Zeldin lays out Trump’s environmental priorities: No to wind power, industries should ‘self-police’

Lee Zeldin, former U.S. Congressman representing the East End and current head of the Environmental Protection Agency, spoke at a Long Island Association special event at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury on April 11 about how the EPA’s shifting priorities affect Long Island.

Mr. Zeldin touched on what he termed “five pillars” he and the EPA announced in February as part of the so called “Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative.” The pillars include ensuring clean land, water and air for every American; restoring U.S. energy dominance; reforming permit approval procedures and streamlining cross-agency partnerships; making the United States the artificial intelligence capital of the world; and bringing back U.S. auto industry jobs.

According to Mr. Zeldin, these are promises President Donald Trump made throughout his campaign.

“We have to approach the challenges we face in this country by asking ourselves, ‘Is there a way to work through this challenge where we are both protecting the environment and growing the economy?’” Mr. Zeldin said.

While exploring alternative energy generation, including wind power, has been part of the EPA’s past efforts, Mr. Zeldin said that President Trump will not approve any new wind projects.

“The president has made it crystal clear that, to the cabinet and to the public, he is not approving new wind permits right now, and there are permits that have been, in the past, granted previously, there will likely be more applications in the months and the years and beyond to come, but that is the mandate directly from the president.”

Instead, Mr. Zeldin declared himself a proponent of pipeline projects, stating that this is in line with the president and the secretaries of the Interior and Energy.

“There are a couple of pipelines that have been brought up a lot. One is Constitution pipeline, to be built through New York to carry natural gas,” said Mr. Zeldin. “It’s energy, it’s jobs. New England is begging for having more access to natural gas.”

This proposed pipeline would carry fracked natural gas from Pennsylvania to a hub in Albany. New York State currently has a ban in place prohibiting the extraction of natural gas through fracking as it has been linked to the pollution of drinking water.

“In Pennsylvania, the epiphany has already happened. All parties work together and they tap into the extraction of natural gas,” Mr. Zeldin said. “There is a ban in place in New York on the extraction of natural gas. So our pipeline allocations, they don’t get approved.”

Mr. Zeldin highlighted the energy demands AI data centers would put on the system, stating that off-shore wind as a sole source of power would not be enough to keep up. He suggested that nuclear, hydropower and coal burning could be used to meet that demand nationwide.

In a statement last month, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said, “The Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement that it intends to dismantle vital environmental safeguards is a direct threat to the health of New Yorkers and communities across the country. In response to this outrageous overreach by the federal government, I am directing the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to use its full authority to continue to protect New York’s natural resources and environment, and to block these acts wherever possible. I will also continue our work with Attorney General Letitia James to aggressively defend our state and our natural resources in court.”

Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams attended the April 11 event and came away satisfied by a brief conversation she had with Mr. Zeldin, noting that he would “honor grants and fix problems,” rather than sending funds “to consultants or for investigations.” This is good news for Shelter Island, Ms. Brach-Williams said, because a federal EPA grant for the Town will not be affected. Mr. Zeldin told her that EPA “would fulfill their statutory mission and obligations and will honor grants that will fix problems.”

At the event, Mr. Zeldin called on companies to self-regulate, imploring them to turn in industry violators and tout their environmental accomplishments. “This is a moment in time for companies and industries to articulate that they do care about the environment, to self-police within your own industry,” Mr. Zeldin said.

When it comes to preserving open space locally, Mr. Zeldin said it’s important to accept reality for areas that are already developed and look to make informed choices for the remaining land and natural enclaves that are left.

“If we make smart decisions going forward, we will be able to protect the coast. It’s some of the best part of our island as far as real estate value to be able to develop it all up, but it’s not the smartest thing for the island long term,” he said. “There was a conservation easement tax credit out on the East End where that community would put easements through their property. Who knows how much it would have been built up by now if it were not for that conservation easement tax credit?”

Mr. Zeldin called on the federal government to mitigate pollution where it has been found responsible, including the polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. One such site in Suffolk County is the former Grumman site in Calverton.

“What you see around the country, in many respects, is that the contamination, including Superfund sites, were caused by the federal government,” Mr. Zeldin said. “The federal government has a responsibility, as it relates to where it has contaminated itself, to clean it up, to clean everything up.”

The push for AI data centers on Long Island is something Mr. Zeldin feels fits in with its legacy of industrial and scientific innovation, and will help bring money and jobs to the region.

“We can’t allow this move towards America being the AI capital of the world and Long Island being left behind. We should aspire to be the leader of AI of the country,” he said, before imploring audience members to take action. “If you want Long Island to be the tip of the spear of AI … have a meeting next week and huddle up.”