FOR WALKFIT PLATINUM ORTHO
GOOD MORNING, I'M RICHARD
ROSE.
WELCOME TO EXIT 10/55.
THIS IS YOUR SHOW ABOUT ALL
THINGS LONG ISLAND.
THIS MORNING, HOW LONG
ISLANDERS WHO HELPED US GO TO
THE MOON NEARLY 50 YEARS AGO
WILL BE HONORED.
WE'LL HAVE TIPS ON AVOIDING
UNANTICIPATED BUT COMMON
INJURIES THAT OCCUR WHILE
DECORATING YOUR HOME FOR THE
HOLIDAYS.
AND THE SWEET STORY OF A
CHRISTMAS DREAM COME TRUE FOR A
LONG ISLAND BOY DEALING WITH
AUTISM.
BUT WE BEGIN WITH THE ALL OUT
EFFORT TO EXPAND THE PRECIOUS
PINE BARRENS REGION ON LONG
ISLAND.
IT'S BEEN SET ASIDE TO PROTECT
THE AQUA FORS.
YOU MAY REMEMBER THE BATTLE
LAST YEAR OVER A PROPOSAL TO
PLACE A NEXT TO THE LONG
ABANDONED NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
THAT ALSO HAPPENS TO SIT NEXT
TO THE PROTECTED PINE BARRENS
REGION.
THE PLAN DIVIDED RESIDENTS AND
SOME ENVIRONMENTALISTS BECAUSE
IT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED CUTTING
DOWN TREES.
ULTIMATELY LIPA DECIDED NOT TO
BACK THE PLAN AND IT WAS
SCRAPPED.
NOW SEVERAL ENVIRONMENTAL
GROUPS WANT THAT SECTION AND
ANOTHER LARGE PARCEL ADDED TO
PREVENT IT FROM EVER BEING
DEVELOPED WHETHER FOR SOLAR OR
ANYTHING.
JOINING US NOW IS RICHARD, THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE PINE
BARRENS SOCIETY WHICH BACKS
EXPANDING THE REGION.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW.
GOOD TO BE HERE.
THIS PLAN HAS BEEN PASSED.
BY A LOPSIDED MARGIN.
DIDN'T GET A WHOLE LOT OF
PUBLICITY.
THE MEASURE WOULD ADD 1000-
ACRES, TO THE PINE BARRENS
RESERVE.
THE PINE BARRENS SITS ATOP OUR
PUREST DRINKING WATER SUPPLY.
AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WATER
"PROBLEMS LOOMING -- QUALITY
PROBLEMS LOOMING.
THICKS THAT ARE CONTAMINATING
THE WATER.
WE NEED TO KEEP OPEN SPACES
WHERE THAT WATER CAN RECHARGE
THE AQUA FOR.
THE PUREST WATER IN THE STATE
OF NEW YORK.
JUST ABOUT 20% PERCENT OF
THE WATER AUTHORITIES REPORT
CAME OUT INDICATING ABOUT A
FIFTH OF ALL OF OUR WATER
AUTHORITIES ARE DEALING WITH
CONTAMINATED WATER ISSUES.
DEVELOPMENT OF ALL KINDS
COMPROMISES WATER QUALITY.
LONG ISLAND IS FACING THE
PROBLEM WE'RE FACING.
THE GOVERNOR IS WORKING
ACTIVELY TO TRY TO IMPROVE
WATER QUALITY.
HIS SIGNING OF THIS BILL WILL
BE A BIG HELP.
YOU PRESUME THE SIGNING.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT.
WHERE DOES THE PROPOSED LAW
STAND NOW?
IT'S UP WITH THE GOVERNOR?
THAT'S RIGHT.
ONCE THE ASSEMBLY AND THE
SENATE PROVIDED THE SUPPORT FOR
IT, NOW IT'S PASSED.
NOW HE GETS TO DECIDE WHETHER
TO SIGN THE BILL, MAKE IT LAW,
ADD TO THE PINE BARRENS ACT
THAT HIS FATHER INTRODUCED IN
1993 AND CELEBRATED.
KIND OF A FAMILY LEGACY FOR
THEM.
IT REALLY IS.
THAT'S A BIG DECISION.
NOW THE CLOCK IS TICKING
THOUGH.
SOME TIME IN DECEMBER HE'S
GOING TO MAKE THIS DECISION.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT DECISION FOR
LONG ISLAND'S WATER QUALITY AND
OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.
THEIR PRESS SPOKESMAN TOLD
ME IT'S UNDER REVIEW RIGHT NOW.
