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DEC officials with local leaders at the former Lawrence Aviation site. Photo by William Stieglitz
Amanda Lefton, DEC Comissioner. Photo by William Stieglitz
Cathy Haas, DEC Regional Director for Long Island. Photo by William Stieglitz
Jason Richberg, Minority Leader for Suffolk County Legislature. Photo by William Stieglitz
Payson Long, DEC Project Manager. Photo by William Stieglitz
Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. Photo by William Stieglitz
Steve Englebright, Suffolk County Legislator. Photo by William Stieglitz
The now emptied location at Lawrence Aviation planned for the solar farm. Photo by William Stieglitz
Poster with Site Map and Timeline. Photo by William Stieglitz
A map showing an overhead of the site. Photo by William Stieglitz

By William Stieglitz

On July 2, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation gathered with local officials at Port Jefferson’s former Lawrence Aviation site to announce the proposed delisting of 96% of the land from the New York State Superfund Registry. 

“Starting today, we are seeking public comments on our determination that the bulk of the site requires no further cleanup,” said DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton. Only about five acres of the 126-acre site will remain in the SSF Program, while the rest will be made available for redevelopment and reuse.

Lefton and others spoke on how far the site’s transformation has come since the DEC’s initial cleanup efforts in 1987. The area, formerly a foundry for titanium products, was added to the state superfund list in 1993. Cleanup operations between 2004 and 2019 included the removal of 2,500 barrels containing toxic substances and 3,000 separate gallons of leaked machine oils. “This was a highly toxic site,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “There were such things as PCBs, mercury, a whole suite of volatile organic chemicals, including toluene, TCE, PCE and others. The buildings had asbestos. We could go on and on.”

According to Suffolk County Legislator Steve Englebright (D, Setauket), the pollution was “aggressively poured into the ground” and “threatened not only the stability of this generally residential neighborhood, but also the water chemistry of the Port Jefferson Setauket Harbor.” 

Suffolk County Legislator Jason Richberg (D, West Babylon), the minority leader for the Suffolk County Legislature, said he was in middle school when the site first went out of service. “I can remember really well because it was the last time I can remember the Knicks being in the semifinals to the playoffs… that’s how long it’s taken,” he said. “But that shows the dedication of our state workers. That shows what public employees do.”

The flat area where officials stood and that was once the foundry’s office buildings, said DEC project manager Payson Long, will be transformed into a solar farm. Other areas will be kept as open space, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to develop a separate section into a railyard. This would require permission from the Department of Transportation, though the proposed Furthering Rail Transit in Suffolk County Act, sponsored by New York State Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay (D, Port Jefferson) and currently before New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D), would direct the DOT to grant that access.

“I think for the future of this site,” said Englebright, “the future of this community and in the largest sense the future of electrification of the railroad and consistency with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goals — which are black letter law in the state — it’s very important for the government to sign that piece of legislation.”

Reached for comment, Sean Butler, a spokesperson for Hochul, said that she will review the legislation, adding that “working with NYSDOT and MTA, we have made significant progress toward a permanent resolution for the Lawrence Aviation site that will be a win for Suffolk County.”

For more information from the DEC, you can visit their website at https://dec.ny.gov and view the site-specific documents. Public comments will be accepted through Aug. 3 and may be submitted to by email to [email protected] (place “Lawrence Aviation delisting” in the subject line) or by postal mail to Payson Long, Project Manager, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Environmental Remediation, 625 Broadway, 12th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-7017.

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METRO photo

By Nancy Marr

For many years, and in many other states, citizens have asked for legislation to allow terminally ill persons to request medical assistance from a relevant, licensed physician to end their life. In the United States, the issue reached the Supreme Court in 1917 in the case of Washington v. Glucksberg, in which the Court ruled that there is no federal law that either legalizes or prohibits medical aid in dying and that it is a states’ rights issue.

This year, legislation (which would amend the Public Health Law) was passed in both the Assembly (A.995a) sponsored by New York State Assemblywoman Paulin and the Senate (S.2445a) sponsored by New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal for the Medical Aid in Dying Act, also known as the Death with Dignity Act. Supporters hope it will be signed by Governor Hochul. (In 2019, Governor Cuomo came out in support of the bill but failed to include it in his budget message.)

