WATER IS LIFE AND LONG ISLAND’S FUTURE DEPENDS ON REMEMBERING THAT
By Joshua A. Douglass, esq.
How much sense does it make to permit one of the largest developments in the history of New York State directly on top of a Special Groundwater Protection Area located on Long Island? The answer is none at all. Stating that fact does not make anyone a “tree hugger.” It makes us people who understand reality.
Even artificial intelligence, in its synthetic but rational way, recognizes a truth that many of us have forgotten. Water is life. Every form of life depends on it biologically, spiritually, and economically. Water sustains human health, agriculture, and the environment. To treat it casually is to place the future of every Long Island resident who relies on this aquifer in jeopardy.
When my colleague and longtime environmental advocate Joe Fritz told me about a proposal to construct more than nine thousand one hundred housing units and over four million square feet of office space on the site of the former Pilgrim State Psychiatric Center in the Town of Islip, I immediately offered to help. I agreed to represent Joe pro bono in opposing the project because I believe the issue concerns everyone who lives on Long Island.
Throughout my career, I have worked at the intersection of law, land use, and environmental protection. I have challenged large-scale developers and I have sued one of the nation’s largest natural gas power plants on behalf of homeowners who resided adjacent to the plant. Long Island, where I grew up and learned the value of clean water, deserves better than to have its aquifer treated as a disposable asset.
The Environmental Impact Statement pertaining to this massive project acknowledges that the site lies within a Special Groundwater Protection Area. It admits that the proposed project would involve much higher housing density than envisioned by the Special Groundwater Protection Area plan. The statement then attempts to minimize the conflict by asserting that the Plan is not binding on any municipality. The reasoning is deeply troubling. It suggests that although the Plan was designated to protect the region’s only drinking water source, the Town of Islip may disregard it simply because it is not legally binding. That is precisely the type of thinking that drove me to attend law school. Environmental protections are not optional suggestions. They are safeguards meant to preserve the public’s health and the natural systems that sustain it.
The Special Groundwater Protection Area framework was established to prevent dense development in areas that recharge the aquifer. Ignoring that framework undermines decades of environmental planning and invites contamination that may be irreversible. Once groundwater becomes polluted, there is no easy remedy.
A local winemaker once told me, “We have a partnership with Mother Nature, and she is the senior partner.” His point was not poetic, but practical. Long Island’s farmers, vintners, and small businesses understand that the health of our groundwater determines the health of our community. It is impossible to sustain agriculture, viticulture, or any form of economic growth if the underlying resource, which is water, becomes compromised. Long Island’s aquifer is the sole source of drinking water. It cannot be replaced nor imported once damaged. Paving over thousands of acres that recharged that system in the bane of smart growth is not progress. True sustainable development balances economic needs with environmental responsibility and respects the limits of the natural world.
Some people call it idealistic to insist that economic development and environmental protection can coexist. I consider it the only responsible position. The laws of physics and hydrology do not bend to zoning nor variances nor political pressure. The water table dos not respond to tax incentives nor development plans.
I will continue to stand with those who are working to protect Long Island’s water supply and its future. Through my work with Nature’s Vineyards, I contribute a portion of our profits to local organizations that defend the Island’s land and water. Stewardship must be both a professional obligation and a personal commitment.
Water is life and not a slogan but a statement of survival and an ethical imperative. The choices we make today will determine whether Long Island remains a place where future generations can thrive.
Author: Joshua A. Douglass is an environmental attorney and founder of Nature’s Vineyards, a Long Island based sustainable wine venture that supports local conservation efforts. Josh provides pro bono legal advocacy in environmental protection and landuse matters affecting New York’s aquifer. He can be reached at (845)763-3635.