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Adrienne Esposito

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Photo from SCWA

The Suffolk County Water Authority announced on June 10 that all treated water it supplies to customers is in full compliance with the federal drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS—six years ahead of the 2031 compliance deadline set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The EPA finalized a new enforceable standard of 4 parts per trillion (PPT) for both PFOA and PFOS in April 2024. SCWA’s testing this past April confirmed that no treated water in its system contained PFOA or PFOS above that level. This achievement comes despite the widespread presence of PFAS in Long Island’s aquifer.

“Given the extent of PFAS detections across Long Island and the size of our system, this is a historic achievement,” said SCWA Chairman Charles Lefkowitz. “This result shows that with the right investment and urgency, we can stay ahead of emerging threats to public health.”

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of synthetic chemicals that have been widely used for decades in products such as non-stick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, food packaging and firefighting foams. These substances do not break down easily and have leached into groundwater in many areas, including Long Island. Long-term exposure to certain PFAS compounds—particularly PFOA and PFOS—has been linked to health effects including developmental issues, hormone disruption and certain cancers.

To meet the new federal standards well ahead of schedule, SCWA installed 17 granular activated carbon (GAC) treatment systems for PFAS in the past year alone. GAC filters remove PFAS by adsorbing the contaminants onto specially prepared carbon. Water is passed through these large vessels, and the PFAS compounds adhere to the carbon, allowing clean water to continue through the system. Testing by SCWA shows that GAC removes PFAS compounds to non-detectable levels.

“This didn’t happen overnight,” said SCWA Chief Executive Officer Jeff Szabo. “We’ve been working for years to build a treatment program that protects our customers and anticipates regulatory changes. The fact that we’re already in compliance—years ahead of the federal deadline—speaks to the expertise of our team.”

 SCWA continues to test regularly and will immediately remove any well from service if it detects PFOA or PFOS above 4 PPT if that well does not already have treatment in place. SCWA’s long-term goal is to supply water without any detectable levels of PFAS compounds, and additional treatment systems are planned for installation.

“This is about protecting public health,” said Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R). “I want to thank the Suffolk County Water Authority for acting early and doing what’s necessary to provide residents with some of the cleanest drinking water in the country. Their leadership and investment in treatment technology are making a real difference.”

“Ensuring public safety and preserving our water quality are two of the highest priorities for me and my legislative colleagues. The leadership of the Suffolk County Water Authority has again shown its commitment to protecting the public, and in this case has exceeded expectations set by the federal government in achieving safer, even zero levels, of PFAS compounds in our water,” said Presiding Office Kevin J. McCaffrey.

“Clean drinking water is essential to public health, and PFAS contamination is a serious threat that demands action,” said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “Meeting the federal standards well ahead of schedule is a positive step forward in safeguarding Suffolk’s residents.”

SCWA’s accelerated timeline has been supported in part by $16 million in grant funding awarded by New York State. These funds have helped offset the significant cost of installing advanced PFAS treatment systems, allowing SCWA to move faster while minimizing the financial impact on customers. By leveraging state support and working efficiently, SCWA has been able to continue delivering high-quality water at some of the lowest rates in New York.

“This is one of the largest groundwater systems in the country—and one of the most complex,” Lefkowitz added. “We’ve proven that even in a region with serious PFAS challenges, we can deliver water that meets the highest health standards.”

SCWA is an independent public-benefit corporation operating under the authority of the Public Authorities Law of the State of New York. Serving approximately 1.2 million Suffolk County residents, the Authority operates without taxing power on a not-for-profit basis.

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Local leaders speak at the Lawrence Aviation Site on June 2. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Local leaders at the Lawrence Aviation Site on June 2. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Local leaders at the Lawrence Aviation Site on June 2. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa 

While the Lawrence Aviation Industries site in Port Jefferson Station is clean and cleared from the superfund registry, the atmosphere around the prospective rail yard is murkier than ever. 

The MTA has yet to secure the 40 acres allocated to the rail yard, which would be crucial to electrifying the Port Jefferson line. As the June 30 deadline approaches, local officials and environmental leaders met at the site on June 2 to urge the MTA to sign and for Governor Kathy Hochul to apply further pressure. Brookhaven bought 40 acres to preserve as open space and the county bought the other 40 acres to use as a solar farm. 