Nine states (Oregon, Vermont, Washington, California, Montana, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey and Colorado) and the District of Columbia now allow physician-assisted aid in dying. The legislation would allow it in New York State.

The legislation includes safeguards against abuse of the dying and protections for medical personnel who act in good faith in compliance with the law. Medical aid in dying  is intended to be a thoroughly thought-out and planned decision, not a spontaneous one.

A mentally competent, terminally ill patient aged 18 years or older and a resident of New York State may request medication to be self-administered by making an oral and a written request to an attending physician, witnessed by two adults. The attending physician shall examine the patient and his records, determine whether he has a terminal disease and the capacity to make an informed decision of his own volition, as confirmed also by a consulting physician. If the attending physician or the consulting physician believes that the patient may lack capacity, such physician shall refer the patient to a mental health professional.

If the mental health professional determines that the patient lacks capacity to make an informed decision, the patient shall not be deemed a qualified individual and the attending physician shall not prescribe medication to the patient.

It is important for the healthcare provider to distinguish between medical aid in dying and assisted suicide. A patient who requests medication under the legislation shall not be considered suicidal and the patient and their beneficiaries shall not be denied any benefits because of it. The attending physician may sign the individual’s death certificate; the cause of death will be the underlying terminal illness. Additionally, patients have the right to rescind their request for medical aid in dying at any time, even if the medication has been administered.

Objections to the legislation have been  made on religious and cultural grounds, or because persons with disabilities may feel that they are being targeted. Although persons requesting medical assistance may be seeking relief from the pain of their disease, they may also be reluctant to remain as a burden to their family or doctors. A private health care facility may prohibit the prescribing or self-administering of medication while a patient is being treated in or residing in their facility, often because it has religious objections or has been established to provide palliative care. 

If necessary, the patient shall be transferred to another facility that can meet the patient’s needs — in its justification the current legislation states clearly that patients should not have to leave the state or the country to control how their lives end but should be able to die with dignity, on their own terms, typically in their own homes, surrounded by their family and other loved ones.

Jonathan Treem, MD, of the University of Colorado Palliative Care, discussed ethical considerations in Medical Aid in Dying: Ethical and Practical Issues, JADPRO, Apr 1, 2023. Not all patients who inquire about medical aid in dying intend to end their life with medication. Many see it as an insurance policy for the end-of-life care, to maintain their autonomy. The most common diagnosis among patients is cancer, followed by neurologic disorders such as ALS and dementia. Many are enrolled in Hospice programs. In Colorado, in 2019, Dr. Treem points out, only 20% of those who got prescriptions actually had it dispensed.

The legislation that has been passed would make it possible for a greater number of New Yorkers to seek help as they face the end of life. Please ask Governor Hochul to sign it.

Nancy Marr is Vice-President of the League of Women Voters of Suffolk County, a nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. For more information, call 631-862-6860.

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Route 347 and Nicolls Road overview in Stony Brook.

By William Stieglitz

The New York State Department of Transportation, in cooperation with local officials, is considering multiple design proposals for an overpass bridge at the intersection of Nicolls Road and Route 347, including  a new “preferred alternative” design that is distinct from the two designs previously made available to the public.

These previous proposals, explained Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook), included a diamond design and a clover design. The diamond design, similar to the intersection of Nicolls Road and Middle Country Road, would have an overpass providing straight passage for one road, but would require a traffic light for the perpendicular road underneath. “It would only solve half the traffic problem, not all of it,” said Kornreich.

The proposed clover shaped design. This rendering portrays ramps and would not require traffic lights. Photo courtesy Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich

The clover design, similar to the intersection of the Long Island Expressway and Nicolls Road, would feature looped ramps and no traffic lights. However, this would require more space, placing the ramps directly behind some homes. 

“It would affect a small number of people in a negative way,” said Kornreich. “However, for the vast majority of people, the thousands and thousands of people who use that intersection every day, by having the full clover leaf, now there are no lights at that intersection.”

