Re: Roslyn water problems and your possible health risks!
In the mid ‘70s I bought my home in South Merrick.
A landfill was in existence that looked like a mountain from Meadowbrook Parkway when driving toward Jones Beach, which I gave no thought to but in the many years that followed Merrick had one of the highest concentrations of cancer cases on Long Island.
The officials always had said this was perfectly safe and the chemicals would never reach the drinking water below.
Newsday ran a story on the death rates of towns on Long Island of which Merrick ranked one of the highest on Long Island in that period. Still listed at toxicsites.org/cancer under the category CANCER AND OTHER SERIOUS ILLNESSES IN COMMUNITIES NEAR CLOSED DUMPS with the wording above Merrick MULTIPLE CANCER CLUSTERS.
This [Roslyn Water District] meeting so reminded me of all the meetings and articles from those promising officials back in the ‘70s that had constantly said no harm would ever come from the land fill.
Just think of the deaths that they caused with the real facts that they never had such as the long-term effects.
In 10-20 years from now I probably wont be around but my children will be in their prime and my grandchildren will be in their teens so do you think I am worried?
You bet your (can I use the “a” word?) I am. Your decision must be thought out very carefully.
Reading several articles after the meeting, one sentence keeps haunting me from “The Island Now” dated Jan. 29 and I would like to read it……
“Residents asked the water district officials if they had sought alternative methods of cleaning the water, but officials said the project would have been “costlier and taken longer to complete.”
When it comes to the cost or the length of time of this project versus a safe and healthy life for our children without worry, which would you choose?
I posed this question to the council women sitting before me and these engineers and this attorney trying to fast track this project through as quickly as possible. I am just wondering if this airstripper was literally in your backyard with your children and grandchildren exposed which side would your vote be cast?
As an outsider listening to all the arguments pro and con, there just doesn’t seem to be a Pro – there is only one solution and that is that the airstripper does not belong in this residential location filled with children playing in their yards breathing these contaminates in year after year, it must without question be moved to a more secluded spot.
There is not one person that sits in front of me or all the engineers on this planet or the planet Zootron that can guarantee me the safety of my children and grandchildren 10-20 years down the road. Please don’t turn this into another Merrick.
Adopt a temporary fix and start the process of buying a piece of land to house the airstripper away from the lives of our children that as parents we would do anything to protect.
Steve Auerbach
North Hills
