PS- As the World Turns

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention LI Compost.

Opinion: The dark side of composting

Originally published  Newsday : February 17, 2012 12:09 PM
Updated: February 20, 2012 12:09 AM
By ADRIENNE ESPOSITO. AND ROB DESHLER

Photo credit: Photo by Stringer News | Firefighters battle a huge blaze at the Long Island Composting Facility on Horseblock Road in Yaphank early Monday morning, July 12, 2010. Stringer News Photo

Adrienne Esposito is executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. Rob Deshler is aBrookhaven firefighter, and both are executive board members of the Brookhaven Community Coalition.

Composting usually invokes images of doing something positive for the Earth; reducing, reusing and recycling all wrapped up together. After all, it turns waste into a resource we need. But there's also a dark side to this expanding industry. When not properly regulated, large-scale composting and transfer stations are downright damaging to surrounding communities. Potent odors, dust, truck traffic, groundwater contamination, fires caused by spontaneous combustion and equipment noise are serious problems plaguing many communities.

Time and again, residents near Long Island Compost, a business in Yaphank, have reported eye-watering odors that prevent them from going outside or opening windows. Blowing dust forces them to use windshield wipers when driving.

After 11 years of documented concerns, Brookhaven residents desperately sought relief. Last year, a diverse group -- including the Brookhaven Fire Department, South Country Central School District, South Country Ambulance, the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, and other civic organizations and business owners -- formed the Brookhaven Community Coalition to address public health and environmental concerns from the Brookhaven landfill and from Long IslandCompost.

Information obtained through the Freedom of Information Law revealed that the compost facility was granted a variance by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to operate without enclosing the structure. Enclosing a compost facility within a building, which is normally required, would put a stop to the burdens that communities are experiencing and allow on-site humidity to be regulated, preventing fires and potentially saving lives of our firefighters.

The coalition presented these facts to the DEC and requested the facility finally be required to build an enclosure. The DEC's variance requires that the facility not be a source of odors, dust or a diminished quality of life. The agency agreed that adverse conditions violated the terms in the variance and rescinded it in October. Long Island Compost has appealed this ruling and requested mediation. To date, nothing has changed.

And the concerns keep mounting. Groundwater contamination south of compost facilities inYaphank, Moriches and other locations are being documented. Tests taken in 2009 by the SuffolkCounty Health Department came back with high levels of radionuclides, manganese and heavy metals. According to health department data, radiation was detected in one homeowner's well at four times the drinking water standard. Manganese was detected at 31,600 parts per billion; the drinking-water standard is 300. The health department reports that the data point to Long Island Compost as the source.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, drinking water standards are set at the levels that best protect human health. The state DEC and our county health department are obligated to protect the public against such exposures.

A letter written on Feb. 7 to Legis. Kate Browning (WF-Shirley) by Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. James Tomarken states that expanded test results south of Long Island Compost found "contaminants consistently detected at unusually elevated concentrations." The bad news doesn't stop there. Heavy metals including strontium, chromium, barium and nickel were frequently found in groundwater samples. These metals are known toxins and are linked to serious health issues.

No business is allowed to contaminate drinking water. The DEC and the county health department have been collecting ground and surface water samples since 2009. The data clearly show we have a problem, and it's time DEC regulations were changed to better regulate compost and other materials processed at these facilities.

The state needs to toughen regulations and require these facilities to be enclosed, so that dust, odor, fires and groundwater contamination are no longer the tolerated, adverse effects of doing business.

Composting should continue, but it must be done without contaminating our environment or threatening the health of Long Island communities.

As the World Turns

This month marks the first anniversary of the formation of the Brookhaven Community Coalition. As a result the land fill odors have gotten worse.   The Landfill Liaison Committee  met with Brookhaven Town Supervisor last Thursday  (The BBC is the executive committee of the LLC). 

They  arrived with our usual agenda of stopping air pollution, slowly weaning the Town off accepting Construction & Demolition debris (which is 1/3 of yearly total and what is causing the odors) and planning for the eventual closing of the Brookhaven Landfill.  We ended the meeting needing smelling salts to revive us. 

