Clean water is essential to all of us. The Suffolk County Health Department has found contaminants, in the form of pesticides, carcinogens and heavy metals, in our aquifer beneath a mine in Noyac and Bridgehampton.
On Tuesday, December 15, Governor Andrew Cuomo vetoed a bill that would have directed the State Department of Environmental Conservation, the State Health Department and local health departments to study the impact of mining on drinking water. More importantly, there would have been a moratorium on mining sites that have documented pollution that exceeded state or federal drinking water or groundwater standards.
This bill (A.10001/S8026), co-sponsored by State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. and State Senator Todd Kaminsky, was passed 140-2 in the Assembly and 60-0 in the Senate in July. This legislation shows the overwhelming support for clean water by our state legislators.
The legislation would have given local governments the ability to prohibit mining when the state or local government has documented groundwater contamination caused by the site, or where debris is processed, stored and sold.
The Noyac Civic Council thanks Assemblyman Thiele, Senator Kaminsky and the legislators who voted for this much needed bill. Our local assemblyman, Mr. Thiele, has been a champion in our fight for clean water for years.
Under this vetoed bill, local mines that do not pollute our groundwater would still be allowed to operate and supply the local construction industry. Governor Cuomo claims to be the governor who fights for “clean water initiatives.” What was Governor Cuomo thinking when he vetoed the bill? Did he forget the Horseblock Road study that revealed that the storage and processing of vegetative waste presents a possible and significant detrimental environmental impact?
Instead, Governor Cuomo has sided with the construction industry at the expense of his constituents who depend on safe drinking water. The DEC would not agree to a temporary moratorium on mining activities at contaminated sites. Why is the DEC not following common sense rules to protect our water and not supporting this Thiele/Kaminsky legislation?
For years, Assemblyman Thiele has grappled with the DEC, which ignores its responsibility to protect our water. Assemblyman Thiele continually proves that he is looking out for our water quality. The legislation that Governor Cuomo vetoed would have given our drinking water a much-needed level of protection.
Elena Loreto
President
Noyac Civic Council
Under SiegeOur Sag Harbor park tennis courts are under siege. There are eight clay courts and two hard courts. Information was just given at the start of the season that the hard courts will be given over to pickleball, as they...
Not the Best DaySo, the person who concocted the recent traffic experiment says it was “the best day yet” [“After Southampton Traffic Experiment Victory Lap, Talk Turns to Long-Term Possibilities,” 27east.com, May 7]. Obviously he didn’t drive anywhere between 3 and 7 p.m....
Add a StarWhen your publication dispenses its “Gold Stars and Dunce Caps,” I hope you will take the unprecedented step to add an additional star alongside the name of Town Highway Superintendent Charles McArdle. As an administrator who could have easily monitored...
Try VouchersThe recent “The Downtown Dilemma” editorial [May 1] asks the right question: If our streets are overflowing with people in summer, why are our Main Street businesses falling behind? The answer is not just about parking or nostalgia. It’s about...
Shippy's Vs. VillageShippy’s stood before the Zoning Board of Appeals to appeal the final phase of their development plan [“Divided ZBA Denies Request for Additional Outdoor Seating at Shippy’s,” 27east.com, April 30]. They asked for variances they believe are required to exist....
Culture of CrueltyIt was discovered last week that 11 upper-class members of a high school lacrosse team near Syracuse had terrorized their younger teammates. They invited five of them out for some fast food and then staged a kidnapping. Four escaped, but...
MacabreI find the jubilation surrounding the achievement of a $2 million price tag for a home in my neighborhood macabre — the equivalent of a white collar crime. Charles B. Grubb Bridgehampton
A Note From the EditorQuestions were recently raised about the identity of a frequent letter writer, who self-identified as “Jose Reyes of Hampton Bays.” Southampton Democratic Committee officials provided documentation strongly calling into question the legitimacy of the letters. The letter writer has since...