YOU HAVE TO BE PRESENTED TO THE
GOVERNOR FOR HIS CONSIDERATION.
HAVE YOU BEEN TOLD WHETHER OR
NOT IT'LL BE SIGNED?
NOPE.
THE ANSWER IS THEY ALWAYS SAY
IT'S UNDER CONSIDERATION.
THAT DOESN'T TELL US ONE WAY OR
THE OTHER.
I THINK WE NEED TO RESOLVE THIS
WHOLE BATTLE THAT YOU ALLUDED
TO ABOUT WHETHER WE CUT DOWN
FOREST FOR SOLAR, WE THINK WE
NEED BOTH.
WE THINK SOLAR SHOULD BE BUILT
ON ROOFTOPS AND LAND THAT'S
BEEN PREVIOUSLY CLEARED AND THE
TOWN OF BROOK HAVEN HAS
PROPOSED THE PORTION OF A
CLOSED LAND FILL AND PEOPLE ARE
DOING THAT, PUTTING THE SOLAR
THERE.
THAT'S ABOUT ALL YOU CAN PUT ON
A LAND FILL.
THAT'S SORT OF WHERE IT
BELONGS.
THEN WE CAN KEEP OUR FORESTS
INTACT.
WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THIS
DEBATE THAT EVEN HAS ENTANGLED
SOME ENVIRONMENTALISTS WHO ARE
USUALLY ON THE SAME SIDE ON
THESE ISSUES.
WE HAVE A VERY FEW PEOPLE
WHO ARE SINGLE MINDEDLY FOCUSED
ON SOLAR.
IF WE DO THIS BILL WE GET BOTH
SOLAR AND PRESERVED LAND.
WHY WOULD WE TRADE ONE FOR
ANOTHER?
IT'S A FALSE CHOICE.
BEFORE WE GET INTO THAT.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT MORE.
TILL THE END OF THE MONTH, IF
THE GOVERNOR DOESN'T DO
ANYTHING, DOES IT BECOME LAW?
NO, THEY'VE ELIMINATED ALL
THE AUTOMATIC THINGS.
HE'S GOT TO SAY YES OR NO.
HE'S BECOME INCREASE IINGLY
SUPPORTIVE OF WATER PROTECTION.
WE'RE OPTIMISTIC BECAUSE OF
THAT.
FOR FOLKS WHO MAY NOT
UNDERSTAND.
IT'S A LOT OF TREES.
PINE TREES.
HOW DOES SETTING ASIDE
THOUSANDS OF ACRES AS HAVE BEEN
DONE IN THE PAST PROTECT OUR
GROUND WATER?
WE HAVE THE PUBLIC HAVING
PUT UP A BILLION DOLLARS TO
PRESERVE ABOUT 100,000 ACRES OF
PINE BARRENS WHICH ONCE COVERED
A QUARTER OF LONG ISLAND.
WHEN THE RAIN FALLS IT GOES
INTO THE AQUA FOR.
IT DOESN'T PICK UP ALL OF THE
CONTAMINANTS.
IT'S BECAUSE OF HUMAN ACTIVITY
ON THE SURFACE.
WHETHER IT'S THE DRY CLEANER OR
THE GAS STATION, IF YOU HAVE AN
AREA SET ASIDE FOR THE RECHARGE
OF WATER DIRECTLY FROM THE
RAINFALL, NOW YOU'VE GOT PURE
WATER.
SO RIGHT DOWN INTO THE
GROUND WATER.
THAT'S CORRECT.
RIGHT DOWN -- IF YOU HAVE A
HOUSE, CONCRETE -- [
OVERLAPPING SPEAKERS ] --
MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT
ALL OF LONG ISLAND'S WATER
COMES FROM A SOLE SOURCE
AQUAFOR AND WHAT OUR ACTIVITY
IS DEFINES THAT.
LAST YEAR THERE WERE A
COUPLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS.
WASN'T UNANIMOUS.
THE MAJORITY WERE WITH YOUR
POSITION.
IT'S BETTER THAT WE AT LEAST
ARE PRODUCING SOLAR ARRAYS THAT
HELP TO REMOVE FOSSIL FUEL
CONTAMINATION.
WE CAN DO THAT THE ISSUE IS
ONLY WHERE.
SAYING YOU HAVE TO CUT DOWN THE
TREES TO DO SOLAR IS LIKE
SAYING YOU HAVE TO DESTROY THE
ENVIRONMENT TO SAVE IT.