“This is a community grafted and supported plan that elected officials from all levels of government have worked very hard on for 15 years now,” said Adrienne Esposito of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “And we are in the last few days to make it successful and get the job done.” 

The Setauket–Port Jefferson Station Greenway will have to be rerouted in order for the MTA to proceed with the rail yard. Since the DOT owns that land, they have to sign an agreement with the MTA and work out an easement between them. 

Romaine said the DOT is hesitating in giving the MTA the go-ahead. “Let’s not pass this up because the DOT is blocking this,” Romaine said. “Let’s everybody row in the same direction…let’s electrify this line.” 

Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay is pushing legislation to advance an easement agreement between the DOT and MTA. 

The bill, currently being reviewed by committee, ensures the DOT will not be prevented from rerouting the Greenway. Further, it states that if the DOT intends to expand Route 25A, as they originally intended,  the easement would not impede that move as a bridge could connect the Greenway instead.

“The DOT is authorized and directed to work with the MTA and other interested particles and/or owners of real property surrounding the Greenway to negotiate and execute the…easement within six months after the effective date of this act,” the bill reads. 

After the event at the Lawrence Aviation Site, Kassay said the DOT reached out to her with suggested amendments. 

“New York State has lofty green energy goals, lofty goals for decarbonization and I can not do enough to press upon them how vital this opportunity is to make more green the MTA,” said Kassay, who has been pushing for assistance at the state level. “This is not an opportunity we can lose.” 

 An updated, electrified line is something residents from Port Jefferson to Smithtown can benefit from: fewer breakdowns, cleaner air and a smoother ride. The train can be used by Stony Brook University students and can provide redevelopment opportunities.

“In order to build housing, and to put that housing where it makes sense for rail service, this could only help. For the economic development that is needed, this could only help,” said Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico.  

The Suffolk County Landbank is selling the land to the MTA for $10. Sarah Lansdale, the Suffolk County commissioner of economic development and planning, said the MTA cut off communication with the landbank last September. 

Further,  she said that the landbank submitted two FOIL requests asking for records specifying any plans of potential development for the area. The DOT declined possessing such records.

“The Department has no plans or designs for the reconstruction of NY25A from its current location to the property that was acquired where a section of the Setauket–Port Jefferson Greenway trail exits near Sheep Pasture Road and where Suffolk County and the LIRR are proposing to create a rail yard,” a March 24 letter from Department of Transportation Deputy Counsel Norman W. Kee to Suffolk County reads. 

After not receiving the requested records, Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning submitted an appeal.

The June 30 deadline is about a year from the first deadline in 2024. Two extensions later, if the MTA and DOT do not reach an agreement and the MTA does not purchase the property, the project cannot move forward. 

“We are going to show her how it’s done,” Esposito said as she held up red tape for Romaine to cut. 

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Setalcott Cochair Robert Thompson and members of the Setalcott youth plant a tree at the event. Photo by William Stieglitz
Suffolk County Legislator Steve Englebright speaks at the event. Photo by William Stieglitz
Setalcott group photo. Photo by William Stieglitz
DEC Acting Commissioner Amanda Lefton speaking. Photo by William Stieglitz
Setalcott Nation Flag. Photo by William Stieglitz
Suffolk County Legislator Steve Englebright and Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico plant a tree at the event. Photo by William Stieglitz
Setalcott group photo. Photo by William Stieglitz

By William Stieglitz

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation joined local officials, environmental leaders and the Setalcott Indian Nation April 24 to celebrate the opening of the newly improved Conscience Bay-Little Bay Tidal Wetland Area. In honor of Arbor Day, native trees and bushes were planted for the long-awaited event.

The DEC effort to purchase the Conscience Bay land started in 2008, when a privately owned property came up for sale. The land the DEC already owned there was mostly underwater, but the acquisition created the opportunity for parking space. Closing the deal took until 2015. Then over the following decade the DEC acquired six more properties spanning 15 more acres. This allowed for the demolition of vacated houses to expand the view as well as the removal of septic systems and underground oil storage that endangered the water. 

“There was a choice to be made,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “You could either see the beautiful area you see here today, or we could have had a condo complex, or a couple of very large mega-mansions. But instead, there was a collaboration… to make sure that this little spot here on Long Island would serve to be preserved, literally, for generations and generations.”

