The state of Connecticut is looking to extend permits for a Long Island Sound dumping site by 30 years.

The dumping site is northeast of Orient Point, just off Fishers Island. Materials dredged from the bottom of rivers in Connecticut are being dumped there.

Fishermen, like lobsterman Jim King, have complained for years about the practice of allowing waste to be dumped in certain sections of the Sound. 

"It's a known fact that there is a higher incidence of shell disease in lobsters and crabs around these dump sites," says King.

Environmentalists are also concerned for the health of the Long Island Sound.

"The EPA has to get back in the business of protecting Long Island Sound, not destroying Long Island," says environmentalist Adrienne Esposito. "It just allows Long Island Sound to be used as a local landfill for Connecticut."

Several public hearings are scheduled on the issue. One will be held May 25 in Riverhead. A decision whether to extend the dumping is expected later this year.