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NYS leaders say environmental projects will remain on track despite Trump executive order
New York State leaders say environmental projects and policies will remain on track, despite an order from President Donald Trump attempting to undo state climate laws. Trump signed an executive order last week directing the U.S. attorney general to identify "illegal” state and local climate, energy and environmental justice laws that "impede” domestic energy use and production. The U.S. attorney general could then take action to try to stop the enforcement of the laws found to be illegal. Keshia Clukey reports in NEWSDAY that NYS Attorney General Letitia James, Gov. Kathy Hochul and other state leaders pushed back, saying efforts will continue, including electrifying vehicles and buildings, and building out renewable energy sources, as the State of New York aims to get all electricity from emission-free sources by 2040 and reduce economywide emissions by 85% from 1990 levels by 2050. "We are a nation of states — and laws — and we will not be deterred,” Hochul said in a joint statement with New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who together co-chair the U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of 24 governors. The executive order itself has "no legal effect,” said Michael Gerrard, professor of environmental law at Columbia Law School. "The issue will be whether the Department of Justice will actually bring any lawsuits.” Environmental advocates, however, say the order, along with actions of the administration, may give investors pause in financing new projects and delay new environmental legislation as state and local lawmakers consider legal challenges.
New York Republicans and gas and oil industry leaders applauded the president's order, stressing the importance of affordability — a major issue in elections last November.
***
A co-founder of the California laboratory whose new nuclear DNA extraction method is at the center of an ongoing hearing to determine its admissibility in the criminal case against alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex A. Heuermann is scheduled to testify in Riverhead today. Grant Parpan reports in NEWSDAY that Astrea Forensics co-founder Richard E. Green will be the third prosecution witness to testify during the hearing when it resumes at 10 o’clock this morning, per Suffolk Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei.
Green, a professor of biomolecular engineering and bioinformatics at the University of California at Santa Cruz, is expected to speak to how Astrea recovers genetic profiles from rootless hair samples using ancient DNA methods and whole genome sequencing.
Suffolk prosecutors have said Astrea used highly degraded hair samples found with or near six of the seven Gilgo victims and linked it to the DNA of Heuermann or his family members.
Heuermann defense attorney Michael J. Brown, of Central Islip, has argued the DNA technique used to develop the evidence should be deemed inadmissible at trial because it has not been sufficiently tested and accepted in the scientific community.
The Frye Standard for admissibility of scientific evidence tests novel scientific evidence — like the DNA evidence that prosecutors want to use in their case against Heuermann — and "requires that before being admitted, the prosecutor must prove the evidence's general acceptance by the scientific community," according to the federal National Institute of Justice.
Prior witnesses in the hearing have testified to the effectiveness of the methods used by the lab and its acceptance.
Heuermann, 61, of Massapequa Park, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the killings of Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Lynn Costello, Megan Waterman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Valerie Mack and Sandra Costilla. He has denied any involvement in the deaths since his arrest in the decades-old case in July 2023.
***
Southold’s Economic Development Committee (EDC) is holding a “Synergy Summit” next Tuesday, April 22, the first of quarterly meetings it’s expecting to hold in the future.
Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the Synergy Summit is a leadership-focused event designed to bring together organizations that support the vitality of the community, with the objective of knowledge sharing, addressing community needs, and collaboration for efficiency and effectiveness, according to the EDC.
Southold’s Economic Development Committee plans to spur the group to develop and implement an Action Plan, with the goal of economic sustainability.
The summit, which is open to leaders of organizations that make an impact in Southold Town, will be held on Tuesday, April 22 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Raphael Vineyards in Cutchogue. Light bites and coffee will be served.
***
Superintendent Lars Clemensen has steered the Hampton Bays School District through a global pandemic. He has fielded anxieties and questions over immigrant rights in buildings where the student population is more than 60 percent Hispanic. And last month, an executive order from the Trump administration called for the dismantling of the federal education agency, which has long been a target of the Republican Party as a symbol of “bloated and unnecessary bureaucracy,” Clemensen said. But the administrator now regularly reminds himself that it was only created in 1979 — and funding to support special education programming, teacher and administrative training, civil rights protections for students, and more lived in other agencies. “There’s a model that could exist, but we haven’t been told that,” Clemensen said, adding, “The devil’s in the details, and the details aren’t necessarily worked out yet, and I hope that when they are, educators are at the table being part of the conversation.”