The “preferred alternative” design, explained NYS Assemblymember Rebecca Kassay (D–Port Jefferson), was initially shown to her in May when she met with the DOT. The new design, she was told, “resulted from internal DOT conversations about design feasibility and traffic needs.”

Since that meeting, she has emailed the DOT with a list of questions regarding details of the design and plans to engage the public with updated information.  She asked if there is statistical data to support one design over the other two as well as accessibility differences for ambulances and commuters. 

She advocated for sound walls to prevent residents and businesses from being impacted by additional traffic noise, as well as landscape installations that could help drainage, water quality and beautification. Furthermore, she requested visual references of designs of other NYS DOT bridges for community consideration.

“My office has been coordinating closely with residents who have worked for many years to keep this intersection clean and welcoming for our community,” said Kassay. “I am grateful for the passion they have for our community and their willingness to go above and beyond to care for Nicolls Road and Route 347.”

Three Village Civic Association President Charles Tramontana said that while the DOT has been in contact with Kassay and Kornreich, the DOT had not been meeting with them regarding this phase of the project, and that they are awaiting updates. “We definitely have questions,” he said, referencing how he’d want to know how the chosen proposal would affect the clearing of woods and its aesthetic ramifications. 

Tramontana said the lack of communication presented a problem, citing as an example the DOT recently removing trees from the north side of the intersection, without the association being told it would happen beforehand. Tramontana said, “In everything, we always strive to have good communication so that there’s no surprises, there’s no rumors, everybody knows exactly what’s going to take place. That’s what we’re looking to facilitate as a civic association.”

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NYS Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay
Legislation Expands Access to Modern Septic Systems, Protecting Groundwater and Waterways Across New York
In a major environmental and affordability win, Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay announced the unanimous passage of her legislation (A8807/S8241-A) in both the New York State Assembly and Senate. The bill updates the reimbursement structure of the New York State Septic System Replacement Fund, making it easier and more affordable for New Yorkers to upgrade to advanced septic systems that significantly reduce water pollution, according to a press release.
The legislation increases the reimbursement rate to 75% of eligible costs, up to $25,000 per project, enabling more homeowners to install “clean water” septic systems that remove nitrogen, phosphorus, and other harmful contaminants before they reach groundwater, bays, harbors, lakes, and rivers– and the taps of the 8 million residents of Long Island. Assemblywoman Kassay stated, “Most New Yorkers want to do their part to protect our environment, but sometimes budgetary restrictions prevent families from making those efforts. I am proud to deliver legislation that not only further protects our water, but also addresses affordability issues.”
Outdated or failing septic systems are a major source of nutrient pollution across New York, contributing to harmful algal blooms, fish kills, and water quality degradation. While advanced septic technologies are significantly more effective at treating wastewater, their cost often puts them out of reach for many families—unless supported by state funding.
Environmental and public health advocates praised the bill’s passage as a vital step toward reducing pollution and advancing clean water infrastructure.
Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said, “This critical legislation will be a catalyst for the public to be financially incentivized to replace their old, antiquated polluting cesspools and septic systems. No longer can we allow inadequately treated sewage, nitrogen pollution, and other contaminants to flow from our septic systems and enter into groundwater and our harbors, bays, rivers, lakes, and beaches. These grants will provide substantive financial assistance to allow people to make the change! The replacement program is already very popular with the public; however, this increase in funds will galvanize residents who were reluctant to make the switch because they needed a bit more financial help to act. We are very excited that this law got passed and thank Senator Harckham and Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay for getting it done!”
Kevin McDonald, Senior Policy Advisor, The Nature Conservancy, added, “Pollution from traditional septic systems harms wildlife and threatens clean drinking water across our state. On Long Island, the problem is especially severe where nitrogen pollution is harming our bays, harbors, and drinking water supply. To restore clean water and protect public health, we need to support property owners in upgrading septic systems with technology that can treat nitrogen pollution. The Nature Conservancy applauds the Senate and Assembly for passing legislation to enhance the state’s Septic System Replacement Fund, which will ensure clean water septic systems are within financial reach of more property owners. Thank you to bill sponsors Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Rebecca Kassay for championing this important policy change and to Governor Kathy Hochul and the Environmental Facilities Corporation for advancing this important grant program.”
The legislation builds on New York’s Clean Water Infrastructure Act and supports the long-term protection of drinking water supplies, recreational waterways, and marine habitats in regions such as Long Island, the Finger Lakes, and the Thousand Islands. “The passage of this legislation is another important step toward cleaner waters in, on, and around Long Island. Both our drinking water supply and the surrounding coastal waters will benefit from the legislation as homeowners are provided with significant additional financial incentives to install nitrogen reducing, state-of-the-art sanitary systems at their residences,” stated John Turner, Senior Conservation Policy Advocate, Seatuck Environmental Association. “We have no doubt that when this bill becomes law more Long Islanders will participate in efforts to safeguard their ground- and coastal waters. Kudos to Assemblymember Kassay for her leadership in sponsoring this critically important environmental protection measure,” John Turner concluded.
“In Suffolk County, the state’s largest county outside of New York City, there are over 380,000 outdated cesspools and septic tanks in use,” stated Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni. “Many of them are located in my district on the East End of Long Island. Onsite wastewater treatment systems reduce the amount of effluent and pollutants expelled into the environment, reducing the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus into surface and drinking waters, including Long Island’s sole-source aquifer. A.8807 falls in line with the priorities and needs of Long Island, and the environmental goals for the great State of New York. I commend the Senate and Assembly sponsors of A.8807, the Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Governor for the increased attention to the need for modernizing residential wastewater management across the state.”
The bill’s next step is for Governor Hochul to sign and chapter it, which could take place in the coming weeks or months. Strongly motivated by the environmental and affordability benefits of this legislation, Assemblywoman Kassay will continue to work with her colleagues in government and environmental advocates to ensure that this bill is signed into law.

