The tragedy of Sept. 11 has had a profound and lasting effect on all of us. Our thoughts and prayers are consumed with the victims and their families, as well as our heroic rescuers and the strength they all will need in days to come. The foolishness of this event gives us all the more reason to defend what is ours and for democracy to prevail. With this in mind we would like to bring to your attention some local issues that warrant our scrutiny, as well as some elections that we urge you to participate in to allow your voices to be heard.

For those of you who did not have the opportunity to attend: on Aug. 14, the Plainview Water District hosted a public forum to apprise us of their efforts to clean up a gasoline spill that is contaminated with MTBE on the corner of Old Country and Manetto Hill roads at the site of the former Mobil station. In attendance were local politicians and representatives of the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation. Data provided by the NYS-DEC detected MTBE at a level that is 80 times higher than the applicable cleanup guideline at the site. Currently, one of the district's wells that is only 450 feet away is not contaminated but due to its location, it is threatened. In their usual proactive manner, spearheaded by water district commissioners Kessler, Shulroff, Langberg and Superintendent Granger, a lawsuit was filed to assure the remediation of this site and protect our sole source aquifer from further contamination. This precedent-setting case is the first filed by a Long Island water district to clean up MTBE. It has attracted the attention of the most prestigious in the legal community who wish to help safeguard us from future negligence. In the meantime, the NYS-DEC has not been forthcoming in meeting their deliverables in monitoring, testing, etc. As a community, we need to support the efforts of the water district in demanding the NYS-DEC to act immediately on behalf of our safety and welfare. Prepared comment cards requesting the NYS-DEC's response to the status of the MTBE spill in Plainview are available at Mailboxes Etc., and Trio Hardware, both located in the Morton Village Shopping Center. Concerned Citizens of the Plainview-Old Bethpage Community will be bundling them and forwarding them regularly. If you prefer to write a letter on your own, you may write to Ray Cowen, NYS-DEC Region 1, Bldg 40-SUNY, Stonybrook, NY 11790. Please don't forget the Plainview Water District election on Tuesday, Dec. 11.

Another local issue that we brought to your attention this spring is KeySpan's proposal for a 250 megawatt gas-fired electric generating station on Spagnoli Road. KeySpan anticipates, to keep up with future Long Island growth, additional energy will be required. This plant, if constructed, will operate as a base plant 24/7. From an environmental perspective, if additional energy is needed, future demand must be met through a proper balance of conservation, generation and employment of alternate sources of energy. Prior to achieving approval for this project KeySpan must go through the Article X process, which is ostensibly an environmental review and siting approval. They have already completed the Preliminary Scoping Statement phase and will be entering into the stipulations phase shortly. Throughout the process, which requires approximately one calendar year, there will be ample opportunity for the community to attend public forums and include their input. Although KeySpan promises no "real impact" on our air quality, noise or traffic, there will still be more than currently exists at this location. The plant will be built on a 31-acre site which is 19 acres short of the local zoning requirements for this type of facility. The footprint of the structure is smaller than older generating plants; however, it is still a reduction in the natural buffers to the surrounding communities. Plans include a building 100 feet in height and a 200-foot smokestack dispersing 2.0 ppm or .057 lbs./megawatt hour "NOx" emissions into the atmosphere. Concerns have been expressed that the stack is very close to Republic Airport and could alter flight patterns resulting in passage over our local elementary school. Although this is a light industrial zoned site, it is still dangerously close to the Town of Oyster Bay Senior Housing, Old Bethpage Elementary School, Battle Row campgrounds, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Old Bethpage Riding Stables, Skate Safe, Phoenix Gym, residential areas of Farmingdale and Old Bethpage with the furthest point in Plainview no more than four miles from these new emissions. It is very important that the NY State Public Service Commission and the NYS-DEC take into consideration the local communities concerns prior to approving the plant, particularly when there is no available modeling of the effects on our local air quality. KeySpan is only offering national and state standards. Much has been publicized that this project has the endorsement of some of the environmental community as it will reduce overall pollution when fully operational and can offset pollution from older generation plants. Although this is true, if the use of older plants is limited, it still does not compensate for the new pollutants over our sensitive receptors. Conversely, there are various groups that adamantly oppose this project due to environmental concerns and the lack of a master energy plan for Long Island that will determine future needs through a comprehensive approach. Further, there has been controversy surrounding LIPA's dependence on KeySpan for energy production. For those of you who would like to have your thoughts included in the review process we urge you to attend meetings, contact KeySpan representatives and feel free to complete prepared comment cards also located at Mailboxes Etc. and Trio Hardware. We have chosen this method as it is helpful to the reviewing board to receive as much input in a coordinated fashion from the local community to make an informed decision. Of course, you can always feel free to contact your local, county and state elected officials.

On the topic of comprehensive planning, the Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto recently implemented the "Vision 20-20 Planning Advisory Committee." The charge of this committee, including the town's planning consultant Frederick P. Clark & Assoc., is to prepare and adopt a comprehensive plan for the future of our township. Some of the areas to be addressed include the planning for our recreation and parks, environmental protection, community services, transportation, parking and pedestrian safety, development and appearance of our residential and business districts, senior housing and redevelopment needs. This two-year process will provide ample opportunities for public input through workshops, public meetings, surveys, as well as opportunities to address our local government through the Mobile Town Hall, e-mail and general correspondence. As one of the appointees, I plan to acquire as much knowledge of the Town of Oyster Bay from shore to shore so that I can be as objective and knowledgeable about the issues facing our residents. Although I will be taking a broad view, as a member of this community I especially look forward to being your liaison and would like to share your thoughts with the committee whenever possible. Please feel free to drop me a note at Concerned Citizens of the Plainview-Old Bethpage Community, Inc., 998-C Old Country Road #143, Plainview, NY 11803 or again for your convenience, as we understand everyone has very limited time, our community partners at Mailboxes Etc. and Trio Hardware have "Visions 20-20" suggestion cards available. We welcome you to take advantage of this opportunity to help build our future.

One final local item is the proposal for the expansion of our Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library which will be placed before the voters for approval by a bond referendum on Wednesday, Dec. 12. With reported recent growth in the community the current family center and activity rooms are being taxed to the limit. Under the plan, the family center will be expanded and a 240 seat lecture hall will be added freeing up the current activity room for additional adult and children's programs. Our library offers many film presentations, shows and musical events free of charge to the public that can be enjoyed in the new proposed facility. The expansion of the family center will include additional shelving for family sharing books and special collections, plus an area of additional computers that will keep our children exposed to state-of-the-art technology and provide access to data bases that may not be otherwise available. These changes promise to further enhance our library's programming, resources and provide even greater pleasure to our community. Prior to the vote, residents are encouraged to visit the library to view plans or attend monthly meetings. The next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Lastly, but most importantly, let's continue to hold up our heads with pride as Americans and come out on Election Day, Nov. 6 and exercise our freedom of choice.

In closing, once again our heartfelt sympathies go out to the victims, families, relatives and friends of Sept. 11. Our wishes for everyone's unity and strength.

Carol Meschkow

President

Concerned Citizens of the Plainview-Old Bethpage Community, Inc.