Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan (LINAP)

Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan (LINAP)

What is LINAP?

The Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan (LINAP) is a transformative multiyear effort to make meaningful reductions in nitrogen levels.

LINAP is a collaboration between the DEC, the Long Island Regional Planning Council (LIRPC), [FV3] [DF4] Suffolk County and Nassau County, with input from multiple partners and stakeholders.

LINAP is one of the most significant environmental initiatives since the historic preservation of the Pine Barrens nearly three decades ago. LINAP launched in 2015 when New York State, with strong support from Long Island's legislative delegation and environmental community, appropriated $5 million to develop LINAP.

LINAP focuses on how best to reduce nitrogen loading to groundwater and surface water through technical, management, and regulatory/policy actions. Nitrogen is the leading cause of water quality deterioration in Long Island's estuaries. Excess nitrogen can cause toxic algal blooms that lead to low oxygen conditions, fish kills, and degraded wetlands and marine habitats. Nitrogen also contaminates the groundwater which is the sole source of Long Island's drinking water.

LINAP Goals

LINAP's primary goals are:

• Assess nitrogen pollution in Long Island waters,
• Identify sources of nitrogen to surface waters and groundwater,
• Establish nitrogen reduction endpoints (ecological endpoints are desirable conditions in surface waters),
• Develop an implementation plan to achieve reductions.

Please click on the link below to access the NYS DEC LINAP fact Sheet:
https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/water_pdf/linapfactsheet.pdf