Lesko was nasty from the get-go, then wasted an hour having his commissioner explain the latest landfill technology. The meeting ended with Lesko saying that the the Town is broke (mortgage revenue down, economy, blah, blah) and in order not to raise taxes, cut services and to save 90 patronage jobs he needed more money from the landfill.  He said that he got permission from the FAA to make the garbage mountain higher. He also wants to make it bigger by expanding eastward and is planning to ask the DEC to modify the Town permit so that he can take in more than the current 2,900 tons a day as well as to accept more than the current one million metric tons/yr and to continue to operate for the next 30 years. 

How's that for progress?  

16 Annual Brookhaven Hamlet Winter Tea

16th Annual
Winter Tea

Poetry, Prose and Music
Honoring the memory of our friend
John Binnington

Sunday, February 5th, 2012

Brookhaven Free Library
Brookhaven, NY

This much anticipated annual Brookhaven hamlet event had as its theme Contemplation ... Commemoration ...Celebration.  In particular the focus was on the 100th anniversary of the Brookhaven Free Library and the Fireplace Literary Club.  As usual, the little library was packed.

Readers: Mary Hamilton Hawkes, Daniel Love, Jane Love, Debbie Mayo, Craig Nurnberer, and Kathleen Scheibel.
Musicians: Matt & Sam Gelfer, Reiny Schuhmann, and Charlie Setlow;
The Swingettes: Diana Foster, Jean Johnston, Deborah Love, Patsy Rogers, Karen Rowley, and Karen Wexler.

The program:

All the World's a Stage	William Shakespeare
The Swingettes	Recorder ensemble
Gimme a Little Kiss	R. Turk/J. Smith/M. Pinkard.  Arranged for recorders by Stan Davis
You Made Me Love You	J. Monaco/J. McCarthy.  Arranged for recorders by Stan Davis
I Cant Give You Anything But Love	J. McHugh/D. Fields.  Aranged for recorders by Stan Davis
Because of Libraries We Can Say These Things	Naomi Shihab Nye
Valentine for Ernest Mann	Naomi Shihab Nye
The Keys to Love	Robert M. Millay
If I Ever Did	Thomas R. Dudley
The Times They Are a Changing	Bob Dylan
Still Crazy After All These Years	Paul Simon
The Day the Saucers Came	Neil Gaiman
The Candle Hat	Billy Collins
Death of the Hat	Billy Collins
In Praise of Libraries	Various Library Fans
On a Winger Night	Kathleen Scheibel
On the Sunny Side of the Street	J. McHugh/D. Fields
The Green Grass All Around	W. Jerome/H. Von Tilzer with additional lyrics by Setlow/Schuhmann

Happy New Year !

From: Martin VanLith [mailto:vanlith@optonline.net]
Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2011 10:55 AM
To: Fire Place History Club
Subject: Happy New Year !

Goodbye 2011, hello 2012. Wishing everyone the best for the new year.

2011 wasn't exactly the best of years for me personally, but also
weather-wise with some 60" of snow, 72" of rain, cold spring, hot summer, an
Aug. 18 microburst (ask Bob), Hurricane on August 28, a whole bunch of
nor'easters and, for me, flooding.

However, our history club seems to be a big hit in the community, especially
John's website. We are often called upon from from government, historical
societies, newspapers, schools and interested people for historical
information related to our community.

We started the year with a Newsday article by Patrick Whittle, ostensibly
about the Woodruff Cemetery, but it I made it an opportunity to publicize
that the Town was in contempt of court for maintaining the seven cemeteries
we asked to be maintained. This article seems to have gotten things going,
we'll see how long that lasts.

In March, after odors from the landfill sickened 100 children and closed the
elementary school, our History Club was asked to join the executive board of
the Brookhaven Community Coalition, along with the Fire Department,
Ambulance Company, School District, Bellport Chamber of Commerce and 24
other organizations. I gave a presentation about the history of the landfill
at a high school meeting, attended by about 350 people, on June 2, and have
attended dozens of BCC meetings since then.