Collaboration was a major theme through the varied speeches, with great emphasis placed on the partnership between Town of Brookhaven and Suffolk County officials with such groups as the Peconic Land Trust, Three Village and Strong’s Neck civic associations and the indigenous Setalcott Nation, who will be stewarding the land and from whom Setauket’s name originates.

The history was a major theme too, in terms of both heritage and geography. “To understand the antiquity of this habitat, you have to go back about 10 to 12 thousand years,” said Suffolk County Legislator Steve Englebright (D, Setauket), explaining how, before Old Field Beach existed, large waves deposited the high-energy environment of the now-still bay. “To have preserved this ancient habitat with interdune swales of freshwater wetlands and dunes is really quite extraordinary.”

The heritage, of course, was especially personal to the Setalcott Nation. “I’m pleased and beyond words, I don’t know where to begin,” said Helen “Hart of Morning Star” Sells, co-chair of the Setalcott Nation. “I’m so happy that this land has been returned home.” She explained how as a girl she and her mom would play at that very shore and how they knew nearly everyone who lived in Strongs Neck. Sells recited a native prayer before the crowd, which emphasized appreciation for “the magnificent creation of mother earth” and “respect for all people.”

Her co-chair, Robert “Silver Wolf” Thompson, also spoke, along with Setalcott Youth Committee Chairperson A’riel “Thundering Sparrow” Hart. “We are hoping,” she said, “this is not the only time we get together and preserve our land. And this day, hopefully, is the beginning, and not the end, of this beautiful moment.”

Following the speeches, all organizers and representatives worked together in 60-degree heat to plant trees for the new site while hawks flew overhead, an animal which Sells highlighted as a sign of good luck and blessing for the Setalcott Nation. The planted species included 10-year-old black oak and red maple saplings, along with two-year-old white cedar saplings. Each is native to the area and had been grown at a local nursery.

In terms of next steps, DEC Acting Commissioner Amanada Lefton hopes proposed changes in the state budget, backed by Governor Kathy Hochul (D), will allow for improved efficiency in the land acquisition program. As for the Setalcott Nation, they will be kelp farming at the Setauket Harbor by Poquott, a practice that helps reduce nitrogen pollution in our waters and produces kelp that can be combined with soil for gardening.

Sells also said she hopes the Conscience Bay victory will be a step forward in one day achieving state and federal recognition for the Setalcott Nation, who are considered a nonreservation. “When we first started out… 20, 30 years ago… we understood there were steps that we had to do. So we’re climbing the ladder.” 

For more information visit the DEC website: dec.ny.gov.

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EarthCam showing live footage of Port Jefferson Harbor. Photo courtesy of Earthcam

By William Stieglitz

On the morning of April 14, an approximate total of 30,000 gallons of partially treated sewage was discharged into Port Jefferson Harbor over the course of two hours. According to the Suffolk County Department of Public Works, the discharge was caused by an electrical malfunction on a ultraviolet disinfection unit.  Upon identifying the problem, the plant ran the effluent through a second UV system, while they repaired and tested the first, then returned to routine operations. While the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed that the plant is now operating normally, but there are still health concerns. 

Port Jefferson village put out an alert, saying the sewage reached the surface of the water, and without the sewage having been fully disinfected, it can carry high levels of pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Residents and visitors are warned “to take precautions before recreating in Port Jefferson Harbor.” Additionally, the DEC announced a temporary closure on shellfishing for the harbor and its tributaries. The closure impacts approximately 1,639 acres of shellfishing beds in the NS5 harvest area, including Setauket Harbor, the Narrows and Conscience Bay, and will last until the department determines shellfish in the area are safe to use for food.

The response from local environmental groups has been one of concern for both the human and ecological impact. “It’s early spring, which means it’s spawning and breeding time for many species,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. She explained that finfish like winter flounder were at risk, as well as turtles and birds of prey that feed on juvenile fish. The horseshoe crab was of particular concern, as its population is already in steep decline in New York’s north and south shores. “This is the time when we want to protect this species, not add pollution to the water, which would harm them.”

Esposito predicted it would take “at least a couple of days” before the waters return to a normal state, but that it “is dependent upon water circulation and the tide.” She also said it would help for the DEC to do an investigation of what caused the UV unit to malfunction. “Is it because the unit is old? Does it need to be upgraded?” she asked. “Accidents happen, alright. And we understand that. But they need to assess the root cause and prevent it from happening again in the future.”

