As a Southampton Town Trustee and a marine biologist, I believe lifting the 20-year ban on CCA-treated wood in our local waters would be a step in the wrong direction.
The Trustees recently have been entertaining discussions about reconsidering a reversal on the ban, which would be a mistake [“Southampton Trustees Question Whether Ban on Treated Wood Is Right Approach,” 27east.com, May 21].
CCA wood is infused with chromium, copper and arsenic, a pesticide cocktail that is both highly toxic and shown to be a carcinogen. It leaches into the water and accumulates in shellfish and sediment.
That’s not speculation. That’s why Southampton, East Hampton, Southold, Riverhead and Shelter Island restricted it in the first place. We did so to protect our bays, our marine ecosystems and the health of our community. In fact, you can’t buy CCA-treated lumber for residential use because of how toxic it is.
When marine life steadily eats away at CCA-treated wood, new layers are exposed and fresh toxins are released. We’ve seen what happens when we ignore that reality: polluted creeks, declining shellfish beds and irreversible damage to our wetlands.
But why is this policy that was passed by the Southampton Trustees in 2004, and upheld by every board since, being questioned now? It’s not to protect the rainforests, as lifting this ban would have zero effect there.
It’s about cost. CCA-treated lumber may be less expensive than the alternatives for the owner, but the environmental impact of the degradation of our bays is passed on to us all.
We live in a region where clean water isn’t just an environmental issue, it’s an economic and cultural one. Our fisheries, our recreation, our very way of life depend on us keeping our bays clean and healthy. That means holding the line when it comes to proven environmental protections, even when doing so is slightly more inconvenient. Besides, there are already alternatives in use that don’t use tropical hardwoods.
We should be pushing forward, seeking more sustainable solutions, advancing the science and protecting our waters for future generations. Reintroducing arsenic-treated wood into our ecosystems is not progress. It’s going backward.
Matt Parsons
Southampton Town Trustee
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