Offshore Construction on New York’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm to Begin Later this Year
Sunrise Wind, New York’s largest offshore wind project, has received approval of its Construction and Operations Plan (COP) from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), which is the final decision needed from the federal agency to move the project toward the start of offshore construction.
Image by Heiko Stein from Pixabay
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.
Horseshoe Crab Protection Bill Passes, Awaits Governor’s Signature
Horseshoe crabs have existed for over 350 million years, having shared this planet with the dinosaurs. Sadly, the species is now vulnerable to local extinction unless action is taken soon. Horseshoe crab populations have been depleted largely due to commercial fishermen who catch them and chop them up for use as bait. Horseshoe crabs are an essential species in the food web—if they are not protected, threatened species, such as the Red Knot, may go extinct. In order to save the horseshoe crab and the species that depend upon them, CCE championed legislation to ban harvesting of horseshoe crabs in NY. The bill was passed by the state legislature! Email Governor Hochul today and urge her to sign the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act into law!
Suffolk County Clean Water Ballot Referendum Will Be on November Ballot!
The Suffolk County Legislature passed critical legislation that will allow Suffolk County residents to vote on a Clean Water ballot referendum this November. In July, we joined County Executive Romaine, Assemblyman Fred Thiele, Suffolk legislators, and our environmental and labor partners to celebrate the bill being signed into law. Check out CCE Executive Director Adrienne Esposito’s comments here. The initiative would create a unified wastewater management district and allow sales tax to be increased by 1/8 of one penny to create a reliable funding stream dedicated to protecting water resources by expanding and upgrading sewers and installing upgraded nitrogen-removing septic systems. This is a victory 10 years in the making. Now we need Suffolk residents to turn out to vote on clean water this year!
Transitioning to Offshore Wind
As always, there is lots going on with offshore wind. Here are the big developments from July:
Sunrise Wind Groundbreaking – We joined NYSERDA, the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, and many of our Wind Works NY partners for the groundbreaking on Ørsted ‘s Sunrise Wind project. This is a historical milestone for the future of renewable energy on Long Island. Sunrise Wind will soon power 600,000 Long Island homes with clean energy and help us transition off polluting fossil fuels.
Fighting for Battery Energy Storage - As part of NY’s transition to renewable energy, especially offshore wind, we will need to use battery energy storage systems (BESS). These systems provide capacity that will reduce our reliance on fossil fuel based generated power, thereby providing significant environmental and public health benefits. In July, we went to the Town of Southampton to urge the Town Council not to approve a second moratorium on battery storage systems. It has been a year since the Town placed a moratorium on BESS with the intention of updating zoning codes to properly site projects. Unfortunately, the Town chose to extend the moratorium another six months. Several other Long Island towns have moratoriums or extensions to existing moratoriums up for vote in the coming months, so stayed tuned for more info on how you can help support BESS.
Sign the Offshore Wind Petition – Take action today to show your support for offshore wind! As New York’s offshore 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!
New Report: Random, Restrictive Recycling on Long Island
Each year, Long Island generates more than 2.9 million tons of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), with approximately 40% of that waste being packaging and paper products, such as plastic containers, metal cans, plastic film, glass bottles, paper products, and cardboard. Unfortunately, only about 20% MSW is being recycled properly. We released a report last month entitled “Random, Restrictive Recycling: The Chaotic System on Long Island and the Policy Solution Needed to Fix It”. This report analyzes municipal recycling programs and the options available for residents, discusses the complications in our recycling system that prevent Long Islanders from recycling properly, and outlines a policy solution to tackle Long Island’s recycling crisis. The report details an overcomplicated, confusing, and often misleading municipal recycling system that makes it very difficult for individuals to recycle properly. You can check out the report here and watch our press conference where we discuss our key findings here.
Heading to D.C. to Protect Long Island Sound
Each year, we head down to DC for our Long Island Sound Education Day with our coalition partners to talk about the issues facing this Estuary of National Significance. We had great meetings with our U.S. Senate and House members from New York and Connecticut on the importance of investing in LI Sound. Cleaner waters, robust fish populations, opening shellfish beds, and reduced hypoxia all demonstrate our success so far, but far more needs to be done to address climate change and combat nitrogen pollution. In July, we were thrilled when the U.S. House passed the LI Sound Restoration and Stewardship Reauthorization Act, and are urging the Senate to follow suit!
Tackling Plastic Pollution for Plastic Free July
The Long Island Sound Coastal Watershed network hosted our webinar “Tackling Long Island Sound Plastic Pollution: Plastic Free July”. We heard from expert Rachael Miller, who told us about her latest research on microplastics in the Sound, and CCE’s Adrienne Esposito, who discussed the solutions to the plastic crisis. It was a great event – thanks to the 100+ people to joined us for the presentation and Q &A. If you missed it, you can check it out here.
