Letters

Anyone who attended last week’s Lake Agawam Conservancy fundraiser experienced a sharply different reality from what we witnessed just days earlier: a toxic discharge of water containing cyanobacteria, microcystin and enterococcus bacteria onto our beaches.

While the conservancy acknowledged that this was an embarrassment for the village, they chose to have their paid science advisor, Dr. Chris Gobler, walk back the urgent warnings he had made earlier on July 23. Then, Dr. Gobler, representing Stony Brook’s School of Marine Sciences, had stated that Lake Agawam represented “the high mark for blue-green algae,” or cyanobacteria, in New York State, and “a clear and present danger.”

However, at the fundraiser, representing his client, the same Dr. Gobler painted a very different picture, declaring that “the lake has never been cleaner,” and “Lake Agawam is not the most polluted lake in New York State.”

While it is true that substantial progress has been made — including bioswales, stormwater prevention projects and an injection well — explicitly stating that we might be swimming in Lake Agawam within a few years did a disservice to both environmentalists and residents who expect common sense and transparency.

My focus remains firmly on continuing the significant progress we’ve made. If asked, I would be happy to help the village move important water quality projects forward. This could help relieve Bill Manger so he can focus on pressing issues, such as the traffic crisis, which drew a standing-room-only crowd at last week’s meeting, filled with frustrated residents — or overdevelopment, vacant storefronts and rising property taxes.

Some important water quality projects include:

• Algae harvester: The algae harvester remains in limbo, without a signed purchase order.

• Nitrogen reduction: Updating septic systems in the watershed area and creating legislation that limits the use of certain fertilizers in wetlands areas would help reduce nitrogen.

• Constructed wetlands: Two years ago, we designed engineered constructed wetlands to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from Old Town Pond — an initiative that has been canceled. Similarly, concepts for constructed wetlands at Lake Agawam also have been halted.

• Dredging: We also conducted sediment sampling at both Old Town Pond and Lake Agawam to prepare for dredging that would remove sediments responsible for 75 percent of phosphorus. These plans have been abandoned as well.

• Photocatalysis technology: Dr. Gobler promoted this for removing pollutants from lake sediments. This can be brought to practical use, if safe and effective.

The path to progress has been clearly outlined. Instead of politics, I am here to offer my help. I am ready to set aside differences and concentrate on our ultimate goal: safeguarding our environment and protecting our water quality.

Jesse Warren

Southampton

Warren is a former mayor of Southampton Village — Ed.