CLIMATE CHANGE IS FUELING CANADA’S FIRES AND HARMING OUR HEALTH

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.”

Pass Critical Environmental Legislation in New York State Before Session Ends on June 8!

Help Us Pass Two Top Priority Bills to Save the Bees and Address the Solid Waste Crisis!

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!

Email your elected officials TODAY and tell them to pass the Birds and Bees Protection Act and the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act this year!

Thank you! Together we can make a difference.
All of Us at CCE

Want to Learn More About Offshore Wind on Long Island?

Join us for a free educational forum with Q&A with experts—topics include the environment, whales, labor, and EMFs

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

SAVE THE BEES!

Ban Dangerous and Unnecessary Uses of Toxic Neonic Pesticides in New York!

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!

Email your New York State Senator TODAY and tell them to vote YES and pass the Birds and Bees Protection Act!

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!

Background:

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 us for a Free Offshore Wind Educational Forum

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

Highlights and Happenings: April 2023

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.

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Highlights

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!

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Happenings

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.

New York State Adopts Final 2023-24 Budget

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

Budget provides robust funding for critical environmental programs

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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Learn about Empire Wind!

Equinor is hosting community meetings in Island Park and Long Beach on this exciting offshore wind project

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

Citizens Campaign for the Environment and the NY League of Conservation Voters will host a virtual Lunch and Learn: Whale Tales and Whale Facts

DATE:               Thursday, March 30th, 2023

CONTACT:      Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, 631-384-1378, aesposito@citizenscampaign.org

Learn from the experts about whale’s off of New York’s coast, challenges they are facing and what are some of the causes of recent whale deaths.

Farmingdale, NY - Since 2016, we have witnessed an increase in whale strandings and whale deaths off of America’s shores. These high number of deaths are called a “Unusual Whale Mortality Event”. These endangered species are under threat from several sources, including ship strikes, fishing gear, plastic pollution, and climate change. Unfortunately, misinformation about whale deaths has led to concerns from the public. Join us for facts!  

Join us for this virtual educational forum to hear from experts and learn more about the recent whale strandings and deaths, and what research is being done on the local, state, and federal level to protect whales. Presentations will be followed by Q&A.

When: Tuesday, April 4, 2023, from 12:00pm – 1:00pm zoom

Where: Via Zoom—register here

Who: Speakers include:

•       Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment

•       Julie Tighe, President, New York League of Conservation Voters

•       Erica Staaterman, PhD, Bioacoustician,  Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

•       Robert DiGiovanni, Founder and Chief Scientist, Atlantic Marine Conservation Society

•       Meghan Rickard, Marine Zoologist, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

A recording of this webinar can be viewed here.

CCE and Nassau Legislator Lafazan Call for Legislation to Fight Climate Change and Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Nassau County

DATE:               Monday, March 27th, 2023

CONTACT:      Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, 631-384-1378, aesposito@citizenscampaign.org

Farmingdale, NY – CCE will be joining Nassau County Legislator Joshua A. Lafazan and members of the Legislature’s Minority Caucus to introduce legislation that would require Nassau County to achieve carbon neutrality for its municipal operations by Jan. 1, 2035.

According to a recent Moody’s report, Long Island ranks fourth among major American population centers for its exposure to the physical and economic risks of climate change. We are especially vulnerable to warming temperatures, extreme weather, sea level rise and “water stress,” on our sole-source aquifer. New York State has already passed the nation’s most ambitious climate protection law, but Nassau County must take action to achieve the goals laid out in this critical legislation and be leader in the fight for renewable energy. While the state has called for economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2050, this legislation would implement a more aggressive timetable for Nassau County and ensure the county is a leader in the state by achieving carbon neutrality in municipal operations by 2035.

WHEN:  11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 28, 2023

WHERE: Theodore Roosevelt Executive & Legislative Building, 1550 Franklin Avenue (Minority Caucus Media Room), Mineola, N.Y. 11501

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EPA MAKES HISTORIC ANNOUNCMENT TO SET STRONG, ENFORCEABLE DRINKING WATER STANDARDS FOR TOXIC PFAS CHEMICALS!