Talking Protecting Horseshoe Crabs on Fire Island
We participated in Saltaire’s annual Sea & Sand Festival, a weekend of kids' activities focused on the environment. We spent the day on Fire Island talking to kids and their parents on the importance of protecting horseshoe crabs. The children were excited to color and send letters to Governor Hochul urging her to sign The Horseshoe Crab Protection Act. Thank you to Kathryn Morlet and the Saltaire Sustainability Committee for putting together this great event.
Be on the Watch for Harmful Algal Blooms
As we start enjoying summer here in New York, it is important to be aware of dangerous harmful algal blooms (HABs). HABs pose an immense threat to our communities’ drinking water, public health, outdoor recreation and wildlife. HABs are erupting across NY more frequently and more aggressively in NY waterbodies. To learn more about HABs and efforts taken to combat them on Cayuga Lake check out our short video. If you see a HAB in a lake or waterbody (looks like spilled green paint or pea soup), be sure to avoid it and report it using the DEC Suspicious Algal Bloom Report Form!
We are in the process of transitioning from polluting fossil fuels to renewable energy, including wind and solar energy. As part of this transition, we will need to use battery energy storage systems (BESS). These systems provide the capacity to reduce our reliance on fossil fuel based generated power and stabilize the grid, thereby providing significant environmental and public health benefits. With offshore wind coming to Long Island in 2026 and the continued build-out of solar energy, BESS will be a crucial component of our clean energy future.
North Hempstead is considering placing a one-year moratorium on BESS. There is no reason for a moratorium except to dissuade BESS development. North Hempstead can, and should, create new zoning codes for this technology so it can be permitted safely and effectively—without a moratorium.
Please attend the North Hempstead Town Board meeting on August 13th to let your elected officials know that you support battery energy storage:
When: Tuesday, August 13, at 7:00 pm
Where: North Hempstead Town Hall, 220 Plandome Road, Manhasset NY
Want to Learn more about BESS before the Town Board meeting? Join us for a “Power Hour” Zoom on BESS this Thursday:
In advance of the Town Board meeting, we will be co-hosting a one hour zoom meeting to discuss some key facts about BESS, its value to our grid, and what you can do to make sure North Hempstead allows this important clean energy technology to move forward. This is a great opportunity to learn more about what has been going on with BESS and ask any questions before coming to the Town Board meeting next week. Join the “Power Hour” on Thursday August 8th at 7pm on Zoom. Register here.
Thank you for joining us!
Sincerely,
All of us at CCE
New York generates an estimated 4 million tons of excess food annually, the vast majority of which is disposed of in landfills. When disposed of in landfills, wasted food decomposes and releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas. About 25% of the food we buy is wasted, while more than 2.5 million New Yorkers lack consistent access to sufficient food. We are throwing away wholesome food that could instead help feed our fellow citizens in need.
In response, New York enacted the Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law in 2019 to require large food generators (e.g. supermarkets, sports venues, hotels, colleges) that waste two tons of food or more per week to either donate or recycle their excess food. This program has provided surplus food to hungry people, converted organic waste into valuable compost, and created renewable energy through anerobic digestion. The program has been off to a very successful start—from 2021 to 2022, food donation increased 60% and food scrap recycling increased 529% across the state!
While we are off to a good start, far too much food continues to be wasted. Now it is time to expand this program and capture additional food waste. The NYS Legislature recently passed legislation to expand this program—requiring facilities generating one ton or more of food waste per week to reduce, recover, and recycle excess food!
Thank you for taking action. Together we make a difference!
Sincerely,
All of Us at CCE
We are in the process of transitioning from polluting fossil fuels to renewable energy, including wind and solar energy. As part of this transition, we will need to use battery energy storage systems (BESS). These systems provide capacity to reduce our reliance on fossil fuel based generated power and stabilize the grid, thereby providing significant environmental and public health benefits.
The Town of Southampton placed a moratorium on BESS over one year ago, claiming they needed to create new zoning codes for this technology so it can be permitted safely and effectively. They have had ample time and expert guidance, yet they are still not advancing their codes and are considering extending the moratorium again!
Please attend the Southampton Town Board meeting on June 23rd at 6:00 PM to let your elected officials know that you support battery energy storage and urge them to not extend the moratorium.
