I find it difficult to understand how a Long Island resident and former House representative has chosen to ignore science and previously implemented rules and safeguards for the environment [“Where is the Zeldin we knew?”, Opinion, March 18].

Lee Zeldin, the new Environmental Protection Agency administrator, resides within a geologically diverse and fragile Long Island county and has had firsthand experiences with the impact of weather, buried toxic chemicals, forest fires, and more.

Instead, he chooses to follow the reckless mindset of his party leader and other climate deniers.

Like his other Cabinet colleagues’ auditioning for their roles in Senate confirmation hearings, Zeldin said all the right things to the committee.

The ink was barely dry on his appointment certificate before he set off on the process of eliminating policies put in place to protect our environment. To what end? To save government budget expenses? To appease and impress the “denier in chief”?

Is Zeldin a true denier or a power-hungry cynic?

— Tom Olivieri, Smithtown

Amid endless fires, record-setting hurricanes and extended droughts, Lee Zeldin is eliminating policies implemented by previous presidents, to continue President Donald Trump’s revenge tour. Zeldin plans to remove policies that limit the use of coal, oil and gas.

Zeldin is shuttering the Office of Environmental Justice and fired its staff. He also is planning to rewrite former President Barack Obama’s EPA report that global warming and greenhouse gases are a danger to the planet and public health.

Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said, “With this chaos and destruction, Trump is violating legal contracts, trampling on the Constitution, ignoring the rule of law and flouting orders.”

Why are so many people willing to accelerate the destruction of our planet in order to appease the president?

 — Robert Broder, Stony Brook

I find it incredible that Lee Zeldin is so anxious to remove environmental rules that benefit the very area in which he lives. I am old enough to remember the lower air quality when coal was widely used in furnaces, and the offensive and dangerous odor from tailpipe emissions.

We on Long Island should be concerned about shoreline destruction, water quality, and air quality.

Additionally, there has been a 20-year decline of 22% of Monarch butterflies through 2020, as well as many other declines that indicate a negative effect from environmental neglect. Is pleasing Donald Trump this important to Zeldin?

 — John Darr, Port Jefferson

Lee Zeldin’s moves are a direct threat to the people of Long Island. The response of the area congressional delegation is underwhelming. Of our four representatives, only Tom Suozzi stood up for what is right for Long Island, a critically endangered environment [“Zeldin sets out to reduce EPA, regulations,” News, March 3].

As a scientist for almost 50 years, I worked on causes of cancer, and the EPA’s loosening regulations on formaldehyde will result in many new cases. Fishermen also should be worried that rising ocean temperatures are decimating the base of the ocean food chain.

 — Frederick M. Stanley, Mattituck

If Lee Zeldin chooses to refer to the scientifically proven climate change that our Earth is experiencing as “climate change religion,” I guess we should change the name of this agency to the Environmental Destruction Agency.

 — Carole Trottere, Old Fields

Aides for disabled deserve wage hikes

As a parent of an adult child with disabilities who relies on Medicaid-supported services, I must advocate for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), whose roles are crucial in caring for individuals with disabilities. This is a pressing issue impacting countless families within our community as evidenced by a recent rally [“Aides helping disabled LIers rally for raises,” Long Island & NYC, March 8].

The rally emphasized the urgent need for a 7.8% rate increase, especially in light of the looming threat of cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. These are not merely political issues — they have deeply personal and far-reaching effects on families like mine.

The proposed increase is essential to ensure DSPs can continue their vital work without financial hardship. The $800 billion cuts to Medicaid and SNAP over the next decade are concerning. These are vital lifelines, providing essential support to individuals like my son. Reducing these funds is not merely an economic decision but a moral one, with potentially devastating consequences for vulnerable populations.

Our congressional representatives should oppose cuts and advocate for sustainable funding that prioritizes the well-being of those who depend on these services.

— Joseph W. Schmidt, Wantagh

The writer chairs the board of Developmental Disabilities Institute, based in Smithtown.