For immediate release: March 14, 2023

Contact: Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director: 631-384-1378 (mobile), aesposito@citizenscampaign.org

EPA’s first new regulations on toxic chemicals in drinking water in 20 years addresses growing problem of “forever chemicals” in drinking water

CCE applauds EPA’s move to protect public health and clean drinking water, calls on NYS to follow EPA’s lead

Farmingdale, NY—Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new enforceable drinking water standards, known as Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs), for two PFAS chemicals (PFOA and PFOS), as well as a new hazard index for four additional PFAS chemicals (PFNA, PFBS, PFHxS, and GenX). The MCLs for PFOA and PFOS are proposed at 4 parts per trillion (ppt), which is significantly stronger than New York State’s existing MCLs of 10ppt for both PFOS and PFOA. This is a significantly low standard, crafted to protect public health.

PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in our environment or bodies. Exposure is linked to cancer, liver damage, thyroid issues, birth defects, kidney disease, decreased immunity and other serious health problems. Last year EPA put out non-enforceable health advisory guidelines for PFOA (.004 ppt) and PFOS (.02ppt). This was significantly lower than the previous health guideline of 70 ppt and signified that there is essentially no safe level of exposure to these chemicals. Today the EPA also proposed a Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (a non-enforceable health advisory level) for PFOA and PFOS at zero, confirming that there is no safe level of exposure.

In September of 2022, the NYS Department of Health (DOH) issued a proposal to regulate an additional 23 PFAS chemicals in drinking water. The regulations have not been finalized. The regulations did not propose to adjust MCLs for PFOA and PFOS, despite the release of EPA’s health guidelines indicating that there is no safe level of exposure.

In response to EPA’s announcement, Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, issued the following statement:

“This is a historic victory for clean water and public health! This ruling will provide critical public health protection for every member of the public. We commend the EPA for following the science and proposing strong standards to protect our water and the public from dangerous “forever chemicals”. PFAS is group of highly toxic chemicals that tragically have become ubiquitous in our environment. Setting strong, enforceable drinking water standards is a needed step to remove this dangerous contaminant from drinking water across the nation.

New York will ultimately have to strengthen its existing MCLs for PFOA and PFOS to align with EPA’s new regulations. Given the science indicating that there is no safe level of exposure to these chemicals, we are urging Governor Hochul and the Department of Health not to wait and to adopt the stronger standards without delay. Furthermore, NYS should revisit and strengthen the proposed regulations on the additional 23 PFAS chemicals.

Thankfully, the state and federal governments have recently provided historic levels of funding to address PFAS in drinking water, with grants already being provided for needed treatment technology to many communities across New York State. There is no reason we can’t move forward with stronger standards in New York State now. The public needs and deserves clean water.”

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For additional information on PFAS: https://www.citizenscampaign.org/whats-new-at-cce/protect-drinking-water-from-dangerous-forever-chemicals

CCE compiled a map with Long Island levels of PFAS:

www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1RjZ2tybZV5hhTI4LTfmkbHDYrn20S48&usp=sharing

Historic Levels of Funding for Long Island Sound in Federal Budget $40 Million to Protect & Restore Long Island Sound

For immediate release:  Wednesday, February 15, 2023

For more information contact:

Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Cell: 631-384-1378, aesposito@citizenscampaign.org

Farmingdale, NY— Environmentalists are cheering an historic level of investment in Long Island Sound. In the federal comprehensive budget bill that was enacted in December, record funding of $40 million was included for Long Island Sound. The Long Island Sound, an Estuary of National Significance, generates $31 billion annually to our local economies. Environmentalists worked to increase federal funding over the last 10 years (see funding chart below) to implement programs that reduce nitrogen, prevent hypoxia, preserve sensitive areas, restore fish and shellfish populations and combat plastic pollution.  

The Long Island Sound Program has historically been underfunded. In 2015 the LIS program was funded at only $4 million.  Since then, funding has progressively increased due to stakeholder and congressional support. In 2022 the Long Island Sound received almost $32 million from the federal budget.  

Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment, issued the following statement related to federal Long Island Sound funding:

“We are over the moon that in just 8 short years, Long Island Sound Funding has increased 1000%. Long Island Sound is an extension of the public’s home, full funding is the key to a healthier, swimmable, fishable treasure for future generations.  Advocates have been successfully working for the past decade to increase federal funding. Long Island Sound funding has been increasing and the investment is paying off. Restoration efforts are dependent on amply funding. We have upgraded sewage treatment plants, reduced hypoxia, increased oxygen levels and improved water clarity. We have seen dolphins return to LI Sound. However, new challenges are on the horizon, including excessive nitrogen from cesspools and septics, plastic pollution, and the warming of the Sound from climate change. This funding is critical to continue vital progress and ensure the Sound is healthy for future generations. Thank you to all our Long Island Sound leaders in the House and Senate that see the immense value of a healthy Sound.”