Southampton Town Board Meeting
When: Tuesday, July 23, at 6:00 pm
Where: Southampton Town Hall, 116 Hampton Road, Southampton, NY
Want to Learn more about BESS before the Town Board meeting? Join us for a “Power Hour” Zoom on BESS this Thursday at 7pm:
In advance of the Town Board meeting, we will be co-hosting a one-hour zoom meeting to discuss some key facts about BESS, its value to our grid, and what you can do to make sure Southampton allows this important clean energy technology to move forward. This is a great opportunity to learn more about what has been going on with BESS in Southampton and ask any questions before coming to the Town Board meeting next week. Join the “Power Hour” on Thursday July 18th at 7pm on zoom. Register here.
Thank you for joining us!
Sincerely,
All of us at CCE
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a new large-scale renewable energy solicitation to deliver clean electricity to New Yorkers. Building on New York’s 10-Point Action Plan, this solicitation seeks proposals for the development of new large-scale land-based renewable energy projects which are expected to spur billions of dollars in clean energy investments and create thousands of family-sustaining jobs in the State’s green economy. Today’s announcement supports progress toward achieving the State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal to obtain 70 percent of New York’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
Re: Moratorium on ProcellaCOR Permitting Pending PFAS and Human Health and Ecological Impact Concerns
Dear Adirondack Park Agency Executive Director Barbara Rice,
The undersigned are writing to express our deep concern regarding the recently disclosed Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) information on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) within pesticides, including florpyrauxifen-benzyl which is the active chemical ingredient in ProcellaCOR EC and SE. As the Adirondack Park Agency is aware, ProcellaCOR EC is the less concentrated form of ProcellaCOR SE, both of which are manufactured by the SePRO Corporation, the former of which has been recently approved for use in several lakes in the Adirondacks.
Good morning. The Citizens Campaign for the Environment presented findings from a study of Fire Island’s wastewater challenges to the Suffolk County Legislature this week. They say the island only has one small sewage treatment plant, forcing most residents to use septic or cesspool systems. This single plant and other aging systems contribute to harmful algal blooms, and loss of fisheries in the surrounding waterways.
Experts in local government, the insurance industry, the environment and marine science explored how sea level rise could affect South Shore and North Shore communities during a nextLI Town Hall that airs Tuesday on NewsdayTV.
Connecticut has made progress to protect its land, water and air over the last decade — but struggles to control greenhouse gas emissions that worsen climate change, according to the Connecticut Council on Environmental Quality. A report from the state watchdog blames the transportation sector for the emissions increase last year. The Council recommends a faster adoption of electric vehicles, less fuel consumption, and more use of public transit.
THE POPE AND HOCHUL: Gov. Kathy Hochul will be jetting away to Rome this week for a climate conference hosted by Pope Francis.
She’ll be giving a 15-minute talk, titled “Climate Leadership in the Empire State: Building Resiliency for All,” at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Vatican City time.
Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay
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.
2024 NY Legislative Session Wraps Up
In June we celebrated major victories. Thanks to your support, we led successful efforts to protect clean water, safeguard the public from toxic chemicals, save vulnerable species, fight climate change, save taxpayers money, and more. Bills that passed the legislature include (most still need a signature from the Governor to become law):
Horseshoe Crab Protection Act: While horseshoe crabs have been around for over 350 million years, having survived the extinction of the dinosaurs, their numbers are now dwindling in New York State due to overharvesting. We led efforts to get legislation passed that will ban harvesting of these crabs for commercial and biomedical purposes. Now, we need to urge Governor Hochul to sign this bill into law!
Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act, which will allow a Suffolk County ballot referendum to allow the creation of a fund to upgrade sewers and septic systems to protect clean water, is a priority bill that passed and was already signed into law by the Governor.
Climate Superfund Act: Holds corporations accountable by requiring fossil fuel companies to pay into a fund that will help New York adapt to climate change. It would generate about $3 billion annually to fund projects to keep communities safe from flooding, protect vulnerable infrastructure, pay for damage from extreme weather, and much more. This bill still needs to be signed by the Governor.
Ban on Fracking with CO2: While we fought to ban dangerous fracking that uses water to extract gas (hydraulic fracking) years ago, there was interest in circumventing the ban by extracting gas using carbon dioxide instead. Since this would be just as dirty and dangerous as hydraulic fracking, we supported legislation to ban CO2 fracking. This bill still needs to be signed by the Governor.
