Sands Long Island Casino Plan Draws ‘Environmental Racism’ Critique
Posted on: September 12, 2024, 07:42h.
Last updated on: September 12, 2024, 07:42h.
Las Vegas Sands’ plan to develop Nassau Coliseum into a casino hotel is drawing rebuke from groups and some local residents that believe the project would be damaging to the environment.
This week, detractors and supporters of the Long Island casino plan made their voices heard to the Nassau County Legislature. Public comment is essential because some opposition groups previously accused the county and the gaming company of operating in backroom fashion. Last year, the New York State Supreme Court ruled the lease transfer agreement on the coliseum between the county and Sands violated state open meeting laws.
While Nassau County is providing more avenues for residents to endorse or voice concerns about the casino plan, some groups it cannot be overlooked that construction of an integrated resort could violate New York’s State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA).
The abounding harmful impacts of this massive casino are clearly unmitigable and should have informed any decisions on land control,” said Say No To The Casino, a civic group that’s long opposed the project, in a press release. “The SEQRA process should not only have been completed prior to entering into any lease with Las Vegas Sands, but also should have included the impacts of the $4B NYU Langone proposal at Nassau Community College.”
The organization added that a recent study noted Long Island’s drinking water supply is being threatened by climate change and over-pumping — scenarios that would be worsened by building a large-scale casino hotel.
Environmental Review to Sands Long Island Casino Plan
The environmental review, which is currently ongoing, is vital to Sands’ Long Island casino ambitions on multiple fronts, not the least of which is that under New York law, the lease transfer on Nassau Coliseum between the county and the gaming company cannot be finalized until the review is complete.
Expeditious completion of the review is important for another reason. If that process isn’t completed prior to the state opening the bidding window on the three downstate casino permits, it’s possible LVS would be precluded from that process until the review is finalized.
Additionally, should the review turn up issues and vulnerabilities, the county and Sands could work to address those matters assuming the process is completed in timely fashion.
On the issue of time, Nassau County and Sands may have that on their side because it appears increasingly likely that there will be no action on opening the bidding window for the three downstate permits until the middle of 2025 at the earliest.
Charges of ‘Environmental Racism’
Climate and environmental concerns are part of the territory with new casino hotel projects and that’s true regardless of location.
It’s equally as common for groups opposing those projects to leverage environmental worries to drive home their points. Say No To The Casino may be doing that and it’s calling attention to risks to minority communities stemming from the casino plan.
“We find it ironic that the same politicians who claim to want to ‘Save Our Suburbs’ are among the loudest voices in favor of forcing the country’s second largest casino, and the boundless long-term negative environmental, economic, and social consequences, into our community,” according to the group. “The brunt of the impact would be shouldered by the vulnerable minority communities that surround the HUB. Erecting this casino would be nothing short of environmental racism.”
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Last Comments ( 5 )
The clear and obvious negative impacts to Nassau County’s environment and quality of life have been well documented and advocated for. The elected officials who are supposed to represent our interest have failed us time and time again in this process. What’s less openly discussed and understood is the weakness of the Sands business case in this location. There is virtually no other draw for visitors nor a viable infrastructure to support ease of visits. This casino, if approved, will undoubtedly fail after the potential Year 1 rush fades. There are countless examples across the nation to support this thesis yet the supporters involved seem to be not only blind to the facts but uninterested in the downside risks that will clearly fall on our communities.
It's ridiculous that this SEQR review is taking place at all! Usually, environmental hearings and reviews weigh negative environmental impacts of a project against the good that the project will do for the community. In this case there is NO long term good for the community. Hosting this casino will cost us tax dollars - - not bring them in. The casino will drain customers and money away from our downtowns. The casino will destroy people, families and communities. It's happened all around the country: please visit Atlantic City if you still need convincing. Lastly, the tragic part of this SEQR review is that the decision maker (Nassau County) is the same corrupt group trying to ram this casino down resident's throats. The majority of residents in Nassau do NOT want this casino!
I oppose the Sands casino on Long Island. The casino will drain already strained aquifer system. It will contribute massively to air pollution in poor and underserved areas of Hempstead and Uniondale leading to worse respiratory health outcomes there. A casino there will lead to increased gambling, addiction, drug use and further these negative societal impacts in communities least able to deal with it. The casino will be a huge negative force in Nassau County for years to come.
From the beginning, it was obvious that Blakeman et al knew of the dangers this project would impose but tried to sneak it by the residents anyway. Only a lawsuit stopped them. But it is still obvious that they are in the driver's seat.Environmental review! What a joke. You would have to be an idiot to not realize that a 24/7 casino would spell environmental disaster. 25,000 visitors in cars and buses daily driving on our roads, spewing pollution and wreaking havoc with our infrastcture , cannot be mitigated, despite Sands lies to the contrary. No matter how they make their site cleaner, those visiting will not and cannot. Sands spends millions in advertising in all our papers, donates equipment to local groups, and are we naive enough to think this is altruism? It is nothing but pay to play. NO CASINO!
Save Nassau County ! Say NO to sneaky and duplicitous Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Blakeman's longtime political megadonor benefactors at the Las Vegas Sands Corporation and their Nassau Hub gambling casino scheme that would ruin Nassau County and bring misery to its residents ! www.nocasinonassau.org www.reponsiblenassau.com