Supervisor Frank Petrone. File photo by Rachel Shapiro
By Joseph Wolkin
Huntington Station is being revitalized as a state Brownfield Opportunity Area through Huntington Town. The designation is now one of 38 statewide which helps communities with tax credit incentives and enhances chances to receive grants.
For Huntington Station, a 640-acre portion of the town has been added to the brownfield initiative, centered on the Long Island Rail Road station. Administered by the New York Department of State, the BOA is meant to encourage municipalities to revitalize sections of towns in need of redevelopment.
“We at the Department of State are proud to have supported the work done by local leaders to envision a path forward in the renaissance of the Empire State and leave a vibrant economic legacy to our cities and towns,” New York Secretary of State Rossana Rosado said in a statement. “Brownfield Opportunity Area designation not only signals our commitment to assisting the communities to reach their own goals for revitalization, but also provides real incentives to attract private and public investment to these blighted areas.”
The Town of Huntington’s BOA designation followed planning activities financed by a $340,000 state grant.
In the initial application for the designation Huntington cited at least 27 potential brownfield areas, including garages, parking lots and vacant locations near the train station.
Along with Huntington, Riverhead Town and Southampton Town were among the 12 new recipients of the brownfield designation. Riverhead was awarded a $567,000 grant to finance planning activities, while Southampton received $236,900.
“The Brownfield Opportunity Area designation will help augment and speed the ongoing revitalization efforts in Huntington Station and help restore what was a vibrant community a half-century ago,” Supervisor Frank Petrone (D) said in a statement. “This designation will help the town take advantage of the New York State Brownfield Cleanup Program tax credits and get preference in applying for grants and financing, which should provide significant boosts in implementing the town’s plans.”
“The designation of Brownfield Opportunity Areas facilitates the restoration and development of devastated communities across the state,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said in a statement. “Each of these sites possesses tremendous potential for economic development and job creation, and these designations will equip local partners with the resources they need to implement their vision for community revitalization.”
The focal point of the project, according to a state press release, will be building a hotel, making streetscape improvements, and adding commercial, retail and parking development within the area. Additionally, the plan includes the remediation and redevelopment of brownfield sites near the train station.
Some factors that played a role in Huntington Station’s selection during the application process included environmental impact, land use laws and community input.
M-section residents look for support as they battle to keep trees. Photo by Susan Ackerman
Stony Brook residents visited the Brookhaven Town Board meeting last week to register their dismay over the large scale tree removal planned for the Strathmore housing development.
A total of 11 people addressed the issue of tree removal prior to road resurfacing during the public participation portion of the meeting.
The Brookhaven Highway Department has marked trees on several M-section streets.
Several of the speakers at the meeting were residents of the M-section, but others weighing in on the topic were just concerned citizens.
As commenters took to the microphone to express their frustration with the situation, Supervisor Edward Romaine (R) interjected and said he wanted to make it clear that these actions are not the responsibility of the town board.
“I just want to point out one thing,” he said. “The actions with the trees are not the actions of this board. They are the actions of the highway superintendent, who is an independent elected official.”
Community activist MaryAnn Johnston, of Mastic, commented on the highway superintendent’s aggressive paving policy. She said he paid no mind to resident objections in Coram regarding tree removal. “He needs to give communities advance notice — and he needs to follow the state-mandated SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review Act) process,” she said.
“People would rather live with those potholed streets than lose the trees.”
—Robert de Zafra
According to the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation website, the act “requires all state and local government agencies to consider environmental impacts equally with social and economic factors during discretionary decision-making.”
If there is potential for significant adverse environmental impacts, the site further explains, an environmental impact statement is required.
According to the Highway Superintendent’s office, SEQR does not apply in this situation. Based on Section 617.5 (c4), the project is part of an “in place, in kind” replacement of structures. A spokesperson for the office said this is only a repaving planned for an existing road, and no expansion is being made.
Prior to the start of public participation, Deputy Highway Superintendent Steve Tricarico was invited to make a statement. He acknowledged the presence of the M-section residents and said he was there to listen to them.
