Environmental Control

Environmental Services and Management

The Department manages the environmental monitoring programs and provides technical support associated with the operation and permit requirements of the Town’s solid waste management facilities.

The Department assists the Town Board, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals in complying with the requirements of the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) for all actions brought before them.

The Department carries out a stormwater management program to insure the Town’s compliance with the New York State MS4 regulations.

The Department provides technical assistance for Town special projects and environmental initiatives such as sewering, wetland restoration, stormwater mitigation, and waterfowl control and the preparation of technical documents related to the protection of natural resources of the Town.

The Department assists the Town Board and other Departments with funding requests, environmental permitting and advice on environmental issues.

There are several departments that fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Environmental Control:

Animal Shelter

The shelter provides many services for town residents in addition to providing shelter to animals in need. Residency in the Town of Babylon is not required to adopt a dog or cat. However, you must be a resident to turn in a dog or cat for adoption or any other reason. There is usually a modest fee involved. There may be a waiting list for animals to be put up for adoption.

Animal control officers are assigned to the department to enforce Article 7 of the Agricultural and Markets Law of New York State (PDF), as well as local laws and ordinances of the Town of Babylon. Babylon Animal Adoption Rescue Center (BAARC) is managed by the town’s Department of Environmental Control.

You can reach the Animal Shelter by calling (631) 643-9270.

Bay Management & Shellfish Management

The Hard Clam Survey is an annual survey of the town’s 10,000 acres of underwater land and is used to determine the abundance and distribution of clams and their predators. The Spawner Sanctuary is an area stocked with clams at high densities with the hope of enhancing reproduction. To date, over 7,900 bushels of clams have been stocked.

Seed Clam Grow Out

The aquaculture program began back in 1978, with the first introduction of 180,000 seed clams. One million seed clams are grown out every year. The seed is placed in the rafts at 3-5 millimeter in size and then re-seeded into the bay in October when they are about 18-20 millimeters. Over 25,000,000 clams have been introduced since the program’s inception.

Endangered Species Management

The Town has about 6.5 miles of beach that is monitored almost daily during the breeding season for the Federally-listed Endangered species Piping Plover and the NYS-listed Threatened species Least Tern. We also monitor the marsh islands in the Bay for the NYS listed Threatened species Common Tern and the Federally-listed Endangered Species the Roseate Tern. At the end of each season, we report our productivity numbers to both the State and Federal governments.

Conditional Shell Fishing Program

Opening of normally closed shell fishing areas is based on rainfall. This is done in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) in order to provide more accessible and protected winter harvest grounds.

Residential Recycling Center

The Town’s Department of Environmental Control operates the Town’s recyclable materials drop off Center. The Center also accepts non-recyclable materials for a fee. Refer to the Town’s Recycling Calendar for a list of recyclable and non-acceptable items as well as other programs offered by the Center. The Center receives waste that residents feel can’t be picked up at the curb. Not all items, however, will be accepted. Unacceptable items include explosives, ammunition, automobile body parts, etc.

The Center is located at 57 Field Street in West Babylon and can be contacted at (631) 249-9347. The hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 2:30 pm.

Help a local student with their AP Capstone project by taking a survey on recycling habits!

Commercial Waste District

All commercial and multi-family dwelling waste is collected and disposed of by the Town’s contractor, Winters Brothers. The Town’s Office of Commercial Waste oversees this operation and prepares bills while administering the program. The office can be reached at (631) 422-7670.

Though the commercial waste collected is recycled by the contractor, the program does not offer source-separated commercial waste. Those wishing to set up a source separation program must arrange to do so with a private company. The company must be a Town (Class 1) licensed waste recycling company.

For more information, call the Commercial Waste Office at (631) 422-7670.

Pumpout Stations

The Town of Babylon offers free pumpout stations at Cedar Beach, Gilgo Beach and Tanner Park. For more information, please contact the Parks Department. The number for Cedar Marina is (631) 786-2381, the number for Gilgo Marina is (631) 826-1255.