On June 15 we showed the film "Saving Carmans River" at the BVA's annual
meeting. Also in June I met with Tom Langman, Maurice Wertheim's grandson,
and will work with him again sometime this winter or spring to work with the
Wertheim Refuge for the grand opening of their new visitor center.

Other interesting people John and I met with last summer were Richard and
Thomas Corwin, descendants of our Fire Place resident Richard Corwin. We
took them on tour, had lunch with them and will work with them in the
future.

On August 11, Kathy Curran, director of the Suffolk County History Society,
invited me to give a presentation about the history of Wertheim Refuge and
South Haven Park at their exhibition in Riverhead titled "Private Places
Public Spaces." This was attended by a number of people representing
various groups and historical societies and was well received.

On October 12, I did a cemetery presentation for the Fire Place Literary
Club at the Bellport Library. A member of the Middle Island Civic
Association was there and asked me to give the presentation to his group,
which I did on November 17 at the Longwood Library.

But, for me, the most fun I have doing Fire Place history is getting
together with you and just talking about our interesting and beautiful
community.

Happy New Year,
Marty

First Lady Commends Town of Brookhaven for "Preservation of Its Heritage Assets" and "Protecting Historic Assets" REALLY?

Why we are cynical of the Town of Brookhaven!  For years the Fire Place History Club has been battling the Town to maintain our historic cemeteries--something they are mandated to do by New York State law.  Even after we get a court ruling in our favor, the Town has dragged its feet.  The work required is relatively low cost.  And we are in danger of loosing grant money because of it.  I wouldn't call this a job well done.

 

Is she really  recognizing the Town of Brookhaven for its efforts in protecting "historic assets" and preserving "its heritage assets."   From what we see, and is reported in the media, the Town of Brookhaven is at the bottom of the heap. 

 

 

First Lady Michelle Obama Designates Brookhaven Town as a Preserve America Community

November 23, 2011

Farmingville, NY – Supervisor Mark Lesko has announced that the Town of Brookhaven will receive a certificate of designation signed by First Lady Michelle Obama announcing that Brookhaven Town is now a Preserve America Community. Communities designated through the program receive national recognition for their accomplishments in preserving special places and telling the nation’s story.

Many Preserve America Communities are featured in “Discover Our Shared Heritage” National Register Travel Itineraries, as well as in the “Teaching with Historic Places” curricular materials created by the National Park Service. More than 850 Preserve America Communities have been designated in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories, including historic neighborhoods within large cities and tribal communities. Benefits include the use of the Preserve America logo on educational and promotional materials; a community sign; listing in a web-based directory that showcases Brookhaven’s preservation efforts and heritage tourism destinations; and other support. The Town of Brookhaven is one of only 4 Long Island communities to receive the Preserve America Community designation. The other designees are Oyster Bay Hamlet, Shelter Island, and Great Neck Plaza.

“I thank the First Lady for recognizing Brookhaven Town’s efforts to preserve our heritage and tell the story of our 356 year history,” said Supervisor Lesko. “We have many fine examples of restored historic properties including the Longwood Estate in Ridge, Hobbs Farm in Centereach; and the Swan River Schoolhouse in East Patchogue that are open to the public and used for educational programming.”

Another important component to the designation is a focus on cooperative projects between government and not-for-profits, including Hobbs Farm, the Swan River Schoolhouse, the Long Island Music Hall of Fame building in Port Jefferson, the historic photo exhibit at Town Hall and the Terryville Union Hall/Cumsewogue-Terryville Historical Society. The Town of Brookhaven is home to a remarkable number of historic sites, including 46 Town-designated landmarks, 23 New York State Registered Landmarks, 33 National Register Properties, and one National Historic Landmark.

