Highlights and Happenings: February 2024

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Highlights

Fighting Back Against a Major Funding Cut for Clean Water 
Since 2017, New York has invested $5 billion in the Clean Water Infrastructure Act. From the Great Lakes to Long Island, this funding has helped to reduce sewage overflows, remove emerging contaminants from drinking water, replace lead pipes, and more. But there is still work to be done to address New York’s $80 billion drinking water and wastewater infrastructure needs. This year, Governor Hochul proposed to slash this critical funding by 50%, but we are fighting back. We are calling for $600 million for the Clean Water Infrastructure Act in the SFY 2024-25 budget. Now is not the time to turn off the tap for clean water infrastructure funding; we need to increase state investments in the Clean Water Infrastructure Act. If you haven’t yet, please take action today! 

Great News: NY’s 1,4-Dioxane Law is Working! 
NY’s law, which limits the carcinogen 1,4-dioxane in products, went into full effect at the beginning of this year. Last month, we released a report that included independent testing of laundry detergents—revealing that companies are complying with the law and members of the public are being exposed to significantly less 1,4-dioxane than they were just a few short years ago. We were delighted to learn that not only are New Yorkers benefiting, but products, including all those made by Proctor & Gamble, have reformulated and significantly reduced 1,4-dioxane for all of North America. You can find out more by watching our press conference revealing the testing results or reading the new report. This is a huge win for our drinking water and our health!

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Happenings

Supporting a Fully Funded 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 support zoos, aquariums, and botanical gardens. We joined advocates from across the state to maintain the $400 million EPF and prevent those funds from being raided for agency staff costs! Offloading agency staff costs into the EPF would limit communities’ ability to protect and restore our precious environment in every region of the state. 

Transitioning to Offshore Wind 
There were a lot of big developments on offshore wind in February; here’s a rundown: 

• Offshore Wind Petition Launched – Take action today to show your support for offshore wind! As New York’s offshore wind power kicks into action, it’s a critical time to come out strong for a clean energy future. Join us in urging Governor Hochul's administration to grow New York's renewable energy, including offshore wind! Sign the petition today! 

• Empire and Sunrise Wind Rebid – Both the Sunrise Wind Farm, which will power 600,000 Long Island homes via a connection in Holbrook, and Empire Wind 1, which will power 500,000 NYC homes via a connection in Brooklyn, submitted rebids with NYS for their projects to continue to move forward. Great news: In February, these projects were both selected and are now continuing along towards final approval and construction. They are expected to be completed in 2026! 

• Why Wind Works: NY’s New Offshore Wind Projects – We joined our partners at the New York League of Conservation Voters for a webinar on the new offshore wind projects coming to New York. These three projects will power over 2 million homes. Check out the webinar to find out more about Attentive Energy (developed by TotalEnergies), Rise Light & Power, Corio Generation, and Excelsior Wind (developed by Vineyard Offshore), and Community Offshore Wind (developed by RWE Offshore Renewables and National Grid Ventures). 

• Projects in the NY Bight – The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has released a draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the offshore wind leases in the NY Bight (the area available for offshore wind between NY and NJ). Three projects—Community Wind, Excelsior Wind, and Attentive Energy—have already been selected by NY and will power millions of homes with clean power. This PEIS will help streamline the review process for offshore wind projects in this area, ensuring that projects are not repeating the same studies and moving us one step closer to a transition off fossil fuels. We testified in support and submitted comments last month. 

Long Island Lobby Coalition Goes to Albany 
Last month we headed up to Albany for our annual Long Island Lobby Day. We had great meetings with our Senators and Assemblymembers about funding for clean water, sewers, transportation, social services, renewables, waste reduction and more. Our 100+ member coalition is fighting to make sure this year's budget includes funding for critical programs to protect LI's water, health, and quality of life. Thanks to all who joined us for a very productive trip. 

Suffolk County Clean Water Referendum 
Nitrogen pollution impacts every waterway in Suffolk County. We are fighting for state legislation that would allow residents to vote on a clean water ballot initiative this November and need the Suffolk County Legislature to put the issue on the ballot and let the public decide if an increase of 1/8 cent in the county sales tax should be dedicated to protecting water resources by fixing sewer and septic infrastructure. Last month, we were thrilled to join Suffolk County Executive Romaine, Suffolk legislators, organized labor, and environmentalists for a good news announcement about the clean water referendum. We are extremely encouraged that a referendum for clean water funding can be on the ballot this November in Suffolk County. 

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. Last year, 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. 

Climate Reality Project 
CCE’s Francine Gordon has been accepted to attend Climate Reality Leadership Training in NYC this Spring! The event will feature former Vice President Al Gore and an all-star lineup of thought leaders, climate experts, and organizers for a training that explores the climate crisis today and the road to a sustainable tomorrow. Congratulations to Francine on being selected for this great opportunity! 

