LONG ISLAND -- Corn, wheat, and soybean seeds, pre-treated with pesticides, may be a thing of the past in New York state.
Environmental groups told CBS New York on Tuesday they are putting pressure on the governor to sign legislation targeting the protection of birds and bees.
There has been a lot going on with offshore wind over the past year and we understand it may be hard to keep current! If you want important news and facts, then please join us for the upcoming Lunch and Learn entitled Why Wind Works, hosted by Citizens Campaign for the Environment and New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund.
Join us and a panel of experts to provide facts on why offshore wind works, why it is needed in our state, and what benefits it brings to several regions throughout New York. Learn more about the environmental impacts of offshore wind and the programs to protect marine life and our oceans as we move forward with this renewable energy infrastructure.
Our expert panel will include speakers from:
U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)
NY State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
NY State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
There will be an opportunity for Q & A with our expert panelists after the presentation.
Date: Thursday, November 30, 2023
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
This event is free and open to the public. Make sure you save the date and register today.
Thank you for joining us.
Sincerely,
All of us at CCE
Farmingdale, NY—Today, Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE) received an opened and resealed package of public comments supporting the Birds and Bees Protection Act, sent to Governor Hochul via NYS Ag and Markets, with “return to sender” written on it. CCE, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots organization has been working to ensure the Governor hears from the public on critical environmental issues. Over a thousand postcards from the public have been sent to the Governor in support of this critical bill in recent weeks. With just a few weeks left for the Governor to sign this nation-leading environmental legislation, it’s critically important that the Governor hear from the public and that her staff values public input. However, the return of over 80 postcards indicates that the voice of the public is being dismissed and ignored.
Over the last several months, CCE has sent several packages containing signed postcards from members of the public to the Governor, via NYS Ag and Markets, requesting she sign the bill. They are being sent to Kevin King, Deputy Commissioner at NYS Ag and Markets. State agencies, including NYS Ag and Markets, provide important input to the Governor on bills being considered to be signed into law. This is the first-time public comments have been returned.
In response Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment said:
“In over 30 years of advocating on behalf of the public and sending New York Governors public correspondence, this has never happened. It’s highly disturbing and sends a message that public comments are not valued. CCE has collected and mailed approximately a thousand postcards from the public to the Governor, sent via NYS Ag and Markets, in support of the Birds and Bees Protection Act. To have them opened and sent back is insulting and demeaning to the public. Although his name is Kevin King, he should be reminded that there are no kings in our democracy, only public servants. We have been talking to the public about this bill and we hear how much they care about saving bees and protecting our pollinators. CCE works to ensure the public voice is being heard, and we need the Governor to listen and have access to her mail.”
The Birds and Bees Protection Act is science-based legislation that strategically eliminates unnecessary uses of neonics. 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" or yield 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. The Birds and Bees Protection Act will eliminate at least 85% - 90% of all neonics used in New York, protect water quality, food security, and ensure we are not poisoning our birds, bees, and pollinators with this toxic pesticide.
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For immediate release: November 14, 2023
Contact: Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director: 631-384-1378 (mobile), aesposito@citizenscampaign.org
Farmingdale, NY—Ahead of Thanksgiving, advocates came together to fight for the protection of one of earth’s most important species, bees, and call on Governor Hochul to sign the Birds and Bees Protection Act. This law would ban the use of neonicotinoid (neonic) treated seeds for corn, soybean, and wheat seeds, as well as ornamental uses such as on lawns, gardens, and golf courses. The harmful overuse of neonics has devastated pollinator populations in New York. Honeybee keepers are losing over 45% of their colonies annually. These pollinator losses are attributed to the use of neonics, mainly from coated seeds. Corn, soybean, and wheat treated seeds account for over 73% of all neonics used in New York and ornamental uses make up an additional 15%. According to a 2020 report by Cornell University, these uses provide no net income benefit to users yet pose some of the highest risks to pollinators.
Many of the staples at the Thanksgiving table are pollinator dependent crops, such as pumpkins, squash, and apples. Unfortunately, the unnecessary use of neonics has decimated pollinator populations and as a result we are starting to see smaller yields of these crops. To avoid future Thanksgiving dinners without pumpkin pie, Governor Hochul must sign the Birds and Bees Protection Act.