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Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
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Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz
Scene from the Long Island Youth Climate Summit. Photo by William Stieglitz

By William Stieglitz

Approximately 300 students from 17 local high schools and at least one middle school gathered April 4 for the first Long Island Youth Climate Summit at Stony Brook University. Organized by Students for Climate Action and Renewable Energy Long Island, the event centered on environmental education and advocacy, with students encouraged to get involved with grassroots.

“It’s really important that students remember that they have a voice, that they have power, that there’s a lot they can do locally,” said Harrison Bench from S4CA. “We are teaching students about the science behind climate change, the science behind renewable energy, but we’re also giving them practical tools in advocacy. … They go back to their towns, their communities, their schools, and they have the actual skills necessary to continue to push for change, where change matters most.”

Speakers at the event came from a variety of organizations. Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, taught how to distinguish misinformation from environmental fact. Energy and construction organizations, such as the Haugland Group and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, spoke on the benefits of offshore wind and solar projects, while also encouraging careers in climate and energy. And Monique Fitzgerald, a climate justice organizer at Long Island Progressive Coalition, shared information on New York’s 2019 Climate Act, which aims to lower greenhouse gas emissions but has not been fully funded, and encouraged calling on Governor Kathy Hochul (D) “to double down on investments in New York State.”

Additionally, there was a panel with six elected officials — Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R), Suffolk County legislators Steven Englebright (D, Setauket) and Rebecca Sanin (D, Huntington Station), Southold Town Supervisor Al Krupski (D), East Hampton Town Deputy Supervisor Cate Rogers (D) and New York State Senator Monica Martinez (D/WF, Brentwood) — who all spoke on the importance of advancing clean energy. Bench expressed that he would have liked an even larger turnout of representatives, saying “it would have been really great to have more Republican elected officials on the town board,” but also that he hopes to increase the number for next year.

The student response to the event was positive, with the teens saying they especially appreciated learning about offshore wind and hearing from keynote speaker Christopher Gobler, from the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University. “I like that it brings attention to a lot of the issues right now,” said a student from Westhampton Beach High School. “It’s super, super important, especially in our political climate, with the pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement.”

“I feel like it was very empowering,” said another student, who does local beach cleanup each summer. “Before, I thought that maybe I wouldn’t have had as much of a difference, like, just one person at a time. Now I’m hearing that there’s 300 other students here that are all here for the same reason. We can all go out together and all make an impact and that together, I feel like, [we] can really make a difference in the world, which is what I really care about the most.”

After about 4 hours of learning, students took a break for pizza and to meet with exhibitors from organizations such as PSEG Long Island, the New York League of Conservation Voters and Drive Electric Long Island. They then reconvened for action items, starting with making postcards to send to their congressional representatives. Students wrote letters on one side and got creative with designs on the other. Among the colorful images of wind turbines and the globe were messages such as “Only One Planet Earth,” “Use your brain power! Support wind power!” and “Please support renewable energy before we go under water.” Afterward, the students started petitions to bring back to their schools, focusing on crafting their asks, arguments, methods of distribution and timeline.

Melissa Parrot, executive director of ReLI, said the summit “exceeded our expectations.” She wanted the event to be solution oriented rather than just restating the problems. “We know we wanted climate science. We know we wanted action. We know we wanted careers. We know we wanted elected officials to be part of this process. So it kind of just figured itself out.”

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Horseshoe crab. Stock photo
Gov. Hochul says regulation authority should stay with DEC

By Mallie Jane Kim 

New York’s horseshoe crabs remain available to use as bait, after Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) vetoed a bill that would have prohibited the practice. Long Island environmental groups that had advocated for increased protections were not happy with the move.

Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY.) Photo Courtesy of www.governor.ny.gov

“I’m angry and disappointed,” said George Hoffman, cofounder of the Setauket Harbor Task Force, which monitors water quality in area harbors and was one of about 60 organizations that signed on to a September letter urging Hochul to sign the bill.

“It will be hard to build enthusiasm among the environmental community for this governor,” Hoffman said.

Hochul’s Dec. 13 veto argued the species is already regulated by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), and said the bill could have “unintended consequences” on managing species like whelk and eel, which are harvested using horseshoe crabs as bait. 

“While this bill is well intentioned,” she wrote in a letter to the state assembly, “the management of marine species is better left to the experts at DEC.”

She also expressed concern the bill could be detrimental to the commercial fishing industry and the biomedical field, which uses horseshoe crab blood in the development of vaccines.

