Suffolk County residents once had to contemplate evacuation routes and emergency plans in the event of a nuclear incident at the Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant. Now, land once set aside to support the once contested facility is being permanently preserved.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has officially made the largest Long Island land acquisition in its history, purchasing nearly 750 acres surrounding the former power plant for $28.25 million.

“Securing nearly 750 acres of coastal habitat in a region as densely populated as Long Island is a rare triumph that deserves to be celebrated," said DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton.

The acquisition protects one of the largest remaining undeveloped stretches of Long Island Sound coastline and sole-source aquifer. It will be a home to a variety of wildlife, including the endangered piping plovers and rare native plant species.

The development of the power plant was one, if not the largest, of Long Island's most contentious environmental

debates. The facility was ultimately never put into full commercial operation and then Gov. Mario Cuomo pushed for its shutdown until it was fully decommissioned in 1994.

Nearly a decade ago, Richard Amper, whose leadership of the Long Island Pine Barrens Society led to the preservation of over 100,000 acres, pushed for the space to become a state park or be part of the Pine Barrens Preserve.

Amper died in March at age 81.