“I speak on behalf of the superintendent of highways when I state that it is by no means our intention to purposely remove trees or replace concrete that is not necessary,” he said. “In order to resurface these roadways, to mill them and to pave them, certain aspects of the root systems as well as the concrete are causing serious concerns to the department.”
After the outcry from the neighborhood, Tricarico said a letter was sent to affected M-section homeowners, stating that a re-evaluation would be made to determine which trees are absolutely necessary to remove.
Town Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson Station) asked Tricarico if the superintendent is willing to participate in a community meeting once the reassessment is completed. Tricarico said Losquadro has already met with some of the concerned residents.
“I know the superintendent has been up there personally and has met with a number of residents … has spoken with them, both on and off camera, and will continue to do so moving forward,” Tricarico said.
Cartright said she will schedule a meeting and notify the community so they can be present to hear the department’s findings. The date of that meeting is not yet known.
Three Village Civic Association President Robert de Zafra, who was present to support historical status for a Stony Brook building, said he decided to add his voice to save the trees.
“People would rather live with those potholed streets than lose the trees,” he said. He also thanked Cartright for working to set up the future meeting.
Algae built up on a lake where birds and other marina life inhabit. File photo
By Rebecca Anzel
Long Island’s economic prosperity and quality of life are at risk from an unlikely source, but both the Suffolk County and Town of Brookhaven governments are taking steps to combat the issue.
Bodies of water in the county face nitrogen pollution, which leads to harmful algae blooms and a decrease in shellfish population, among other environmental defects. Critically, nitrogen seeps into the Island’s groundwater, which is the region’s only source of drinking water.
Fishing, tourism and boating are billion-dollar industries in Suffolk County — approximately 60 percent of the Island’s economy is reliant on clean water. County property values are also tied to water clarity, according to a Stony Brook University report.
Nitrogen enters ground and surface water from various sources of runoff, such as landscaping, agriculture and pet waste. But the largest contributor of nitrogen pollution is failing septic systems, which County Executive Steve Bellone (D) designated as “public water enemy No. 1.”
Elected officials and environmental advocates gathered at the home of Jim and Donna Minei, recipients of a Innovative and Alternative Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems through the Suffolk County Septic Demonstration Pilot Program. Photo from Steve Bellone’s office
Which is why Bellone signed into law last month a resolution that amended Suffolk County’s sanitary code to help protect the county’s aquifer and surface water by improving wastewater treatment technologies to combat nitrogen pollution as part of the county’s Reclaim Our Water initiative.
“It doesn’t help our tourism industry, our quality of life or our ecosystems,” county Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) said of issues with the Island’s water. “Tackling the nitrogen problem, while not a sexy issue, is a very important one.” Hahn is chairwoman of the county’s Environment, Planning & Agriculture Committee.
Town and county officials are tackling the problem by utilizing what Hahn called a “multipronged approach.” Brookhaven is working to track any issues with outfalls, where drains and sewers empty into local waters, and Suffolk County is employing alternative septic systems.
Municipalities like Brookhaven are required by New York State to inspect each point where waste systems empty into a body of water and create a map of their location. It is part of a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit because, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, storm sewers collect pollutants like bacteria, motor oil, fertilizer, heavy metals and litter, and deposit them directly into bodies of water.
In addition to conducting the inspections of outfalls necessary to comply with the MS4 permit, the Town of Brookhaven conducts a DNA analysis of any outfall that has indications of impacting water quality. Since 2007, Brookhaven has spent more than $880,000 on this state requirement, Veronica King, the town’s stormwater manager, said.
“You want to put your resources where it makes the most sense,” she said. “Instead of dumping millions of dollars into structural retrofits that don’t address the true problem, the DNA analysis helps us to prioritize and make educated and cost-effective decisions.”
Town Councilwoman Jane Bonner (C-Rocky Point) said Brookhaven contracts with Cornell Cooperative Extension because it maintains a DNA “library” of Long Island wildlife, which it uses to identify the source of any pathogens in collected stormwater. For instance, if the DNA tests conclude they came from pets, Brookhaven might conduct an educational campaign to remind residents to clean up after their furry friends. If the pathogens come from a human source, there might be an issue with a septic system.
