In an effort to safeguard our environment and protect our quality of life, Assemblyman Philip Ramos (D – Central Islip) introduced legislation (A.9870) that will effectively halt plans by the Department of Transportation to install a truck-rail intermodal facility in Brentwood.

The legislation will require that the land slated for use for the Long Island Truck and Rail Intermodal (LITRIM) Facility be preserved and transferred to the Edgewood Oak Brush Plains State Preserve.

As plans for the intermodal facility were unveiled, there were outcries from Brentwood, Baywood and the surrounding communities who feared the facility will have detrimental effects on residents quality of life as well as on the environment and will prove disastrous for the traffic flow in the area.

“Over the past year there has been overwhelming public opposition to this plan in the thousands of letters I’ve received and in public hearings I’ve held and attended,” Ramos said. “Residents clearly do not want their neighborhoods becoming industrialized.”

Prior to introducing the legislation, Ramos held a series of meetings with local activists to deal with the proposed intermodal facility. Last year, Ramos spearheaded a well attended town hall style meeting that brought together various community leaders, ordinary citizens, local business owners, and advocates for the environment. Ramos was also instrumental in extending a hearing period that allowed the Department of Transportation to hear comments and complaints from a larger number of concerned citizens in the area. In addition, Ramos participated in several demonstrations around his district to raise awareness about the proposed intermodal site.

“We all need to work together to increase economic development on Long Island,” said Ramos. “But we cannot compromise our quality of life in the process.”

The bill Ramos is introducing is similar to a bill sponsored by Senators Flanagan, Johnson and Trunzo in the senate.