View a recording of the press conference here.
Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment said, “Governor Hochul, give us something to really be thankful for this Thanksgiving, sign the Birds and Bees Protection Act! This bill is the most environmentally important bill awaiting the Governor’s signature and the entire country is watching to see if New York acts as a leader. Our bees and pollinators are essential to produce so many of the foods we love at Thanksgiving. We can start thanking them by not continuing to poison them with toxic neonics. The bill needs to be signed without weakening amendments. We won’t settle for just a piece of the pie, Governor Hochul needs to go for it all and ban neonic treated corn, soybean, and wheat, seeds as well as ornamental uses. If the Governor can’t save the bees, we are going to rely on the Legislature to override her and save the bees themselves.”
Caitlin Ferrante, Conservation & Development Program Manager, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter said, “Science has shown that neonicotinoids are one of the main causes of an alarming crash in pollinator populations nationwide,” said Caitlin Ferrante, Conservation Program Manager, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter. “The Birds and Bees Protection Act is an historic, nation-leading bill that will end the unnecessary use of these toxic pesticides and has been crafted to reflect the concerns raised by ag communities. The Sierra Club strongly urges the Governor to sign this important bill into law, to address the unnecessary use of neonics in treated corn, wheat, and soy seeds, and also in turf and ornamental environments. S1856-A/A7640 reflects key findings of NY’s own Cornell University. The Birds and Bees Protection Act is gearing up to be a defining moment for Governor Hochul’s environmental legacy and we urge her to sign it into law today.”
“Neonics are the most ecologically destructive pesticides since DDT, and extensive, state-commissioned research shows their largest and most widespread use—toxic seed coatings on corn and soybean seeds—provides $0 in benefits to New York farmers,” said Dan Raichel, Acting Director, Pollinator Initiative, Natural Resources Defense Council. “Add that to the bee losses diminishing fruit and vegetable production, extensive neonic water contamination, and the growing threats to New Yorkers’ health, and there is no good argument left for inaction. The Birds and Bees Protection Act gives the Governor a commonsense way to follow through on her stated commitment to pollinators and be the environmental leader New York State needs.”
Joy Flynn, Conservation Chair of Garden Clubs of America said “For the past two years, garden clubs in New York State have been advocating for the elimination of neonicotinoids on edible seeds and their use in home gardening products. The NYS legislature has passed the bill and we're counting on Governor Hochul to do the right thing and sign it into law."
Moira Alexander-Master Beekeeper said “Honeybees are an integral part of New York State's agriculture and economy. The income produced by the beekeeping industry for pollination services generates about $300 million with an additional $11 million dollars for the sale of honey. Honeybees are a vital part of our ecosystem and are part of the biodiversity on which we all depend for survival. It is in our best interest to protect them from harmful pesticides by signing this bill into law.”
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Tell Governor Hochul to Save the Bees!
Bees are one of the most important species on the planet. Unfortunately, they are dying at an alarming rate. This loss of our bees and other pollinators has been largely linked to the excessive use of neonic pesticides. The Birds and Bees Protection Act was resoundingly passed by the NYS Legislature and is now waiting to be signed by Governor Hochul. This bill would ban the most harmful and unnecessary uses of toxic neonic pesticides. Help us fight the pesticide industry and protect our pollinators by sending an email to Governor Hochul and tell her it is time to save the bees and to sign the Birds and Bees Protection Act! Then, join us and our partners on November 15th for a rally in front of Governor Hochul’s NYC office to call on her to sign the Birds and Bees Protection Act into law. We will be hosting a press event on Long Island too, so stay tuned for more news!
NY Selects 4,000MW of Offshore Wind!
Despite some setbacks for offshore wind last month, there was one HUGE step forward. We joined Governor Kathy Hochul and many of our Wind Works partners as she announced the state’s largest ever investment in renewable energy. The state has selected three offshore wind projects, plus 22 land-based renewable energy projects, which will power a total of 2.6 million homes. This is a massive investment in offshore wind, with these three projects making nearly half of the state’s offshore wind goal of 9,000 megawatts (MW) by 2035. Congratulations to the awarded projects: Attentive Energy, Community Offshore Wind, and Excelsior Wind!