“This type of analysis could prove of great importance because any patterns identified as a result of this study can help determine what next steps can be taken to improve water quality where necessary,” Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson Station) said.
Brookhaven has applied for a state grant to help pay for these DNA tests and outfall inspections for the first time this year, because, King said, this is the first time New York State has offered a grant to cover the work.
The DNA tests are important, Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) said, because they help to identify ways to decrease the amount of nitrogen seeping into groundwater.
“The amount of nitrogen in the Magothy aquifer layer has increased over 200 percent in 13 years,” he said of one of the sub-layers that is most commonly tapped into in Suffolk, although not the deepest in the aquifer. “Cleaning up our waterways is not going to be done overnight — this is going to take a long time — but the waterways did not become polluted overnight.”
Suffolk County launched its Septic Demonstration Program to install cesspool alternative systems in 2014, called Innovative and Alternative Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (known as I/A OWTS), on the property of participants. Manufacturers of the technology donated the systems and installed them at no cost to the homeowner.
The county’s goal in testing these alternative systems is to lower the levels of nitrogen seeping into groundwater. According to a June 2016 Stony Brook University report, “the approximately 360,000 septic tank/leaching systems and cesspools that serve 74 percent of homes across Suffolk County have caused the concentrations of nitrogen in groundwater to rise by 50 percent since 1985.”
More than 10,000 of the nitrogen-reducing systems are installed in New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts and Rhode Island — all areas with similar environmental concerns to Suffolk County — according to the county executive’s office. County employees met with officials from these states to help shape its program.
“Tackling the nitrogen problem, while not a sexy issue, is a very important one.”
—Kara Hahn
The I/A OWTS installations worked out so well during a demonstration program that on July 26, the county passed a resolution to allow the Department of Health Services to regulate their use.
Typical cesspools are estimated to cost between $5,000 and $7,000 to install. The low nitrogen systems cost between $12,000 and $20,000, Hahn said. She added that as more areas facing similar environmental concerns require lower nitrogen standards and, as the technology improves, the cost of cesspool alternatives will go down.
Until then, Hahn said county officials have been discussing the possibility of subsidizing the cost of installing the I/A OWTS. It might begin requiring new homes to install low-nitrogen systems instead of traditional cesspools. Or, upon an old system’s failure, it might require an I/A OWTS be installed.
“We hope to eventually be able to help in some way,” she said.
County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) said she hopes local businesses begin producing the alternative systems that the county determines best work for the area since it would “keep the economic dollar here” and provide jobs.
In January, Brookhaven will be the first town, Romaine said, that will begin mandating new constructions within 500 feet of any waterway to install an alternative wastewater treatment system.
“I think alternative systems work,” he said. “In many ways, even though we’re a local government, we are on the cutting edge of clean water technologies.”
Both the initiatives by Brookhaven and Suffolk County “go hand and glove,” George Hoffman, of the Setauket Harbor Task Force, said. Many of Suffolk’s harbors and bays are struggling due to stormwater and nitrogen pollution, including Great South Bay, Lake Ronkonkoma, Northport Harbor, Forge River, Port Jefferson Harbor, Mount Sinai Harbor and Peconic River/Peconic Bay.
“Living on an island on top of our water supply and with thousands of homes along the shores of our harbors and bays, it never made sense to allow cesspools to proliferate,” he said.
The success of the initiatives, though, depends on residents.
“The public needs to be always recognizing that whatever we do on land here on Long Island and in Suffolk County affects not only the drinking water beneath us but the quality of our bays and waterways, streams and rivers all around us,” Hahn said. “It’s critically important that folks have that understanding. Everything we do on land affects our water here on the Island.”
A 76-year-old veteran committed suicide on the Northport VA campus last week. File photo
By Victoria Espinoza
A 76-year-old veteran from Islip committed suicide Sunday, Aug. 21, in the parking lot of the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center, according to news sources.
