Environment

The plan, which calls for an estimated 2,000 to 5,000 trees to be taken down, is designed to slow the spread of the invasive species in the county's Pine Barren region.

Assume it's alive even if it appears motionless, experts say, and there's a hotline to call for help.

The NY Marine Rescue Center in Riverhead on Friday said they are seeing an uptick in cold-stunned sea turtles and if you should happen upon a turtle, even if it appears lifeless, it might still be able to be saved if you call the Center's hotline at 631-369-9829.

The waters off eastern Long Island continued to register high grades in water quality, while the more populated Eastern and Western Narrows continued to receive low grades.

The cable will run 5.2 miles under state waters and emerge at Smith Point for a 17-mile land run up along the William Floyd Parkway to Holbrook.

The 2022 Long Island Sound Report Card gives low marks to waterways closer to...

The study says a layered defense system is necessary to protect low-lying coastal communities from conditions similar to the unprecedented flooding during Superstorm Sandy 10 years ago.

Remediation efforts are expected to begin within the year at the airport in Westhampton Beach, where the Department of Defense was found responsible for contaminating groundwater supply with chemicals.

Nine Long Island water providers to get money to deal with three contaminants: 1,4-dioxane, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, or PFOS, and perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA.

Cornell scientists suspect a parasite that preys on scallops and continuing warm waters are among the primary factors for the die-off.

The highly polluted ballfields have been closed to the public since 2002, preventing an entire generation from enjoying the 3½-acre property. Grumman's responsibility to clean up the park was detailed in a 2013 agreement with the state.

High levels of nitrogen, seeping from aging septic systems, are washing through the groundwater into the South Shore's coastal waters, and stimulating harmful algal blooms that remove oxygen from bottom waters, according to the new Stony Brook report.

According to a report from scientists at Stony Brook University, excessive nitrogen, harmful algal bloom and the effects of climate change contributed to a record-setting 50 fish kills in the summer of 2022.

The second dredging contract for just under $25 million has been awarded as part of a $1.7 billion Fire Island to Montauk Point project.

Southold officials say the federal court's ruling in favor of the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed dumping could affect the local economy and water quality in Long Island Sound.

The cost of building water treatment systems has increased significantly in recent years. Some of the costs are being passed on to ratepayers.

Long Island water providers are aiming to treat three potentially cancerous pollutants in drinking water, but they face supply chain delays and cost hikes in order to build the water treatment systems. Newsday's Steve Langford reports. 

In addition to the summer drought, water utilities also must cope with climate change and salt water infiltrating the aquifer that Long Island depends on for its drinking water.

Bluetongue is a close cousin of epizootic hemorrhagic disease. Both are spread by tiny midges and outbreaks typically end with the first hard frost that kills the "no-see-um" insects.

A coalition is focused on convincing the New York State Department of Health to follow federal recommendations for toxic household substances known as PFAS.

At an average of 77.7 degrees, the temperature was 4 degrees hotter than normal for the Islip measuring spot (73.7 degrees), the Island's official climate site, the National Weather Service said.

The advisory will remain in effect through Thursday at 7 a.m., the Suffolk County Department of Health Services said.

Nine out of the 29 locations tested around Long Island this week were given poor water quality ratings.

The heat and recent dry weather on Long Island caused a significant drop in soil moisture — a key metric in severe drought, according to a climatologist with the Northeast Regional Climate Center. Residents urged to "just stop watering your lawn."

The 10-year effort by university marine scientists also helped to vastly improve the bay's water quality, according to the scientific paper.

The samples were taken on Aug. 16 and Aug. 17 in Lindenhurst, Copiague, Cold Spring Harbor, Dix Hills, West Babylon, and Sayville, and on Aug. 17 in Nesconset, Suffolk health officials said.

The proposal was met with support and enthusiasm by area environmental advocates, who dubbed the announcement a "milestone." 

The state Department of Environmental Conservation hires a vendor to dispose of the unused chemicals and make sure they don't make their way into Long Island's sandy soil.

The advisory will be lifted tonight unless sampling reveals elevated levels of bacteria are persisting, health officials said.

It provides incentives for customers contemplating green-energy upgrades and provides companies with the certainty that the subsidies will last a decade.

So far, efforts aimed at getting customers to cut nonessential water use have been largely ignored despite a Stage 1 Water Emergency for East Hampton, Shelter Island, Southampton and Southold, officials said.

So far this summer, searches have led to 1,068 positive mosquito pools across the city — the highest number ever recorded, the New York City Health Department said.

While some North Shore beaches were closed due to bacteria in the waters, others have reopened when levels went down, officials said Sunday.

The red, black and gray insect, considered a "planthopper," poses the greatest agricultural threat to grapes, hops, apples, blueberries and stone fruit, agricultural experts say.

But a state official says menhaden "mortality events" in Long Island Sound are not "unusual, surprising or worrying."

Fish kills have recently been spotted off Long Island’s North Shore. A Stony Brook...

North Hempstead public officials along with from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County will be adding a million spat-n-shell baby oysters to Manhasset Bay as part of a pilot program.

The oysters were spread among three areas of the bay in hopes they will mature and begin reproducing in a year or two. Besides boosting marine habitat and the shellfishing industry, oysters help to clean the water by feeding on algae, officials said.

Benjamin's Beach and Ronkonkoma Beach will reopen when "further testing reveals that the bacteria have subsided to acceptable levels," health officials said.

The advisory is a precautionary measure for beaches impacted by stormwater runoff caused by heavy rainfall, which can lead to elevated bacteria levels. 

Young Long Islanders can learn hunting ethics, regulations, safety requirements and other "responsible" practices through the program.

Since May authorities have chronicled incidents on Long Island and in Queens involving piping plover and oystercatcher nests.

Higher risk of being caught in rip current than being bitten by shark, they say.

Local beaches have been rife with rip currents.  The powerful channels of fast-moving water pose a danger to swimmers. Newsday TV's Cecilia Dowd reports on what to look out for and what to do if you get stuck in one.

"Bacterial levels in water samples . . . exceed local, state and National Park Service standards for recreational activity," The National Park Service said.

Sharks had been seen feeding on bunker fish in the waters off Robert Moses and Jones Beach, state officials said.

There have been multiple shark bites in Long Island waters this summer, leading to the increased patrols. Shark experts stress that the best safety tool is educating beachgoers on shark-smart etiquette.

Visitors should street clear of the Southampton pond's waters, which can sicken people and pets, Suffolk County health officials say. 

Harvests are at historic lows and the fishermen catch limits are needed to restore the species, which they say has been overfished by large commercial boats.