Preserve America is a federal program that encourages and supports community efforts to preserve and enjoy our priceless cultural and natural heritage. The goals of the program include a greater shared knowledge about the nation’s past, strengthened regional identities and local pride, increased local participation in preserving the country’s cultural and natural heritage assets, and support for the economic vitality of our communities. Since the program’s inception in 2003, the First Lady of the United States has been involved in supporting and promoting Preserve America. Permanent authorizing legislation for the program was passed by Congress and signed by President Obama in March 2009. Among the many

Preserve America Community designation is granted to eligible communities that submit an application and meet three general criteria:

1. The community has recently supported a historic or cultural preservation project that has promoted and/or is currently promoting heritage tourism or otherwise fostering economic vitality, and also involved a public-private partnership between government entities and at least one civic association, non-profit, and/or business enterprise.
2. The governing body of the community has adopted a resolution indicating its commitment to the preservation of its heritage assets.
3. The community meets at least five criteria specified in three broad categories: discovering heritage through historic places, protecting historic resources, and promoting historic assets.

Detailed information on all aspects of this initiative can be found at www.preserveamerica.gov.

To learn more about the history and heritage of the Town of Brookhaven, go to www.brookhaven.org or our tourism website at www.visitbrookhaven.com  and click on Things to Do in the menu bar.

Division of Public Information * Office of the Supervisor
One Independence Hill • Farmingville • NY 11738 • Phone (631) 451-6595 • Fax (631) 451-6258

Brookhaven Hamlet History Quiz

Brookhaven Hamlet History Quiz

Here's a challenge from the students in the Bellport High School History Club! It's time to get out your history books and visit the library for a little research on local history (or visit http://BrookhavenSouthHaven.org). Search for the correct answers and return the completed Hamlet History Quiz for your chance to win the 1st, 2nd or 3rd prize. Members of the History Club will select the winners at their January, 2012 meeting. You can submit your answers to the BVA website (http://www.brookhavenvillageassociation.org) or at the Hamlet History Quiz box in the Brookhaven Free Library.

Entries are welcome from individuals, a family or a class in the South Country Central School District. Winners and the correct answers will be announced on the BVA website in January. Good luck and have fun learning some local history!

•  What was the original name of Mott Lane?

•  This publisher of the Long Island Advance had his house down on Beaver Dam Road, by the landing.

•   Frank Forrester (pen name, Henry William Herbert) had been in South Haven with Daniel Webster in 1827. What famous artwork are they portrayed in?

•  Until 1871, Brookhaven Village was known as ...?

•  Name three famous magazine publishers who resided in Brookhaven?

•  How did Brookhaven get its name?

•  What are the boundary lines for Brookhaven Hamlet

•  Who is the artist/sculptor who had a summer home and studio on Beaver Dam Road?

•  What resident of Brookhaven designed the US postage stamp, "Atoms for Peace"?

•   He was the President of the American Institute of Architecture and had a large estate on Bellhaven Road. Who is he?

FW: Newsday Editorial on LI Compost

From: Sharon - Brookhaven Community Coalition [mailto:sharon@BrookhavenCC.org]
Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2011 8:30 PM
Subject: Newsday Editorial on LI Compost

 

http://www.newsday.com/opinion/state-dec-right-to-raise-a-stink-1.3292296

State DEC right to raise a stink

November 2, 2011

 

Though composting is an important element in managing our region's solid waste, a large facility for handling the raw materials of compost can be smelly, dusty and hazardous to the health of neighbors. So the state's Department of Environmental Conservation has done the right thing in cracking down on Long Island Compost in Yaphank.

 

Composting converts organic materials into rich soil and reduces the solid waste going to incinerators or getting shipped off-Island. That's useful. But big facilities can cause big problems.

 

This one receives leaves, grass clippings and wood chips, sends material to farms to be composted, and bags and sells compost and mulch. Its owners have tried to reduce the impacts, and promise to reduce future grass clippings they take in. But odors and dust persist.

 

Last week, DEC formally notified its operators about a change in the permit that has governed it since 2000. The agency will now require the company to construct a building to contain its yard-waste transfer operations and reduce the piles of wood chips. That will help nearby families that have been living with the dust and stench to breathe easier.

 

Long Island Compost disputes the DEC findings and recommendations and is appealing. But the agency seems justified in tightening the rules. For the sake of the long-suffering neighbors, we hope the appeals process and some ultimate resolution will not drag on for many more months.