Residents, officials to meet over Hauppauge asphalt plant

Fumes coming from a Hauppauge asphalt plant have spurred a meeting Tuesday between residents and representatives of the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Residents say that in recent months, the fumes from Suffolk Asphalt Supply Inc., an asphalt plant on Rabro Drive in Hauppauge, have worsened. Residents have complained for years that odors coming from the plant were making them sick. The plant is operated by a tenant, Inter-County Asphalt.

The meeting was arranged by State Sen. Brian X. Foley (D-Blue Point).

The meeting, open to the public, is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the state building at 250 Veterans Memorial Highway, Hauppauge.

The plant was cited, first in 2007 and again in April, for violating state laws on air contamination, and paid fines totaling $50,000. Since then, Suffolk Asphalt Supply Inc. has installed equipment to capture the airborne particulates, but the odors have continued, leading neighbors to complain of ill effects, such as headaches and nausea.

Earlier this month, the DEC recommended the plant raise the height of its smoke stack to help cut down on odors, and the company agreed to comply, James Rigano of Melville, an attorney for the company, said.

The plant is also involved in legal wrangling over whether it should be there in the first place.

The Town of Islip's zoning board denied a request for the nonconforming use in March 2009. Suffolk Asphalt has appealed the decision, even as the town considers whether to seek an injunction to stop operations, according to the town's deputy town attorney Erin A. Sidaras.