Editorials

A curious occurrence

Is it over or isn’t it?
The great Orient water main battle, that is. It seemed to be last week, when the Suffolk County Water Authority announced that in light of intense local opposition its $3.8 million expansion is off the table. That was certainly good news for many in Orient, and yet many Orient residents were expected at Town Hall last night (Wednesday) for a hearing on the SCWA’s wetlands permit application, which it needs for the project. It’s curious that this application hasn’t been pulled, given that the permit’s only purpose would be to clear the way for the backhoes to start digging and laying 17,000 feet of pipe.
During the hearing, the Town Trustees were likely to hear a message simple and direct: If the project is dead, why are they here?
Good question.
Click on suffolktimes.com to see what type of answer, if any, was offered.