Michelle Trauring reports on 27east.com that the current state of affairs for institutions both locally and nationally — including health agencies, food banks, museums, libraries, parks and more — is unsettling due to the level of uncertainty, which is a mentality that East Hampton Superintendent of Schools Adam Fine shares. “We’re on the hook to the federal government for approximately $1.7 million…Do I agree with cutting funds? No, obviously. There’s just too much at stake and our kids benefit too much from them. I just want stability and consistency.” Ultimately, that funding represents a fraction of the East Hampton School District’s $86 million budget, the administrator explained, but it goes a long way.
***
Sag Harbor School District Business Administrator Jennifer Buscemi addressed potential federal and state cuts during a recent Board of Education meeting. Michelle Trauring reports on 27east.com that the federal grants — which are dispersed to local districts by the state — are separated into three major categories in Sag Harbor, as well as neighboring school districts. IDEA grants — Section 611 and 619 — largely support special education programs, Buscemi said, while Title grants fund professional development for teachers and any student services that bring the schools into the 21st century, or help close the achievement gap. Finally, the National School Lunch program provides free meals to eligible students. For Sag Harbor, those grants totaled just over $472,500 for the current school year, Buscemi said. “We have no one teacher or one staff member that is supported 100 percent by any of these grants,” she said. “These grants really support a percentage of a teacher’s salary.”
When looking at the Westhampton Beach Union Free School District’s annual budget, federal and state aid comprises about 4 percent of the total projected revenue of $66 million, according to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carolyn Probst. “It’s not a large part of our budget,” she said. “That being said, we need every dollar that comes into our budget. My biggest concern, right now, would be funding for school meals.” Westhampton Beach has adopted the Community Eligibility Provision through the National Lunch Program, which allows participating schools to serve free breakfast and lunch to all students regardless of income. In the district’s three buildings, staff members serve over 600 meals per day, Probst reported. To lose that funding would have a “real and very immediate impact on actual students in our community,” she said.
***
Friends of The Big Duck, a nonprofit organization, celebrates the arrival of spring with the 12th annual Easter Duck Egg Hunt at Big Duck Ranch, 1012 Flanders Road (Route 24), Flanders. The free event is this coming Saturday, April 19, 12 noon sharp, so families should arrive by 11:45 a.m. Participating children must bring their own basket to carry eggs.
The grass field behind The Big Duck will be dotted with filled plastic “duck eggs” that children 2 to 9 years old can easily find. To make it a safe event, the children are grouped into three separate age groups. A prize basket is awarded to “The Good Egg” in each group who discovers the special egg. The family fun will include games and a visit from the Easter Bunny.
Friends of The Big Duck is the Southampton Town-appointed steward of Big Duck Ranch, where the Big Duck sits. The organization manages the Long Island Duck Farming Exhibit in the Victorian Barn (open to the public that day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and services the public bathrooms.
The Big Duck, open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., is on the national register of historic places. It was built in 1931 on West Main Street, Riverhead. A roadside sign, funded by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, marks the original location. It was moved to its current location in 1936, moved to Sears-Bellows County Park in 1987 and returned to the heart of Flanders in 2007.
Both admission and parking for the event are free.
***
Suffolk County’s Lee Zeldin — now the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, formerly the 1st Congressional District representative for eight years — participated in "an informal chat" with the Long Island Association Friday at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury. As LIA president Matt Cohen directed questions, Zeldin expertly deflected criticism of the Trump administration while enumerating to the Island’s largest business group the need for local control. Mark Nolan reports in NEWSDAY that speaking to business and elected officials, Zeldin’s message was clear: The EPA will continue to protect clean air and water but businesses must police themselves.
The Long Island native emphasized that America can’t choose either the environment or the economy.
"We can’t just sit back and decide, OK, which one do you want?" Zeldin told the audience. "We have to approach the challenges in this country by asking ourselves, ‘Is there a way to work through this challenge where we are both protecting the environment and your own income?’" When asked by Cohen about striking a balance between coal and renewables to be energy independent while also keeping environmental regulations, Zeldin responded, "This is a moment in time for companies and industries to articulate how you care about the environment, to self-police within your own industry. If there is a bad actor who is ruining it for everybody, say something to them. If you’re a good steward of the environment, let it be known."
Zeldin thanked the room for giving him an "education" on environmental issues related to Long Island businesses, and explained a few times that clean air and water isn’t a partisan issue, while stressing that power needs — regardless of the source — must be met to foster economic growth.