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Heather Banoub and Carl Mills. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa

Carl Mills, Stony Brook University associate vice president of government relations, and Heather Banoub, assistant vice president of community relations at the university, were joined by Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay (D, Port Jefferson) to speak on budget priorities, which include adding housing options to the campus. 

Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

Besides pushing legislation to grow their advanced specialty care facilities throughout the county, Mills said Kassay is helping the university with legislation to allow the university to contract nearby fire districts for access to equipment. Currently, the university has its own fire services but still works closely with surrounding departments. 

“It will be a cross benefit not only for the university but the taxpayer if we can contract for surplus equipment that fire districts have,” said Mills.

The university is also planning a housing project that can provide up to 1,900 beds so Simon Scholars, medical residents and junior faculty can have on-campus housing options. The project is not meant to allow the university to admit more incoming students, but to “allow young professionals” a space on campus. 

Some residents were concerned that traffic will not be able to sustain growth and neighboring communities will suffer. “I know you guys want to grow, that is your job, but I live there and traffic still sits in front of my house,” one resident said. Mills said a traffic study is being conducted. 

Legislation is needed to execute this project, which Mills said is not unusual for this “long-term project.” The university will form a housing and development corporation, which would lease the property, submit a request for proposal and solicit bids. 

“We don’t have the funding as it stands to do this on our own,” Mills said. “We have financial challenges in that we don’t know what is happening on the federal level.” 

The project would require the relocation of the track behind LaValle Stadium and off Route 25A. 

In August 2024, many students were pushed off campus or into cramped accommodations after two dormitories were flooded. “As the flagship university, we just can’t be in that position,” Mills said.

Funding projects

In her first budget cycle as a state assemblymember, Kassay reported on several budgetary items, such as securing $1 million for SBU’s cancer research center, $1 million for clean water research and $330,000 for a nursing training program at the Long Island State Veterans Home.

She also helped eliminate the Metropolitan Transportation Authority payroll mobility tax from municipalities. The tax impacts employers, so the elimination offers relief to the Town of Brookhaven and other suburban municipalities. Small businesses are still affected by the tax, but to a diminished degree. 

