Dear Danielle,

Welcome to May's edition of environmental news from CCOM. On behalf of our entire team and Board of Directors, I want to extend heartfelt thanks for your continued engagement. Your support and participation make it possible for us to advance meaningful environmental projects that reflect the values and needs of our Montauk community.

As always, I encourage you to stay involved—and if you haven’t yet, now is the perfect time to join in. It truly takes a village to meet today’s challenges and protect the Montauk we know and love—cleaner waters, stronger shorelines, and a sustainable future. Together, we can turn environmental care and community concern into lasting change.

Be sure to check out our event highlights at the end of the newsletter, and mark your calendars for our upcoming summer programs. We’re especially excited to see you this Saturday at the annual Great Montauk Cleanup—a wonderful opportunity to connect with neighbors and care for the environment we call home.

In partnership,

Rebecca Holloway

Rebecca Holloway | Manager of Environmental Advocacy

May showed clean water quality results across most of our East Hampton sites. However, we detected high bacteria readings at five sites — Lake Montauk: West Creek; Lake Montauk: Benson Dr. Culvert; Surfside Place: Outfall Pipe; LI Sound: Fort Pond Bay, Navy Rd.; and Northwest Creek: Culvert — and elevated levels falling into the “Medium” category at two additional sites—Lake Montauk: East Creek and Fort Pond: Ramp.

Windy, wet weather around the time of sampling may have contributed to the elevated bacteria levels observed this month.

CCOM tests year-round for enterococcus bacteria in our lab in Montauk. Learn more about enterococcus and FAQs here.

In June, we’ll resume regular monitoring of Fort Pond for harmful algal blooms (HABs) in partnership with the Gobler Lab at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. Keep an eye out for our next Science Explained letter: Understanding Water Quality Reports, Part 2: Spotlight on HABs—where we’ll break down what harmful algal blooms are and why they’re becoming a growing concern in our local waters.

You can view detailed May 2025 and historic reports, CCOM’s site map, and results from across the East End here. A big thank you to our dedicated volunteers who make year-round sampling possible!

CCOM has long expressed concern about the Lowenstein Court outfall pipe, which discharges onto Surfside Beach. While the Town of East Hampton (TOEH) installed an end-of-pipe treatment system in late 2020, CCOM’s ongoing water quality monitoring has continued to detect recurring elevated bacteria levels in the discharge.

TOEH recently completed an internal camera inspection of the pipe and is currently reviewing an engineering report from a Town consultant that includes recommendations for potential improvements in the area.

We are committed to keeping the community informed as we continue to address this ongoing issue.

A stop work order on Empire Wind, instated by the Trump administration, has officially been lifted, clearing the way for the project, which will generate enough clean energy to power more than one million New York homes and mark the largest power generation projects in New York State in more than 35 years. This milestone supports New York’s 10-Point Action Plan to grow the state’s renewable energy industry and advances New York State's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) goal of developing 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035.

CCOM is a member of Wind Works New York, a broad coalition of civic and environmental leaders and organizations which has championed the responsible advancement of offshore wind. The coalition has made waves urging federal leaders to accelerate offshore wind development as a key part of the state’s clean energy future.

A reminder: experts widely agree that the primary cause of whale mortality is vessel strikes, not offshore wind activity, and there is currently no evidence linking offshore wind projects to recent whale deaths—a common claim often driven by disinformation.

Renewable energy and marine conservation can and must go hand in hand. Stony Brook University oceanographers have been and continue to conduct active research, including acoustic monitoring off Long Island’s south shore, to investigate potential impact on the local marine ecosystem.

CCOM is excited to share an incredible resource from the Peconic Estuary Partnership: the Building a Better Yard interactive tool.

This easy-to-use guide helps you visualize practical, sustainable changes you can make to improve your yard, including planting native species, creating habitat for wildlife and pollinators, and other upgrades to manage stormwater runoff and reduce the need for polluting fertilizers. Taking these meaningful actions on your property will enhance the quality of our water and make a big impact for the health of wildlife and our shared environment. 

Explore the tool and get started!

Americans throw away a huge amount of stuff every year, and recycling alone won’t fix it—we need to start reusing, repairing, and buying secondhand to reduce waste and protect the planet.

