We return to our conversation with investigative journalist Karl Grossman, picking up his career after the memorable fight against the Fire Island road in the 1960s. For a journalist, what story could top that?

Cut to: Shoreham Nuclear Power Station #1. It’s the 1970s and the Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO) is building the first of up to eleven proposed nuclear power plants, poised to turn Long Island into a “nuclear park.” After working at the Long Island Press until its demise in 1977, Karl covers the LILCO story through local papers like the Long Island Advance, the Suffolk County News, the Southampton Press and the East Hampton Star.

In addition to Karl, the story is also being followed by Murray Barbash and Irving Like. Veterans of the Fire Island fight, Irv and Murray help form the Citizens Committee to Replace LILCO. Karl relates the various tactics they and others used to help thwart the completion of the Shoreham plant and bring about passage of the Long Island Power Act and the formation of the Long Island Power Authority.

Karl also shares his thoughts on the current state of journalism, electronic media, and what has and hasn’t changed on Long Island.

Further Research

• Karl Grossman
• LIPolitics.com
• Power Crazy by Karl Grossman (find in a library via WorldCat)
• Brookhaven National Lab: Our History
• Our Story: How EDF Got Started
• Beyond News by Mitchell Stephens (find in a library via WorldCat)
• NYS Historic Newspapers