Supporters Rally for Controversial 'Chemtrail' Proposal

Over 20 individuals showed up Tuesday afternoon at the Suffolk County Center in Riverside to speak on behalf of legislation proposed by North Fork legislator Ed Romaine that would regulate chemical plane discharge sprayed over Suffolk County.

The discharge from planes is known to many as "chemtrails" - a play on the word "contrails," the trails of condensation left behind plane engines at high altitudes - and are said by the group and many others to have altered the environment, as the chemicals left at high levels darken the Earth and eventually drop down to ground level, polluting the environment and ultimately affecting humans' health. Scientists with NASA have stated publicly that the Earth is indeed getting darker.

Supporters believe that the effort is a geo-engineering attempt by special private interests and government entities to curtail global warming.

The legislation would be a first-of-its-kind in the nation, as the "chemtrails" theory has not garnered support from mainstream scientists. The Air Force has called it a "hoax."

The legislation sponsored by Romaine, R-Center Moriches, is careful to note that, "concerns have been raised that business and government entities may by discharging polluting chemicals ... which may impact weather and other environmental elements."

Supporters of the legislation don't doubt the link between chemical spraying at high altitudes and recent increases in global dimming, decreases in vitamin D production, and other health issues.

"Anybody with a functional set of eyes, who can think critically, and has done a significant review of the process can see this is sound," said Anthony Tolda, a Huntington resident.

Many members of Long Island Skywatch voiced support for the regulation of chemical spraying.

"Nearly everyone you know has a child with a disability," said L.I. Skywatch's Cynthia Pikoulis, noting increased instances of autism as well. "Asthma is an epidemic. Respiratory illness is now the third leading cause of death, and has moved up from seven in recent years. Something is causing this."

While enforcing the legislation - tracing elements in the ground back to one pilot who flew over a specific tract of land - would be tricky, a Romaine aide said the idea would be to get "voluntary compliance," similar to a county mandate which prohibits fertilizing grass in certain months of the year.

Bill Faulk, a Romaine legislative aide, said the county has authority to regulate chemicals coming from planes over Suffolk County airspace since the chemicals may fall onto county land.

According to the text of the legislation, any pilot who plans on discharging barium, sulfur, salt, and aluminum oxide into the air would be required to file an Environmental Impact Statement, and receive approval from the Division of Environmental Quality and Department of Health Services before doing so. The Division of Environmental Quality would be charged with the task of creating the EIS form.

Individuals found in violation of the law would be charged $2,500 for their first violation and $5,000 for each violation thereafter.

After Tuesday's hearing was closed, it will now go to vote in the county's Health and Human Services Committee on Dec. 15. Should the bill make it out of committee, it will be voted on at the Dec. 20 legislature meeting. Should it fail to make it out of committee, it will be stricken along with all bills that have not been acted upon in their respective committees.