Environment

The recently released "count the cost" survey of 379 households in New York found that the average loss per home from the flooding along Lake Ontario's shoreline in 2017 and 2019 is $95,000. And the authors of the survey say it's not just those at the top who are suffering. Half of the households who participated in the survey earn less than $125,000 and 70% of those who responded say they do not have the resources to protect against another year of flooding.

The start of the shipping season on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River will be delayed by at least 12 days. It’s due to the efforts to try and deal with the possibility of flooding along the lakeshore.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has taken the next step toward setting drinking water limits for two PFAS chemicals — PFOA and PFOS. Environmentalists say the step is small and they want to see quicker, bolder action.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants 70% of the state's electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030. That's got state agencies looking at ways to speed up permitting for wind and solar projects, worrying opponents of larger developments.

A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information that results in the discovery of the person who shot and killed a bald eagle in Cattaraugus County late last November.

New York retailers have begun giving up single-use plastic bags as the state prepares for the March 1 implementation of a ban aimed at reducing pollution, but many of those who support a move away from plastic are worried the new law doesn't go far enough.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation says it has reached agreements with two companies to clean up the former Tonawanda Coke site. Those companies will conduct their respective cleanups through the state's brownfield and superfund programs.

Governor Cuomo announced Wednesday that 20 harbors in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River will be dredged over the next two years, including two in Niagara County, as part of an ongoing state project to protect the shoreline from what was again called "the new normal" of lake waters.

State funds have been approved as part of a $300 million effort to expand tourism and economic efforts along the Erie Canal.

A survey of drinking water across the country detected some level of PFAS chemicals in all but one sample.

In Philadelphia, two of the most commonly researched PFAS chemicals, PFOA and PFOS, were detected at 7.7 parts per trillion and 5.3 ppt — levels far below the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended limit, as well as below New Jersey’s more stringent controls.

The EPA currently has a recommended limit of 70 ppt for PFOA and PFOS combined. New Jersey has established its own maximum contaminant level for the chemicals at 14 ppt for PFOA and 13 ppt for PFOS.

Environmental advocates are commending and challenging the climate initiative budget announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday.

While there is a lot of anger at the former Tonawanda Coke plant, opponents are showing some differing points of view on what to do about the environmental mess in the Town of Tonawanda.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation says the cleanup of the former Trico site in downtown Buffalo is complete.

The strong winds on Sunday caused a lot of damage to the Williams Opera House in Attica.

The U.S. and Canadian governments plan to undertake a study to assess Plan 2014, the water management plan used to help regulate the water levels in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.