Assemblyman James D. Conte (R-Huntington Station) released a letter outlining his opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed plan to continue dumping dredged spoils in the Long Island Sound.

In a written statement to the EPA, Assemblyman Conte states that "even after careful study, we are unsure of the environmental impact the dumping of dredged material has had on the Sound" and "respectfully request that the EPA not continue the future use of the Long Island Sound to dispose of any dredged material."

The EPA is examining four locations within the Sound, including one 2.7 miles north of Huntington Harbor, as a potential long-term disposal site for dredged material. Conte, a member of the Bi-State Long Island Sound Marine Resources Commission, detailed the major decline in the commercial and recreational harvesting of shellfish, including hard clams, bay scallops, oysters and lobsters. "We still do not understand the reason for the lobster die-off that occurred mainly in the western portion of the Long Island Sound."

"We must annually publish health advisories to inform consumers about the potential risks associated with eating seafood taken from the Sound because they contain high chemical levels including PCB, Cadmium and Dioxin," said Conte. "It is unfathomable to the people who work, live and play in the Sound that the EPA would even consider the continued operation of the Western Long Island Sound disposal site just north of Huntington's shoreline."

The Assemblyman also voiced his complete disapproval with the way in which the EPA publicized the draft Environmental Impact Statement. "I do not believe that Long Island's representatives and our respective constituencies had adequate notice or public participation to effectively convey our unique concerns and perspectives."

"The residents of Huntington have a long history of being very protective of our Long Island Sound environment. Given what we know, and more importantly, what we don't know, the continued dumping of dredged spoils laden with heavy metals will threaten any future recovery of this fragile estuary," Conte concluded.