The Wantagh-Seaford Citizen, 2003 January 30, Neptune Lobbies

Neptune Lobbies for Electric Conversion Station at Cedar Creek
by Laura Schofer

Originally published in the 2003 January 30 edition of The Wantagh-Seaford Citizen.
Published online with kind permission from our friends at The Citizen.

"To be or not to be", that is the question residents are asking about the building of an electric conversion station on an eight-acre site of the Cedar Creek Sewage Treatment Plant facility. The station would convert electricity from DC [direct current] to AC [alternating current]. Power from the station would then be sent up the Wantagh Parkway to the Newbridge Road substation in Levittown. Power to the Cedar Creek facility, would come from New Jersey and Pennsylvania via an underwater cable that would stretch across the Atlantic Ocean to the Jones Inlet and Hempstead Bay. Neptune Regional Transmission Systems is the developer of this project.

At a public meeting held last November 19 at Seaford High School, residents told Mr. Paul Rich, Chief Operating Officer of Neptune Regional Transmission Systems, that they had serious concerns about the converter station at Cedar Creek. Residents raised questions about the station’s impact on the environment. They wanted to know about the possible health risks caused by EMF [electro-magnetic fields produced by alternating currents] and how such a facility, located in a residential area, would affect the quality of life for those people who live nearby. The overwhelming majority of people told Mr. Rich they were not convinced that the project’s benefits outweigh the risks.

Nassau County Legislator David Denenberg said “we had the public meeting to find out how the public felt, before anything went before the legislature. At the present time, County Executive [Thomas Suozzi] is not considering the proposal.” Mr. Denenberg explained that a promise was made to the people of Wantagh and Seaford that no other industrial facility would be placed at Cedar Creek because of the sewage plant. “The County Executive remembers that promise,” he said. A spokesperson for County Executive Thomas Suozzi, David Chauvin, said “we turned it down. We understand that Neptune is still hoping for something and we appreciate their eagerness, but we support what the community supports. We will preserve the suburban quality of life.”

In the meantime, Paul Rich continues to promote his project which he believes will bring clean affordable energy to Long Island residents as well as much needed revenue to Nassau County and to the towns of Wantagh and Seaford. “The public meeting in November was only the first. It was not to try and determine the outcome of that project,” said Mr. Rich. “To qualify this [project] as being dead is a disservice to the members of the community.” Mr. Rich added that the County Executive and Legislator Denenberg “have encouraged us to file a supplement to our Article Seven.” He said that “the initial consensus was that there was no support but people need to be educated. They have questions, and rightfully so.” That is why Mr. Rich has approached a number of civic and community organizations in Wantagh and Seaford including the Mandalay Homeowners Association, the Seaford Chamber of Commerce, the Seaford Kiwanis Club, Seaford Homeowners Association, the South Shore Estuary Reserve, the Cedar Creek Health Risk Assessment Committee, among others.

What’s the consensus? That depends. Joe Farinella of the Mandalay Homeowners Association told the Wantagh Seaford Citizen that a presentation was made to “myself and my general counsel. It was brought before the board and it was discussed. Our position is that we want to discuss it with other civic group leaders before we make a decision. We are not in favor of allowing this into Cedar Creek, however we are not definitely opposed to it either. We are keeping it up for discussion,” he said. Mr. Farinella added that “we asked about an alternative site, perhaps in Freeport, but we were told the cost was too high. We are concerned about our neighborhoods” he said.

Rick Falta, a Wantagh resident and Seaford business owner who is treasurer of the Seaford Chamber of Commerce supports the project. “It has some really good merits. This is certainly better than having a power plant in our backyard. I think it will benefit the community and will be a perk for the immediate area. I’m willing to have this in my neighborhood.”

Why Cedar Creek? In January of 2002 Neptune filed with the State Public Service Commission to build a conversion station at the Newbridge Road substation located in Levittown. In the summer of 2002 Legislator Denenberg learned that Neptune had approached Nassau County about the possibility of using the Cedar Creek Sewage Plant as a site for their converter station because the Levittown substation was no longer viable. He explained that it was at this point that the County became involved. Prior to this, it was a state issue.

David Denenberg

Legislator Denenberg suggested that the facility find an alternative site when public opinion appeared to be against the facility. This suggestion was also made by Christine Marigilzano of the Cedar Creek Health Risk Assessment Committee. Two sites were discussed, one in New Cassel on a piece of property owned by the County and the other at the Nassau Hub in Garden City. But the New Cassel site “would involve significant additional costs and could be a deal breaker for us. It would cost in the tens of millions,” said Mr. Rich.

“We have gone back to LIPA and their systems engineers and we did come up with some alternatives. The Nassau Hub doesn’t work for electrical system planning because we need to get to the substation in Levittown. “The Nassau County Hub [located off the Meadowbrook Parkway in Garden City] is all the way west, then we have to bring the power east. The routing is not viable,” Mr. Rich said, citing problems with permits, easements and costs.

For residents, the biggest concern about the converter station is the health risks associated with EMF and risks to the wetland environment surrounding Cedar Creek. James Demos of the Seaford Chamber of Commerce said the presentation was brief but that the “consensus was that there is concern about the health risks.”

Some studies suggest there may be a weak link between potential health risks and EMF. But Mr. Rich said the EMFs emitted at the fence line of this proposed facility would be about 35 miligaus, well below the state standard of 200 miligaus and “well below the EMFs found in the average household”. Mr. Rich added that the cables are shielded “by arranging the cables in bundles so that they cancel each other out. We align them so that one cable is on the bottom and two are on top in a triangle. As these EMF currents swirl around, they cancel out.” In addition the cables are buried two to three feet below the ground.

Elyse Doyno of the Seaford Kiwanis said many of her questions remain unanswered. “What geological surveys have they done; what about environmental studies? How will they protect the [ocean] beds? What happens during a hurricane to these cables? How will our wetlands be protected? “All we have is that barrier to protect us,” said Mrs. Doyno. “Will this cable disturb the barrier?”

Mrs. Doyno also wants to know how they plan to prepare the site where the converter station will be located. “Right now there are old cars that may leak oil and sludge. How will they clean this up?” Mr. Rich insists that Neptune is trying to build a good relationship with the community. “We see ourselves as a community member and good neighbor.” Mr. Rich spoke about the potential revenue for the County as well as for the Wantagh school district. He added that Seaford would not be left out.

Mr. Rich believes that the people of Wantagh and Seaford understand that there is a need for additional power as well as the potential for revenue. He has offered to take several residents to the facility that Neptune helped build in Larne, Northern Ireland. “We feel it will help to educate people so they can actually see what this facility is all about.” No one has accepted the offer yet.

Bruce Schanstra, a Seaford resident, thinks it’s a “fantastic idea. I don’t see any negative from this plan. What’s the alternative? Shall we run around with one light on or build another power plant?” Legislator Denenberg said that the project has some attributes. “It’s a lot of power, the equivalent of two power plants and it’s not produced here on Long Island.” But Mr. Denenberg said that “there are still a lot of unanswered questions and people have legitimate concerns.”

Mike Glasner, President of the Seaford Chamber of Commerce believes “that people should at least listen. We need to look at the information, research it and then understand it. These are tough decisions.” Elise Doyno understands that there is a need for more power. “The notion is admirable,” she admits “but we need to teach people to be economical. There isn’t going to be an endless supply of energy.”