Environmental group endorses Democratic slate in Riverhead races

Riverhead Democratic candidates for supervisor and town board have received the endorsement of the Long Island Environmental Voters Forum, the group announced in an email this morning.

The incumbent Town Board is “arguably the most anti-environment on Long Island,” the group said.

Anthony Coates and his running mates Neil Krupnick and Laura Jens-Smith represent “a breath of clean air and a taste of clean water,” LIEVF executive director David Reisfield said.

“By contrast,” he said, “the incumbents have a record that is second-to-none at ignoring the importance of the environment to the economic and ecological health of the East End, even as hundreds of thousands of dead fish wash up on their beaches.” LIEVF praised Coates for his long-time commitment to land preservation and clean air and water. Coates has served on the Board of Directors of the Long Island Environmental Voters Forum, but left to run for supervisor, Riesfield said.

The group also announced its endorsement of incumbent Supervisor Scott Russell and Deborah O’Kane for town council in Southold Town and incumbents Ed Romaine for supervisor and Jane Bonner, Valerie Cartright and Dan Panico for town council in Brookhaven.

No announcement was made today regarding Southampton Town endorsements, which the voters forum said would be announced within a week.

Over-development in Southampton poses one of the greatest challenges ever to impact the East End. “It’s important to elect the right leaders in every town,” Reisfield said, “but it is no more important anywhere, than in this environmentally-embattled town.”

The endorsement announcement comes just before a supervisor candidate’s Q&A on environmental issues hosted by the N.Y. League of Conservation Voters, which takes place from 6 to 8 p.m this evening at the Suffolk County Community College Culinary Arts and Hospitality Center on East Main Street.