After major campaigns with our coalition partners, bills banning PFAS in household chemicals and the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act passed overwhelmingly in the NYS Senate. While we secured more than enough votes to pass the bills in the Assembly, Assembly leadership failed to allow the bills to come up for a vote. We’ll work to get these bills passed as soon as possible:
Victory! Suffolk County Approves Clean Water Ballot Referendum
The Suffolk County Legislature passed critical legislation that will allow Suffolk County residents to vote on a Clean Water ballot referendum this November. The initiative would create a unified wastewater management district and allow sales tax to be increased by 1/8 of one penny to create a reliable funding stream dedicated to protecting water resources by expanding and upgrading sewers and installing upgraded nitrogen-removing septic systems. This is a victory 10 years in the making! Now we need Suffolk residents to turn out to vote on clean water this year! As Newsday editorial board stated, “The stars finally are aligning for clean water in Suffolk.”
Welcome CCE’s Summer Interns
Summer is finally here! We were very excited to welcome Damaris, Jordan, Jacob, Kathleen, Omi, and Tenley, who will be interning with us this summer. In June, they headed out to several Long Island beaches and street festivals to conduct education on offshore wind. Stop by our tent for environmental updates, plus fun games and prizes all summer! See you in the sun!
Transitioning to Offshore Wind
These were some of the big developments in June related to offshore wind development:
South Brooklyn Marine Terminal Groundbreaking – We joined NYSERDA, NYC Mayor Eric Adams, and many of our Wind Works NY partners for the ground breaking on Equinor‘s South Brooklyn Marine Terminal Offshore Wind Port. This is a historic milestone for the future of renewable energy in New York City. This 73-acre project will allow us to bring offshore wind energy to the NYC grid. It will provide energy to 500,000 homes and create a thousand green jobs for New Yorkers.
Learning More About Battery Energy Storage - As part of NY’s transition to renewable energy, especially offshore wind, we will need to use battery energy storage systems (BESS). These systems provide capacity that will reduce our reliance on fossil fuel based generated power, thereby providing significant environmental and public health benefits. We joined our partners for a community meeting in Babylon, on Long Isand, to discuss how battery storage works and the role it plays in our renewable energy transition. We plan on having more community meetings on Long Island, so stay tuned for more info.
Global Wind Day – For Global Wind Day on June 18th, we headed down to the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center for an educational open house on offshore wind. It was great to see many of our Wind Works NY partners and energy experts to answer the public’s questions on NY’s offshore wind projects and the benefits of offshore wind for our communities.
Sewage Solutions for Fire Island
Our Executive Director, Adrienne Esposito, presented with Cameron Engineering to the Suffolk County Legislature last month on the new Fire Island Sewage Solutions Plan. This is the first comprehensive, community-led plan that brought together federal, state, and local leaders and stakeholder organizations. We worked for the past 6 years to assess the wastewater management needs of Fire Island. Thank you to Steve Flotteron for sponsoring the project and to Suzy Lawrence Goldhirsch and the Fire Island Association for all their input, time, and expertise to create this holistic plan.
PFAS in Everyday Products
Last month we presented at the Association of Educational Safety & Health Professionals Conference on the threats of PFAS in everyday products and drinking water. PFAS is unnecessarily present in common products such as cookware, dental floss, children’s products, personal care products, ski wax and so much more. The ubiquitous use of these toxic chemicals has led to a variety of adverse human health impacts and drinking water contamination. We work to educate the public about the threats of PFAS exposure and continue to fight to ban these chemicals from the products we use every day. This remains one of our top legislative priorities.
Paying the Price: Long Island’s Stormy Future
In June, Newsday hosted “Paying the Price: Long Island’s Stormy Future” — a conversation about the status of Long Island’s shorelines and the challenges we face as a result of climate change and sea level rise. Adrienne Esposito was among the four speakers in this discussion, along with Dr Chris Gobler, Supervisor Dan Panico and Robert Larocca. Stay tuned for when the show is posted and click here for more information.
Conserving Water in the Summer Heat Wave
While facing record high temperatures around New York this June, we joined the Long Island Commission for Aquifer Protection for an event on how to conserve water to protect Long Island’s sole source aquifer and protect public health. It’s likely to be a hot summer, so check out the video to learn more.
Upcoming: Tackling Plastic Pollution for Plastic-Free July
The Long Island Sound Coastal Watershed network will be hosting our webinar “Tackling Long Island Sound Plastic Pollution: Plastic Free July”. Join us on July 16th from 12:30p.m-1:30p.m as we hear from expert Rachael Miller as she tells us more about Microplastics in the Sound. Smithtown High School Students Nicole Gullason and Natasha Mishra will discuss their research findings on Microplastics and Algal Blooms in Long Island Sound and Adrienne Esposito will discuss solutions to the plastic crisis. Register now.
CCE and our partners at the Coastal Watershed Network invite you to join a free Zoom webinar for Plastic-Free July to learn about newly identified microplastic “hot spots” in Long Island Sound, research related to microplastics and algal blooms, and solutions to reduce plastic pollution. Participants will hear from the experts and have the opportunity to ask questions.
