Dowling College to Focus on Environmental Dangers Caused by Manufactured Gas Plants

OAKDALE, NY – On November 9, 2007, the Long Island Economic and Social Policy Institute (LIESP) at Dowling College will focus on the environmental and economic issues surrounding manufactured gas plants (MGP).  Director Martin Cantor said, “These gas plants, which at the beginning of the last century burned enough coal to provide the gas to provide light and heat, have left a legacy of pollution that needs to be addressed.”

The monthly Roundtable for Long Island’s Future will be hosted by Martin Cantor and include panelists Suffolk County Legislator Wayne Horsley (D. Babylon), David Manning, Executive Vice President, U.S. External Affairs, National Grid, and Dowling College Earth and Marine Sciences Professor Dr. John Tanacredi.

Mr. Cantor said, “that estimates have placed the costs of cleaning up the Long Island sites at over $1 billion, which will be borne by ratepayers as National Grid public comments indicate they will, causing gas and electric rates on Long Island to increase by at least 25 to 30 percent.”  “This will break the backs of family budgets all across Long Island.”

Mr. Cantor continued, “this financial disaster could have been avoided had the Public Service Commission (PSC) in approving the National Grid purchase of KeySpan Energy, required National Grid to establish an escrow account that would fund an expeditious cleanup of the MGP sites and the recovery of impacted natural resources.”  “And the PSC, in accordance with staff recommendations at its October 17, 2007 meeting, approved National Grid to absorb only a percentage of remediation costs incurring between mid-2006 to December 31, 2007. Beginning January 1, 2008, National Grid could be eligible for complete reimbursement of remedial expenses.  A final decision regarding the staff recommendations will be made at the December PSC Meeting. At that meeting, the PSC cannot squander Long Island ratepayer’s last hope for economic and environmental justice,” said Martin Cantor.

In conclusion, Martin Cantor said, “the time has long passed for the issue of MGPs to be addressed.  It is too important for Long Island’s economic and environmental future to be ignored any longer.”

About Dowling College
Dowling College is an independent, coeducational college that serves more than 6,500 students at its historic Rudolph Campus on the banks of the Connetquot River in Oakdale, NY, and the 105-acre Brookhaven Campus in eastern Long Island and a business center located near the Nassau-Suffolk border in Melville. Dowling offers Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees in several disciplines through its four schools: Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Education.

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Contact: Kelly Kazemier
Director of Communications
Dowling College
631-244-3318

Contact: Martin Cantor
Director of Long Island Economic
& Social Policy Institute
631-491-1388
Cell: 334-9487