Letters

This past week, Southampton Village knowingly discharged polluted and toxic water containing harmful algae blooms, or cyanobacteria, which produces the toxin microcystin that can cause rashes, nausea, vomiting or liver damage, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The village also potentially discharged enterococcus bacteria, often found in fecal matter.

These discharges occurred at multiple points, including Old Town Beach and Gin Lane Beach. The village proceeded without notifying the Department of Environmental Conservation or obtaining a State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit — this according to the DEC Division of Law Enforcement.

Bill Manger claimed that these discharges were part of routine maintenance, necessary due to heavy rains and flooding, and alleged that they were acting for public safety.

However, during my tenure as mayor, we had a strict policy of avoiding such discharges during harmful algae bloom (HAB) season. Instead, we would release water from Lake Agawam and Old Town Pond during the fall, winter and spring, after HAB season had ended. While not ideal, this approach significantly reduced the risk of creating a public health hazard.

Manger’s failure to discharge the water during non-HAB season led to a preventable public health crisis. As the saying goes, “Your lack of preparation does not constitute an emergency on my part,” but that is precisely what happened here. Their lack of preparation created an emergency — one that occurred just weeks after HAB scientist Dr. Christopher Gobler called Lake Agawam a “clear and present danger.”

Even more troubling is that, rather than educating the public about the situation, Bill Manger hired a PR consultant to issue an official village statement attacking my advocacy on this issue, which I have championed since 2018. Specifically, they labeled my reference to a Bloomberg News article — highlighting the national problem of harmful algae blooms and water pollution — as “false” and “fear-mongering.”

This misuse of taxpayer funds is a clear diversion from the real issue. It was Manger, not me, who closed the beaches, underscoring that the dangers of cyanobacteria are anything but “false.” Despite this, he reopened the beaches for the busy weekend, ignoring U.S. Geological Service studies showing that microcystis can take up to four days to die after exposure to high salinity, and once microcystin is released into the water, it can persist for months and even enter the marine food chain.

Meanwhile, as the village spent public funds on this unwarranted attack, I witnessed children swimming in the contaminated waters at the Bathing Corporation while the discharge pipe was open, putting their health at risk.

This administration’s priorities are clearly misplaced, and their actions — or lack thereof — put the community in harm’s way.

Jesse Warren

Southampton Village