Kassay said she is excited to support a bigger, better bottle bill, which will extend the array of items that can get recycled and increase the deposit return to 10 cents. 

She also said she is working to diminish needless plastic waste by requiring restaurants to give the option of plastic utensils for a takeout order rather than instantly including them. 

The legislation would mean that “restaurants, when doing a takeout order cannot give you those items unless you consent to taking those items. So they can ask you, and you can say yes, or you can ask them… and that is absolutely legal,” Kassay said. “They just can’t force them.” 

“For us facing enormous waste problems here, this isn’t going to solve it entirely but it is sure going to help in as far as reducing waste.” The legislation has failed in Suffolk in the past, but Kassay is optimistic that the move would be a win-win for businesses and consumers alike. 

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Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine

By Emily Mandracchia

On May 27, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R) and Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina (R) were joined by Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. (D) and other town supervisors and county officials to announce the results of a large-scale crackdown of illegal cannabis shops involving multiple jurisdictions throughout the region. 

With the goal of maintaining public safety and wellness, New York State law officially stipulates the prohibition of cannabis and other THC-related products at mobile retail or civic settings that may include vendors, such as farmer’s markets, street fairs, historical or religious societies among others. 

New York State Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay

According to District 4 Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay (D, Port Jefferson), this crackdown also includes prerolled joints, THC vapes and edibles or tinctures containing THC. Regardless of whether the vendor possesses a license to operate a brick-and-mortar dispensary, the sale of such products is still considered illegal on the basis of the mobile venue sale. Violators are subject to what Kassay refers to as a “hefty” fine and any further disciplinary action deemed necessary.

Products that are listed to contain less than or equal to 0.3% THC are not restricted by NYS law insofar as they are properly labeled according to both federal and state cannabis and hemp product regulations. Kassay recalls that residents are often surprised when she informs them that, currently, there are “no licensed cannabis dispensaries in the Town of Brookhaven, and that any shop that has been selling intoxicating cannabis products has been doing so illegally.”

Accessibility to intoxicating products at pop-up venues enable their legality and accessible use to impart a more present danger onto the surrounding public. Kassay said herself that she had visited a street fair and witnessed a vendor unlawfully selling cannabis products firsthand. Kassay writes, “In speaking with the event’s coordinators, it came to light how many community members aren’t aware that it is currently unlawful for intoxicating cannabis products to be sold at pop-up markets in New York State.” 

Catalina stated similarly that there is a wealth of anecdotal evidence that suggests the cannabis sold to minors is often laced with unknown chemicals and additives; people have “no idea” what they are buying. Further, those who applied for licenses but have not been approved often still sell cannabis in the interim. Increase in road accidents, medical afflictions and the deterioration of the quality of business communities and public safety all served as catalysts for the agreement that the current NYS cannabis policy required further refinement.

New York State’s Office of Cannabis Management will be engaging the public with a proposal regarding future licenses for cannabis sales at pop-up events like street fairs and farmers markets, which would require both a licensed vendor and a licensed grower to be in attendance. 

For now, the crackdown offers a temporary solution to the problem — provided that the official proposal will most likely be introduced in June 2025 with a public comment period to follow.

In the meantime, it is recommended that any suspicions of illegal cannabis sale are reported to the NYS Office of Cannabis Management. Illegal sales encompass those that are without license, made to minors, illegally packaged products, incite adverse medical reactions, or otherwise spark enforcement concerns. For more information on these guidelines, visit cannabis.ny.gov/report-an-incident. 

To receive this NYS OCM proposal when it is released and to engage in the public comment opportunity or to share any other questions or concerns, please contact Kassay’s office by emailing [email protected] or calling 631-751-3094.

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Protesters outside Congressman Nick LaLota’s office. Photo by William Stieglitz
Protesters outside Congressman Nick LaLota’s office. Photo by William Stieglitz
Protesters outside Congressman Nick LaLota’s office. Photo by William Stieglitz
Protesters outside Congressman Nick LaLota’s office. Photo by William Stieglitz

By William Stieglitz

On Thursday, May 29, close to 100 people lined the streets outside Congressman Nick LaLota’s (R, NY1) Hauppauge office to protest planned cuts to Medicaid and other health programs under the One Big Beautiful reconciliation bill, passed by the House of Representatives the week before.

