Vote Yes on Proposition 2 for a Healthy Great South Bay
If you will be voting in Suffolk County this November 5th, we urge you to support Proposition 2, the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act.
Why does Proposition 2 matter to all Fire Islanders? Outdated septic systems are the number one cause of nitrogen pollution on Long Island. Over the last several years, this nitrogen pollution has degraded the health of the Great South Bay, causing harmful algal blooms, fish kills and the overall decline of the shellfish industry. Swapping outdated septic systems for sewers and clean-water technology can remove up to 90% of nitrogen pollution, not only from the Great South Bay, but also from Suffolk County’s other bays and harbors.
The Water Quality Restoration Act authorizes the Suffolk County Legislature to move forward and establish a new funding source for subsidizing new sewers and clean-water technology by authorizing an additional one-eighth of a penny increase in the county sales tax.
If approved, the act is anticipated to generate $3 to $4 billion in new funding that can only be used for Suffolk County water quality improvement projects, such as expanding sewer coverage to new areas, enhancing and maintaining existing sewerage facilities, and installing I-A (Innovative and Alternative) Onsite Wastewater Systems in sensitive areas, where sewers cannot be installed. Because Fire Island is a barrier island, marine based alternatives, such as barging wastewater to the mainland from some communities, could play a supporting role in managing the wastewater.
The Suffolk County Legislature does not have the authority to impose a sales tax increase on its own, so the proposed measure must be voted on by the voters through a referendum. The sales tax increase would go into effect as early as March 1, 2025, and run until February 29, 2060.
As a long-standing steward of the fragile ecology of Fire Island and the waters that surround us, FIA is a active member of the Yes for Clean Water and Jobs initiative, a broad coalition of scientists, conservationists, labor unions, building trades, and business groups advocating for the passage of the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act on the November 5, 2024 General Election Ballot.
Vote Yes on Prop 2 - Clean Water for Suffolk County (voteyesprop2.com)
IMPORTANT: The proposition will be listed on the back of your ballot (along with Proposition 1, a statewide proposition to ensure abortion rights). Please remember to turn the ballot over to vote on these propositions!
And thanks to our friends at Fire Island Green who have put together a list of ways you can help reduce pollution and keep our island clean and safe! Visit them at FireIslandGreen.org here.