Sweeney Hosts Hearings On Environmental Impacts

Babylon Town residents later this month will have a opportunity to offer input on what man-made factors are impacting the environment and adding to the damage caused by extreme weather events such as Hurricane Sandy.

Assemb. Bob Sweeney, D-Lindenhurst, will hold a hearing on January 24, 11 a.m., at Babylon Town Hall to discuss the issue and receive input on possible actions that could be taken to mitigate man-made factors that are leading to strong storms causing greater damage to coastal communities.

Long-term forecasts indicate that extreme weather events will become more frequent and severe as man-made changes impact the local environment resulting in shrinking wetlands and warmer oceans, said Sweeney, chairman of the New York State Assembly’s Committee on Environmental Conservation.

In coastal areas, extreme weather events like the recent Hurricane Sandy will be compounded by sea level rise and certain environmental infrastructure such as sewage treatment plants were damaged during the storm, causing a negative environmental impact, he said.