Members of the commercial fishing industry were grateful for the reprieve. 

“We’re thrilled that legislation didn’t take the place of science,” said Bonnie Brady, executive director of Montauk-based Long Island Commercial Fishing Association.  

Brady questions the sufficiency of methodology and equipment used to count New York’s crab population for the ASMFC’s report, which rated the state’s stock of horseshoe crabs as “poor.” She laid out her concerns in a letter to Hochul earlier this month, arguing the species is already highly regulated and not overharvested. 

“Fishermen’s lives and livelihoods depend on this,” Brady said. “Fishermen deserve the best science available — we aren’t doing anything that’s even close to on par with what other states are doing.”

Brady added that fishermen do not want to see the species depleted, and they will work within the regulations they are given.

Before its veto, the bill drew attention from legendary conservationist Jane Goodall, who urged Hochul to sign the bill to protect the ancient species, calling on their “shared sense of responsibility for the natural world.”

For her part, Hochul said she is directing DEC to evaluate whether additional measures could help protect the species, and she pointed to the agency’s current efforts to address concerns about overharvesting, including harvest prohibitions during the May and June spawning season. The agency also limits the annual horseshoe crab harvest in New York waters to 150,000, which is half the quota allowed by the ASMFC.

Environmental groups are not taking her assurance as consolation. 

“Governor Hochul didn’t just drop the ball; she dropped the axe,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Farmingdale-based Citizens Campaign for the Environment, in a statement. “It’s unacceptable to allow the continued antiquated practice of chopping up horseshoe crabs so they can be used as bait by fishermen.”

Esposito said her organization will keep advocating for stronger regulations to ensure long-term protection of the species.

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Young horseshoe crabs at West Meadow Beach, Stony Brook. File photo

By Mallie Jane Kim

Legendary conservationist Jane Goodall added her voice to those asking Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) to sign a bill that would prevent the harvest of horseshoe crabs in New York waters for biomedical or commercial fishing purposes.

Dr. Jane Goodall Photo courtesy of National Geographic

“As leaders, we have the unique ability to ensure that vulnerable species like the horseshoe crab, which has been part of our planet’s history for over 350 million years, are protected for future generations,” Goodall wrote in her plea to Hochul.

The Horseshoe Crab Protection Act passed the New York State Assembly and Senate last June, but the governor has yet to sign or veto it. If she does not sign the bill by the end of 2024, the bill is essentially vetoed and would have to go through the legislative process again next year. 

Local advocates and environmental groups who sent letters and organized postcard campaigns to motivate Hochul to call up the bill welcomed Goodall bringing her influence to the cause.  

“It’s a rare and special event when Dr. Goodall reaches out and requests New York help her in saving our planet’s endangered species,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Farmingdale-based Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “Governor Hochul should heed the wisdom and vision that Dr. Goodall provides and immediately sign this important legislation.”

The pioneering primatologist, who has dedicated her life and career to protecting wildlife and the environment, pointed out in her letter the role horseshoe crabs play in coastal ecosystems as well as the food chain for migratory birds such as red knots.

Horseshoe crabs are considered “living fossils” since they have been around an estimated 450 million years, and they are more closely related to scorpions and spiders than to crustaceans. The species, which is monitored and regulated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, has seen a steady decline in recent decades.

Environmental advocates worry that since Connecticut and Massachusetts recently enacted stronger protections for horseshoe crabs and other neighboring states are considering rule changes, biomedical agencies may draw their attention to New York waters.

Currently the main harvesters of horseshoe crabs in New York waters are commercial fishermen, who use the animals as bait for eel and conch. 

Long Island fisheries and the Long Island Farm Bureau have asked the governor not to sign the bill as written, saying efforts in recent years to sustain the species — including limiting the annual total harvest of horseshoe crabs to 150,000 — need a chance to make a difference. They say the legislation is based on emotion rather than science.

“If [the agencies] felt that the horseshoe crab stock was in danger, we would hear about it first,” said Bonnie Brady, executive director of Montauk-based Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, in a previous conversation with TBR [“The bill has passed in Albany, but awaits governor’s signature,” Sept. 20, 2024]. “To use a law to regulate a fishery, when they are already regulated by appropriate bodies that have the science to back it, is just not the way to allow fisheries to survive.”