YOU CAN'T SEE THE FOREST FOR
THE SUN, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
NOW THIS BATTLE IS BEING
WAGED ANEW.
LAST YEAR THE PLAN GOT SHOT
DOWN.
IT GOT SCRAPPED AND NEVER
HAPPENED.
NOW YOU'RE ASKING THAT PART OF
THIS THOUSAND ACRES THAT YOU
WANT THE GOVERNOR TO SIGN, MAKE
PART OF THE PINE BABES BE
PROTECTED FROM ANY POTENTIAL
DEVELOPMENT.
RIGHT.
SOME OF IT IS OWNED BY A
DEVELOPER WHO LEGALLY RIGHT
GNATHUS THE RIGHT TO DEVELOP A
SOLAR FARM THERE.
HE SAYS HE'S AN
ENVIRONMENTALIST.
IF THE GOVERNOR TAKES AWAY HIS
AUTHORITY TO PUT UP A SOLAR
FARM HE'S GOING TO HAVE
PROBLEMS WITH THAT.
HINTING AT POTENTIALLY A LEGAL
BAT.
THAT WOULD BE AN ISSUE ON
HIS PART.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN UP
THEIR LAND AND BEEN PAID FULL
MARKET VALUE FOR IT IN ORDER TO
PRESERVE THE LAND.
IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, NO
PROBLEM.
LET'S JUST TAKE IT OUT OF THE
PINE BARRENS AREA, OUT OF THE
WOODLANDS AND PUT IT IN AN AREA
THAT'S ALREADY BEEN CLEARED.
SAME BENEFIT FOR SOLAR.
BETTER --
LIKE A LAND SWAP?
EXACTLY RIGHT.
I SPOKE WITH HIM.
HIS NAME IS JERRY.
TALKED TO HIM MYSELF.
SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN.
AND HE SAID HE JUST RECENTLY
HAD THE TOWN OF BROOK HAVEN
COME TO HIM AND SAY OKAY HERE'S
A PIECE OF LAND YOU COULD HAVE
BUT IT'S ONLY 20 ACRES AND HE
HAS 60 ACRES.
HE SAYS I'M GOING TO DEVELOP
THE 60 ACRES.
I'M GOING TO TAKE CARBON
DIOXIDE OUT OF THE ATMOSPHERE.
I'M NOT GOING TO GO FOR A DEAL
THAT TAKES AWAY MY RIGHTS.
ENVIRONMENTALISTS DON'T CUT
DOWN TREES.
HE CAN BUILD THE PROJECT, THE
GOVERNMENT WILL PAY THEM AS
THEY HAVE PAID OTHER
LANDOWNERS.
THE COURTS HAVE UPHELD THIS.
IT'S PERFECTLY OKAY TO PROTECT
THE PUBLIC ON SOMETHING AS
BASIC AS DRINKING WATER AS LONG
AS YOU PRODUCE JUST
COMPENSATION, WHICH HE WILL
RECEIVE.
IT'S NOT A ONE PERSON ISSUE.
IT'S NOT EVEN A TWO ISSUE
ISSUE.
WE CAN HAVE BOTH THE WOODLANDS
PROTECTED AND THE SOLAR, WHY
WOULD WE CHOOSE ONE OVER THE
OTHER?
I GUESS HIS LAST POINT IS
THE DEAL HE HAS TO PRODUCE THAT
DOESN'T INCLUDE THIS NEW LATE
ADDING OF 20 ACRES AND HE'S NOT
SURE LIPA WOULD SIGN OFF ON
THAT.
I'M NOT SURE HE HAS ALL OF
THE POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS
HE NEEDS.
HE CAN SAVE HIMSELF A LOT OF
TIME AND AGGRAVATION AND DO THE
RIGHT THING IF HE'S AN
ENVIRONMENTALIST BY ALLOWING US
TO HAVE BOTH CLEAN WATER --
HE ASKED TO COME ON THE SHOW
TOO.
IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS WE'LL HEAR
FROM HIM IF A DECISION IS MADE
OR NOT MADE HE'LL GET HIS
CHANCE TO WEIGH IN.
HE MAY HAVE CHANGED HIS MIND
BY THEN.
YOU NEVER KNOW.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE LONG
ISLAND PINE BARRENS SOCIETY.
WE'LL BE WATCHING WHAT HAPPENS
IN ALBANY.
THE CLOCK TICKING ON THIS.
WHEN WE RETURN, LOTS OF
FOLKS DECORATING INSIDE AND OUT
FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
DID YOU KNOW THERE'S SOME
POTENTIAL DANGERS?
