Microscopic animals (zooplankton) receive energy by grazing on tiny plants (phytoplankton); energy then transfers up through complex pathways known as food webs as higher animal species eat lower animals and plants. The illustration shows a simplified Long Island Sound food web.

To view a larger version of the poster, download the pdf document

Through BIL funding, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) will provide financial assistance to the municipalities of Chicopee, Gardner, and Pittsfield to help fund improvements to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to reduce nitrogen that flows into Long Island Sound.

This article was originally published in December 2022 as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law fact series. It was updated in November 2023, and again in March of 2024. You can view the original fact sheet here.

Made possible by a Long Island Sound Partnership (LIS Partnership) grant to MassDEP, these upgrades will prevent approximately 220,000-290,000 pounds of nitrogen from reaching the Sound each year.

Situated in one of the upper New England states in the Long Island Sound watershed, these WWTPs discharge treated sewage into waterbodies upstream that drain to the Sound. Chicopee, Gardner, and Pittsfield each have populations with environmental justice concerns. lisp-funded grants from MassDEP will help these municipalities intensify initiatives to remove nitrogen from treated sewage to significantly reduce pollution entering Long Island Sound while easing the financial burdens on residents to shoulder upgrade costs.

Map of Massachusetts Environmental Justice Populations

New York and Connecticut towns have been reducing nitrogen discharges to the Sound since 2000 as part of a bi-state Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan approved by the EPA, reducing over 50 million pounds of annual nitrogen discharges. While municipalities in Massachusetts have long been required to monitor nitrogen, new permit conditions now require them to reduce levels.

Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), $21.2 million per year over five federal years (2022–2026) will be funneled into infrastructure and climate resiliency projects within the Long Island Sound watershed. These investments are guided by LIS Partnership’s Equity Strategy, which sets a program goal to deliver 40 percent of BIL investments to underserved and overburdened communities. For more on the LIS Partnership Equity Strategy, visit this webpage.

CHICOPEE

The City of Chicopee, Massachusetts was the first to receive funds under this award to MassDEP. Seventy-seven percent¹ of Chicopee residents live in what the state of Massachusetts defines as an Environmental Justice Block Group.

“Chicopee is currently the second largest producer of nitrogen in the State of Massachusetts (that discharges into the Sound),” said Susannah King, Wastewater Section Chief and formerly National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Program Chief at MassDEP. “This, in addition to its extensive need for upgrades, makes it an ideal place to focus our efforts for improving the health of the Long Island Sound.”

The plant upgrade, which is expected to be completed in 2027, will cost around $40 million—the LIS Partnership grant of approximately $7 million will ease the burden on Chicopee residents to finance the upgrade. The city is already financing and completing necessary sewer upgrades, which will separate stormwater from sanitary sewer pipes to reduce sewage overflow events. This is especially beneficial as climate change threatens to bring heavier storm events.

GARDNER

The Gardner Wastewater Treatment Facility, serving 22,000 residents, discharges into the Otter River located 115 miles upstream from the Sound. The facility will undergo improvements to reduce its annual nitrogen discharge to an average of 92 pounds/day and work should be completed in 2027. MassDEP has provided roughly $2.5 million for equipment and operational updates at the facility. More than 73 percent² of the population of Gardner falls within an environmental justice block group.

PITTSFIELD

The Pittsfield Wastewater Treatment Plant serves double that of Gardner, at 50,000 residents. The facility is an advanced secondary plant that discharges to the Housatonic River located 149 miles upstream of the Sound. As part of project funding, the city will improve the aeration systems at the Pittsfield WWTP, estimated to eliminate 6,000 pounds of nitrogen annually once completed in 2028 Nearly half of Pittsfield’s population falls into an environmental justice block group (48.7 percent). The City of Pittsfield completed its first round of upgrades to the plant in January 2023, funded through loans from the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust. Over three years, the city updated equipment and monitoring systems and constructed a new building on the border of Pittsfield’s sewage and the Housatonic River. While these upgrades have significantly reduced nitrogen loading from the plant, further work is required to meet permit mandates. Nearly $1 million in LIS Partnership BIL funds will help support the development of an analysis report for reducing the total nitrogen loading from the Pittsfield WWTP and an increase in process monitoring systems. The Pittsfield project marks the first time LIS Partnership is funding a nitrogen reduction initiative in the upper watershed that falls outside of the Connecticut River watershed, which supplies 70 percent of Long Island Sound’s fresh water.