Goodall specifically addressed preventing the biomedical uses of horseshoe crabs’ blue blood and asserted that synthetic alternatives mean harvesting the animals is not as necessary for research and vaccine development. 

In her letter to Hochul, she appealed to a “shared sense of responsibility” for the natural world.

“I have devoted my life to preserving the planet,” Goodall wrote. “I hope together, we can make a lasting difference in this important corner of the world.”

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Horseshoe crabs at Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai. Photo by John Turner
The bill has passed in Albany, but awaits governor’s signature

By Mallie Jane Kim

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.

“Our job is to make sure the governor is aware that the horseshoe crab is a beloved species, it’s in danger and she can help it,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the Farmingdale-based Citizens Campaign for the Environment, which is spearheading efforts to encourage the governor to sign the bill.

Fifty-eight groups signed on to a September letter urging Hochul to adopt the bill, including Audubon, Sierra and Rotary clubs from around Long Island, as well as the Port Jefferson Harbor Commission, The Whaling Museum & Education Center of Cold Spring Harbor and the Setauket Harbor Task Force.

Thousands of citizen postcards supporting the bill are on the way to the governor over the next weeks, according to Esposito, who predicts the bill won’t get called up before December, a pattern she has noted for environmental bills over the last few years. 

“The tough bills are the ones they wait longer to call,” she said. “The issue now is to make sure the public raises their voice.”

Horseshoe crabs, which are relatives of arachnids like spiders and scorpions, are considered “living fossils” since they have been around for an estimated 450 million years, but they have faced a steady decline in recent decades due to harvesting and habitat loss, impacting bird species that feed on horseshoe crab eggs during migration, like red knots. Commercial fisherman rely on horseshoe crabs as bait for whelk, and its blue blood is prized for biomedical research and vaccine development — though there are not currently any permits for biomedical harvesting in New York.

Local fisheries oppose the bill

Opponents of the bill don’t believe a complete ban on harvesting horseshoe crabs is an appropriate way to protect the species, since it is already monitored and regulated by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation.

“If they felt that the horseshoe crab stock was in danger, we would hear about it first,” said Bonnie Brady, executive director of Montauk-based Long Island Commercial Fishing Association. “To use a law to regulate a fishery, when they are already regulated by appropriate bodies that have the science to back it, is just not the way to allow fisheries to survive.”

Some individual members of the association have written to the governor advocating against the ban, according to Brady, who added that she believes the proposed regulations are based on feeling, not fact. 

“No one wants to see [horseshoe crabs] become depleted to the point where their continued vibrance is in danger,” Brady said, explaining that whelk fishing is a significant aspect of day fishermen’s seasonal catch. 

“It would be like suddenly someone says, ‘We’re going to take 20% of your paycheck going forward without any scientific basis for doing so and without any compensation,’” she said. “Would you be OK with that?”

The Long Island Farm Bureau, based in Calverton, is also advocating against the bill with state lawmakers on Long Island and the governor’s office in Albany, according to the bureau’s administrative director Rob Carpenter. 

He emphasized that the state DEC’s efforts to preserve the species since the population levels in New York were rated “poor” in 2019 — including voluntarily limiting the annual take of horseshoe crabs to 150,000 and requiring mesh bait bags to reduce the amount of crab that fisheries need to use in whelk traps — should be given a chance. 

“Before we go and ban everything, I think that needs an opportunity to really work,” he said.

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By Mallie Jane Kim

[email protected]

Permanent protections for New York horseshoe crabs cleared a major hurdle during the last days of the 2024 state legislative session, passing both the state Senate and Assembly on June 7.

“It’s extremely exciting,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Farmingdale-based Citizens Campaign for the Environment, which advocated for the bill. “The horseshoe crab has ambled around the earth for more than 350 million years — we think they have a right to continue to do so.”

The bill, which still needs the signature of Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) before becoming law, would prevent the taking of horseshoe crabs for commercial or biomedical purposes from state waters. The animals are used as bait for commercial whelk and eel fishing operations, and their blue blood is used to improve vaccine safety and aid in biomedical research, though a synthetic alternative is already in the works for that purpose.

The species has faced a steady decline in the last few decades, which in turn impacts birds like red knots, who feed on horseshoe crab eggs during their migration.

Not everyone is happy with the bill as it is currently written.

“The commercial fishing industry here on Long Island is going to be severely impacted by the passage of this bill,” said Rob Carpenter, director of the Long Island Farm Bureau, which advocates on behalf of commercial fishermen. “Their needs are not addressed in the bill.”

