By Gabriel Prevots
Local residents and organizations shared conflicting views on the environmental impact of the proposed Sands casino and resort in Uniondale at the Peter J. Schmitt Memorial Legislative Chamber in Mineola on Sept. 9.
Speakers covered a wide range of issues, including water and energy consumption, air pollution from increased traffic, and the impacts of a casino and resort on surrounding communities.
The meeting’s purpose was to hear public testimony that will be incorporated in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Las Vegas Sands Integrated Resort and Casino. The New York State Environmental Quality Review requires the EIS to be reviewed publicly before the county can approve the proposed lease to Sands.
This meeting marks the second time that Nassau County has prepared a draft environmental scope; during the first SEQR process in November 2023, Hofstra University filed a lawsuit that invalidated the previous lease between Sands New York and Nassau on grounds that the county had not properly notified the public of a meeting on the casino.
Attendees of the most recent scoping meeting fell mainly into two groups: those with green signs and stickers reading “Yes to Sands” sitting on one side of the room and those with bright red signs reading “Say NO To the Casino” on the other.
Sands casino supporters said they believed the mitigation measures in place would be sufficient to alleviate any environmental issues. Lawrence Boord, representing EPIC Long Island, an epilepsy care organization in East Meadow, praised Sands for its “proactive approach” and “dedication to environmental stewardship, [which] makes them a responsible partner for this project.”
Adrienne Esposito, president of the Farmingdale-based nonprofit group Citizens Campaign for the Environment, collaborated with Sands to develop the draft scope. “We’re going to be very involved in making sure that if the [Sands] project is built, it’s going to be done with the utmost care for the environment,” Esposito said.
Casino opponents, however, called the environmental issues presented in the draft as “catastrophic,” arguing they could not be mitigated.
“Why would we open our doors to a project that comes with so many obvious and negative environmental impacts that an entire mitigation strategy needs to be in place before the project even begins?” said Annie Cronin Holland, of Garden City.
Pearl Jacobs, president of Nostrand Gardens Civic Association in Uniondale, warned that the Sands casino project’s estimated increase in air pollution from traffic would “check all the boxes for environmental racism.”
Jacobs and other casino opponents referenced five local communities with “disproportionate air pollution” identified by New York State, of which four (Hempstead, Uniondale, New Cassel and Roosevelt) are majority Black, according to U.S. Census data.
Anne Myers, of East Meadow, pushed back on the suggestion of racial discrimination. “I was personally offended by one of the first things I heard tonight when I came in…[which was] racial environmental discrimination,” Myers said. “No, let’s not play the race card. That is not what this is about.”
“Why would we open our doors to a project that comes with so many obvious and negative environmental impacts that an entire mitigation strategy needs to be in place before the project even begins?”
Annie Cronin Holland, Garden City
Another contentious subject was the impact of the casino on the local economy. Jewel Nash owns businesses in Nassau County and believes the Sands casino would bring increased tourism to the area. “Why are we going to take our resources to other counties and municipalities when we can just keep it right here?” Nash said.
By contrast, George Krug, of Garden City, said he sees the Sands resort as a potential drain on local businesses. Sands developers are planning nearly 3,500 seats of dining at the resort, Krug said. “Everybody who sits in one of those 3,500 chairs is not going to a restaurant in Garden City, they’re not going to a restaurant in East Meadow, they’re not going to a restaurant in Westbury.”
A number of trade union and contracting group representatives spoke at the meeting. Mark Herbst, director of the Long Island Contractors association, elicited applause from the numerous union workers after speaking in support of the casino.
“We are excited to support this proposal… I want to assure [the legislature] that the union workforce that we have and the companies that we represent are ready to get to work with all the mitigation measures that are needed,” Herbst said.
To complete the next step in the SEQR process, the Nassau County Legislature must draft a final version of the EIS that includes public comments from the meeting, as well as written comments submitted to the legislature’s clerk. Public comments may be submitted to the county until 5 p.m. on Sept. 19.
