Letters

The League of Conservation Voters has released its selection of endorsed candidates for the November 7 election.

For Southampton Town supervisor, the league endorsed Democratic candidate Maria Moore. The league was impressed by Ms. Moore’s environmental accomplishments at Westhampton Beach, where she currently serves as mayor.

In addition to the league’s endorsement, Ms. Moore, on behalf of Westhampton Beach Village, received a Quality-of-Life Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers. The award was earned for the village’s creative sewer infrastructure project, the linchpin of the Westhampton Beach village revitalization project.

A Southampton Town Water Quality Improvement Project Program summary spells out the good news, and a solid reason for the League’s endorsement of candidate Moore:

“Completion of the sewer system is projected to divert nearly 5,000 [pounds] of nitrogen away from Monibogue Bay annually, reducing its total nitrogen load by 24 percent. This project will also reduce the nitrogen loading to surface waters of Moriches Bay and Quantuck Bay …”

Nitrogen loading creates the conditions to give rise to harmful algal blooms, reducing it improves the quality of our waters.

I also note the July 27 issue of The Southampton Press, which, in a trifecta of unfortunate news, alerts us to the precarious nature of water quality in the East End. First, an editorial [“Politics First”] lamented the fact that Suffolk County was fined by the federal government for allowing four dozen county park cesspools to pollute our waterways. Second, an article described how recent strong rainstorms combined with high temperatures sparked algal blooms [“Heat and Downpours Send Water Quality Plummeting in Local Bays,” 27east.com, July 26].

Lastly, The Press reported that carbon dioxide given off by dying algal blooms adds to ocean acidification, which is harmful to shellfish [“Ocean Acidification, a Looming Global Disaster, Has Local Roots and Maybe Solutions,” 27east.com, July 26].

It seems clear that we need a town supervisor who understands the necessity of being a steward of the environment. Maria Moore’s background, experience and know-how is what the League of Conservation Voters recognized — we should, too. Please vote for Maria Moore on November 7.

Mike Anthony

Westhampton

Anthony is a former chair of the Southampton Town Democratic Committee — Ed.