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Massapequa ___________
HERALD pOsT
Also serving Farmingdale, Massapequa, Massapequa Park and Plainedge
Chamber hosts breast cancer walk...Page 3 VOL. 73 NO. 45
MPK hosts Halloween parade
Canines serve in battle
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NOVEMBER 13-19, 2024
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Issues, not party, on voters’ minds By CAROLYN JAMES AND CHRISTIE LEIGH BABIRAD cjames@liherald.com cbabirad@liherald.com As Election Night results came in, Babylon Town largely saw a status quo outcome, with all local incumbents at the state and federal levels securing reelection. The biggest surprise came from the 11th Assembly District, where Republican Joseph Cardinale made a strong showing against Democratic opponent Kwani O’Pharrow. The district, traPhoto Credit/Herald
2nd CD Congressman Andrew Garbarino, center, with supporters, members of BAPS Temple in Melville, at GOP headquarters in Suffolk on election night.
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Oyster Bay extends moratorium on battery storage facilities I t’s impor tant By CAROLYN JAMES
cjames@liherald.
com
The Oyster Bay Town Board voted to extend a construction moratorium on Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) for an additional six months, citing ongoing concerns about safety and public health. The original moratorium, first approved in April 2024, was extended to allow for further investigation into the risks posed by these facilities. “While battery energy storage systems can play a role in creating a greener future,
sources, which they also present can then be significant safedischarged to ty concerns,” help stabilize said Oyster Bay the electrical Supervisor grid or provide Joseph Saladino. backup power “Recent fires at during outagBESS sites in e s . T h e t e c hNew York State nology has have raised become more alarms about common in the their potential SUPERVISOR JOSEPH s t a t e , b u t dangers, not growing cononly to the surSALADINO cerns over the rounding comsafety of lithimunities but um-ion batteries prompted also to our first responders.” B E S S f a c i l i t i e s u s e the Town of Oyster Bay to r e c h a r g e a b l e b a t t e r i e s t o pause any new BESS developstore energy from various ments until further safety
that we fully understand the risks b e f o r e a l l ow i n g these systems in our community.
measures are evaluated. Town officials have engaged with residents and attended community meetings to hear concerns about the risks of these systems. Issues cited include the volatile nature of lithium-ion batteries, which have been involved in multiple fires in recent years, as well as potential environmental impacts
and the strain on local infrastructure. “We must err on the side of caution,” Saladino said. “While a recent state report shows limited long-term effects from BESS facilities, it’s important that we fully understand the risks before allowing these systems in our community.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 6