Letters

My dear fellow hysterics … at least that is what the lead editorial in the June 15 Southampton Press dismisses us as [“Carefully Forward,” June 15]. It seems if we all weren’t so crazed we would understand that jamming 30 trailers packed with lithium batteries into our neighborhood is absolutely the only chance we have to save the planet from climate meltdown.

For appearance’ sake, they advocate kicking the approval can down the road a bit, while site prep plans are finalized and more consultants can provide cover with kabuki theater routines about the virtues of living under this volcano. The experts’ next submissions will assure you that having 100kWh storage in the neighborhood will cure psoriasis, athlete’s foot and lumbago … while doing wonders for your sex life.

Love how they refer to us as the “western part of the town.” Does that mean Quogue? Or Westhampton? Are you kidding? It means dump it in Hampton Bays, where we are all too stupid and too lazy to know the difference.

And how about the hysterical mob at the last hearing? Sorry, no pitchforks and torches. Just a respectful and reasonable delegation from the Hampton Bays Civic Association and a retired New York Fire Department officer explaining the many safety misrepresentations in the site plan, and a graduate chemical engineer referencing the BESS Failure Event Data Base and questioning the dodgy premise that this still-evolving technology can be plunked down in a residential community (what could go wrong?). Or the retired U.S. Navy safety officer appalled at the judgment of those who ever let the application get this far. Or my own question about what genius found the narrowest choke point on the island and decided it was the exact right place to locate this time bomb. Or all of my educated, informed and outraged neighbors wanting to know who was looking out for us while this monstrosity was fast-tracked down our throats.

Is it getting to be pitchforks and torches time?

Bill Muir

Hampton Bays