There is a dinosaur that lies just over the Meadowbrook Parkway in the Village of Freeport, a 70-foot-tall, tan-brick relic of the 1960s when Nassau cared more about modernizing and industrializing than preserving its environment.
The funny thing is, unlike the real dinosaurs of yore, this one's still alive, and it regularly rears its ugly head, belching acrid black, brown, even yellow smoke into the air -- particularly into Merrick and Bellmore.
We're talking about Freeport Electric's Plant No. 2. It's powered by two 1968-vintage, 10,000-horsepower diesel ship engines. They're noisy. Worse, their exhaust contains all sorts of potentially cancer-causing agents.
There are no filters on Plant No. 2 to get rid of these agents, says the state Department of Environmental Conservation. So, every time the plant runs, these suspected carcinogens are released and, in the form of smoke, they gently waft their way through neighborhoods such as Merrick's Lindenmere section.
Lots of local residents could be getting very sick from this smoke and not know the true cause of their illnesses. We can't be sure. We never can in such cases.
The possibility that hundreds of area residents might get cancer or other diseases from breathing in Plant No. 2's diesel exhaust is reason enough to shut it down.
On top of health concerns, we know with certainty that diesel exhaust depletes the earth's ozone layer, adding to the global warming crisis.
The strangest part of this whole mess is that Plant No. 2 apparently isn't violating any regulations, according to the DEC. State officials admit, however, that there aren't many regulations governing diesel plants such as Freeport's.
That's inane. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued strict air-quality regulations for diesel tractor-trailers and municipal buses, but none for an electric power plant that can produce as much diesel exhaust per hour as 180 tractor-trailers. That's right, when running at maximum capacity, Plant No. 2 burns as much diesel as 180 18-wheelers doing 60 mph.
The DEC and EPA should work together to develop guidelines for such plants.
Meanwhile, Freeport should stop polluting our air. It's the neighborly thing to do.
If it doesn't, however, Merrick residents can -- and should -- act immediately. The DEC says it can step in and seek to have Plant No. 2 declared a "public nuisance" if enough residents complain. So, Merokeans, Bellmorites, start complaining. Write to the DEC at: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, c/o Mark Lowery, community liaison, SUNY Building 40, Stony Brook, NY 11790-2356.
You can also write to: U.S. Rep. Peter King, 1003 Park Blvd., Massapequa, NY 11762; U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, 1 Fulton Ave., Hempstead, NY 11550; State Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr., 30 South Ocean Ave., rm. 305, Freeport, NY 11520; State Assemblywoman Kathleen Murray, 3000 Hempstead Turnpike, Levittown, NY 11756; County Legis. David Denenberg, and/or Legis. Norma Gonsalves, 1 West St., Mineola, NY 11501.
We suggest organized letter campaigns and/or petition drives via the local civic associations. Individual residents, though, should feel free to write, as well.
Finally, the Long Island Power Authority has offered to provide Freeport with the electricity it needs at low cost, provided that the village shut down Plant No. 2. A fine proposition. The trouble is, Freeport has refused the deal.
Why? Village officials aren't saying. They, however, owe us an explanation -- a good one.
Merrick, Bellmore, now is the time to get involved in this issue. Let's bury a dinosaur before it buries us.
