The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill July 25 to prevent the sale of Plum Island by the federal government to the highest bidder for the second time. READ
Environment
Two local estuaries are now a step closer to securing federal funding for the next fiscal year after some uncertainty about whether they’d be included in a final federal budget given cuts in Environmental Protection Agency appropriations proposed by the White House earlier this year.
Kevin McDonald remembers 1985, when brown tide was first detected in Peconic Bay. He was recently married, and he and his wife had purchased snorkels and face masks to explore the bay, where the water color was a “light-colored coffee” and it was hard to see six inches in front of their faces.
When North Fork Animal Welfare League executive director Gillian Wood Pultz received a report Monday about an osprey floundering in the middle of Wickham Creek in Cutchogue, her initial thought was that it had become tangled in fishing wire. That’s usually the case. READ
Suffolk County officials will hold a town hall Monday night in Flanders for East End residents seeking more information on a proposed septic improvement program that would allow some homeowners to receive a grant toward replacing old wastewater systems with new technology.
Suffolk County created a pilot program to encourage homeowners to replace outdated septic systems or cesspools — an initiative that aims to reduce nitrogen pollution in the county. READ
Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) on Monday called on his colleagues in Congress to ensure continued funding for the Long Island Sound and National Estuary programs in upcoming appropriations votes.
To illustrate just how widespread littering along Long Island’s coastline can be, marine biologist Rob DiGiovanni likes to recall the time he cleaned up a beach in Hampton Bays. READ