Webinar details:
Date: Tuesday, July 16
Time: 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Where: Via Zoom (register here)
Speakers/Topics:
Rachael Miller, Founder of the Rozalia Project: Microplastic “Hot Spots” in Long Island Sound
Nicole Gullason and Natasha Mishra, Students at Smithtown High School West: Connection between Microplastics and Algal Blooms
Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director at Citizens Campaign for the Environment: Individual, Corporate, and Policy Solutions to Reduce Plastic Pollution in the Sound
Thank you for joining us!
Sincerely,
All of us at CCE
In recent years, many communities across New York State discovered their drinking water sources are contaminated with harmful PFAS chemicals. PFAS are referred to as “forever chemicals” because they are very persistent, meaning they build up in our bodies and don’t break down in the environment. New York State has taken some important steps to address PFAS, however, new science indicates that we must do more in order to protect public health from this growing threat!
What is PFAS?
Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of thousands of manufactured chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products for many decades, due to their non-stick, grease-resistant and waterproof properties. PFAS is used in cookware, packaging, clothing, furniture, adhesives, paint, firefighting foam, artificial turf, and other products. According to the U.S. EPA, there are 3,500 industrial sites across New York State that may be handling or using PFAS chemicals.
PFAS Pollutes our Environment and Drinking Water
Due to widespread use of PFAS chemicals in numerous products and industries, PFAS chemicals have become ubiquitous in the environment, including our soil, air, and drinking water. Testing has revealed PFAS in water sources in dozens of communities across New York State, from Western New York to Long Island.
PFAS Threatens our Health
Studies show that human exposure to PFAS is widespread and that nearly all people in the United States have some PFAS compounds in their blood. Exposure to PFAS can lead to higher rates of kidney and testicular cancer, higher cholesterol levels, thyroid problems, adverse developmental effects and decreased immune response in children, and other adverse health impacts.
EPA Indicates That There is No Safe Level of Exposure to PFAS
In 2022, based on a growing body of new science, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency updated its drinking water health advisory for two types of PFAS chemicals, PFOS and PFOA. Drinking water health advisories indicate the amount of a chemical in drinking water that is expected to cause adverse health impacts. The EPA significantly reduced the health advisory from 70 parts per trillion (ppt) for both PFOA and PFOS down to a mere .004 ppt for PFOA and .02 ppt for PFOS. This means that there is essentially no safe level of exposure to these chemicals in our drinking water!
EPA Proposes Strong National Drinking Water Standards
In 2024, the U.S. EPA finalized a rule to establish the first nationwide enforceable limits on the amount of six highly toxic PFAS chemicals allowed in drinking water. For PFOA and PFOS, EPA adopted individual drinking water limits (known as Maximum Contaminant Levels or MCLs) of 4 ppt per chemical. For the other four PFAS (PFNA, PFBS, PFHxS, and GenX), EPA proposed an enforceable limit designed to address those chemicals’ combined effects as a mixture. While we want to ultimately eliminate PFAS in drinking water, EPA’s proposed standards represent the strongest standards that are currently technically feasible.
In 2020, New York State set MCL’s of 10 ppt for both PFOA and PFOS. While the standards were among the strongest of any state in the nation at the time, new science is clearly demonstrating that we must do more to protect clean drinking water by adopting EPA’s proposed standards. Adopting these drinking water standards will protect drinking water in New York, Connecticut, and throughout the nation and prevent thousands of premature deaths. CCE continues to advocate that New York State adopt EPA’s new standards as soon as possible.
It’s Time to Turn Off the Tap to PFAS!
As we make important progress to remove PFAS from our drinking water, it does not make sense to continue using more PFAS and allow more contamination to occur. New York must get serious about limiting further PFAS contamination by banning unnecessary uses of PFAS in products. New York has already enacted laws to limit PFAS in firefighting foam, food packaging, carpets, and apparel; however, there are numerous other products that continue to use PFAS unnecessarily. Learn more about our campaign to ban PFAS in a range of household products in New York State.
Interactive Long Island Map: Is there PFAS in Your Water?
In 2023, CCE compiled data from every Long Island water district and created an interactive map of PFAS levels in drinking water. This analysis has found that:
450,000+ Long Islanders (out of 2.7 million served by public water) have drinking water below the detection levels of 2 ppt for PFAS chemicals.
570,000+ Long Islanders’ drinking water exceeds the current standard of 10 ppt for PFOA/PFOS.
1.7+ million Long Islanders’ drinking water with PFOA/PFOS between 2ppt and 10ppt.
