Five years ago, Suffolk County launched a plan to dig up and replace every outmoded, polluting septic tank and cesspool in the county. The ambitious project, one of the largest causes championed by Long Island environmentalists over the past several decades, was expected to take 50 years. 

Gov. Kathy Hochul visited the Montauk Lighthouse over the weekend to sign new protections for whales into law.

Called the Whale Awareness Act, the legislation is centered on education and integrates marine mammal protection into both New York State boater safety courses and the vessel registration process.

Key Points

• Riverhead is working on draft revisions to its battery energy storage code.

• The discussion follows PFAS detections in public water wells near the 2023 East Hampton BESS fire site.

• SCWA says PFPrA was detected in water that migrated from the fire; state officials say the source remains under investigation.

• Rothwell opposes a moratorium but wants runoff containment and removal of utility-scale BESS from Residence A-80 zoning.

• Several Suffolk towns have adopted or extended BESS moratoria while reviewing local rules.

The state of New York has a solid waste problem. At least when it comes to tracking it.

This is according to a new audit from the New York State Comptroller’s Office.

Auditors found the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) “lacks reliable information on how much material is recycled across the state.” 

The Trump administration is buying back New York offshore wind leases as it moves forward with plans to expand the use of fossil fuels.

The company RWE U.S. Offshore is receiving more than $1 billion to give up its leases to build wind farms off the coasts of New York, California and Louisiana. It is one of several deals the federal government made with renewable energy companies to get them to invest in fossil fuels instead.

COALITION PROPELLING LONG ISLAND TRANSMISSION: A new coalition has formed to support the Propel NY project that’s awaiting a key state approval and running into some last-minute hurdles.

A new New York law aims to protect whales by requiring whale-safe boating education and instructing boaters to keep at least 300 feet away from whales.

A new state law will change what boaters learn before they hit the water, including how to safely respond if they encounter a whale.

As more whales spend time in Long Island waters, a new state law aims to educate boaters about how to avoid collisions with the marine mammals.