IMPACT OF NITROGEN ON THE SOUND

The primary source of nitrogen to Long Island Sound is from sanitary wastewater treatment plants. High nitrogen levels in the Sound can lead to hypoxic conditions, reducing oxygen which impacts marine life and supports the growth of harmful algal blooms. Monitoring progress is important for meeting nitrogen reduction goals. You can view LIS Partnership’s nitrogen loading target here.

1. In Massachusetts, an environmental justice population is a neighborhood where one or more of the following criteria are true: 1)the annual median household income is 65 percent or less of the statewide annual median household income; 2)minorities make up 40 percent or more of the population; 3) 25 percent or more of households identify as speaking English less than “very well”; and/or 4) minorities make up 25 percent or more of the population and the annual median household income of the municipality in which the neighborhood is located does not exceed 150 percent of the statewide annual median household income.
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2. This data was obtained from https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massgis-data-2020-environmental-justice-populations ↩︎

Read the Winter 2024 issue of Sound Matters, the newsletter of the Long Island Sound Partnership. PDF version available here. This issue highlights research projects conducted through the Long Island Sound Partnership Research Grant Program.

CT DEEP works to address data gaps in Connecticut’s annual angler survey caused by language barriers between anglers and surveyors.

This article was originally published in December 2022 as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law fact series. It was updated on November 14, 2023 and again on February 22, 2024. You can view the original fact sheet here.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) is taking steps to eliminate language barriers to improve the accuracy of data collected from annual recreational fishing surveys. To achieve this, the Long Island Sound Partnership has provided $62,632 to hire staff who will be able to communicate with non-English speaking community members. The project is being funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

As of February 2024, project leads have coordinated with partner organizations and hosted five in-person canvassing recruitment events. A part-time staff member was on-boarded to assist with materials translation. Additionally, CT DEEP is distributing a multilingual flyer to recruit translators needed to speak to all anglers in the Sound.

Since 1988, CT DEEP has been conducting in-person interviews with Connecticut anglers fishing off the shores of Long Island Sound. These interviews, which take place as part of a multi-agency partnership called the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP), provide important data about angler needs and fishery management. Results from the survey can influence annual catch limits and approximate current fish stocks. While the information has been useful, critical data gaps have persisted due to language barriers between the surveyors and the many non-English speaking anglers who are unable to take part in the survey and contribute additional data to the survey.

CT DEEP facilitates the annual angler survey in Connecticut with local staff as part of a nationwide survey conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Program. It is conducted at a carefully selected subset of the 213 public fishing access sites in Connecticut. Site visits are arranged throughout the season on various days of the week, hours, and geographic locations to diversify the types of anglers interviewed for the survey. Anglers are asked a number of questions to help track and evaluate user trends regarding saltwater recreational fishing, including the types of fish they caught and whether each fish was harvested or released.

Language barriers have been noted as one of the most common reasons for an interview not to be conducted. In 2021, for example, there were over 120 missed opportunities for the survey to be conducted due to language barriers. Many of the missed opportunities occurred among anglers who spoke dialects of Spanish as well as many other languages. The seasonal staff members will be hired from the local communities and will be able to communicate in some of the frequently spoken non-English languages of the area.

The data that is collected through these surveys goes on to support fisheries science and management. Records of how many individuals of a particular species are collected at different geographic locations can help influence future sustainable fishing practices. Having the ability to interview all willing anglers at the site, regardless of the languages they speak, will allow for a more extensive and accurate data set.

The data that is collected through these surveys goes on to support fisheries science and management. Records of how many individuals of a particular species are collected at different geographic locations can help influence future sustainable fishing practices. Having the ability to interview all willing anglers at the site, regardless of the languages they speak, will allow for a more extensive and accurate data set.

Read the Fall 2023 issue of Sound Matters, the newsletter of the Long Island Sound Partnership. PDF version available here. This issue highlights new reports on the Long Island Sound Partnership website that feature the work being done by our partners to restore the Sound.

CT DEEP will acquire a new research vessel to use alongside the RV John Dempsey. The vessel will collect data for the monthly water quality survey and will improve the efficiency and capacity to conduct research in Long Island Sound.

This article was originally published in December 2022 as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law fact series.

For decades, the research vessel John Dempsey has enabled resource managers and scientists to conduct invaluable research and monitoring to better understand the health of Long Island Sound and its fisheries. Recently, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) decided to acquire a modern boat to complement the RV Dempsey’s work. The new vessel will be funded by the Long Island Sound Partnership (LIS Partnership) using allocations from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

The custom-built RV Dempsey has been used since 1990 to collect data for a variety of different research and monitoring efforts. Most notably, these efforts include CT DEEP’s Long Island Sound Water Quality Monitoring Program and the Long Island Sound Trawl Survey. But the ship is aging, so in 2020 CT DEEP officials decided to investigate what it would cost to upgrade the vessel to meet current needs. They determined the cost to retrofit the RV Dempsey was too high for a ship of that age. Instead, they decided to invest in a second vessel to be used alongside the RV Dempsey.

