CCE in the News

Dingell Introduces Legislation to Reauthorize Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

 Dingell Introduces Legislation to Reauthorize Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Today, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) and her colleagues on the bipartisan Great Lakes Task Force introduced the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act of 2025. This bipartisan bill will reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which is set to expire at the end of FY 2026, for another five years through FY 2031. The bill increases the FY 2026 authorization level from $475 million to $500 million starting in FY 2027. 

Casino bid at Nassau Coliseum renews concern for its next-door neighbors: Two dozen species of birds

Casino bid at Nassau Coliseum renews concern for its next-door neighbors: Two dozen species of birds

Tucked among the malls, parkways and office buildings of central Nassau County is 100 acres of natural habitat for birds, insects and threatened plant species resembling a prairie in the Midwest. 

The rare, county-owned grasslands sit adjacent to another county-owned site: The 72-acre asphalt property of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum where Las Vegas Sands has proposed a $6 billion casino-resort.

Navy will test private drinking water wells near the former Grumman plant in Calverton for PFAS

Navy will test private drinking water wells near the former Grumman plant in Calverton for PFAS

The U.S. Navy has agreed to test private drinking water wells near the former Grumman facility in Calverton for PFAS.

Navy representatives will be on hand at an open house in Riverhead on Wednesday evening, Jan. 22 to discuss the sampling and schedule appointments with property owners. 

Environmentalists Outraged Over Hochul's Horseshoe Crab Bill Veto

Environmentalists Outraged Over Hochul's Horseshoe Crab Bill Veto

"While this bill is well-intentioned, the management of marine species is better left to the experts at DEC." — Gov. Kathy Hochul.

NEW YORK— Environmentalists are outraged over Gov. Kathy Hochul's recent decision to veto the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act, which prohibits the taking of horseshoe crabs from New York waters. The legislation would have allowed the populations to recover and ensured the survival of the important species, advocated said.

Village receives environmental award for living shoreline project

Village receives environmental award for living shoreline project

Patchogue Village officials were recognized Wednesday for their efforts to protect the environment.

The South Shore Estuary Reserve program and Citizens Campaign for the Environment presented mayor Paul Pontieri and village trustees with the South Shore Estuary Reserve 2024 Stewardship Award.

Senator Harckham, Assemblymember Otis, and Advocates Call on Governor Hochul to Protect Clean Water in State Budget

Senator Harckham, Assemblymember Otis, and Advocates Call on Governor Hochul to Protect Clean Water in State Budget

New York State Senator Peter Harckham and State Assemblymember Steve Otis joined labor unions, local leaders, and environmental organizations at the Ossining Water Treatment Plan today to urge Governor Hochul to continue New York’s commitment to clean water programs in the upcoming state budget. Attendees, including members of the New York Clean Water Coalition, called on the Governor to invest $600 million in the Clean Water Infrastructure Act in her executive budget proposal for FY2025-2026.

Environmental Advocates Press for More Clean Water Funding From State

Environmental Advocates Press for More Clean Water Funding From State

A group of elected officials and advocates for clean water programs want Gov. Kathy Hochul to increase the annual expenditure to upgrade the state’s aging water treatment and wastewater treatment infrastructure next year to $600 million.

Southampton's proposal to close sand mines near homes divides town

Southampton's proposal to close sand mines near homes divides town

Southampton Town has unveiled a new plan to end sand mining in residential areas, sparking fierce debate among environmentalists and tradespeople over a lucrative industry that plays a key role in the region's economy.

NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF STATE RELEASES $3.5 MILLION STRATEGIC INVESTMENT PLAN TO PROTECT AND RESTORE LONG ISLAND’S SOUTH SHORE ESTUARY RESERVE

NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF STATE RELEASES $3.5 MILLION STRATEGIC INVESTMENT PLAN TO PROTECT AND RESTORE LONG ISLAND’S SOUTH SHORE ESTUARY RESERVE

Local Government Grants and Technical Assistance Programs Will Improve Water Quality, Shoreline Resiliency, Habitat Health, Recreational Opportunities and Economic Development

Hochul Vetoes Horseshoe Crab Harvest Ban

Hochul Vetoes Horseshoe Crab Harvest Ban

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has vetoed a bill that would have banned the harvest of horseshoe crabs for bait or biomedical research, saying in her veto statement Dec. 13 that she believes the management of marine species “is better left to the experts” at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 

Las Vegas Sands faces mixed reactions in public hearing

Las Vegas Sands faces mixed reactions in public hearing

The draft environmental impact statement for the proposed Las Vegas Sands resort and casino at the site of the Nassau Coliseum was met with both resounding support and critical opposition at a public hearing at the Nassau County Legislature on Monday.