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By WLIW-FMNew York State leaders say environmental projects and policies will remain on track, despite an order from President Donald Trump attempting to undo state climate laws. Trump signed an executive order last week directing the U.S. attorney general to identify "illegal” state and local climate, energy and environmental justice laws that "impede” domestic energy use and production. The U.S. attorney general could then take action to try to stop the enforcement of the laws found to be illegal. Keshia Clukey reports in NEWSDAY that NYS Attorney General Letitia James, Gov. Kathy Hochul and other state leaders pushed back, saying efforts will continue, including electrifying vehicles and buildings, and building out renewable energy sources, as the State of New York aims to get all electricity from emission-free sources by 2040 and reduce economywide emissions by 85% from 1990 levels by 2050. "We are a nation of states — and laws — and we will not be deterred,” Hochul said in a joint statement with New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who together co-chair the U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of 24 governors. The executive order itself has "no legal effect,” said Michael Gerrard, professor of environmental law at Columbia Law School. "The issue will be whether the Department of Justice will actually bring any lawsuits.” Environmental advocates, however, say the order, along with actions of the administration, may give investors pause in financing new projects and delay new environmental legislation as state and local lawmakers consider legal challenges.
New York Republicans and gas and oil industry leaders applauded the president's order, stressing the importance of affordability — a major issue in elections last November.
***
A co-founder of the California laboratory whose new nuclear DNA extraction method is at the center of an ongoing hearing to determine its admissibility in the criminal case against alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex A. Heuermann is scheduled to testify in Riverhead today. Grant Parpan reports in NEWSDAY that Astrea Forensics co-founder Richard E. Green will be the third prosecution witness to testify during the hearing when it resumes at 10 o’clock this morning, per Suffolk Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei.
Green, a professor of biomolecular engineering and bioinformatics at the University of California at Santa Cruz, is expected to speak to how Astrea recovers genetic profiles from rootless hair samples using ancient DNA methods and whole genome sequencing.
Suffolk prosecutors have said Astrea used highly degraded hair samples found with or near six of the seven Gilgo victims and linked it to the DNA of Heuermann or his family members.
Heuermann defense attorney Michael J. Brown, of Central Islip, has argued the DNA technique used to develop the evidence should be deemed inadmissible at trial because it has not been sufficiently tested and accepted in the scientific community.
The Frye Standard for admissibility of scientific evidence tests novel scientific evidence — like the DNA evidence that prosecutors want to use in their case against Heuermann — and "requires that before being admitted, the prosecutor must prove the evidence's general acceptance by the scientific community," according to the federal National Institute of Justice.
Prior witnesses in the hearing have testified to the effectiveness of the methods used by the lab and its acceptance.
Heuermann, 61, of Massapequa Park, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the killings of Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Lynn Costello, Megan Waterman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Valerie Mack and Sandra Costilla. He has denied any involvement in the deaths since his arrest in the decades-old case in July 2023.
***
Southold’s Economic Development Committee (EDC) is holding a “Synergy Summit” next Tuesday, April 22, the first of quarterly meetings it’s expecting to hold in the future.
Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the Synergy Summit is a leadership-focused event designed to bring together organizations that support the vitality of the community, with the objective of knowledge sharing, addressing community needs, and collaboration for efficiency and effectiveness, according to the EDC.
Southold’s Economic Development Committee plans to spur the group to develop and implement an Action Plan, with the goal of economic sustainability.
The summit, which is open to leaders of organizations that make an impact in Southold Town, will be held on Tuesday, April 22 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Raphael Vineyards in Cutchogue. Light bites and coffee will be served.
***
Superintendent Lars Clemensen has steered the Hampton Bays School District through a global pandemic. He has fielded anxieties and questions over immigrant rights in buildings where the student population is more than 60 percent Hispanic. And last month, an executive order from the Trump administration called for the dismantling of the federal education agency, which has long been a target of the Republican Party as a symbol of “bloated and unnecessary bureaucracy,” Clemensen said. But the administrator now regularly reminds himself that it was only created in 1979 — and funding to support special education programming, teacher and administrative training, civil rights protections for students, and more lived in other agencies. “There’s a model that could exist, but we haven’t been told that,” Clemensen said, adding, “The devil’s in the details, and the details aren’t necessarily worked out yet, and I hope that when they are, educators are at the table being part of the conversation.”