The rally’s speakers included grassroots organizers and health care workers, who argued that the bill LaLota voted for would cut health care funding for Long Islanders while giving tax breaks to billionaires. “The budget is a gift to the rich and a slap in the face to workers,” said Diane Cantave from Long Island Jobs with Justice. “We reject the idea that working families must carry the burden while the wealthy hoard more.”

The bill would place restrictions on Medicaid, including new work requirements to qualify, as well as on the SNAP and CHIP programs for food stamps and children’s health insurance. It would also reduce Medicaid funding by 10% to states like New York that provide health coverage to undocumented immigrants.

Dr. Eve Krief, speaking on behalf of Engage Long Island and the American Academy of Pediatrics, warned the bill would result in “tens of thousands of people right here on Long Island” losing their health care. “It’s going to raise our premiums regardless of what insurance you have, because hospitals are gonna be forced to provide uncompensated care to the uninsured… It’s gonna strain our hospital systems to the breaking point. They’re gonna be forced to cut staffing, and eventually, they’re gonna have to close their doors.”

Responding later, LaLota said, “You’re not gonna find anywhere that there’s a Medicaid cut” in the bill, describing the legislation as a commitment to Bill Clinton-era work requirements. “The main part of what this bill did was requiring able-bodied adults, so not pregnant women, not disabled people, not seniors… able-bodied adults to work or seek work for eighty hours a month. That burden is not too large to ask your neighbors to pay for your health care.” The other major aspect of the bill, he said, is that it will “check everybody’s qualifications” for Medicaid, and in doing so, “root out the waste, fraud and abuse in the system.”

However, Planned Parenthood Coordinator Kaitlyn Pawlukojc argued that the bill would also bar Medicaid funding toward Planned Parenthood so long as it provides its current abortions services. “Last year, Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic completed over 19,500 visits for Suffolk County residents,” she said, “providing vital health care like birth control, STI testing and treatment, and cancer screenings.” She added defunding Planned Parenthood would cost taxpayers “nearly 300 million dollars,” referencing the Congressional Budget Office estimates.

A further concern, touched on by Gender Equality New York Executive Director Juli Grey-Owens, is how the bill could threaten gender-affirming care for transgender youth. “For many, transitioning is crucial to continuing to live,” she said, adding that the surgery is a medical need for trans people suffering from gender dysphoria, and reduces suicide and depression. “We do not ask for special treatment. We ask to live safely, truthfully, and equally.” LaLota, when asked about the bill’s blocking of funds for gender-affirming care, stated, “I do not support using federal taxpayer dollars for transgender surgery.” Jennifer Capotorto, a local mother of two, said she worried about her children losing access to health care, as well as the impact for the rest of her family. “My sister will no longer be able to afford her rheumatoid arthritis medication and will live in chronic pain. In February, we lost our Navy vet father, and he suffered for months before his passing in a for-profit rehab that was neglecting him simply because they were understaffed.”

The bill also brings back SALT deductions, quadrupling the current $10,000 cap to $40,000, something many Long Islanders have argued for. 

 However, Suffolk Progressives founder Shoshana Hershkowitz said she does not support “gutting Medicaid” in exchange. “We can actually get our SALT deductions back, all they have to do is let the first Trump tax cuts expire.” Following the speeches, she and others marched to drop off letters to the congressman, also leaving salt packets while saying “Keep your SALT.” While the last group of people were dropping off letters, LaLota was walking to his office and spoke briefly with the group in defense of the bill before going inside.

These are arguments Krief touched on when she spoke, but claimed they were misleading. “The overwhelming majority of people on Medicaid do work,” she said. “So we’ll have these funding cuts without the actual [removal of] waste, fraud and abuse to make up for those cuts, which will then impact us all.”

The reconciliation bill now goes to the Senate, where it awaits its next vote.

