It was just below 70 degrees, with a light breeze, the sun shining bright, and mild seas – perfect sailing weather.
Passengers on this excursion drove almost to the end of Sound Avenue early on a Wednesday morning – a rare trip if you don’t live or work on the North Fork – and saw the village of Greenport wake up. It was far from the Manhattan-level autumn traffic on the North Fork or the bustling party town that is Greenport in the summer.
STAMFORD — Months after speaking about possibly lifting a city requirement to charge customers 10 cents for a paper bag at checkout, members of the Board of Representatives have turned to another idea: prohibiting stores from even selling or giving out paper bags.
City Rep. Virgil de la Cruz, D-2, a deputy majority leader of the board who often advocates for measures to combat climate change, presented draft language for a potential ban on paper bags to the board’s Legislative and Rules Committee last week. But the committee decided not to advance the proposal to a public hearing yet and first conduct more research.
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A Milestone Victory for the Great Lakes: Rochester Embayment Cleanup
The most toxic hot spots in the Great Lakes, known as Areas of Concern (AOCs), were identified as such way back in 1987. Due to restoration efforts over decades—and largely supported by recent investments of $14 million from the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)—the Rochester Embayment was finally taken off the AOC list in October! This is yet another demonstration showing that we can reverse the environmental harm caused by decades of pollution, if we invest in solutions. In November, we’ll be heading to Washington DC to advocate for continued investments in the GLRI, which is necessary to finish clean ups in the Buffalo River, Eighteenmile Creek, Niagara River, St Lawrence River, and more!
Vote Yes for Clean Water in Suffolk County: Flip your Ballot and Vote YES on Prop 2!
With early voting in full swing, and Election Day on November 5, we are in the home stretch of our public outreach and education campaign to ensure Suffolk County residents know to vote on the Clean Water ballot referendum. The initiative would 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. Voting on this initiative is critical to restoring Suffolk County’s drinking water, beaches, bays, lakes, and rivers!
In October, we joined our environmental, labor, business, and community partners for a 100+ person rally in support of Prop 2 in Babylon, LI. If you missed the event, you can watch it here. We also did presentations around the county on this ballot initiative, including a great community meeting with Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine and Suffolk County Legislator Dominick Thorne, as well as presentations for the Retired Teachers Association, NAACP, Rocky Point Civic Association, Setauket Civic Association and a call in radio show with 103.9! Thank you to everyone who came out to these events and everyone working to educate your communities on this crucial program. Also, a giant thank you to the dozen advocates working with us to distribute 10,000 door knockers to Suffolk homes. We need Suffolk residents to turn out to vote on clean water this year, so if you live in Suffolk, remember to flip your ballot and vote YES on Prop 2!
Time is Ticking to Save the Horseshoe Crabs!
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 are being depleted and a major contributing factor is the commercial fishermen who catch them and chop them up for use as bait. Horseshoe crabs are an essential species in the food web. In order to save the horseshoe crab, and the species that depend upon them, the New York State Legislature passed a bill to ban harvesting of horseshoe crabs. We can’t afford to wait any longer—Governor Hochul must sign the bill into law before the end of the year. Email Governor Hochul today and urge her to sign the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act into law!
Developing a Statewide Platform for Clean Water in NYS
In October, we reconvened the NY Clean Water Coalition for the 8th annual Clean Water Roundtable. At the event, the coalition received updates from the Governor’s Office, NYS Department of Health, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, and the NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation on the top clean water challenges and priorities for the state. We worked with our coalition members—environmental groups, drinking water suppliers, and wastewater treatment operators—to develop a shared priorities agenda for the coming legislative session. The continued collaboration of this diverse group of stakeholders has yielded unprecedented results for New York’s water resources (a nation-leading $5.5 billion invested in clean water in NYS since 2017, among other victories) and we will continue to work together to further our common clean water goals in the coming year.
Transitioning to Offshore Wind
As usual, we were busy with our work to advance offshore wind. Here’s the latest from October:
Visiting South Fork Wind – We went on an incredible trip out to see South Fork Wind, NY’s first offshore wind farm located 35 miles off the coast of Montauk. The project is now supplying clean, renewable energy to 70,000 homes on the south fork of Long Island. In fact, it is generating more power than expected! Sunrise Wind, which will power 600,000 homes in Suffolk County, and Empire Wind, which will power 500,000 homes in NYC, are both under construction and will be the next two offshore wind projects that allow our transition off fossil fuels in downstate NY.