Peter A. Kaisen was pronounced dead at the scene, and according to Northport VA Director Philip Moschitta, in a letter to U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), the body was found next to his car in parking lot I on the campus. Moschitta said an employee of the VA found the body lying on the pavement, and the Northport Police Department, Suffolk County Police Department and FBI responded to the scene.
Moschitta also said there is no record of Kaisen entering the emergency room that day, and that during the 12 minutes he spent at the VA, he didn’t appear to leave the parking lot, as shown on video surveillance.
Multiple news sources have reported that Kaisen was denied service, but Veterans Affairs denies the veteran sought medical attention, although they said the investigation is ongoing.
“Our staff of medical professionals would never turn away an individual who required any level of health care,” Moschitta said in the letter. “We have not found any evidence that the veteran sought assistance from any of our staff, including visiting the emergency room that day. It appears the details of the tragic incident may have been misrepresented in the media coverage.”
Zeldin, a veteran himself, said the loss is heartbreaking.
“The loss of even a single veteran in America due to suicide is one too much,” he said in a statement. “Unfortunately, throughout our country, every day 22 veterans take their own life. It is so important to have the best possible understanding as to why these suicides keep happening. For me personally, I have lost more people I know due to suicide than in combat. Our veterans are returning home feeling isolated and alone and feeling like their family, friends and colleagues at work don’t understand what it is that they are going through. What is especially tragic, especially here in Suffolk County, is that a veteran will feel isolated and alone even though there are literally thousands of others throughout our county who would move heaven and Earth to shower a veteran in need with love, appreciation and support.”
Zeldin said that it’s important to note that even though Kaisen’s death was a result of suicide, there are many incidents of veterans whose deaths are incorrectly labeled suicide.
“PFC Joseph Dwyer’s last words when he passed away in 2008 were ‘I don’t want to die.’ He was looking for temporary relief to escape his pain, but he wasn’t looking to leave behind a young widow and 2-year-old daughter.”
Dwyer is known around the country for a famous photo of him carrying a young ailing Iraqi boy during combat. Dwyer’s legacy led to the creation the PFC Joseph Dwyer Veterans Peer Support Program, which provides a safe, confidential and educational platform where all veterans are welcome to meet with other veterans in support of each other’s successful transition to postservice life.
“This program should be in every county in the United States,” Zeldin said. “Losing one veteran as a result of suicide is unacceptable. As investigations into this suicide continue, I will continue to aggressively stay on top of this situation. What is so incredibly important to me and for others is to identify any specific ways at all that this veteran was underserved, so that it can be immediately and completely corrected in order for something very positive to result from this very tragic event. Every time a veteran takes his or her own life, the system has failed.”
Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro and Councilman Kevin LaValle stand on the freshly paved 43rd Street in Centereach. Photo from Losquadro’s office
Brookhaven Town Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro (R) joined with Councilman Kevin LaValle (R-Selden) to announce the completion of $1.4 million, 23-road paving project near Centereach High School and Dawnwood Middle School.
In addition to the replacement of 4,100 square feet of aprons and 2,700 linear feet of curb, this project included tree trimming; replacing area signs and guide rails; the addition of handicap ramps at the existing crosswalk by the middle school; milling and paving.
“This was an extensive paving project that addressed the concerns of area residents, motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as faculty and students in the Middle Country school district,” Losquadro said. “I am grateful that we were able to schedule and successfully complete this project during the summer.”
Roads paved during this project were 43rd Street, 57th Street, Arlene Court, Dawn Drive, Dusk Drive, Edwin Street, Forest Court, Forest Road, Irene Court, Kerry Court, Linda Drive, Linden Street, Market Street, Martha Street, Michael Court, Midday Drive, Morning Drive, Nikki Court, Noel Drive, Peggy Court, Stanley Drive, Sunset Drive and Vining Street.
“I thank Superintendent Dan Losquadro and the hardworking men and women of the Highway Department for working diligently in such high temperatures over the past couple of weeks,” LaValle said. “It was important to ensure the completion of this project occurred prior to school beginning next month. I am happy to see this project completed which positively affects the entire Centereach community.”
