Featured Story

Featured Letter: No dumping in Long Island Sound

While you weren’t looking, the Environmental Protection Agency held two unadvertised “hearings” on dumping Connecticut dredged spoils into eastern Long Island Sound. Both were held May 25 in Riverhead and at the Mattituck-Laurel Library. All attendees spoke against this plan.

Reading from the Federal Register-Proposed Rules (40 CFR Part 228), the EPA states “This action is necessary to provide a long-term, open-water dredged material disposal site … to support the goal of reducing or eliminating the disposal of dredged material in Long Island Sound.” The EPA wants to end dumping in the wide-open ocean but wants to continue the practice in the restricted waters of Long Island Sound. This convoluted reasoning is insulting to all Long Islanders. The EPA also says that when they dump, the fish can get out of the way. We on Long Island can’t. By the way, the fish can’t either.

Simply put, we on Long Island don’t want Long Island Sound being used as Connecticut’s midden pile. We have a high rate of cancer and polluted waters with any potential toxicity is unacceptable.

The EPA is inviting comments until June 27. If you missed the meeting, please send your comments to: [email protected].

Ron McGreevy, Mattituck