Testifying in Support of Waste Reduction in Albany
One of our priority bills in NY is the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, which would hold manufacturers—not taxpayers—responsible for their waste. We were in Albany last month to testify to the Senate and Assembly in support of this bill to reduce plastic packaging, improve recycling, and save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars annually! Many thanks to Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Deborah Glick for their leadership on this issue. NY must get the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure act passed in 2024!
Heading to D.C. to Protect Long Island Sound
Our annual Long Island Sound Study Education Day was an absolute success! We met with our NY and CT Representatives to update them on all the progress the coalition made over the last year to restore Long Island Sound, and to push for increased federal funding to further these LIS protection programs. Thank you to all our coalition partners who joined us on the trip, and thanks to all our Representatives and Senators who met with us and who continue to be champions for protecting Long Island Sound.
The Problems with Artificial Turf
Throughout the nation, natural grass playgrounds and athletic fields are being replaced with “artificial” or “synthetic” turf. The use of artificial turf raises significant environmental, health, and safety concerns that parents, schools, and policymakers must be made aware of. Last month, we joined the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) to co-host a virtual educational presentation to discuss the significant problems associated with artificial turf, including water quality impacts, PFAS contamination, microplastic pollution, and more. If you missed it, check it out here.
Transitioning to Offshore Wind
New York is poised to be a national leader in offshore wind, with a mandate of 9,000MW of offshore wind by 2035. In addition to the announcement on 4,000 MW of offshore wind mentioned above, there were other important developments in October:
Empire Wind 2 Public Hearings and Wind Rally
In October, the NY Public Service Commission held public hearings in Long Beach on the Empire 2 project, which would power 600,000 Long Island homes via a cable connection through Long Beach to a substation in Island Park. We had a huge rally ahead of the hearing in support of offshore wind, particularly about the need to move forward with the existing projects and grant needed subsidies for offshore wind so we can hit our Climate Law targets. It was a fantastic rally with our environmental and labor partners.
At the hearings, hundreds of people were in attendance and City Hall was packed. One thing is clear – NYS must move the cable route instead of taking their planned route through Long Beach. The Governor recently vetoed a bill alienating parkland to allow for the planned Long Beach cable route, so stay tuned for updates on what is happening Empire Wind 2 and the cable connection!
NY Denies Subsidies for Offshore Wind
Due to Covid, supply chain issues and inflation, the offshore wind developers for the projects already selected in NY (Sunrise, Empire, & Beacon Wind) requested subsidies from New York State to ensure they could viably move forward with their projects. In October, their request was rejected. We had joined many of our Wind Works NY partners in supporting the subsidies, without which we could see years-long delays in bringing these projects online, particularly for the early projects that are nearly through the approval process and have already made massive financial investments in the community. This was a major setback to our ability to reach our climate change mandate of 70% renewables by 2030. We are now urging New York to move forward quickly with a rebidding process to keep these early projects on track and ensure we do not lose four years of work!
Our Offshore Wind Future, Part 2.
Back in July, we placed an 8-page educational piece, “Our Offshore Wind Future”, in the Long Island Herald. It was a big hit, so we’ve created another piece with even more great educational info about offshore wind. It just ran in local papers all along the south shore. Check out the new factsheet here.
Long Island Water Quality Summer 2023
We joined Stony Brook University’s Dr. Christopher Gobler in October to announce the water quality results for Long Island’s surface waters this summer. The news was not good! The 2023 Assessment of Water Quality Impairments for Long Island found more dead zones, toxic tides, fish kills, and a record-setting season for harmful algal blooms this past summer. Excessive nitrogen from sewage and septic systems has caused water quality impairments across Long Island and the problem is only going to get worse. This data highlights the need for a recurring revenue stream and significant investments to upgrade our wastewater infrastructure.
Fighting Contamination at the Brookhaven Landfill
Last month, a Newsday investigation found that Brookhaven Town had ignored whistleblower concerns about contaminated and improperly handled ash from local waste incinerators that was sent to the Brookhaven Landfill for disposal. This went on for years, and the Town sided with incinerator despite potential health risks to the local community. We joined the NAACP, Brookhaven Chapter for a press conference to call for an independent investigation into the dumping of potentially hazardous waste at the Brookhaven Landfill. This is just the latest in a long history of health concerns and environmental hazards associated with the Brookhaven Landfill. The community deserves better!