Carpenter, who indicated he hopes for the bill to be amended or vetoed, said horseshoe crab is the only usable bait for commercial fishermen catching whelk. 

“If they are not allowed to utilize it, that means the state has just shut down an entire industry of fishing for an entire species,” he said.

The state Senate passed the bill 53-7 and the Assembly sent it through 102-39. Five North Shore legislators voted against the measure, namely Assemblymembers Jake Blumencranz (R-Oyster Bay), Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Smithtown), Jodi Giglio (R-Riverhead) and Fred Thiele (D-Sag Harbor); and state Sen. Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk).

Esposito, who previously said she hoped new protections would incentivize commercial fishing operations to find alternative baits, said she knows from her recent time lobbying for the bill in Albany that the farm bureau and biomedical industry representatives are lobbying against it.

Biomedical companies do not currently harvest from Long Island waters, according to Esposito, though she is concerned stricter rules in neighboring states like Connecticut and Massachusetts could bring New York’s horseshoe crabs to their attention. 

“The fact that they are lobbying against this bill is absurd,” she said. “We’re not inhibiting the medical industry — they have alternatives and they’re using alternatives. They’re just crying wolf.”

According to state governmental procedures, since the Legislature is now out of session, the governor will have 30 days to sign the bill once it is delivered to her, but there is no indication of when that delivery will happen. If the bill is not delivered to the governor before the end of the year, or if she does not act within 30 days of delivery, the bill is effectively vetoed. 

“Our job’s not done yet,” Esposito said. “Now we’re going to begin our campaign to request the governor sign it.”

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Horseshoe crabs spawn at West Meadow Beach. Photo by Toby Stime

By Mallie Jane Kim

New York’s horseshoe crabs may see new and permanent protections, if a bill in Albany is successful — something local environmental groups are rooting for.

“Horseshoe crabs were once abundant in our local harbors and lined the shores of Port Jefferson and Setauket Harbors during the May breeding season,” said George Hoffman, co-founder of the Setauket Harbor Task Force. “They are a big deal with harbor lovers.”

Horseshoe crabs, which are more closely related to arachnids like spiders and scorpions than crustaceans, are considered “living fossils” because they’ve existed, unchanged, for an estimated 450 million years, surviving through multiple mass extinctions. 

But the species has faced a steady decline in the past few decades due to harvesting and habitat loss, which in turn affects species of birds that rely on horseshoe crab eggs as mid-migration sustenance. The crabs are commercially harvested for use as bait by eel and conch fishing operations, and their blue blood is used in biomedical research and for improving vaccine safety.

The new bill, introduced by Assemblymember Deborah Glick (D-Manhattan), would amend state law to prohibit the taking of horseshoe crabs for commercial or biomedical purposes from state waters, but would allow for approved scientific or educational uses, like for zoos or aquariums.

The Assembly’s Committee on Environmental Conservation approved the bill on May 14, and it now sits with the codes committee. If the bill passes there, it would face a vote by the whole Assembly. 

On May 21, state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D-Manhattan) introduced a “same as” bill in the state Senate, and because it counts as a revamped version of a previous horseshoe crab bill that already passed through relevant committees, this bill is ready for a floor vote.

Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, warned that because Connecticut and Massachusetts recently enacted stronger protections for horseshoe crabs and neighboring states are also eying changes, New York’s population could be at greater risk.

“We’re very concerned that’s going to draw more eyes on New York’s horseshoe crab population,” she said.

According to New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation, a permit holder can currently harvest up to 200 horseshoe crabs per day in New York. The state has an annual harvest limit of 150,000 each year.

A report by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission indicated coastwide harvesting of horseshoe crabs for bait peaked in the 1990s at about 2.75 million crabs, but was down to about half a million in 2022, partly due to more efficient equipment that allows fishermen to use much less bait. 

Still, Esposito said harvesting horseshoe crabs to chop them up as bait is “archaic,” and said commercial fishing enterprises have been talking about finding alternative bait sources for decades. “This will incentivize finding alternative baits for fishermen to use to successfully catch conch and eel,” she said.

For Hoffman, stopping the “rapacious takings” that have lowered horseshoe crab populations is essential.

“We must do all we can to save them,” Hoffman said. “We can’t let them be hunted to extinction.” 

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