Staff have identified a catamaran vessel as being most effective for their needs. This design features two parallel hulls, which give off a low wake, and fewer waves. The new vessel will have a higher top speed than the RV Dempsey, which will allow researchers to travel from one centralized dock instead of having to carpool to different locations.

The catamaran will also be able to travel into waters as shallow as two feet in depth. This will expand research opportunities into bays, harbors, coves, and estuaries too shallow for the RV Dempsey and allow new projects, such as eelgrass monitoring, to be conducted.

The new vessel will also have double the lab space of the RV Dempsey. This will allow for more scientists conducting research on Long Island Sound to join crew members on the boat to collect their own samples, or to utilize the samples that have already been collected. Without access to a research vessel, these scientists may not be able to complete their research.

Design plans for the vessel will be finalized in early 2023 and the construction phase will take an additional year. Staff are hopeful the new vessel will be ready to work alongside the RV Dempsey by the summer of 2024.

The catamaran will be responsible for all water quality monitoring studies, which currently include a monthly nutrient survey, hypoxia (low oxygen level) surveys, plankton community assessments, and ocean acidification monitoring, as well as any new research projects. Acidification monitoring is a new program that helps increase understanding of the causes for why the Sound is becoming more acidic, including changes in climate and excess nutrients. The RV Dempsey will continue to be used to conduct fish trawl surveys.

NYSDEC will acquire three new properties in Suffolk County within the Long Island Sound watershed, expanding existing habitat conservation areas. Conserving these properties will improve coastal water quality and preserve habitat for wildlife.

This article was originally published in December 2022 as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law fact series.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) is anticipating acquiring three properties within the Long Island Sound watershed in 2023 with the support of a $3 million grant from the Long Island Sound Partnership (LIS Partnership). EPA will award the grant using funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

Two of the properties totaling 2.5 acres are located near the 62-acre Conscience Bay-Little Bay State Tidal Wetland Area in Setauket, NY. Both properties will be purchased at a fair market value, which is estimated to be between $350,000-400,000 for the smaller property and around $900,000 for the larger one.

The area is important to conservationists for its undeveloped intertidal mudflats, which are some of the largest on the north shore of Long Island. Many important waterfowl use the wetlands for foraging and wintering. And many types of shellfish, finfish species, and even Atlantic ridley sea turtles have been known to utilize the wetland area as well. Expanding the Tidal Wetland Area by adding the new properties acquired will help ensure habitat connectivity, allowing wildlife to easily pass through the greater area.

For the third property, NYSDEC plans to use the balance of the funds to purchase undeveloped coastal forest land within a 22-acre area near Little Bay and Port Jefferson Harbor. The harbor, which is part of the Long Island Sound Mt. Sinai-Port Jefferson Harbor Stewardship Area, provides important habitat for many marine fish like winter flounder, northern puffer, and Atlantic silversides. The acquisitions will help to provide a vegetated buffer to protect the Harbor from pollution and improve water quality. The proposed acquisitions are part of an upland coastal forest—a mix of hardwoods, pitch pine, and coastal red cedar—that provides habitat for songbirds, red fox, and white-tailed deer. Property boundaries are within 400 feet of Little Bay and 800 feet of Port Jefferson Harbor.

Protecting natural and undeveloped areas helps maintain a healthy ecosystem and provides natural resource-based recreational opportunities. The LIS Partnership has an ecosystem target to protect 7,000 acres through acquisitions and easements by 2035. Since 2015, an average of 530.84 Connecticut acres and 130.19 New York acres have been protected each year, for a total of 4,627 acres.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has received an initial grant of $2.25 million through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to advance Suffolk and Nassau counties’ septic replacement programs.

This article was originally published in December 2022 as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law fact series.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has received an initial grant of $2.25 million through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to advance Suffolk and Nassau counties’ septic replacement programs. The funds are an incentive for homeowners to replace outdated septic tanks and cesspools with equipment that is going to lead to a cleaner Long Island Sound.

The enhanced nitrogen removal septic systems reduce the amount of nitrogen that traditional septic systems and cesspools discharge into groundwater that flows into Long Island Sound. Nitrogen is a nutrient that in excess leads to waters with low oxygen levels (hypoxia), often called “dead zones,” which can result in fish kills. Excess nitrogen also contributes to harmful algal blooms, and deterioration of storm-resilient marshlands.

