Accomplishments

No-Discharge Zone for Peconic Bays

Successfully organized all five East End towns to establish a federal No-Discharge Zone designation for the entire Peconic Estuary, making the dumping of sewage from vessels illegal. The three year campaign is a prime example of how dedication, hard work and community participation can bring about positive change.

Dockers Marina Expansion

Successfully organized public opposition to a proposed 60-slip marina requiring extensive dredging on the South Shore, saving ecologically significant wetlands, home to a number of rare and endangered species. The project would have polluted adjacent productive waters and required the closure of productive shellfish beds.

Sewage Discharge Violations

Brought to public light hundreds of unlawful discharge violations occurring at regional municipal sewage treatment facilities, moving responsible government agencies to enforce the federal Clean Water Act.

Toxic Battery Dumping

Identified the presence of toxic batteries at several sites on the bay bottom, previously discarded by the US Coast Guard. This investigation led to a Coast Guard clean-up, and a commitment to restore any other similar dump sites found in area waters.

Community Water Quality Monitoring

Established a corps of volunteers to maintain an active community surveillance over creeks, harbors, bays and beaches to help protect these waters from activities that may lead to their decline and conduct water quality testing.

Mosquito Control Practices

Compelled Suffolk County government to perform an Environmental Impact Study on the effects of mosquito control practices that include spraying pesticides and ditch digging in wetlands.

Crab Creek

Saved Crab Creek on Shelter Island, one of the area's last pristine shallow-bottom creeks, from a plan to drastically dredge the creek.

Peconic River Cleanup

Provided technical expertise while serving on Suffolk County’s Citizen Advisory Committee and Brookhaven National Lab’s Peconic River Working Group for the purpose of developing a comprehensive clean-up plan for the removal of contamination in the Peconic River.

Rowe Industries

Rallied Sag Harbor residents to oppose an EPA clean-up plan for the Rowe Industries superfund site which sought to discharge contaminated groundwater into the Peconic Estuary. Through the force of public advocacy, an alternative plan for purifying the contaminated water was adopted.

Protection of Wetlands

Successfully advocated for the protection of important parcels of land lying within the Peconic and South Shore watersheds, protecting them from development.

Beach Access

Facilitated the authorization of public access to the Long Beach sand spit at Orient Beach State Park, bringing agreement between New York State Parks Commission and the community.

Response to Public Concerns

Responded to numerous citizen incident reports of pollution, mass fish kills, algal blooms and other events that harm our estuaries.

Spawner Sanctuary

In coordination with Southampton Town, established a hard clam spawner sanctuary in Scallop Pond, Southampton. The purpose of the spawner sanctuary is to re-populate area waters with clams and to possibly serve as a biological control to the onset of harmful algal blooms.