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Local leaders speak at the Lawrence Aviation Site on June 2. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Local leaders at the Lawrence Aviation Site on June 2. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
Local leaders at the Lawrence Aviation Site on June 2. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa 

While the Lawrence Aviation Industries site in Port Jefferson Station is clean and cleared from the superfund registry, the atmosphere around the prospective rail yard is murkier than ever. 

The MTA has yet to secure the 40 acres allocated to the rail yard, which would be crucial to electrifying the Port Jefferson line. As the June 30 deadline approaches, local officials and environmental leaders met at the site on June 2 to urge the MTA to sign and for Governor Kathy Hochul to apply further pressure. Brookhaven bought 40 acres to preserve as open space and the county bought the other 40 acres to use as a solar farm. 

“This is a community grafted and supported plan that elected officials from all levels of government have worked very hard on for 15 years now,” said Adrienne Esposito of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “And we are in the last few days to make it successful and get the job done.” 

The Setauket–Port Jefferson Station Greenway will have to be rerouted in order for the MTA to proceed with the rail yard. Since the DOT owns that land, they have to sign an agreement with the MTA and work out an easement between them. 

Romaine said the DOT is hesitating in giving the MTA the go-ahead. “Let’s not pass this up because the DOT is blocking this,” Romaine said. “Let’s everybody row in the same direction…let’s electrify this line.” 

Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay is pushing legislation to advance an easement agreement between the DOT and MTA. 

The bill, currently being reviewed by committee, ensures the DOT will not be prevented from rerouting the Greenway. Further, it states that if the DOT intends to expand Route 25A, as they originally intended,  the easement would not impede that move as a bridge could connect the Greenway instead.

“The DOT is authorized and directed to work with the MTA and other interested particles and/or owners of real property surrounding the Greenway to negotiate and execute the…easement within six months after the effective date of this act,” the bill reads. 

After the event at the Lawrence Aviation Site, Kassay said the DOT reached out to her with suggested amendments. 

“New York State has lofty green energy goals, lofty goals for decarbonization and I can not do enough to press upon them how vital this opportunity is to make more green the MTA,” said Kassay, who has been pushing for assistance at the state level. “This is not an opportunity we can lose.” 

 An updated, electrified line is something residents from Port Jefferson to Smithtown can benefit from: fewer breakdowns, cleaner air and a smoother ride. The train can be used by Stony Brook University students and can provide redevelopment opportunities.

“In order to build housing, and to put that housing where it makes sense for rail service, this could only help. For the economic development that is needed, this could only help,” said Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico.  

The Suffolk County Landbank is selling the land to the MTA for $10. Sarah Lansdale, the Suffolk County commissioner of economic development and planning, said the MTA cut off communication with the landbank last September. 

Further,  she said that the landbank submitted two FOIL requests asking for records specifying any plans of potential development for the area. The DOT declined possessing such records.

“The Department has no plans or designs for the reconstruction of NY25A from its current location to the property that was acquired where a section of the Setauket–Port Jefferson Greenway trail exits near Sheep Pasture Road and where Suffolk County and the LIRR are proposing to create a rail yard,” a March 24 letter from Department of Transportation Deputy Counsel Norman W. Kee to Suffolk County reads. 

After not receiving the requested records, Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning submitted an appeal.

The June 30 deadline is about a year from the first deadline in 2024. Two extensions later, if the MTA and DOT do not reach an agreement and the MTA does not purchase the property, the project cannot move forward. 

“We are going to show her how it’s done,” Esposito said as she held up red tape for Romaine to cut. 

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Photo from Assemblywoman Giglio's Facebook
Jodi Giglio

Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio (R,C-Riverhead) extends her heartfelt gratitude to the brave firefighters, emergency medical personnel and mutual aid departments who responded to the massive fire at Crown Recycling on Youngs Avenue in Calverton early this morning. The fire, which broke out around 2 a.m., was declared under control at approximately 11:20 a.m. after more than nine hours of intense firefighting efforts involving nearly three dozen departments.

“I want to sincerely thank the firefighters and EMS personnel who worked through the night to contain the fire at the Crown Recycling facility,” said Giglio. “Their quick response and effort protected nearby homes, businesses and residents from what could have been a far worse situation. Given the nature of the materials involved—including construction debris and potential asbestos exposure—I’ve contacted Congressman Nick LaLota’s office to see if potential EPA air quality testing could be set into place.”

