(Editor's note: This letter was originally sent to Kevin Law of Long Island Power Authority and is being printed here at the author's request.)

Mr. Law, this letter is in response to the ongoing construction project being performed by the contractor, Neptune Regional Transmission System, hired by LIPA for the benefit of and intended future use by LIPA, of the installation of new electrical cable feeds traversing through Nassau County.

It has come to my attention as well as many others of the enormous destruction to the current natural environment that is occurring, in particular the massive removal of tree habitat at areas within and along our state highways and in our park lands. For this construction project, in specified areas, large swaths of trees have been bulldozed into oblivion, creating a blight upon the natural landscape.

There is one particular area I will focus on which is along Wantagh State Parkway. Wantagh State Parkway not only serves the driving public, but also the area is used as park land and serves the public for recreational purposes. Almost along its entire length of Wantagh State Parkway, from Jones Beach to Northern State Parkway, there is a pedestrian/bike path used by people of all ages for their various pursuits and interests.

The area along Wantagh State Parkway that I am very familiar with, that I have been running along for well over 20 years, is the area between Southern State Parkway and Hempstead Turnpike on the northbound side of Wantagh State Parkway in the vicinity of the pedestrian pathway, where the construction and installation of the electrical cable has occurred.

For point of reference, I will use landmarks along Loring Road which runs parallel to Wantagh State Parkway. In an area that runs from the MacLaren Baseball Field north to a little before the exits for Hempstead Turnpike, a swath of trees (a virtual forest) that averaged in width from 20 feet wide to 50 feet wide, extending for more than a half-mile, were bulldozed into oblivion. These trees formed a solid boundary line 10 to 15 feet from the right lane of the parkway and continued to the west side of the pedestrian/bike path. Trees of all different types (maples, oaks, American sweetgum, etc.) and sizes, from 6 inches in diameter to more than 3 feet in diameter, met their fate under the blades of a bulldozer. How many trees met their fate this way is probably on the order of 750 to 1,000 trees, and this is just in this one area. It appears that this one particular area had the most massive removal of trees than any other area of this project that I know of.

In total, this project has bulldozed thousands of trees and how many have been replaced? Not one. Show me one area where a tree has been replaced. Everywhere they have worked and removed trees, not one tree has been replaced.

When a utility gets the use of a "right of way" along a park or parkway or wherever, for a construction project, "the area of land of the habitat, which the contractor disrupts and disturbs, is to be returned to a condition equal to or better than its original condition that existed before construction commenced." This is the rule of thumb for all construction projects when a utility or whoever is given the use of a "right of way," and that "they return the land back to a condition equal to or better than its original condition." This is obviously not the case. In fact it is the worst case that you (LIPA) have returned the property to a treeless open area, creating a blight from the previous existing environment. This is a company that openly professes to be a conscientious protector of the environment. What a bunch of bull. LIPA does not care about the environment.

This area of trees served many purposes. First it provided a screen from the cars on the parkway. Second, in the summer the trees provided a canopy of shade during the hot months in the summer any time of the day. Now there are no trees and thus, no canopy. So now this area which used to be shady and cool in the summer is now very hot and dry, changing the former microclimate drastically from its previous condition. And what is there to replace these trees ... nothing ... nothing but a sea of grass, where now there is no more screen to the parkway and no canopy of trees above. Third, the trees acted as a natural sponge to soak up heavy rains. Now, when it rains numerous areas on the pedestrian path become flood zones creating ponding with large pools of water on the path that takes several days to dry up. Speaking about the pedestrian path, it has been damaged in several areas. Some areas which were patched previously were set below grade level and now flood and pond water when it rains.

In areas where they set up their platforms for pulling cables, tons of crushed stone and aggregate were spread out and placed above the ground to provide stability for these platforms. After the work was finished, was this aggregate removed? No, but was just leveled out and mixed with the existing surface, where in many areas it just totally exposed above ground, or it was just pushed into the woods. This is just an example of how this contractor has treated this land as if it was a toxic dump site where anything goes, to do whatever is the cheapest, to try to get away with anything and everything that they can, as a means of their work ethic/contract, resulting in an egregious blight upon the former landscape in which we live.

This contemptuous and shoddy work by this contractor must be addressed in all areas concerned.

This contractor works as if no one is watching what they are doing, but to the contrary, many eyes have seen their absolute contempt and disregard for the landscape and environment and are outraged by the resulting outcome. I speak not only for myself, but I represent a large chorus of residents of Levittown, East Meadow, Bellmore and other residents of Nassau County that are disgusted with this immoral violation and flagrant disregard and destruction of the landscape ... a landscape that we all have been using, during the days in which we live. Now the landscape that we knew of no longer exists and has been changed forever. Well, I want it back the way it was, but I am not the only one. We all want the landscape returned to a semblance of what it used to be like.

In summary, this work in areas discussed above, with primary emphasis on the removal of these trees, has been an egregious and destructive act to the former landscape. Is there any tree replacement program? I doubt that there is one. When will all the trees that were removed be replaced? When is the damage that has been done to this land going to be rectified? When will a tree replacement be implemented, to return the natural landscape to its former condition, though it will take a generation to do so? There is outrage from the residents of this county that want your response.

Mr. Law, you are the new incoming chairman of LIPA. What can you do to rectify the damage stated within this letter that has been done? Are all the trees that were removed going to be replaced? So what do you say to the people of Nassau County about this construction company hired by LIPA and their deplorable construction practices and tactics, resulting in the disastrous scars upon the landscapes of Nassau County?

What are you prepared to do, to rectify this situation? The residents of Nassau County would like to know. The State Parkway Authority and the PSC would like to know. I will personally take you on a tour of the ravaged area I speak of. I have documented the areas I speak of with digital photography. Your response to this letter would be appreciated. Thank you.

Gordon Reilling