The $2.25 million grant awarded in 2022 is the first installment of the BIL funds in a multi-year anticipated partnership with the Long Island Sound Partnership. The funds will significantly increase funding available to replace outdated septic systems in Suffolk and Nassau. Over the course of five years, an anticipated $8 million from the BIL program will help support state- and locally-driven water quality improvements.

New York will distribute the funds to Suffolk County’s Septic Improvement Program and Nassau County’s Septic Environmental Program to Improve Cleanliness Program. These county-led programs will provide funds to reimburse eligible property owners for a portion of the cost of replacing cesspools and inadequate septic systems and installing more environmentally effective systems. Homeowners can receive funds from both county and state programs, resulting in up to $20,000 in grants to install the more environmentally effective systems that remove more nitrogen than a conventional septic system.

A conventional septic system releases around 40 pounds of nitrogen per year, which contributes to unhealthy water conditions in the Sound. The enhanced systems have the potential to reduce up to 70 percent of this nitrogen, depending on the specific brand and model. These systems have biological treatment steps which use anaerobic and aerobic bacteria to remove nitrogen from the wastewater. Septic systems have become a focal point for reducing nutrients, since many of the Sound’s municipalities have upgraded wastewater treatments to reduce nitrogen.

Compared to other regions, Nassau and Suffolk both have unusually high numbers of septic systems. Approximately 74 percent of the 1.5 million residents of Suffolk are not on a sewer system. In total, Suffolk County has around 380,000 buildings on a septic system; Nassau has an additional 40,000.

To learn more, visit the nassaucountyny.gov or suffolkcountyny.gov website and search for “septic.”

In 2022, the Long Island Sound Partnership (LIS Partnership) launched a multi-million-dollar program to address environmental justice concerns impacting underserved communities in the Long Island Sound (LIS) region.

This article was originally published in December 2022 as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law fact series.

In 2022, the Long Island Sound Partnership (LIS Partnership) launched a multimillion-dollar program to address environmental justice concerns impacting underserved communities in the Long Island Sound (LIS) region. The Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund (LISCIF) will direct funds and technical assistance to communities affected by adverse and disproportionate environmental and human health risks or harms. LISCIF is a significant step to expand the reach of LIS Partnership program benefits–and enhance equitable access and participation in the protection and restoration of Long Island Sound.

There are two components of LISCIF: creating and administering a competitive subaward program and providing a technical assistance program. EPA selected Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE) to administer the LISCIF and implement these two program elements. RAE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and restoration of bays and estuaries as essential resources for our nation.

LISCIF’s competitive grant program will provide two rounds of roughly $1 million in funding annually through competitive grants ($5,000 to $100,000 per award). LISCIF is unique in its focus on supporting underserved communities as well as its structure to provide smaller grants than other LIS Partnership programs. Technical assistance will be available to help establish or strengthen organizations’ ability to ease environmental-related burdens facing their communities. Examples of technical assistance topics include proposal preparation, applying for government grants, and project/financial management. RAE has structured the technical assistance program so trainings will be free, and stipends will be available to approximately 50 individuals per year.

Funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the intent of LISCIF exemplifies the vision of BIL and related Justice40 goals – to direct benefits and investments to the communities and organizations that need them most.

Environmental justice (EJ) is a core principle of the LIS Partnership Comprehensive Conservation & Management Plan (CCMP). The CCMP has three underlying principles to integrate into all LIS Partnership efforts: 1) resiliency to climate change, 2) long-term sustainability, and 3) environmental justice. In 2020 LIS Partnership formalized an Environmental Justice Work Group (EJWG), which meets quarterly and includes a subgroup focused on outreach and engagement with underserved communities. The EJWG has a five-year strategic plan; Work Group members identified LISCIF as a key activity for achieving LIS Partnership CCMP EJ goals.

LISCIF work will happen over multiple years. Information about LISCIF’s competitive grant program and training opportunities will be posted on the LIS Partnership website as information is available.

Read the Spring 2023 issue of Sound Matters, the newsletter of the Long Island Sound Partnership. PDF version available here.

Each spring and summer, groups across Long Island Sound monitor water quality in their local bays and harbors through the Unified Water Study. This issue of Sound Matters looks at the history of this rapidly growing program, and takes you on a video tour of a day of monitoring on Eastchester Bay in the Bronx. The UWS is supported through the Long Island Sound Partnership.