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). BESS systems store energy from renewable energy sources and deliver it when electricity demand is greatest, helping to create a more reliable grid. Here’s the latest on our work to support BESS:
In October, we urged Town of Southampton to allow a small 5MW battery storage project by NineDot to move ahead, as it would provide clean power to an area where the grid needs more energy and offset the need for fossil fuel peaker plants. They are due to make the decision in the next month.
In November, we expect Town of Babylon to hold a public hearing on extending their moratorium on battery storage and we will be heading to the hearing to oppose the extension. 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.
Congressional Climate Chats
In the next Congress, our representatives from Suffolk and Nassau will have an important role to play in ensuring protections for our coastal communities, local economy, emerging industries, and environmental resources. We joined our partners at Students for Climate Action, Renewable Energy Long Island, and Citizens Climate Lobby New York to virtually host Climate Chats 2024 last month. This event featured short, 15-minute “chats” with candidates running for Congress in NY-01, NY-02, NY-03 to answer questions on climate change, energy, and sustainability from a panel of experienced environmental leaders. Thank you to candidates Congressman Garbarino, Rob Lubin, Congressman LaLota, John Avlon, Congressman Suozzi, and Mike LiPetri for participating. You can watch Climate Chats here.
Long Island Water Quality Summer 2024
We joined Stony Brook University’s Dr. Christopher Gobler in October to announce the water quality results of Long Island’s surface waters this summer. The news was not good! The 2024 Assessment of Water Quality Impairments for Long Island found more toxic tides 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, making it so important for Suffolk residents to vote yes on Prop 2 for clean water this year.
The Problems with Artificial Turf
Across New York, artificial turf fields are replacing natural grass at parks, schools, sports fields, and in landscaping. There is growing concern and research connecting artificial turf to a variety of adverse health, safety, and environmental impacts. Exposure to toxic chemicals, water contamination, increase in injuries, PFAS pollution, and plastic pollution are all problems associated with artificial turf. We will be launching a series of educational materials and will be hosting virtual lunch and learn about the various problems associated with artificial turf—stay tuned to learn more about the growing threats from artificial turf. Check out our first educational factsheet here!
Planting a Rain Garden in Northport
We are working with Village of Northport on Long Island to install 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 prevent pollution from entering Northport Harbor. We joined community members to plant a rain garden last month and we are very excited to see how it continues to thrive and protect Northport Harbor. We will be planting another rain garden on November 9th from 10:30am - 12:30pm and are looking for volunteers. If you live in Northport and are interested in helping with the planting, email Maureen Murphy for more details.
West Babylon trash hauler Winters Bros. is dropping plans for a proposed Yaphank waste transfer station project that was seen by local officials as critical to managing Long Island's future trash removal needs but drew opposition from local residents and others, a company spokesman told Newsday on Friday.
Audubon CT & NY, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, The Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve, Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, Save the Sound and SoundWaters today announced the formation of a new coalition that will work to advance coastal resiliency projects that preserve the ecological integrity of Long Island Sound’s coastlines.
Norwalk, CT – Audubon CT & NY, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, The Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve, Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, Save the Sound and SoundWaters today announced the formation of a new coalition that will work to advance coastal resiliency projects that preserve the ecological integrity of Long Island Sound’s coastlines.
The announcement of the new Coastal Restoration Coalition comes during National Estuaries Week, a celebration highlighting the importance of ecosystems like Long Island Sound. The coastal habitats of estuaries, like the salt marshes and sand dunes that line the coasts of Connecticut and New York, provide natural benefits to our communities, including protecting people from storm surge and vital waterways from dangerous pollutants.
Member organizations will collaborate to advance coastal resiliency projects that preserve the ecological integrity of Long Island Sound’s coastlines.
NORWALK, Conn. — A newly established coalition will work to progress coastal resiliency projects to preserve the ecological integrity of Long Island Sound’s coastlines.
The creation of the Coastal Restoration Coalition was announced on Wednesday. It includes Audubon CT & NY, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, The Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve, Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, Save the Sound and SoundWaters.
