SOURCE:
https://theisland360.com/featured/sands-casino-environment-scoping-review/
By Ben Fiebert - September 13, 2024
The public spoke at the proposed Sands casino's recent environmental review scoping
The Sands casino underwent an environmental review scoping hearing as the public informed Nassau County legislators on what to focus on during the environmental impact study.
Last month, the Nassau County Legislature voted to approve a proposal to lease the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum property to the Las Vegas Sands casino company. It passed by a margin of 18-1, after passing both the county’s Planning Commission July 18 and the Legislature’s Rules Committee July 22. A vote for a state environmental review of the coliseum and surrounding property passed unanimously.
The impact study, known as the State Environmental Quality Review Act, requires all local, regional and state government agencies to examine a project’s environmental impacts and social and economic considerations.
The SEQR Decision Process requires public scoping to determine what should be evaluated in the environmental impact statement. The first step in the scoping process is the preparation of a draft environmental scope by the applicant. The draft scope outlines the issues that will be studied in the EIS.
The EIS “will help inform Sands on how and where it should provide targeted resources for mitigation, ensuring a final project that is a net gain for the region, providing substantial quality of life benefits,” a statement on SandsNewYork.com said.
The hearing, which took place Monday, was part of the first step in the review process for the $6 million proposed project. Over 100 people were in attendance and dozens spoke, including Jeff Reynolds, president of Family & children’s Association; John Durso, president of Long Island Federation of Labor; Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, and others.
“What we want to know is whether the draft scope for the environmental impact statement is proper,” Howard Kopel, Nassau County legislator, said. “Whether the public feels there are other environmental impacts that should be investigated.”
The environmental scope included discussions about the health, welfare and safety of local residents. It also addressed the casino’s potential impacts on the overall environment.
Reynolds said living within 10 percent of a casino can increase the risk of developing gambling and drinking addictions. He said he spoke with the director of problem gambling at Sands casino to discuss addiction studies.
The review will use public input to craft the Environmental Impact Statement. “I said to them, ‘please don’t tell me you’re going to put stickers on slot machines. That doesn’t work’,” Reynolds said. “And they outlined for me a very responsible and thorough gambling program that reflects the state of the art, not only in our community but nationwide.”
Durso said he is “very concerned” about the environment, and he is thrilled about the environmental hearing process. He said it will put all the rumors and misconceptions to bed and tell people what the facts are.
“I will tell you that this process and the Sands organization has been out ahead on this issue, listening to the community, hearing what is being said and looking to see where the concerns are as it relates environmentally,” Durso said.
Esposito brought a 10-page letter with her, outlining the various environmental criteria that she believes need to be addressed in the environmental review statement. One criterion is aquifer use and water consumption.
She is also inquiring about the possible impact this may have on the drawdown of nearby streams and rivers. Esposito also brought up flooding as a concern to be addressed in the EIS.
“Will there be such things as permeable pavements, which are more expensive but very effective in mitigating storm runoff?” Esposito asked.
Russ Comeau, president of the South Shore Audubon Society, talked about the Hempstead Plains Preserve and the Francis Purcell Preserve at the hearing. Both of these grassland preserves are across the street from the proposed Sands casino and he said they are both ecologically significant.
“These preserves represent the last remnants of the Hempstead Plains that once covered
Nassau County from one end to the other and these preserves potentially hold up to 30
endangered, threatened, special concern, or rare grassland species,” Comeau said. “Whether they’re birds, plants, or animals, these species are protected by New York State laws because they are of the greatest conservation concern to New York State — and they should be of concern to all of us.”
Comeau said if the casino is developed without consideration of these critical environmental issues, it can have huge, irreversible and disastrous impacts on the last bastions of the Hempstead Plains that these preserves represent.
The next step of the review is for county legislators to evaluate all of the public comments and draft the EIS. Public comments can also be submitted to the county until 5 p.m. on Sept. 19.