Every day, the average American creates about five pounds of trash—most of it from things we quickly throw away. A big part of the problem is how we buy: cheap, low-quality items made far away, shipped long distances, and tossed out after just a short use. This constant cycle not only fills our landfills but also creates a massive amount of carbon emissions from production and shipping. 

One powerful way to help? Buy fewer new things, choose items made from durable, quality materials, and support local businesses when you can. Repair what you have instead of replacing it and shop secondhand—this keeps usable goods out of the trash and cuts the demand for new resources. It’s a simple shift that can make a big difference for the planet.

Read more:xThe Circular Economy: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Live It 

Give Your Wetsuit a Second Life

Montauk’s surf community has a new ally in sustainability—NeoNeo Surf, a local initiative turning old wetsuits into useful, beach-friendly gear like zip pouches, sunglass sleeves, surf journals, wax sacks, and more coming soon (including “wag saks” for your pup!). By upcycling neoprene, NeoNeo Surf is helping reduce landfill waste and promote a circular economy right here at home.

Ready to get involved? Drop off your used wetsuit at a NeoNeo Surf collection box this summer—look for them at local pop-ups, surf swaps, beach cleanups, and surf shops including Adam Mar, Below the Blue, and Strictly Surf.

Your wetsuit donation keeps waste out of landfills and earns you 10% off a new wetsuit! Learn more at their website and follow along on Instagram @neoneosurf. 

Simple actions like this help protect the waters we love and make sustainable living part of our everyday surf culture.

The Young Filmmakers of Montauk, a CCOM-sponsored education program, inspires the next generation of environmental stewards by engaging middle school students in real-world sustainability challenges. Guided by Jody Kennedy, a recently retired Digital Media Arts teacher, local educators from Montauk School, and CCOM, students participate in a curriculum that integrates science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM). Students gain hands-on experience in environmental science while developing arts and communication skills to advocate for meaningful change in their community.

This year, the students dive into science and advocacy of Clean Water in Montauk, a focus of CCOM’s efforts in 2025.

ANNOUNCEMENT!

We’re thrilled to share that this year’s student-produced advocacy video focused on Clean Water is officially out! The short film highlights the importance of protecting our local waters and showcases the students’ creativity, collaboration, and passion for sustainability.

Watch the video here!

We encourage everyone in the community to check out the film and support the voices of Montauk’s next generation of changemakers. Let’s celebrate their work and commitment to a cleaner, healthier future for Montauk!

Consider showing your support for the program by writing to us or attending our annual Summer Soirée on July 17.

Food waste is a growing problem—but composting is one simple, powerful way we can all make a difference. The East Hampton Compost program, run by Rewild Long Island in collaboration with the Town of East Hampton, offers free, easy drop-off sites across our community for residential food scraps.

DROP-OFF LOCATIONS:

🌿 Montauk Community Garden – Saturdays, 10AM–Noon

🌿 Springs Farmers Market – Saturdays, 9AM–1PM

🌿 Amber Waves, Amagansett – Wednesdays, 8–11AM

Bring your scraps in any container and drop them off—it’s simple, free, and impactful. See the guide below for what to compost and how to start.

Find more info at EastHamptonCompost.org, RewildLongIsland.org.

Click Guides Below to Enlarge

Please join us for our 4th annual Summer Soirée at Gurney’s Montauk! Enjoy panoramic views of the ocean from Gurney’s spa terrace, open bar, hors d’oeuvres, seafood spread and a raw bar.

Kids ages 5-12 are welcome to join Gurney’s Kids Club for a movie and dinner for free! If you plan on bringing your child, please let us know when you purchase your ticket. There will be a section in the purchase page where you can add your child’s name and age.

Adults/Teens/Children 6+

Thursday, Aug. 28 (Rain date: Wednesday, Sep. 3)

Ever wonder how oysters grow—and why they’re so important for our environment and water quality? Join CCOM, EHSEED, and SOFO for a boat tour of East Hampton Shellfish Hatchery’s oyster farm in Napeague Harbor and a hands-on seeding experience! Open to adults, teens, and kids 6+. Learn more about the East Hampton Town Shellfish Hatchery here.

More details and sign-up info coming soon!

Every order comes with a free tote bag too! Check out our website's SHOP PAGE.