SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Water is a precious natural resource. It's to be expected that when one goes to drink water from a tap, it'll be clean and safe. That assumption could be at risk, particularly for Long Islanders.
NEW YORK - When it comes to Long Island’s drinking water many have concerns about drinking from unfiltered faucets because of emerging contaminants in Long Island’s aquifer.
But now a new idea of possibly tapping into New York City’s upstate water supply has some officials wondering if it’s realistic.
Local and state officials want to study the idea of tapping into New York City's upstate water supply because of concerns about emerging contaminants in Long Island's aquifer.
Members of the Island's delegation to the State Legislature and local officials plan to explore purchasing city water to service residents of western Nassau County in what would be a dramatic change for a region that long has relied on its underground aquifers for tap water.
Long Island has one source of drinking water that must be protected to ensure its safety for future generations: groundwater. Within the last 18 months, the safety of Long Island’s groundwater has been called into question with the detection of emerging contaminants, such as 1,4-dioxane and Hexavalent Chromium (Chromium 6) in aquifers across the Island at levels that far exceed the national average.
Baby Shampoo and Conditioner Market 2019
Market Overview
Baby care products have become popular in recent times with the growth of dedicated markets for these products. Baby shampoo and conditioners are specially made to cleanse and detangle the tender hair and be gentle on baby’s scalp. The ingredients and chemical composition of these products vary a lot from regular cosmetics and self-care products. They are designed to suit baby skin and help in nourishing the growing toddlers. Baby shampoos and conditioners help keep baby hair soft, smooth, and shiny, making it easy to comb and leave them feeling healthy.
Elected officials on Long Island are proposing legislation to fight environmental crimes and illegal dumping.
The suggested legislation would incorporate recommendations from Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini’s special grand jury report that looked at the impact of illegal dumping and other environmental crimes on Long Island.
The latest U.N. climate report warns of drastic, accelerated changes in our oceans due to increased greenhouse gas emissions. The climate crisis is projected to cause dramatic sea level rise, stronger hurricanes and regular flooding of coastal cities. New York has an aggressive plan to move to renewable energies and has made efforts to fortify at-risk areas, including on Long Island. Connecticut has promised smaller renewable energy goals, and environmentalists are concerned the state will take too long to make necessary changes.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone signed into a law a ban on intentionally releasing balloons in the county.
Supporters of the law say it’s a no-brainer to protect marine life and the environment. "When these balloons are released, they don't go to heaven, but they sure send marine mammals there prematurely,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “The bottom line is these balloons, when they come down into our oceans, they kill whales, dolphins, seals, turtles and they also kill birds."
The law applies to latex and Mylar balloons. Violators could face fines of up to $1,000.
Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen proposed a ban on the intentional release of balloons on Sept. 16. Latex balloons, often sold with biodegradable or environmentally safe labels, are one of the most common forms of floating garbage within 200 miles of shorelines, according to the town. They are often mistaken by sea life as food, causing animals to choke on the litter.
BROOKHAVEN, Long Island (WABC) -- Teachers and community members profiled in an Eyewitness News investigation related to allegations that a landfill in Long Island was violating state environmental laws and allowing potentially hazardous chemicals into the air say they are finally getting the action from the state they've been asking for.
The landfill in Brookhaven has been the source of odor complaints. Photo Credit: Jessica Rotkiewicz
By Carl MacGowancarl.macgowan@newsday.com @CarlMacGowanUpdated September 23, 2019 2:12 PM
The Town of Brookhaven has been ordered to take "immediate steps" to rid the town landfill of sickening stenches or face $178,000 in fines.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation on Thursday issued a consent decree requiring the town to find the sources of odors emanating from the dump in Brookhaven hamlet and "take aggressive corrective measures" to prevent the release of offensive smells in the future.
The order stems from odor violations found by the DEC in December following complaints from residents and people who work near the massive landfill on Horseblock Road.
The town also was ordered to enhance gas monitoring near the landfill, improve landfill gas collection and pay $150,000 for an unspecified environmental benefit project. The town will owe $178,000 in fines if it fails to comply with the order, the DEC said in a news release.
“The enforcement action announced today is just the most recent of many actions DEC has taken to prevent the return of odor issues that have affected the quality of life [in] the communities surrounding the Brookhaven landfill,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said in a statement. “DEC is working closely with the town of Brookhaven to address the odors and we will continue to do so in order to protect public health and the environment by taking enforcement against facilities that violate our stringent permit requirements.”
In a news release Friday, town officials said construction work in December to cover, or cap, the landfill caused a "temporary odor event," adding that while the smells were "unpleasant," they "did not impact the health of our residents.
"The DEC agreed with Brookhaven at that time that such work was needed to provide long-term odor control," the town said in the release. "As expected, work during this period resulted in odor complaints from residents living near the landfill from elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide — which causes a distinctive rotten egg smell."
Brookhaven officials said they have spent $20 million to contain odors from hydrogen sulfide and leachate at the landfill. Hydrogen sulfide is a gas that causes throat irritation, watery eyes, respiratory problems and other illnesses.
The landfill, which is slated to close in 2024, was opened by the state in the mid-1970s as a solid waste collection facility. The town took it over in the 1980s and limited waste collection to construction and demolition debris and incinerated trash from waste-to-energy plants.
Several dozen residents and teachers and parents from Frank P. Long Intermediate School in Bellport have filed a lawsuit accusing the town of negligence in its maintenance of the landfill. Some plaintiffs have claimed severe health issues that they blame on the facility.
Adrienne Esposito, a longtime landfill critic and executive director of Farmingdale-based Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said the DEC order was "a step in the right direction."
“We are delighted to see the DEC taking action to address the consistent odors from the Brookhaven landfill," she said in a statement. "Community members, teachers and students at Frank P. Long School have long suffered from the adverse impacts of the landfill’s noxious odors and the town needs to rectify this burden on the public."
DEC officials said they would hold a public meeting to discuss the landfill at 6 p.m. on Oct. 10 at the Medford Fire Department.
Ed Warner pushes his boat off a sliver of Long Island waterfront that’s been in his family since the 1800s. He is the fifth generation of Warner baymen – the locals’ term for fisherman – to head out to eastern Shinnecock Bay in search of Mercenaria mercenaria, the hard clam.
“Clamming and fishing, they’re in your blood,” says Warner, as Hampton Bays, a coastal village in Southampton, New York, fades into the distance. “It’s a lifestyle, not a job.”
