Shelter Island Reporter Editorial: Keeping a watch on water

These days it’s difficult to avoid alarming news about what’s happening to the earth.

Difficult for some, but others are deaf to the information, including the pack running for president — especially the Republican candidates — where never is heard a discouraging word about environmental crises that continue to come as regularly as sunrise, sunset.

This week the New York Times ran a story headlined: “Seas are rising at fastest rate in last 28 centuries.” If that wasn’t enough to give you the willies — especially those living on an island — Newsday had a story last week about components in materials that can poison humans had seeped into groundwater at 11 Suffolk County composting facilities. The levels of some of the components, according to the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, were as high as 160 times above safe thresholds.

One of the most common components found in the composted materials is manganese, which at low levels of consumption by humans is nontoxic. When the levels rise, however, there’s an increased threat of Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders.

But the Suffolk County Water Authority said there’s nothing to worry about. “The drinking water we supply you is completely safe,” the SCWA said.

That’s a comfort.

Well, not for everyone. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced it would introduce a plan to have tighter controls at the county’s composting facilities. This was a rapid and intelligent response and the DEC is to be commended for acting.

Here on the Island, we also have composting of vegetative material on a large scale. When leaves are brought into the Recycling Center and ground up, they’re moved regularly to dissipate nitrogen, manganese and other potentially dangerous elements, according to Public Works Commissioner Jay Card Jr.

In a Reporter story this week, Town Engineer John Cronin and Mr. Card said there is no action required now to protect the Island’s groundwater, but have plans in place if a crisis occurs, including laying down an impervious membrane under the compost piles.

“We’re alert to anything that would be a problem,” Mr. Cronin said.

He has been a vigilant watchdog over the Island’s groundwater and it’s reassuring that he has pledged to continue in that role.