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Highlights
Celebrating 40 Years!
We are celebrating 40 years of working to protect our air, land, and water—and fight climate change! Your generosity has given us 40 incredible years! Help us to keep up the fight and continue our mission of empowering communities and advocating solutions. Together we can make a difference! Your contribution helps us continue our fight for a cleaner, healthier future! Please support us today!
Turn Off the Tap to Toxic PFAS Chemicals!
We joined advocates from across the state in Albany to fight to prohibit the unnecessary use of PFAS chemicals in a variety of consumer products. The ubiquitous use of these “forever” chemicals has contributed to the contamination of drinking water sources across NYS and threatens our health. We are fighting to ban the use of PFAS chemicals in a host of everyday products, including rugs, cookware, paints, children’s products, dental floss, and cleaning products. Take action today and urge your elected representatives to support passage of this critical legislation in 2025.
Adrienne Esposito wins LI Herald Sustainability Award
Congrats to our Executive Director, Adrienne Esposito, for being honored at the first ever Long Island Herald’s Sustainability Awards, powered by Reworld Waste. It was a great event with fantastic honorees, including other advocates that we have worked with for decades! Congrats to all!
Happenings
Fighting for Clean Water
Clean water is an essential human need and is vital to our health and economy. NY’s historic investments have produced significant results for clean water, but NY’s clean water needs remain at nearly $90 billion. We joined our NY Clean Water Coalition partners to host the 7th Annual Clean Water Forum, where experts spoke about New York’s top 2025 priorities, including protecting drinking water from emerging contaminants, replacing lead pipes, upgrading wastewater infrastructure, and more. A key priority is increasing clean water funding in this year’s state budget. If you haven’t yet, email Governor Hochul and your Legislative leaders and urge them to provide at least $600 million for the Clean Water Infrastructure Act in the 2025-2026 NYS budget.
Another Step Forward on Great Lakes Restoration
In February, the U.S. Senate joined the House in introducing the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2025—to reauthorize the successful program for another 5 years at $500 million annually. We need your help to ensure that this bill is passed into law—please email your Congressional representatives today!
Bringing Together a Diverse Group to Fight for Long Island
Last month, the Long Island Lobby Coalition, representing a diverse group of Long Island small business, civic, human service, downtown planner, labor, environment, student, and transportation advocates, headed to Albany for the Long Island Coalition Lobby Day. We spoke to Long Island’s Assembly and Senate representatives and the Governor’s staff about a range of issues, including sewer infrastructure, drinking water protection, renewable energy, transportation, and much more. Thanks to all who took the trip up to Albany and advocated for Long Islanders with us!
Supporting Increased Funding for the Environmental Protection Fund
New York’s environment, economy, and public health are dependent upon the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). From Buffalo to Long Island, all New Yorkers benefit from the numerous programs and projects in the EPF. EPF projects improve water quality, protect clean air, conserve open space, save family farms, bolster recycling programs, revitalize waterfronts, build community parks, and more. In February, we joined advocates from across the state to call on elected officials to increase the EPF to $500 million.
Updates on Our Work to Advance Offshore Wind:
• Follow Wind Works New York - We’re excited to share that Wind Works New York has officially moved to a new public Facebook page! Follow or Like Wind Works New York to get the latest updates on offshore wind news, events, and actions and share with the people you know who care about clean energy.
• Excelsior Wind Begins Federal Approval Process - Vineyard Offshore and Excelsior Wind have begun the federal permitting process for their Vineyard Mid-Atlantic Lease Area. This project has the potential to provide enough to power approximately 1.5 million NY homes. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) published Notice of Intent (NOI) to start an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and we worked with our Wind Works partner groups to submit comments.
• Upcoming: Climate Change Symposium
Join us on Thursday, April 10, from 9:30am - 12:00pm at Babylon Town Hall for our Climate Change Symposium. This is an exciting educational program to explore how climate change is impacting our local community and what you can do to help. Featured speakers include Dr. Paul Shepson, Dean of The School for Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University and Dr. J Bret Bennington, Professor and Chair of the Dept of Geology, Environment, and Sustainability, Hofstra University, amongst others. Register today.
• A Windy Day on the Water – This past fall, we joined many of our Wind Works NY partners for an incredible trip out to see South Fork Wind, NY’s first offshore wind farm located 35 miles off the coast of Montauk. The project is now supplying clean, renewable energy to 70,000 homes on the south fork of Long Island. In fact, it is generating more power than expected! Learn more about the trip and South Fork Wind by watching our video, A Windy Day on the Water and check out our YouTube Channel and social media pages for additional Offshore Wind Chats.
Combatting PFAS Contamination in Calverton, Long Island
We are working with a coalition of municipalities, elected leaders, other environmental groups, and community members in Calverton to address legacy contamination from the Navy/Grumman site. Toxic soil and water contamination at the site was discovered as far back as the mid-1980s. This contamination, including PFAS “forever chemicals,” migrated off site and contaminated residential drinking water wells and surface waters. The community is still working for the groundwater plume and soil contamination to be remediated. Last month we joined Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine to call on the US Navy to clean up toxic PFAS contamination in Calverton. The Navy needs to step up and clean up their mess to protect families and the environment. Watch our Executive Director’s comments here.
Banning 1,4-Dioxane in Household Products in Connecticut
1,4-Dioxane is an emerging contaminant and likely carcinogen found in drinking water throughout the nation. Our independent testing found this “hidden carcinogen” in 65 out of 80 products we tested (including shampoos, body washes, baby products, laundry detergents, hand and dish soaps). As a result, New York became the first state in the nation to ban 1,4-dioxane from products. NY’s law took full effect last year and has been an overwhelming success. Now, Connecticut is considering similar legislation. We testified in support of banning 1,4-dioxane in household products at the Environment Committee last month and are urging the General Assembly to protect public health and drinking water by banning this hidden carcinogen.
Pushing for the Environment at NYS Senator Anthony Palumbo’s Roundtable
We joined NYS Senator Palumbo’s annual environmental roundtable with over two dozen Long Island environmental organizations, and discussed local and regional environmental issues, concerns and needs. We urged our Long Island elected leaders to pass the ban on PFAS in everyday products and fund the Environmental Protection Fund, including increasing funding for the South Shore Estuary Reserve.
Upcoming: Learning about Propel NY
New York Power Authority and New York Transco are hosting Propel NY Energy Community Information Sessions on Long Island. We recently attended an informative session, but if you missed it, there are more to come. Sessions include Q&A through written questions and answers from experts. Following the session there will be an open house to allow attendees the opportunity to speak to the experts one-on-one. Register here.
Upcoming: Whale Tales and Real Facts
Humpbacks, Minke, Right Whales, oh my! There are many species of whales that inhabit our waters throughout the year. Join us to learn more about these whales off New York’s coast and the threats whales are facing. This virtual forum will feature whale experts that have decades of experience in tracking individual whales, conducting necropsies on deceased whales, and monitoring growing threats to whales and other marine mammals. Please join us for our free virtual webinar on March 19th at noon and learn more. Register here.
Upcoming: Long Island Sound Summit
The Long Island Sound Coastal Watershed Network will be hosting its second LIS Summit on March 27 from 11am-2:45pm at Housatonic Community College in CT. The Summit is for everyone who lives, works, and plays in the Long Island Sound region. Clean water advocates, municipal leaders, and local individuals and groups looking for actionable ways to reduce their pollution contributions to LIS might find it especially engaging and helpful. This is a great opportunity to gather in person to learn, network, exchange ideas, and celebrate the work we’ve already accomplished for Long Island Sound. Register today.
