Clean water legislation fails to make it to Senate floor
Richard Amper of the Long Island Pine Barrens Society and Bob DeLuca of Group for the East End remained in Albany throughout last week, lobbying in favor of the bill on behalf of the newly formed Long Island Clean Water Partnership.
Mr. DeLuca said he believes there was a lack of understanding of the changes in the newer version of the bill, which could have led to its demise.
He referred to a letter opposing the bill written jointly by the Long Island Builders Institute, The Long Island Farm Bureau, Long Island Contractors Association, Long Island Regional Planning Council, along with a number of other similar industry-focused advocacy groups.
“It mostly expressed concerns they had about the first bill,” Mr. DeLuca said, noting that zoning and land use were among the major concerns people had with the first bill.
“It seemed pretty clear the building industry and Long Island Farm Bureau had gotten to [the rest of the Senate],” he said. “You didn’t get a real good feeling when you were talking to them.”
Joe Gergela, executive director of the farm bureau, said he was well aware of the changes made by Mr. LaValle and Mr. Sweeney.
“There were too many technical flaws in the bill,” Mr. Gergela said, adding that the agricultural industry’s biggest issue was its call for a review of pesticide use on Long Island.
“We said, ‘Wait a minute, we just worked with the state for five years on the creation of a pesticide strategy [which will do just that] and it’s not even referred to in this new bill,’” he said. “Another study, it would be redundant.”
Mr. Gergela said that although he appreciated working with Mr. LaValle to “smooth the language over to a certain degree,” the industry could still not come out in support of the bill.
“You can’t rush a major piece of legislation like the water bill in several weeks at the end of session,” he said.
Mr. Gergela pointed to the two-plus years it took to create legislation protecting the Long Island Pine Barrens, as well as the Community Preservation Fund, which were also major milestones in environmental protection on Long Island.
Because of all the stakeholders involved, he said, “It’s going to take lots of meetings and lots of time to do it properly.” addHe also said he believes any legislation has “got to be linked to the budget somehow.”
“We are not willing to accept anything new until the funding resources are there to properly address the issue so we can see the long term benefits,” Mr, Gergela said.
Mr. DeLuca said despite opposition from the two industries, Mr. LaValle’s offices reported receiving thousands of emails and hundred of calls and letters from the public in support of the bill.
Because of that, Mr. DeLuca said he believed the bill should at the very least have come to the floor for a vote.
“The public sentiment was overwhelming,” he said. “They were besieged by the public saying you’ve got to do something here.”
Mr. DeLuca said that aside from Mr. LaValle and Senator Jack Martins (R-Mineola), who in the end expressed support for the bill, Long Island’s Senate delegation remained “tone-deaf on the issue.”
“The momentum is such that change is coming and you’re well served to be part of it or you’re going to be left behind,” he said. “If [the Senate] is not up to speed on [water quality issues] they are missing the boat.”
He said advocates would remain “optimistic” and continue to work toward reform.
“We’ll start over again. We’re going to try to figure out,” he said.
Despite the setback, Mr. LaValle said he is still hopeful a bill can be passed in 2014 that will address water quality issues on Long Island.
“It is a critically important bill for all of Long Island,” he said. “It would surprise me if, at some point before this month is over, we don’t see and hear from the governor, here on Long Island, on this issue.”
