On Friday, I attended the “Press Sessions” event on water quality in Southampton. A group of elected officials, environmental professionals and high-profile residents were in attendance and part of the panel.
The main focus of the discussion was the complex issues and solutions surrounding Lake Agawam. Thankfully, there has been action begun by the formation of a conservancy similar to that of the Central Park Conservancy. In addition, this fall, the State Department of Environmental Conservation implemented a temporary pilot program that was able to skim the toxic algae off the surface using a filtration process. The results showed toxins were greatly diminished. However, the panelists all agreed that this is only the beginning.
Journalist Chuck Scarborough, a property owner on the lake and a member of the Lake Agawam Conservancy, spoke of the need to engage not only waterfront property owners but all property owners who own homes within the immediate watershed area. This entails replacement of residential septic systems, along with changes in landscaping practices to control the contaminants going into not just Lake Agawam but all water bodies within the towns and incorporated villages across the East End.
There are many methods that can be implemented in cleaning up the lake, from the continuation of skimming to dredging and filtration. And the evolution of septic technologies is all a part of what has to be done to clean up the water. There is no one solution, there is no silver bullet.
However, going forward, it is vital to expand upon public-private partnerships such as the conservancy to have an open dialogue with other government bodies at the state and local levels, all of which have a part to play.
I am glad to see action being taken. We have begun to move past the idea of head scratching and just talking about the issue, and have started to implement solutions that I hope will be cost effective and achieve results necessary for a clean and healthy environment. We must all work together to get things done.
Joseph R. McLoughlin
Southampton Village
Mr. McLoughlin is a member of the Southampton Village Planning Commission — Ed.
Shut Him UpFolks: it is time to take Michael Daly at his word(s), unpleasant as that may be. First: glide by his smarmy greeting card calls for “love.” His own words reveal him, above all, and consistently, a purveyor of hate and...
Suffering in SilenceWhen our world gets out of balance, we lose our comfort and security. Too much or too little of anything spikes our fear, and we lose our sense of peace. Those who have what they want and need are comfortable....
Advocate & Adjudicate?The previous administration of [Supervisor Jay] Schneiderman and current board member Tommy John Schiavoni did not give high priority to monitoring appointed public officials for ethical lapses in their private life activities. This laissez-faire policy towards ethics enforcement appears to...
Soil Is CallingIn a book titled “In Old Southampton,” Abigail Halsey reminds us that in the early days of Southampton, “every man was a farmer and a fisherman.” But those days are long gone and most people, today, have no connection to...
A Web of InterestsKudos to Craig Catalanotto [“What Are We Doing?” Letters, April 18] and Barbara Ring [“Tangled Web” Letters, April 18] for their letters to the editor shining a light on the web of special interests, conflicts of interest and misinformation that...
Dates of InfamySeptember 11 and October 7, similar dates of infamy for strong allies with similarly divergent reactions. Now gathered mobs of protesters are cheering on those who cry “Death to America” and call for the complete annihilation and genocide of the...
Your VoiceOn June 25, registered Democrats will go to the ballot box to determine who will represent their ticket for New York’s 1st Congressional District. Although CD1 has recently been held by Republicans, both parties have assumed leadership over the years....
Master ClassI thank Barbara Ring for aptly proving my point. In response to my letter [“An Alliance,” Letters, April 11], which decried the state of civic public discourse in Hampton Bays as being overtaken by misinformation, fear-mongering and conspiracy peddling, Ring...