Working Together to Protect and Restore our Great Lakes
In October, we headed to Cleveland for the annual Healing Our Waters (HOW) Great Lakes Coalition Conference. The conference brings together advocates from all eight Great Lakes states to share information, visit successful restoration projects in Cleveland, and develop joint strategies to advance Great Lakes restoration. CCE serves as a state lead for the HOW coalition in New York State, and will continue working with our partners to advance Great Lakes restoration priorities in 2024, including addressing the impacts of climate change, fighting for environmental justice in Great Lakes communities, and more!
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. If you live on Long Island and are interested in participating and finding out if you have been exposed to 1,4-dioxane, you can find out more here.
Scientists at Stony Brook University have completed their assessment of water quality in Long Island’s surface waters for 2023 and the news was not good –the announcement was made today at a press conference on the shores of Great South Bay. During the months of April through September, every major bay and estuary across Long Island was afflicted by harmful algal blooms (HABs), oxygen-starved, dead zones, and fish and turtles kills. Excessive delivery of nitrogen from onsite wastewater has been cited as the root cause of these disturbing events.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE to shut down a mine?
Court decisions, a restraining order, legal violation notices, and a stop work order apparently aren’t enough. Sand Land, a sand mine in the Hamptons, has faced each of these this year — and ignored them all.
The latest notice came earlier this month, when the Department of Environmental Conservation (dec) sent Sand Land a letter citing its repeated legal violations and threatening thousands of dollars in fines. Still, the mining has continued.
LONG BEACH, N.Y. -- A major renewable energy project off Long Island suffered a big blow on Friday when Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed a controversial bill that would've expedited a planned wind farm off Long Beach.
The Suffolk County Legislature failed to pass legislation that would simply allow the public to vote on a clean water ballot referendum this November. After 10 years of crafting a bi-partisan clean water restoration plan, this is a tragic disappointment for our environment and public health!
Untreated sewage is polluting our drinking and coastal waters. Nitrogen pollution from sewage is responsible for massive fish kills, turtle die offs, toxic algae blooms, and beach closings across Suffolk County. The science is clear; the majority of the nitrogen pollution in our waterways comes from outdated sewage and septic systems. Upgrading our sewage and septic infrastructure is necessary to restore the health of our bays, harbors and drinking water!
This year, the New York State budget included language allowing Suffolk County to create a unified wastewater management district and to hold a ballot referendum which would allow residents to vote on clean water funding. We needed the Suffolk Legislature to vote yes to put this issue on the ballot so that Suffolk residents could decide this November if an increase of 1/8 of a penny in sales tax should be dedicated to protecting water resources. Funding would be used only for expanding sewers and installing upgraded nitrogen-removing septic systems.
Despite a decade of work to get here and a large coalition of environmentalists, labor unions, chambers of commerce, civic organizations, and local businesses coming together in support, the Suffolk Majority voted no in July. The deadline to pass the legislation that would let us vote on clean water this year has passed.
Here is how Suffolk Legislators voted on whether they would allow a clean water ballot initiative in November:
1. Al Krupski - Yes
2. Bridget Fleming - Yes
3. James Mazzarella - Absent
4. Nick Caracappa - No
6. Sarah Anker - Yes
7. Dominick Thorne - No
8. Anthony Piccirillo - No
9. Samuel Gonzalez - Yes
10. Trish Bergin - No
11. Steven Flotteron – No
12. Leslie Kennedy – No
13. Rob Trotta – No
14. Kevin McCaffrey – No
15. Jason Richberg – Yes
16. Manuel Esteban – No
17. Tom Donnelly – Yes
18. Stephanie Bontempi - No
The public was denied the right to vote on clean water this year. This was a huge disappointment, but we’re never done fighting for clean water. Let members of the Suffolk Legislature know that you demand the right to vote for clean water and urge him to move forward with a referendum as soon as possible.
