Meet the Candidates
Guests: Candidates for NYS Assembly District 1
Fred Thiele, Jr., Working Families, Women's Equality, Independence, Reform
Patrick O'Connor, Conservative
This is not a debate. Each candidate will address the audience alone and will answer questions from the floor. You will have a chance to get to know each candidate better in this format. The public is invited.
Items of Interest:
Thank you to those who have written to Gov. Cuomo re: the DEC’s lack of interest in our water contamination. The Governor instructed Commissioner Seggos to write to the NCC. In the Commissioner’s June 29, 2018, letter, he states that as of Sept. 1, the Sand Land Mine will not accept brush, vegetative waste, concrete, asphalt, etc. and will clean up the site by Oct. 1, 2018. Please continue to advocate for protecting our water.
On Sept. 10, 2018,The DEC sent a notice to John Tintle, owner of the Sand Land Mine modifying its permit. The DEC letter requires, “the cessation of mining activities and the initiation of reclamation of the mine.” The NCC anticipates legal hearings and appeals from the mine’s owner, so this is not settled. As the DEC finally states, “Future site activities in and around those areas where processing and storing of vegetative waste formerly occurred, have the potential to allow the release of contaminants in that area which could impact the local groundwater.” The NCC is demanding:
• an immediate injunction against all non-mining activities
• an enforcement plan and a plan to clean up the contamination found by the Health Department in the groundwater.
Lead, arsenic, excessive manganese and iron, other heavy metals and radio active chemicals were found in the Health Department’s test wells. This is the entire East End’s water supply.Please call and write to our Governor, Town officials and DEC to seek an immediate injunction and demand that the DEC do its job to protect our water.
Many thanks to those who register aircraft noise complaints at https://airnoisereport.com. Please continue to resister noise complaints.
CONTACT:
The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo 518-474-8390
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos 518-402-8545
625 Broadway, 14th Floor
Albany, NY 12233
Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman 631-283-6055
116 Hampton Rd.
Southampton, NY 11968
Photos from our September meeting:
*** URGENT CALL FOR ACTION ***
October 4, 2018 is the deadline for Sand Land Mine to apply for a permit extension.
Email or Call Gov. Cuomo
The DEC has still not acknowledged the SC Health Dept’s June 29, 2018 report on water contamination found in the aquifer beneath the mine. (Click here for the Health Dept. report, especially Conclusions and Recommendations, p. iii)
Governor Cuomo directs the NYSDEC. Tell Gov. Cuomo to close this facility, clean up the contamination and protect our water:
Sand Land/Wainscott Sand & Gravel located in the Town of Southampton should NOT be issued a renewed permit in November because:
Waste processing on the site is illegal under Town Code and supported by Court ruling - (Why is the DEC ignoring this fact? Instead the DEC is accepting a non-binding commitment from the polluter. The NCC demands a consent order and a legally binding enforcement action to stop these already illegal activities.)
The mine is out of sand (The DEC has ignored photos showing scraping of the soil and digging deeper - see below)
The operations at the site have already contaminated groundwater. (The DEC is ignoring the SCDHS report of contamination)
The facility's operations threaten the drinking water in a State-designated Special Groundwater Protection Area.
Note: The DEC has declined to attend our meetings, nor has anyone returned phone calls on the status of the Mine’s permit to expand.
Email or Call Assemblymen Fred Thiele and Steven Englebright:
Demand that committee hearings be held on why the DEC is ignoring contamination reported by SCDHS at Sand Land Mine in Bridgehampton.
The Governor's DEC must issue a consent order and a legally binding enforcement action to ensure Sand Land stops processing waste and cleans up the contamination.
Photos below are from the Press Conference, Friday July 13, 2018
Seated left to right at the table are:
NYS Assemblyman Fred Thiele
Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman
Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Flemming
Southampton Town Councilman Tommy John Schiavoni
Executive Director Citizens Campaign for the Environment Adrienne Esposito
NCC President Elena Loreto
Group for the East End President Bob Deluca
Photos of Sand Land activities, July 16th:
Notwithstanding the news, Sand Land has scrapped the soil from an area of about an acre, exposing the sand below...and are now in the process of excavation...further down. In addition the grinder is processing and storing 1000's of cubic yards of waste. At the same time dumpers are in the pit in close proximity of the grinder with no safety equipment: hard hats, eye protection, etc.