The future of a bill to enhance protections for horseshoe crabs in New York waters is unclear, but advocacy around the issue is heating up.
If signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), the bill would prevent the taking of horseshoe crabs for commercial or biomedical purposes in New York. The bill was passed by the state Assembly and Senate June 7, and though it has not yet been called up by the governor for consideration and potential signature or veto, advocates for and against the bill have been working hard to make their voices heard.
We are witnessing devastating results of climate change throughout our nation. Here on Long Island, we are particularly vulnerable. In the next Congress, our representatives from Suffolk and Nassau will have an important role to play in ensuring protections for our coastal communities, local economy, emerging industries, and environmental resources.
This event will feature short, 15-minute “chats” with six candidates running for Congress to answer questions on climate change, energy, and sustainability from a panel of experienced environmental leaders. This event will be open and free to the public.
Date: Thursday, October 17
Time: 7:00pm-9:00pm
Register: Get the Zoom link for the free event here
Candidate Interviews with:
• NY-01: Congressman Nick LaLota
• NY-01: John Avlon
• NY-02: Congressman Andrew Garbarino
• NY-02: Rob Lubin
• NY-03: Congressman Tom Suozzi
• NY-03: Mike LiPetri
Thank you for joining us!
Sincerely,
All of us at CCE
On September 18th, new regulations were announced, adopting new regulations to reduce the presence of 1,4-dioxane in household cleaning, personal care, and cosmetic products.
According to Sean Mahar, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar, New York State is the first in the country to adopt regulations that reduce 1,4-dioxane in these product categories to help protect consumers and natural resources and create healthier communities.
Photo by Vlada Karpovich: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-walking-on-the-sidewalk-at-the-park-9968508/
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.
Celebrating our Equinox Gala
We had a great night celebrating 39 years and our special honorees at our annual Equinox gala in September. We honored Ørsted to celebrate New York’s first offshore wind farm and Assemblyman Fred Thiele for a lifetime achievement award. Thank you to everyone that attended and helped to make this night a success. Stay tuned for more pictures and video of our fabulous event!
Now is the time—Governor Hochul must protect horseshoe crabs!
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 are being depleted and one contributing factor is the commercial fishermen who catch them and chop them up for use as bait. Horseshoe crabs are an essential species in the food web. In order to save the horseshoe crab, and the species that depend upon them, the New York State Legislature passed a bill to ban harvesting of horseshoe crabs. We can’t afford to wait any longer—Governor Hochul must act to sign the bill into law before the end of the year. Email Governor Hochul today and urge her to sign the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act into law!
ACE NY Clean Energy Award!
A heartfelt thank you to the Alliance for Clean Energy New York for awarding us the 2024 Energy Advocate Award! We are proud of our work to bolster renewable energy in NY and are grateful for the recognition. Thanks for hosting a great panel discussion last month with other key energy leaders. Let’s keep working together to transition away from dirty polluting fossil fuels to clean renewable energy!
Suffolk County Clean Water Ballot Referendum
We have launched a public outreach campaign to ensure Suffolk County residents know to vote on a Clean Water Ballot Referendum this November. The initiative would 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. Now we need Suffolk residents to turn out to vote on clean water this year, so if you live in Suffolk—remember to flip your ballot and vote on Prop 2!
We will be hosting a free community meeting on October 8th at 7:00pm at South County Ambulance in Bellport. We will be joined by Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine and Suffolk County Legislator Dominick Thorne to discuss this important program. Make sure to register today if you would like to attend and learn more about Prop 2.
Traveling to Chicago to Collaborate on Great Lakes Protection
As one of the state leaders in New York State for the Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition, we work closely with partners from all eight Great Lakes states to collaborate on efforts to advance federal protections of our lakes. In September, we headed to Chicago for the coalition’s annual conference—developing a plan to advance restoration in 2025! At the top of our priority list is a campaign to get Congress to extend the successful Great Lakes Restoration Initiative—email your Senators and U.S. House representatives in support of this critical legislation today!
