Letters: Questions on Bethpage drilling
Northrop Grumman contractors drill at the corner of William Street and Broadway in Bethpage on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015, as part of an ongoing investigation of a decades-old plume emanating from former manufacturing sites run by the Navy and what is now Northrop Grumman. Credit: Barry Sloan
Yes, the Oyster Bay Town Board has twice postponed a vote on the RW-20 well, the well Newsday refers to in its editorial [“Don’t block needed drilling in Bethpage,” Aug. 18]. And yes, those of us who have attended the town’s meetings have concerns and have requested specific information regarding Northrop Grumman’s plans for the proposed drilling.
Too many questions posed at the last two board meetings resulted in “we don’t know” answers from representatives of Northrop Grumman and consulting firm Arcadis. The board acted appropriately by postponing the vote until specific concerns are addressed.
What accommodation or notification will be made for the bus stops at the intersection where drilling is proposed? What is the impact on nearby trees? Will damaged trees be replaced? What effect will the vibration from drilling have on nearby homes?
The plume problem has existed for decades; a delay of a few weeks to clarify the impact on the immediate neighborhood is reasonable and prudent.
Patricia Kivo, Bethpage
I was in attendance when the Town of Oyster Bay postponed a vote on whether to allow Northrop Grumman and Arcadis to move forward with their plan to drill the RW-20 well.
Newsday’s editorial acknowledges this is a sensitive location. One only has to go to the area behind St. Martin of Tours Church to see and hear this 60-foot drill in action. The noise is deafening, and the vibrations may compromise structures nearby.
If the RW-20 plan moves forward, William Street will be closed for at least three months. This is much more than the neighborhood inconvenience that Newsday’s editorial implies.
Moving this well to a right of way, according to Northrop Grumman, would add five years to remediation of this part of the plume, extending it to 15 years.
Helene Richardson, Bethpage
Editor’s note: The writer is a neighbor of the potential drill site.
