 2 wind projects, which will be located off the south shore of Long Island, will power over a million homes with renewable energy. Offshore wind is crucial to assisting New York’s transition away from fossil fuels. It is important that the community is informed and has the ability to ask questions about these projects.
Empire Wind 1 will connect to the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal and power homes in NYC, while Empire Wind 2 will power 600,000+ Long Island homes with renewable energy. The cable connection for Empire Wind 2 is currently scheduled to go through the City of Long Beach to a substation in Island Park.
Equinor is hosting open houses in Long Beach and Island Park to educate Long Islanders about the Empire Wind projects and the Empire Wind 2 cable connection into Nassau County. These meetings are free and open to the public.
Date: Wednesday, May 3, 2023
Time: 11:00am – 2:00pm; 4:00pm – 8:00pm
Location: Bridgeview Yacht Club, 80 Waterfront Blvd, Island Park, NY
RSVP: Click here to register
Date: Thursday, June 8, 2023
Time: 11:00am – 2:00pm; 4:00pm – 8:00pm
Location: Allegria Hotel, 80 W Broadway, Long Beach, NY
RSVP: Click here to register
These open houses will provide an overview of the project and the role it will play in helping Long Island move from fossil fuels to offshore wind. The events will be an opportunity to learn about project details and permitting process, meet the project team, and engage with the experts. We hope to see you there!
Thank you for joining us!
Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE
Yale researchers are looking for 500 Long Islanders to participate in a study that will help them better understand exposure to the chemical 1,4-dioxane, a likely carcinogen found in both drinking water and common household products.