New Long Island Drinking Water Report
In September, we launched a drinking water report that provides a comprehensive evaluation of the presence of emerging contaminants 1,4-dioxane and PFAS chemicals in drinking water across Long Island. We reviewed existing data from 2024 Annual Water Quality Reports from Long Island public water suppliers. These reports provide a summary of data from 2023. We also created interactive online maps that depict the maximum level detected of 1,4-dioxane and PFAS contamination in each water district. You can check out the new report and interactive maps of 1,4-dioxane and PFAS here.
Transitioning to Offshore Wind
Here’s what was happening with offshore wind in NY in September:
NYSERDA Offshore Wind Solicitation – New York is currently in its fifth solicitation for offshore wind projects. Companies recently submitted their projects for consideration, which will allow New York to pick the next round of offshore wind farms. Continuing to move forward with project selections is crucial to achieving our climate mandates and replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy. Stay tuned for information on the next round of offshore wind projects.
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 August, we urged the Town of North Hempstead Town Board not to approve a 12-month moratorium on battery storage systems. Fortunately, the moratorium did not pass at the August meeting, but the fight is not over as the Board may still pass it in October. The Town of Babylon will also be holding a public hearing on extending their moratorium on battery storage on October 8th and we will be heading to the hearing to oppose the extension. 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.
Environmental Roundtable with NYS Senators
Thanks to Senator Pete Harckham and Senator Monica Martinez for joining us last month for our environmental roundtable. We had a robust discussion on what our leaders in the Senate can do during the next legislative session to protect Long Island’s water for future generations. Thanks to all who participated and thanks again to the Senators for being environmental champions!
Upcoming: Congressional Climate Chats
In the next Congress, our representatives from Suffolk and Nassau will have an important role to play in ensuring protections for our coastal communities, local economy, emerging industries, and environmental resources. We’ll be joining our partners at Students for Climate Action, Renewable Energy Long Island, and Citizens Climate Lobby New York to virtually host Climate Chats 2024 on October 17th at 7:00pm. This event will feature short, 15-minute “chats” with candidates running for Congress in NY-01, NY-02, NY-03, and NY-04 to answer questions on climate change, energy, and sustainability from a panel of experienced environmental leaders. Register here for the zoom link.
The state finalized regulations this week to limit a chemical classified as a likely human carcinogen in certain household products sold in New York, making it clear no products will be able to get waivers starting in 2026.
But more than 1,000 products with higher levels of the chemical 1,4-dioxane manufactured by various companies — mostly shampoos, shower gels and body washes — are still allowed to be sold due to waivers issued from the state that expire at the end of the year.
Measure Protects Public Health and Environment by Reducing Harmful Emerging Contaminant in Cleaning, Personal Care, and Cosmetic Products
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar today announced the adoption of new regulations to reduce the presence of 1,4-dioxane in household cleansing, personal care, and cosmetic products. New York is the first state in the nation to adopt regulations that reduce 1,4-dioxane in these product categories to help protect consumers and natural resources and create healthier communities.
The North Hempstead town board will reconsider a one-year moratorium on large battery storage systems in October, nearly two months after a similar vote failed.
In August, the board voted 3-1 on the resolution, with two abstentions. To pass a law in North Hempstead, a majority of four votes is required. North Hempstead became the first Long Island town to reject a proposal for a battery storage site.
FAST FACTS ABOUT SOUTH SHORE BLUEWAY TRAIL PLAN
The water-based South Shore Blueway Trail is designed for kayakers, canoeists and other non-motorized boaters along the South Shore of Long Island. It spans the coastal waterways of Nassau County, connecting scenic spots, nature preserves, parks and other access points between the western part of the county near the Western Bays, extending toward Suffolk County.
A hearing over what would be a key step in bringing a potential casino and resort to Nassau County brought dozens of people to the county's legislative chamber Monday.
The purpose of the hearing is to hear from people in the community about what they would like to see in an environmental study of the Nassau Hub.
A $6 billion casino-resort at the site of the Nassau Coliseum would likely impact water usage, increase vehicular traffic and generate more solid waste, among other environmental impacts, speakers told county legislators Monday night, kicking off a lengthy review of the bid by Las Vegas Sands.
Supporters said they believed Sands would successfully mitigate any concerns while opponents deemed the adverse effects on the Uniondale property would be reasons to deny the Nevada-based company the right to build.
