Dear Danielle,

Happy New Year from the CCOM team! As we step into the new year, we thank you for your end-of-year support, and your ongoing commitment to the health and preservation of Montauk's natural resources. Your support makes our work possible, and we are excited for the year to come. 

In this newsletter you’ll find the January water quality testing results, town zoning code amendment updates, and guidance on fertilizer alternatives that support healthy soil and clean water.

Stay tuned for updates on our upcoming 2025 projects, volunteer opportunities, and ways you can get involved.

Warm Regards,

Rebecca Holloway | Manager of Environmental Advocacy

Our mid-winter water test showed clear water quality across our sites.

See detailed results and data from sites across the East End of Long Island on Surfrider's Blue Water Task Force site.

Typically in the winter, we find lower relative enterococcus bacteria levels, partly due to colder temperatures and reduced human-caused disturbances with a lower East End population in the off-season. However, we often still see poor water quality after precipitation events.

Note: due to frozen conditions, some of our sites could not be tested.

We thank our dedicated volunteers who continue to test throughout the winter! Your work allows CCOM and our Blue Water Task Force partners to better understand water quality fluctuations, helping us inform and advocate for effective clean water policies.

The East Hampton Town Board is advancing amendments to the zoning code to address overdevelopment concerns. On January 21st, the Board proposed revising the Gross Floor Area (GFA) formula, allowing residential development of 7% of lot area plus 1,500 square feet, excluding finished basements and 600-square-foot attached garages.

See the images below for examples illustrating the practicality of the proposed GFA formula. In fact, it is less restrictive than what many had hoped for in further limiting overdevelopment, reflecting an effort to balance homeowner input.

The GFA formula determines the allowable building area relative to lot size. This proposal follows an in-depth analysis by the Zoning Code Working Group (ZCWG), which evaluated environmental impacts, development trends, and alignment with the town’s comprehensive plan.

The ZCWG’s findings emphasize the need for responsible growth while protecting the local environment. View the January 21st work session presentation here.

See additional examples of East Hampton residences that fall below the maximum house size under the proposed GFA amendment.

Call to Action! YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED

CCOM is pleased to announce that the Town Board has set a public hearing for March 6, 2025, to gather community input before finalizing the GFA amendment. While adoption of this amendment would be a positive step, the environmental impact of development will remain a critical issue. The debate over the GFA formula’s environmental implications is ongoing, and your input is essential.

Without a healthy environment, we have no economy, no quality of life, and no sense of place that makes the East End so special.

Please attend and speak up at the hearing or submit written comments in advance to ensure decision makers prioritize environmental protection in the zoning code. Even a brief message can influence policies that safeguard our environment.

CCOM strongly supports this amendment. Please see our comments to the Town Board here.



Email your input to:

Town Clerk Carole Brennan: CBrennan@ehamptonny.Gov

Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez: KBurke-Gonzalez@EHamptonNY.Gov

Deputy Supervisor Cate Rogers: CRogers@EHamptonNY.Gov

Councilmember David Lys: DLys@ehamptonny.gov

Councilmember Ian Calder-Piedmonte: ICalder-Piedmonte@EHamptonNY.Gov

Councilmember Tom Flight: TFlight@EHamptonNY.Gov

As we plan for spring, it’s the perfect time to consider how lawn care affects our health and our local waterways. 

The widespread use of fertilizers often leads homeowners to believe they’re entirely beneficial—yet synthetic fertilizers can pose serious risks to both human health and the environment. For the first time, in January 2025, the EPA warned of the dangers posed by “forever chemicals” in some fertilizers, publishing a study highlighting their threat to human health. 

Synthetic fertilizers can expose children, pets, and families to harmful toxins that build up in the body over time, posing serious health risks.

"Forever chemicals"— called PFAS— don’t break down in the environment or in our bodies. As they accumulate, they have been shown to cause cancer, hormone imbalances, developmental effects in children, and reproductive complications. Fertilizers made from sewage sludge or slow-release formulations with plastic coatings are common sources of PFAS, along with nitrates and heavy metals like arsenic, which have been linked to health complications in babies and developmental delays. 

In addition to PFAS, many popular fertilizers contain high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus—nutrients often found in water-soluble forms designed for quick absorption by plants.

Excess nitrogen and phosphorus wash into groundwater and drinking water supplies, fueling harmful algal blooms (HABs) that release toxins dangerous to humans and pets, while degrading ecosystems. HABs, like those in Fort Pond, deplete oxygen in the water, throwing aquatic ecosystems out of balance and causing die-offs of fish and other aquatic life.

On top of all this, excessive nitrogen contributes to climate change by producing nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas 273 times more powerful at trapping heat than carbon dioxide.

What Can You Do?

The good news is, now you know, and there’s a solution! If you plan to fertilize in the spring, ask your landscaping service or local garden retailer for organic fertilizers, with no more than 12% nitrogen and free from PFAS chemicals and plastic coatings. Supporting legislation that limits these harmful products is another important step we can all take toward healthier lawns and cleaner waters. Take action and help us ban harmful PFAS chemicals this year in New York State.  

Click here to learn more about safer alternatives and find a list of lawn care products that are good for the environment and your family’s health. 

Improving our environment is possible, one home at a time! 

Every year, CCOM invites an esteemed list of volunteers—scientists and professionals with deep knowledge in the field—to help judge student science projects at the Montauk School. We were so impressed with the student’s presentations, ranging from AI technology, to biology projects, to water quality experiments and so much more! It was awe inspiring to witness the curiosity and breathe of knowledge our local children displayed.

We extend our sincere thanks to our educators at Montauk School and volunteer judges who dedicated their day to being there. 

Special thanks to:

Montauk School, CCOM board members, community members Marcy & Chris Waterman, East Hampton (Town, Trustees, & Shellfish Hatchery), County Legislator Welker, Assemblyman Schiavoni, Peconic Baykeeper, Friends of Georgica Pond, Group for the East End, The Nature Conservancy, Peconic Estuary Partnership, SOFO, Suffolk County Rep. Bouvier, for Gov. Hochul Office, Surfrider ELI and U.S. Geological Survey.

• Eat Like a Fish: My Adventures as a Fisherman Turned Restorative Ocean Farmer| Bren Smith
• All We Can Save| Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Dr. Katharine Wilkinson
• The Big Fix: 7 Practical Steps to Save Our Planet| Hal Harvey, Justin Gillis
• Who Ocean Farms Matters: Women are Building the New Blue Economy| Bren Smith
• World’s addiction to fossil fuels is ‘Frankenstein’s monster’, says UN chief| The Guardian

Consider showing your support with a purchase from our gift shop! Every order comes with a free CCOM tote. Check out our website's SHOP PAGE.