Suffolk Reporter

HAUPPAUGE, NY - Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Suffolk County), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Long Island Sound Caucus, announced today that he has secured $40 million for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Long Island Sound geographic program.

“From fishing to tourism to its role as a critical natural resource, the Long Island Sound is much more than a body of water; it is a way of life. I’m thrilled to announce that I was able to secure $40 million to preserve the Sound in this year’s government funding process,” said LaLota. “This vital funding will help address pollution, improve water quality, restore important habitats, and protect the Sound for decades to come. The Sound provides invaluable resources to Long Island families, and I am committed to its preservation to ensure a healthier environment for future generations.”

“This funding supports so many critical clean water initiatives, including the Unified Water Study, which Save the Sound launched to enable groups around Long Island Sound to collect consistent, comparable water quality data from our bays and harbors. Now in its eighth season, the Unified Water Study features 27 partner groups, including Save the Sound, monitoring 46 bays and harbors along the margins of the Sound,” said Denise Stranko, Executive Vice President of Programs for Save the Sound. “The more we can track and document the impact of nitrogen pollution, the more effectively we can work to protect the environmental health of those bays and harbors. We appreciate Representative LaLota's efforts in securing this essential federal funding.”

In 1985, Congress created the Long Island Sound Study (LISS) to identify and address major environmental problems affecting Long Island Sound. The LISS brings together entities such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), New York State, Connecticut, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions to help restore and protect Long Island Sound and its watershed.

In September 2023, LaLota introduced the bipartisan Long Island Sound Stewardship and Restoration Act aimed at reauthorizing programs dedicated to protecting and preserving Long Island Sound through 2028. In January 2024, LaLota testified at both a Natural Resources Committee hearing and a Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing in support of his legislation.

The funding is part of an Interior and Environment Appropriations bill signed into law in March. Previously, LaLota announced $1.3 million in federal funding for stormwater infrastructure in Smithtown.

For a list of all funding secured by Rep. LaLota in FY24 click HERE.

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