In 2016, I sponsored two major initiatives to improve water quality on eastern Long Island. First, I initiated the 20/20 amendment to the Peconic Bay Region Community Preservation Fund, which extended the 2% CPF transfer tax for 20 more years and permitted up to 20% of the CPF to be utilized for water quality improvement projects. With 75% to 80% of the vote, East End voters approved the amendment. East Hampton and Southampton towns then became the first towns in NYS to establish septic rebate programs to improve our water quality. Suffolk County also devoted $2 million to septic replacement.

Secondly, I was the first state legislator to propose a $5 billion state Water Quality Improvement Bond Act. Legislative leaders and the Governor subsequently adopted the concept as the five-year $2.5 billion State Water Quality Infrastructure Improvement Program in the 2017 State Budget. Last week, the Governor announced that $15 million had been appropriated from that program to 31 counties across the state for septic system replacement rebate programs. Suffolk County received $10,025,000 of the $15 million total or 66.8% of all the funds appropriated statewide.

This state commitment to Suffolk County demonstrates that our local foresight and cutting edge commitment to water quality is being rewarded by the state. I thank Governor Cuomo for his commitment to water quality. This must be the first step to reverse decades of declining water quality trends. We must be committed to long term reliable funding to water quality if we are to conserve the one resource that is essential to both our environment and economy: clean water.