Contacts:

T. James Matthews
EHEC Spokesperson
Jim.matthews@nyu.edu
(917) 804 9945

Dan Hendrick
NY League of Conservation Voters Education Fund
dhendrick@nylcvef.org
(212) 361-6350 ext. 206/(917) 207-8715

Several independent environmental groups have, for the first time, banded together to ensure all candidates in upcoming elections for East Hampton Town Board and Town Supervisor address key environmental issues. The newly formed group, the East Hampton Environmental Coalition (EHEC), will hold a press conference on the East Hampton Town Hall lawn at 11:30 a.m., Monday, September 19, 2011 to formally announce their initiative and distribute their survey to members of the press.

The EHEC will survey each candidate about such Town environmental policy issues as coastal preservation planning, aquifers and drinking water, surface water and estuarine health, open space preservation, light and noise pollution, environmental planning and code enforcement, solid and water waste management, and the candidates’ environmental credentials and philosophies. Candidates are invited to file responses to the survey by October 14. Their responses will be posted exactly as submitted on the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund website.

“In the last election, many felt that the traditionally dominant environmental issues were overshadowed by both local and national fiscal issues,” said EHEC spokesperson James Matthews. “The EHEC believes that this survey and the resulting exchange of views will assist voters in making informed decisions in the November elections and will restore environmental policy to its place at the top of candidate platforms and in the minds of the voting public.”

The EHEC is comprised of 11 independent environmental groups representing thousands of local citizens. These organizations — some formed recently, some in force for more than 40 years — have worked to preserve and improve the natural environment in East Hampton and have provided guidance for the development of the municipal government’s environmental policy.

The EHEC includes the following groups:

Accabonac Protection Committee
Concerned Citizens of Montauk
Dark Sky Society
Garden Club of East Hampton
Group for the East End
New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund
Northwest Alliance
Quiet Skies Coalition
Amagansett Springs Aquifer Protection
Surfriders’ Association
Third House Nature Center

Representatives from these groups will attend the September 19 press conference.