Michelle Trauring reports on 27east.com that the current state of affairs for institutions both locally and nationally — including health agencies, food banks, museums, libraries, parks and more — is unsettling due to the level of uncertainty, which is a mentality that East Hampton Superintendent of Schools Adam Fine shares. “We’re on the hook to the federal government for approximately $1.7 million…Do I agree with cutting funds? No, obviously. There’s just too much at stake and our kids benefit too much from them. I just want stability and consistency.” Ultimately, that funding represents a fraction of the East Hampton School District’s $86 million budget, the administrator explained, but it goes a long way.
***
Sag Harbor School District Business Administrator Jennifer Buscemi addressed potential federal and state cuts during a recent Board of Education meeting. Michelle Trauring reports on 27east.com that the federal grants — which are dispersed to local districts by the state — are separated into three major categories in Sag Harbor, as well as neighboring school districts. IDEA grants — Section 611 and 619 — largely support special education programs, Buscemi said, while Title grants fund professional development for teachers and any student services that bring the schools into the 21st century, or help close the achievement gap. Finally, the National School Lunch program provides free meals to eligible students. For Sag Harbor, those grants totaled just over $472,500 for the current school year, Buscemi said. “We have no one teacher or one staff member that is supported 100 percent by any of these grants,” she said. “These grants really support a percentage of a teacher’s salary.”
When looking at the Westhampton Beach Union Free School District’s annual budget, federal and state aid comprises about 4 percent of the total projected revenue of $66 million, according to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carolyn Probst. “It’s not a large part of our budget,” she said. “That being said, we need every dollar that comes into our budget. My biggest concern, right now, would be funding for school meals.” Westhampton Beach has adopted the Community Eligibility Provision through the National Lunch Program, which allows participating schools to serve free breakfast and lunch to all students regardless of income. In the district’s three buildings, staff members serve over 600 meals per day, Probst reported. To lose that funding would have a “real and very immediate impact on actual students in our community,” she said.
***
Friends of The Big Duck, a nonprofit organization, celebrates the arrival of spring with the 12th annual Easter Duck Egg Hunt at Big Duck Ranch, 1012 Flanders Road (Route 24), Flanders. The free event is this coming Saturday, April 19, 12 noon sharp, so families should arrive by 11:45 a.m. Participating children must bring their own basket to carry eggs.
The grass field behind The Big Duck will be dotted with filled plastic “duck eggs” that children 2 to 9 years old can easily find. To make it a safe event, the children are grouped into three separate age groups. A prize basket is awarded to “The Good Egg” in each group who discovers the special egg. The family fun will include games and a visit from the Easter Bunny.
Friends of The Big Duck is the Southampton Town-appointed steward of Big Duck Ranch, where the Big Duck sits. The organization manages the Long Island Duck Farming Exhibit in the Victorian Barn (open to the public that day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and services the public bathrooms.
The Big Duck, open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., is on the national register of historic places. It was built in 1931 on West Main Street, Riverhead. A roadside sign, funded by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, marks the original location. It was moved to its current location in 1936, moved to Sears-Bellows County Park in 1987 and returned to the heart of Flanders in 2007.
Both admission and parking for the event are free.
***
Suffolk County’s Lee Zeldin — now the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, formerly the 1st Congressional District representative for eight years — participated in "an informal chat" with the Long Island Association Friday at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury. As LIA president Matt Cohen directed questions, Zeldin expertly deflected criticism of the Trump administration while enumerating to the Island’s largest business group the need for local control. Mark Nolan reports in NEWSDAY that speaking to business and elected officials, Zeldin’s message was clear: The EPA will continue to protect clean air and water but businesses must police themselves.
The Long Island native emphasized that America can’t choose either the environment or the economy.
"We can’t just sit back and decide, OK, which one do you want?" Zeldin told the audience. "We have to approach the challenges in this country by asking ourselves, ‘Is there a way to work through this challenge where we are both protecting the environment and your own income?’" When asked by Cohen about striking a balance between coal and renewables to be energy independent while also keeping environmental regulations, Zeldin responded, "This is a moment in time for companies and industries to articulate how you care about the environment, to self-police within your own industry. If there is a bad actor who is ruining it for everybody, say something to them. If you’re a good steward of the environment, let it be known."
Zeldin thanked the room for giving him an "education" on environmental issues related to Long Island businesses, and explained a few times that clean air and water isn’t a partisan issue, while stressing that power needs — regardless of the source — must be met to foster economic growth.