Contamination In Accabonac

News last month that two more sections of Accabonac Harbor had been permanently closed to shellfishing was met with little more than a collective shrug. We were surprised by the lack of outcry, and hope that other announcements of this depressing sort are not ahead.

About 20 acres in the harbor were declared off-limits year round by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation after it said routine water sampling had found unacceptable levels of fecal coliform bacteria, a sign of possible contamination by sewage. Shellfish taken from areas with high bacteria have the potential to cause human illness if consumed.

That these sites had already been listed as seasonally contaminated suggests that efforts to improve water quality have a long way to go. Concerned about the harbor, East Hampton Town officials have bought a number of parcels that are in the southern Accabonac watershed in Springs, but not enough to make a real difference. Ideas about septic system upgrades have not made it past the most preliminary stage either.

As with perennially troubled waters in parts of Montauk, the newly verboten Accabonac Harbor areas should be subject to a vigorous restoration effort by both citizens and government. As it looks to the coming year, East Hampton Town Hall must make reversing this trend a top priority.