County-owned facilities will use only “warm-white” outdoor lighting from now on, under a new law sponsored by South Fork County Legislator Jay Schneiderman.
Schneiderman, the author of prior legislation requiring the county to use shielded light sources on county properties to reduce light pollution, said the new measure is aimed at protecting health, saving money and further reducing light pollution.
Advances in light technology over the past decade have created high-quality, energy efficient lighting in several forms, with high brightness LEDs becoming the most popular. Most LED “white” light has a substantial blue component, referred to as “blue-rich white light,” according to a press release issued by Schneiderman’s office.
“Blue-rich white light is linked with a higher incidence of glare, particularly outdoors from dusk to dawn. This type of light is also more difficult for human eyes to process as people age. Blue-rich white light also creates higher levels of light pollution in the night sky, introducing a portion of the light spectrum which is not currently contributing substantially to such pollution.
“Blue-rich white light is also associated with disruption of circadian rhythms and melatonin secretion in humans and animals. Disruption of these functions can change the instinctual habits of wildlife living near such light sources,” the press release said.
“This amendment to my previous legislation to limit excess lighting is an important step forward in efforts to protect human health and the health of our wildlife and to insure that we save money on energy costs and reduce unnecessary light that limits our ability to enjoy the beauty of the night sky,” Schneiderman said.
“Much has been learned over the past decade or two about the harmful effects of outdoor lighting on the environment and on human health,” Gail Clyma, chairperson of the Southampton Town dark skies advisory committee. “In recent years it has become increasingly clear that light with a high blue content is the most serious offender. I commend Legislator Schneiderman for sponsoring this important piece of legislation.”
Schneiderman’s 2004 legislation required the county to use fully shielded outdoor lighting fixtures to reduce light pollution at county-owned facilities. Unshielded light contributes to light pollution, which makes it harder to see a starry night sky and interferes with astronomical observations and recreational enjoyment. Directing light more accurately onto areas intended for illumination prevents the waste of energy, reduces energy costs, and lowers emissions from fossil fuel burning facilities needed to produce this excess energy. There is increasing scientific evidence demonstrating that unshielded, misdirected, excessive or unnecessary outdoor night lighting can have detrimental effects on the environment and the human physiology.
The new bill was unanimously approved by the legislature at the last general meeting on Sept. 12 and has been signed into law by County Executive Steve Bellone.
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