Suffolk is 74% unsewered, with 360,000 homes relying on antiquated septic and cesspool technology to treat wastewater. The impacts of nitrogen pollution from inadequately treated sewage are appearing in virtually every bay, harbor, freshwater lake, and pond in the county.
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) cites algal blooms and nitrogen from sewage as the primary reasons many LI water bodies are impaired. The numerous fish and turtle die-offs in our estuaries over the last decade were found to be caused mainly by nitrogen pollution from sewage. Moreover, some toxic algal blooms constitute a serious threat to human health, such as Blue-Green Algae in lakes and ponds. Long Island has the greatest frequency of Blue-Green Algae in the entire state.
After years of study, Suffolk County released a plan which details the sources of nitrogen pollution entering all 191 subwatersheds in the county and provides a pathway to restoring our waterways to a healthy condition. The study found the primary cause of nitrogen pollution in our waterways to be sewage from antiquated sewers and septic systems. The Subwatersheds Plan provides a pathway to replace outdated cesspools and septic systems with advanced on-site systems and, where appropriate, improving and expanding sewer systems. The longer we wait to implement these changes, the more expensive and difficult our water quality problems will be to fix. In order to fully implement this plan, we will need a unified wastewater management district and dedicated funding stream to implement these clean water projects.
Thank you for taking action.
Sincerely,
All of us at CCE
On Thursday, October 26, celebrate National Pumpkin Day by joining in on the action to save the bees! Pumpkins rely on bees for pollination, without bees we wouldn’t have pumpkins. Unfortunately, bee populations have been declining at an alarming rate. This rise in bee deaths has largely been linked to the explosive increase and ubiquitous use of the systemic pesticide, neonicotinoids (“neonics”). To protect the bees, environment, and public health from this toxic pesticide, the NYS Legislature passed the Birds and Bees Protection Act, which bans certain uses of neonics that provide no benefit to users but pose the highest risk to bees. Now the bill is waiting to be signed by NYS Governor Kathy Hochul. Join us on National Pumpkin Day in calling on Governor Hochul to sign the Birds and Bees Protection Act! Check out our social media toolkit for ideas on how you can get involved!
Date: Thursday, October 26, 2023
Time: All Day
Location: All Social Media Platforms—X, Facebook, and Instagram, to name a few.
Neonics are proving to be the most environmentally harmful pesticide since DDT. The Birds and Bees Protection Act would ban neonic treated corn, soybean, and wheat seeds and ban ornamental and turf 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!
Thank you for taking action.
Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE
RENEWABLES TEST — POLITICO’s Marie J. French: Gov. Kathy Hochul faces a difficult balancing act as her administration weighs a request for increased subsidies from renewable developers who warn that they may otherwise have to scrap projects that are critical for New York’s climate goals.
New York State’s Public Service Commission (PSC) voted today to deny price adjustments critical to the feasibility of renewable energy construction projects. By denying the adjustment, New Yorkers bear the brunt of the decision as disruption, delays, and uncertainty will leave New Yorkers with no choice but to continue to rely on unpredictable fossil fuels.
A coalition of environmental groups rallied Wednesday in support of Equinor’s offshore wind project, Empire Wind 2 — off the coast of Long Beach, N.Y. The pro-wind rally emphasized the importance of state support in offshore wind projects to meet New York’s climate goals and grow new green industries.
“Let's face it — here on Long Island, we are at the front lines of climate change,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “You don’t have to tell us about the perils before us, because we live it.”
BROOKHAVEN, N.Y. -- Residents who live near the controversial Brookhaven town landfill are demanding an investigation after they say they've gotten sick by hazardous waste.
Brookhaven, NY (October 9, 2023) – Leaders from the Brookhaven chapter of the NAACP NYS Conference, Citizens Campaign for the Environment (DDE) and the Brookhaven Landfill Action and Remediation Group (BLARG) today called for an independent investigation into the dumping of potentially hazardous waste for years at the town of Brookhaven landfill, exposing neighboring communities of color, teachers and students at the nearby Frank P. Long School and workers at the landfill to serious health risks.
Liberty Water customers in the Merrick Service District received a notice from the company last month stating that the chemical 1,4-dioxane had been detected in the drinking water at a concentration that exceeded New York state’s maximum contaminant level of 1 part per billion.
