False Narrative
Letter-to-the-Editor of the East Hampton Star
January 20, 2020
Dear Editor,
In the Jan. 16 edition of The East Hampton Star several unfortunate letters to the editor were published from people who are against Deepwater/Eversource/Orsted’s wind project cable landing at Beach Lane in Wainscott.
The letters were unfortunate because they were inaccurate. To correct the record:
Win With Wind had nothing to do with a recent newspaper ad that called out the Wainscott group for Nimbyism and questioned the funding source of a campaign of negative internet ads all designed to defeat the South Fork Wind Farm.
You can rest assured that if the ad was from Win With Wind, you’d know because in our ads we clearly identify ourselves. You can even find our names at winwithwind.org.
Our recent ad was quite different from the ad incorrectly attributed to us. The title of our ad was, “Don’t be Fooled. Facts Matter.”
And the facts are that a 4.1-mile, underground, onshore route for a cable from Wainscott to the substation at Cove Hollow Road makes less of an impact on the residents of East Hampton Town than a Hither Hills landing site, which would be 11.9 miles and cause significant disruption to the Main Streets of Amagansett and East Hampton Village.
We believe the citizens of Wainscott have been sold a false narrative. First, the wind project would require work for only one winter season in Wainscott, while the Hither Hills route would require two winters. Second, the project would actually improve the landscape on Beach Lane because in the proposed benefits package is a line item for removing the utility poles and burying the electric transmission and communication lines. Remember how important it was for us not so long ago to “Bury the Lines”?
The climate crisis is upon us, and the consequences to our community will be extremely disruptive. The time is late for all of us to face reality and do what is necessary to begin the transition to clean, renewable energy.
Sincerely,
STEERING COMMITTEE
Judith Hope
Jessica James
Alice Tepper Marlin
Jerry Mulligan
David Posnett
Cate Rogers
Michael Hansen