Members of Gays Against Guns protest against U. S. Rep. Lee Zeldin. Photo from Duncan Osborne
An anti-gun advocacy group put a North Shore lawmaker in its crosshairs over the weekend when members protested outside his office.
Gays Against Guns — a nonprofit organization made up of lesbian, gay and transgender people and others who believe in a ban of high-capacity magazine guns and assault weapons, stricter background checks and online gun sales — held a protest in Smithtown over the weekend.
The group said they chose to rally in front of the office of U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) because they believe he is a “puppet” for the NRA and hasn’t worked enough to create legislation that effectively limits the use of guns.
Zeldin said protestors are not focusing on the real issue, which is preventing terrorists from getting firearms without limiting Americans’ constitutional rights.
Duncan Osborne, a member of Gays Against Guns, said he believes Zeldin doesn’t have an interest in regulating firearms. He also criticized Zeldin’s Protect America Act of 2015. The bill would grant the attorney general authority to deny firearms and explosives to individuals who are engaged in terrorist activities or where there is a reasonable belief that an individual may use a firearm or explosive in connection with terrorism.
“His piece of legislation is little more than a Band-Aid,” Osborne said in a phone interview. “He has made no serious effort to get it passed. His bill was a joke to make Republicans look like they’re doing something on gun regulation when in fact it is nearly impossible to implement.”
A member of Gays Against Guns holds up a puppet of U. S. Rep. Lee Zeldin during a protest. Photo from Duncan Osborne
Zeldin said the issue is being influenced by politics.
“It’s unfortunate that the Democratic Party and their most loyal supporters are politicizing this issue and [the] bill to keep firearms and explosives out of the hands of terrorists,” he said in an email, according to spokesperson Jennifer DiSiena.
When Zeldin first introduced the bill last year, he said the legislation would “help prevent terrorists from purchasing firearms or explosives, while putting in place safeguards to ensure that the rights of law abiding Americans are protected.”
According to Congress’ website, the bill was referred to the House Judiciary Committee in Dec. 2015, and then referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations in Jan. 2016. The bill currently has 14 Republican co-sponsors.
Gays Against Guns also criticized Zeldin’s connections to the NRA, calling him a puppet for the organization, and the NRA his puppet master.
“We don’t think he belongs in Congress,” Osborne said. “He has no interest in regulating firearms.”
New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, another nonprofit organization that participated in the protest, agreed Zeldin should leave office.
“They’ve got to go if we’re ever going to pass the kind of meaningful gun regulation,” Executive Director of NYAGV Leah Gunn Barrett said in a statement.
DiSiena said Zeldin is fighting to support and protect his constituents.
“His positions are not for sale to anyone,” DiSiena said in an email. “If these disrupters want to actually keep Americans safe, they would work with Congressman Zeldin as opposed to launching highly partisan protests against him. These groups should unite behind Congressman Zeldin’s efforts if their genuine intentions are to keep terrorists from being able to purchase firearms.”
According to GovTrack, Zeldin was among the highest 10 percent of House Republicans joining bipartisan bills in 2015 and supporting progressive ideology.
The Smithtown Residential Repair Program team prepares for a day full of helping elderly citizens. Photo from Laura Greif
By Joseph Wolkin
Smithtown’s Residential Repair Program is out in full force this summer. With no cost of labor, participants must only provide the materials being used.
Assisting seniors 60 years old and over, the repair program looks to make an impact on the local community, giving back to those who don’t want to risk any injury while making a repair.
Laura Greif, program director, said residents are responding well to the service.
“I think people love this program,” she said in a phone interview. “It’s nice to know the community can assist seniors in their homes. This program is for renters also. You can have someone come do a repair for you instead of having the charge of paying for a plumber or electrician. But it’s only minor repairs.”
The repair program has five part-time workers, with hopes of hiring a sixth one shortly, Greif said. Serving anywhere from 10 to 15 people a day, the program director believes the organization is making a great impact on the local community.