Residents in the vicinity are advised to keep windows closed and remain indoors as a precautionary measure. The Suffolk County Office of Emergency Management has issued alerts to residents within a four-mile radius of the site.

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The two-part boating safety course is at the Setauket Fire Department station on Nicolls Road, on April 14-15. File photo

By Sofia Levorchick

This year, New York State put Brianna’s Law into effect, requiring all boaters to possess and carry a New York State-approved boating safety certificate regardless of age. 

Named after Brianna Lieneck, an 11-year-old Long Island girl who was killed in a 2005 boating accident, this law acts as a precautionary measure to teach all boaters safety rules to prevent reckless and dangerous behavior on the water.

Previously, only operators born after Jan. 1, 1978, needed the certificate. Now, all boaters, regardless of age and experience on the water, must obtain the safety certificate.

Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay (D, NY4) sent out an invitation for a course taking place on Saturday, May 31 at the Setauket Fire Department  at 190 Main Street in Setauket. See more information below.

“With our many miles of coastline, my office understands our constituents’ close relationship with our waterways,” Kassay said. “We are grateful to the Setauket Fire Department for offering their facilities for this event, furthering our shared goal of greater public safety.”

Brennen Siele, the senior harbormaster on the North Shore for the Town of Brookhaven, thinks this course requirement is necessary for safe waters. He pointed out that boaters’ most common and preventable mistake is lacking the safety equipment they should have on board. 

“When we come and check them, it’s a surprise to them that they need certain things,” Siele said. “So just from a safety standpoint, it seems important that these people take these classes, even if they’ve been on the water for years.”

Safety certification courses were offered before the law was implemented, and some boaters have already taken them. 

Chris Zenaty, a Stony Brook boater, took a safety course over 25 years ago when he first started boating. He retook the course last year with his son after his original certification expired. He thinks that this new law is essential for ensuring safety on the water.

 “It makes people more aware of their surroundings,” Zenaty said. “Before, you could go out and buy a 50-foot boat with having no experience in boating and cause significant damage to life and property without having any boating training.”

According to both Siele and Kassay, local boaters have generally been reacting positively to the law.

“From conversations around our marinas and neighborhoods, it seems that local boaters are largely on board with this new regulation,” Kassay said. “It teaches newer boaters the maritime rules of the road, which will help to avoid conflicts and collisions.”

However, Siele noted that the surge in demand could make it difficult for boaters to get the safety certificate in time. 

“I think for the first year, it’ll probably be challenging, because a huge influx of people are trying to take these classes right before the boating season,” Siele said. “A lot of these classes are filling up, and people are having a hard time getting into them.”

Because of the demand, there might be an initial grace period for compliance. Harbor Patrol plans to be somewhat lenient initially, as long as boaters can show patrol officers proof that they are registered to take a class and are otherwise in compliance with safety regulations. 

“Boaters need to take the safety on the water a little bit more seriously than they have in the past,” Siele said. “They don’t take into account how many things that can go wrong or the safety equipment that’s necessary when things do go wrong.”

Despite the initial challenges in course availability, officials and long-serving boaters agree that the new law marks a crucial step toward fostering safer waters for all. 

“Even our saltiest sailors and experienced fisherfolk understand that their time on the water is made safer by every motorized vessel operator taking this course,” Kassay said.

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New York State Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay is inviting boat, jet ski, and motorized vessel operators to take the required New York State Safe Boating Certification Course at the Setauket Fire Department, 190 Main St., Setauket on Saturday, May 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This 8-hour course covers the basic principles of safe and responsible boating. It reviews nautical “rules of the road”, required safety equipment, special boating activities, and more. Students who complete the course will obtain a NY Safe Boating Certificate. Must be at least 10 years old to participate.
Cost: $85 + $10 permanent card fee
Course materials provided on-site
Can’t make that date? Find more classes across the state: www.register-ed.com/programs/new_york/252
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