Northrop Grumman's soil sample plan for Bethpage Community park needs 'enhancements'

Northrop Grumman's soil sample plan for Bethpage Community park needs 'enhancements'

State officials have called on Northrop Grumman to propose a more stringent plan to investigate the extent of contaminated soil at Bethpage Community Park, the former dumping grounds of Grumman Aerospace.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation action comes weeks after the agency accused the Town of Oyster Bay of causing delays to the prolonged cleanup.

EPA restricts cancer-causing chemicals TCE, PCE found in Long Island groundwater

EPA restricts cancer-causing chemicals TCE, PCE found in Long Island groundwater

The federal government’s decision this week to ban or strictly limit use of two toxic chemicals known to cause cancer will restrict a pair of pollutants that have contaminated Long Island's groundwater for decades, advocates said.

Nassau Legislature hears environmental pros and cons for Las Vegas Sands casino bid at Coliseum

Nassau Legislature hears environmental pros and cons for Las Vegas Sands casino bid at Coliseum

Water usage under the threat of droughts and air pollution from traffic congestion were the chief concerns of speakers against a $6 billion casino resort project proposed for the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum site, now in the middle of an environmental review.

Here’s what Lee Zeldin’s voting record may mean for the EPA

Here’s what Lee Zeldin’s voting record may mean for the EPA

Lee Zeldin is one Trump nominee who cannot be easily put into a box.

When Adrienne Esposito, executive director of a New York environmental group, appealed to the then-congressman to keep funding for Long Island Sound restoration in the federal budget, he and two other representatives from the state secured the reauthorization of $65 million per year in 2018.

Lee Zeldin didn’t ask to head EPA. Here’s why Trump picked him.

Lee Zeldin didn’t ask to head EPA. Here’s why Trump picked him.

When he served as a Republican congressman from New York, Lee Zeldin delighted environmentalists by championing efforts to protect critical wildlife habitat from potential development efforts, including a golf course proposed by Donald Trump

Central Islip sewer project, now completed, seen as a 'game changer' for downtown development

Central Islip sewer project, now completed, seen as a 'game changer' for downtown development

State, town and county officials announced on Tuesday the completion of a $13.7 million sewer project in downtown Central Islip that they hope will spur long-sought development there.

The project includes about 4,500 feet of new sewer line installed along Carleton Avenue, according to state officials, with “an average flow of 277,000 gallons per day.” Civic leaders and government officials at a news conference touted the infrastructure as “vital to the success” of the hamlet’s downtown by allowing restaurants and increased density.

Governor Hochul Announces Executed Contracts for 23 Large-Scale Land-Based Renewable Energy Projects

Governor Hochul Announces Executed Contracts for 23 Large-Scale Land-Based Renewable Energy Projects

Projects Will Provide More than 2.3 Gigawatts of Clean Energy: Enough to Power More than 700,000 Homes in New York State

Will Create More than 2,500 Near-Term, Family Sustaining Jobs and Generate More than $4.7 Billion In Private Investment

Reinforces the State’s Commitment to Equitable Clean Energy Development, Grid Resiliency, and Economic Development

In Parts of New York City, a Vexing Mix of Stormwater and Sewage Have Made Flooding the ‘New Normal’

In Parts of New York City, a Vexing Mix of Stormwater and Sewage Have Made Flooding the ‘New Normal’

City officials and water management experts are working to stop overflows from New York’s archaic sewer system without really knowing how much worse climate change will make storm surges and extreme rainfall.

As climate change intensifies, New York City is increasingly facing weather extremes. Currently, the city is on drought watch, and recently, wildfires have erupted in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park and neighboring New Jersey and Connecticut.