Services range from changing light bulbs and smoke detectors, to repairing faucets and even cleaning first floor gutters.
Funding for the Residential Repair Program is provided by the New York State Office for the Aging, Suffolk County Office for the Aging and Town of Smithtown.
“The program is a state, county and town-funded program,” Greif said. “The idea of this program is to keep our seniors safe in their homes. We provide small repair services for them, like light bulbs changed, smoke detectors, weatherization, their faucets are leaking or they need them changed, and all they do is pay for the materials.”
Steve Ingram, an employee who works for the program, recognizes the impact they make within the Smithtown community.
“We go into the homes and work on minor plumbing, replace a faucet, the insides of a toilet, minor electrical work, replace light switches and outlets, change light bulbs that the seniors can’t reach, minor carpentry and just safety-related items,” Ingram said in a phone interview. “We do minor repairs that don’t require a licensed electrician or plumber to do the work.
But Ingram said the safety jobs are the most crucial service they provide to seniors.
“The most important things we do are the safety-related items, like changing carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors, because it’s just important we get right on top of those,” he said. “When they call those in, we’re usually on them by the next day.”
The employees are maintenance mechanics, but are not licensed plumbers or electricians, Greif said.
The positive feedback ranks among the most enjoyable parts of helping out the seniors of Smithtown, according to the workers involved.
“It is a great feeling to help the seniors,” Ingram said. “When I first took the job, I anticipated that I would get some type of satisfaction in helping them. The feedback that we get from them is what helps the program as well. It’s great for all of us.”
For people who want a service performed at their house, call the organization’s office at 631-360-7616. All patrons must complete a work order that states what services they need done, along with answering a few additional questions for the program’s reporting purposes.
Councilwoman Susan Berland stands with the free sunscreen dispenser now at Crab Meadow Beach in Northport. File photo from A.J. Carter
As residents try to soak up the last few weeks of the sun’s rays, Huntington officials introduced a new program to help make sure the skin of their residents is as protected as possible.
Councilwoman Susan Berland (D) is leading a free sunscreen pilot program that kicked off at Crab Meadow Beach in Northport last week. The beach is now equipped with a sunscreen dispenser from the Melanoma Foundation of New England, a nonprofit that works to promote protecting skin from the sun. The dispenser is easy to use, similar to antiseptic dispensers, and is filled with organic, SPF 30 sunscreen.
“I believe that by providing this service to our residents we are helping them guard themselves from the sun, educate themselves on better sun protection and ultimately help the fight against skin cancer,” Berland said in a statement. “The importance of sunscreen is crucial and I’m hopeful that residents will take advantage of the free sunscreen now offered by the town.”
Berland said in a phone interview that she learned about the work the MFNE did through a constituent visiting Boston and wanted to bring the program to Huntington.
After the 2014 “Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer,” the MFNE went to work providing free sunscreen in public recreation areas across New England.
According to the 2014 report, skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States, and most cases are preventable. Melanoma is responsible for the most deaths of all skin cancers, killing almost 9,000 people each year. It is also one of the most common types of cancer among U.S. adolescents and young adults.
Berland said she hopes the dispenser will help children enjoy a day at Crab Meadow Beach.
“A lot of time people damage their skin as children and teenagers, but it takes years for the damage to manifest,” she said. “I’d like to encourage people who don’t bring sunscreen to protect themselves for the future.”
The councilwoman said she wants to bring this program back next year and expand it by providing stations at more beaches and other recreational places. However, she needs to find the funding first.
Each dispenser costs approximately $665, $400 for the dispenser, $200 for the refill package and $65 for shipping. The first dispenser was purchased through the town, but Berland said any future dispensers would need to be sponsored and purchased by a business, organization or resident. Berland said she is hoping to get several sponsors between now and the beginning of summer 2017.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, center, helped to establish the United States Climate Alliance in the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Lawmakers signed a bill protecting the Long Island Sound last year. File photo from Cuomo’s office
By Donna Newman
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is threatening to sue.