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Save the Date: Western Bays Community Meeting 
We’ll be joining our friends at Operation SPLASH to host a community meeting on restoring our Western Bays on the south shore of Long Island. The forum will review the importance of diverting sewage from the Western Bays, update residents on the proposal to connect the South Shore Water Reclamation Facility and Long Beach Sewage Treatment Plant to an existing ocean outfall pipe at the Cedar Creek Sewage Treatment Plant, and provide an overview of upgrades that have been made so far. Join us April 2nd at 7:30pm at Operation SPLASH, 202 Woodcleft Ave, Freeport. 

Save the Date: Clean Water Symposium: Global Challenges and Local Solutions. 
We are joining North Shore Land Alliance to co-host a conference that will bring together leaders in the field of water science. Leading experts will update attendees about the condition of local water, including surface water and drinking water. There will also be a robust panel discussion that will focus on solutions that both municipalities and homeowners can use to address the protection of Long Island’s critical natural resources. The symposium will be held on Thursday, May 16th, 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm at the Gold Coast Cinema at the LIU Campus in Brookville. Register here. 

Save the Date: Protecting Northport Harbor 
We are working with Village of Northport, LI to install 2 new rain gardens on Bluff Rd and James Street. Rain gardens prevent polluted stormwater runoff from reaching local waterways. They capture, store, and filter contaminants while protecting the shoreline and harbor. Join us April 10th at 7pm at Northport Village Hall for a presentation and to offer your feedback on this beneficial new project and learn more about the importance of protecting Northport Harbor from polluted runoff. Register here. 

Help Support Offshore Wind

We’ve launched a petition to support transitioning from fossil fuels to offshore wind in NY—make your voice heard and sign today!

New York is on the front lines of climate change, and we are clearly seeing the effects of extreme weather events, flooding, and sea level rise in our communities. The most effective way to battle climate change is to break our addiction to fossil fuels and transition to clean energy sources!

Take action today to support transitioning from polluting fossil fuels towards renewable energy, especially offshore wind. As New York’s offshore wind power kicks into action, it’s a critical time to come out strong for a clean energy future. 

Please join us in urging Governor Hochul's administration to grow offshore wind in New York. It is crucial that we scale up offshore wind and expedite the development and approval of existing and upcoming offshore wind projects off our Atlantic coast in the New York Bight.

Sign the petition to tell Governor Hochul that you support moving forward quickly with the transition to offshore wind and creating the new green “wind-ustry” for New York.

Thank you for taking action!

Sincerely,
All of us at CCE

North Americans Now Getting Less Exposure to Hidden Carcinogen 1,4-Dioxane after New York Law Creates Industry-Wide Change

NY’s law limiting 1,4-dioxane in personal care products is now in full effect and has created substantial change. In response, Proctor & Gamble has significantly reduced 1,4 Dioxane in their products throughout America and Canada.

 More information contact: Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director 631-384-1378  aesposito@citizenscampaign.org

Farmingdale, NY -  1,4-Dioxane is an emerging contaminant of concern found in drinking water throughout the nation. The EPA designates 1,4-dioxane as a likely carcinogen to humans. In 2019,

1,4-dioxane, called the “hidden carcinogen” is lurking in everyday products and has been contaminating drinking water and putting public health at risk for decades. This chemical is a biproduct of manufacturing and therefore is not listed on the label.  The public is not aware we are washing our hair, bodies, and clothes with products containing this harmful chemical.

Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE) successfully advocated for a first-in-the-nation law mandating manufacturers remove 1,4-dioxane from products down to trace levels to protect our drinking water and public health. The NY legislation was driven by a CCE report which revealed independent testing results for several common household products, including shampoos, body washes, soaps and detergents. We found that 80% of the products tested contained 1,4-dioxane, some at levels over 10,000 ppb. As of January 1st, 2024, manufacturers are mandated to reduce 1,4-dioxane down to 1,000 ppb or lower for products sold in NY.

The good news is that our latest 1,4-dioxane report, including a new round of independent testing for laundry detergents, shows that NY’s law is working. The better news is that, thanks to the NY law, Proctor & Gamble has confirmed that these reformulated products with greatly reduced 1,4-dioxane levels are being sold throughout North America.

Citizens Campaign for the Environment’s Executive Director, Adrienne Esposito, issued the following statement:

“CCE could not be more thrilled to report that NY’s first-of-its-kind law limiting 1,4-dioxane in household products is a huge success and has spurred manufacturers to reformulate products being sold through North America. Every American and Canadian using Proctor & Gamble products, from Tide or Dreft laundry detergent to Pantene shampoo to Dawn dish soap, is now getting significantly less exposure to this toxic chemical. Thanks to NY’s law, we now have less contamination in our drinking water and less toxic products in our homes throughout North America. If Proctor & Gamble could do it, so should every other manufacturer. The public deserves to finally be rid of the hidden carcinogen.”

Read the report here.