Letters

I am confused. In today’s Newsday, there is an article about a landscaper, Affa Organics, who is being fined $100,000 for damage to the Pine Barrens. He apparently chopped down trees, bulldozed land and excavated soil and is now required to restore the site.

According to State Attorney General Letitia James, whom I greatly admire, “Long Island’s Pine Barrens are among New York’s most precious natural resources, and their protection is paramount to the health of Long Island’s drinking water and our shared environment.”

And then we have Discovery Land Company. Compared to Affa Organics, DLC’s defilement of the Pine Barrens is 600-fold. All you have to do is drive down Lewis Road in East Quogue to the construction entrance to see the scar on the face of the land — it is harsh, abrasive and deep, and it is only in the beginning stages.

Are we really going to let this happen? The most recent information is the inordinate uptick in cancer cases on Long Island, and in particular the East End — more than anywhere else in the country, according to the experts — and it is linked to our drinking water. Every single one of us has experienced the hideous effect of cancer on someone we care about. Hello? What more of a wakeup call do we need?

Stop the aggression on the aquifer now. The town should do what it takes to stop Discovery Land Company from building on, and polluting, our water supply.

If not, let’s all make reservations at the Mayo Clinic.

Anna Brinsmade

East Quogue