State lawmakers have joined forces across the aisle to issue a demand to both the federal government and the Environmental Protection Agency regarding the dumping of dredged sludge in the Long Island Sound at two existing sites.
At Sunken Meadow State Park Aug. 4, New York office-holders from multiple levels of government presented a united front. Gov. Cuomo (D) warned U.S. President Barack Obama (D) and the EPA that a plan to create a third disposal site poses a “major” threat to the ecologically vital habitat and blocks progress to end open-water dumping in Long Island’s waters. He and Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) wrote letters to Obama, EPA Administrator Regina McCarthy and EPA Regional Administrator H. Curtis Spalding about their opposition.
The dredging of Connecticut harbors and rivers, meant to deepen waterways to allow ships clear passage, produces sludge that is being open dumped in the Long Island Sound, according to Englebright’s office.
Local environmentalists are also concerned with the practice being used long-term.
“We are grateful for the strong support of Governor Cuomo and our local state legislators in opposing this ill-conceived plan and putting the federal government on notice that the Long Island Sound is off limits for the dumping of dredge spoils,” George Hoffman of the Setauket Harbor Task Force, a North Shore group that works for clean water in Setauket and Port Jefferson harbors, said in a statement.
Should the federal agency continue its plan to allow dumping of dredge spoils in eastern Long Island Sound, New York State will pursue legal action against the EPA, Cuomo said.
In 2005, the EPA struck an accord with the governors of New York and Connecticut to reduce or limit the disposal of dredged material in the Sound by examining alternative placement practices. Two sites— Western Long Island Sound and Central Long Island Sound — were designated on Long Island to be used for that purpose.
On April 27, the EPA proposed the designation of a dredged material disposal site in the Eastern region of Long Island Sound, a third dumping location that would continue open-water dumping of dredge waste in the Eastern Long Island Sound for as long as 30 years. The two sites open now are set to close Dec. 23.
Englebright doesn’t see the latest proposal as a step in the right direction — according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, approximately 22.6 million cubic yards of dredging will be done over the next 30 years.
“The draft appears to be the same open water dredge-dumping plan we have seen before,” he said. “Federal, state and local governments have spent billions of taxpayer dollars to clean up the Long Island Sound and significant progress has been made … continued dredge dumping will make the task of cleaning up the sound so much more difficult.”
The EPA has maintained that dredging is a necessary part of keeping the sound passable for ships.
“Dredging is needed to ensure safe navigation in the sound,” EPA spokesman John Martin said in an email. “The EPA has not made a final decision, but we believe the proposal strikes an appropriate balance between the need for dredging to maintain safe and efficient navigation and our desired outcome to restore and protect Long Island Sound.”
He referred to the Sound as a nationally significant estuary that has seen the return of dolphins and humpback whales during the past year, thanks to cleanup efforts.
New York State Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan (R-East Northport) agreed that the state has made significant investments to repair decades of damage.
“Real progress is being made, which makes the EPA’s recent proposal to expand the number of dredged material sites in the sound even more difficult to comprehend,” he said. “I fully support using whatever resources the state has at its disposal to fight the EPA’s plan and protect the long-term health of the sound so that it will continue to be an environmental and economic asset for future generations of Long Islanders.”
In his letter to the agency and the White House, Cuomo stressed his intentions to take action to protect Long Island’s waters if the EPA fails to comply with lawmakers’ requests.
“If the EPA ignores New York’s objections and finalizes its rule to permanently designate an open water disposal site in eastern Long Island Sound,” Cuomo said, “ I will take all necessary steps to challenge the rule and stop it from being implemented.”
Victoria Espinoza, Desirée Keegan and Alex Petroski contributed reporting.
To help residents keep cool during the extreme heat wave, Brookhaven Town will extend hours at municipal pools and beaches on Friday, Aug. 12 and Saturday, Aug. 13.
The town’s Centereach and Holtsville pools will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and West Meadow Beach in Stony Brook, Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai and Corey Beach in Blue Point will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Normal operating hours at all facilities will resume on Sunday, Aug. 14.
For more information, call 451-TOWN or visit www.Brookhaven.org.
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