Letters

As a local, growing up my childhood summers were idyllic, spent freely at the ocean with my siblings. My earliest memories are of the beach, a place that shaped my life. I became an ocean lifeguard, a surf instructor and a climate activist.

Now, I’m a mom of three, raising my kids to experience those same joys. My husband also grew up here and has similar stories.

Sadly, we’re a rarity: two locals raising our children where we were raised. Like all parents, our goal is to provide a safe, healthy environment for our children to thrive. We want them to feel they can also raise their kids here, experiencing the joys we did, always striving for a better world.

This commitment is one of the reasons why I’m running for Southampton Town Trustee this November.

A recent article [“Southampton Trustees Question Whether Ban on Treated Wood Is Right Approach,” 27east.com, May 21], highlights the second discussion the Trustees have had to rescind the 20-year ban on CCA-treated wood in marine construction environments.

I encourage everyone to watch both meetings on SeaTV (March 3, and May 19, starts at 24:16). I am grateful for Matt Parsons, who appears to be the only Trustee defending the very waters and bottomlands they were elected to protect.

In fact, the Trustees’ website lists its core responsibilities: 1. Representing the best interest of the freeholders; 2. Maintaining and protecting surface water quality; 3. Providing a safe marine environment. Have these been forgotten?

To suggest that tropical hardwoods pose a greater threat to our waters and environment than pesticide-treated wood is out of touch, especially given the current political climate and the weakening of the EPA. The loudest voices on the board have repeatedly expressed concern over tropical hardwoods’ carbon footprint, yet they haven’t mentioned the carbon and environmental impact of highly processed CCA, which is categorized as a pesticide.

It appears to many that they are appeasing the waterfront constituents they most often interact with.

When hardwood pilings are removed from the marine environment, the wood can be burned or mulched. When CCA wood is removed from the water, it is considered toxic solid waste and would incur costs for proper disposal. It cannot be burned, because the smoke is toxic. It cannot be mulched, because the wood is toxic. It was removed from home construction in the 2000s because, yes, it’s toxic. Regardless of the amount of chromium, copper and arsenic, it’s still toxic.

Rescinding this ban burdens all of us, both current and future freeholders. We must not let our children bear the weight of poor decisions. We need to leave them with a better future, not worse.

Sara Topping

Southampton

Topping is a Democratic candidate running for Southampton Town Trustee — Ed.