Albany, NY – More than 15 different environmental, civic and faith-based groups, plus several state legislators joined New York State Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Deborah Glick at the State Capitol today to call for support of the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA).
Boosts recycling, supports municipalities and reduces waste, plastic, and toxins
Albany, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham announced today that the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA) has successfully advanced through the Senate’s Environmental Conservation Committee, which he chairs.
Representatives of two dozen organizations gathered Thursday for an annual environmental roundtable meeting hosted by State Senator Anthony Palumbo to discuss regional environmental issues, concerns and needs. The event went off as it does every year: a cordial, free-wheeling, pass-the-mic conversation.
If the ongoing federal staffing cuts and budget-slashing being undertaken by the Trump administration worried the environmental advocates and government officials in the room, their concerns were mostly left unspoken —even though most of the programs addressing local environmental issues substantially rely on federal funding.
The real estate roulette wheel is spinning – and it’s at least possible that the ball will settle on a multi-billion-dollar Long Island resort and casino.
The Las Vegas Sands is seeking to build a $6 billion integrated resort and casino in Uniondale if it is awarded one of three downstate gaming licenses from the state. It is the only bid on Long Island.
Tucked among the malls, parkways and office buildings of central Nassau County is 100 acres of natural habitat for birds, insects and threatened plant species resembling a prairie in the Midwest.
The rare, county-owned grasslands sit adjacent to another county-owned site: The 72-acre asphalt property of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum where Las Vegas Sands has proposed a $6 billion casino-resort.
New York faces a major environmental decision as it considers what role — if any — it wishes to play in the future of Whitney Park, a 36,202-acre tract of land in the central Adirondacks. We think the potential opportunity to acquire such a large piece of wild land is a once-in-a-generation opportunity that demands prudence.
LONG LAKE — Eight conservation groups jointly sent a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul urging the state to “act swiftly” to purchase and preserve Whitney Park.
The letter was signed by leaders of the Adirondack Council, Protect the Adirondacks!, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve, the Adirondack Mountain Club, New York League of Conservation Voters, and Adirondack Wilderness Advocates.
Eight conservation organizations that are concerned with the future of the Adirondack Park called on Governor Kathy Hochul on Nov. 13 to act swiftly to protect 36,000 acres of forests, lakes and rivers in the central Adirondacks owned by heirs to the vast Whitney and Vanderbilt family fortunes.
The Whitney Estate, a vast tract of some of the most ecologically sensitive lands in the Adirondack Park, contains 22 lakes and ponds with more than 100 miles of undeveloped shorelines, connected by navigable rivers and streams in the Town of Long Lake, Hamilton County. It has been listed as a high-priority for state acquisition/protection since the NYS Open Space Protection Plan was first adopted in 1992, due to its high-quality wildlife habitat and great potential for public recreation and tourism.
Candidates from the first, second and third districts discussed their views and policies on climate and the environment.
Candidates from the fourth district were not present.
District 1: Nick LaLota (incumbent, R), and John Avlon (D)
Nick LaLota is the incumbent representative for New York’s first district. He currently co-chairs the bipartisan Congressional Offshore Wind Caucus, which aims to create policies that will improve offshore wind technology and workforce.
When it comes to climate change, “if ever there was a Ground Zero for Long Island, it’s really the First Congressional District,” says Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, of the district that encompasses the entire East End. “It’s very critical to hold our congressional leaders accountable for climate change. People still actually don’t believe in climate change, as if it’s a faith based system. You can’t believe or not believe in gravity. You have to understand it is real.”
New York’s offshore wind leader, Ørsted, announced today that it has submitted a finalized proposal for its Long Island Wind project, which would power up to 1 million New York homes with renewable energy while further strengthening Ørsted’s Northeast Hub. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York has become a national offshore wind leader, and the Long Island Wind project would deliver major new investments to New York’s workforce and offshore wind supply chain.
For years, conservationists have warned that too much drinkable water is being extracted from the aquifer — a critical repository deep below Long Island — but there wasn't a lot of recent data to define the extent of the problem.
That was until an eight-year study released in August found the aquifer is "under stress," leading to saltwater intrusion, draining of some groundwater-fed streams and abandonment of degraded public wells. The authors of the study, a collaboration between the U.S. Geological Survey and the state Department of Environmental Conservation, note some of these problems date back decades and have been exacerbated by climate change.
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