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What Lies Ahead in 2010?

Now that Tom Suozzi and Jeff Toback, the main culprits behind the county's ill-conceived sewer consolidation plan, are out of office and looking for new jobs, it is time to look forward to a new era in Nassau County.

It is our hope that County Executive Ed Mangano and Legislator Howard Kopel lead the way in finding a long term solution to fixing the county's myriad sewer issues, while at the same time seeking out new technologies that will help to restore the health of the marine environment of the bays and estuaries of Nassau County's South Shore.

We ask the new county administration to work in a bi-partisan manner with elected officials from Town, State and Federal government to find real solutions to help create a state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly sewage infrastructure for Nassau County that will ensure future generations of Nassau County residents may enjoy waterways that surround us.

Elected officials, environmental groups and concerned citizens from every corner of Nassau County need to stand up and take account for preventing the destruction of our bays and estuaries due to more than 60 million gallons of treated sewage effluent being dumped into Reynolds Channel every day!

Let this be the dawning of a new era in sewage treatment for Nassau County. Together we can make our hopes a reality.

For what is the reason to live upon an island when nothing can survive in the toxic waters that surround us?

Want Nassau County to Succeed in the Future?

Build a New Sewage Plant for Nassau's South Shore!

Check out this story that New York State Senator Kirsten Gillibrand recently posted on the Long Island Business News' web site - www.libn.com

Fed funds needed to fix infrastructure

Tue, Nov 24, 2009Featured Posts, Opinion

One of the challenges we face on Long Island as we work to rebuild our economy is our aging infrastructure. From the roads and bridges we travel on, to the water we drink and the sewer systems that protect our natural resources, the state of Long Island’s infrastructure is limiting the region’s ability to grow economically.

The federal government has failed to provide the resources Long Island needs to rebuild these structures and enable real, long-term economic growth.

This is why my position on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is so important to communities across New York, such as Long Island, that need more federal attention and investment into local infrastructure projects. This committee’s primary focus is to provide investments in rebuilding the nation’s failing infrastructure.

Long Island’s primary challenge is sewers. From managing inefficient and aging systems to installing systems in communities for the very first time, Long Island property taxpayers are being forced to deal with exorbitant costs.
If nothing is done, the lack of infrastructure will prevent Long Island from growing – the redevelopment of the Nassau Hub, for instance, will never fully mature, areas such as Wyandanch and Patchogue will never meet their full potential, new areas farther east will never be developed for smart growth and local governments will be forced to tax their residents to pay for expensive, but necessary, upgrades to inefficient wastewater systems.

The lack of infrastructure can also hurt the environment and the quality of life in local communities. The Forge River in Suffolk County is an example. The Forge River was once a pristine environment cherished as a recreational asset. After years of polluted runoff from cesspools and other sources contaminating the river, the wildlife in the watershed began to die. Eventually, the river was barely able to sustain any life. Expensive and extensive projects are required to limit the pollution seeping into the Forge. Sewers installed in the surrounding neighborhoods will reduce a significant amount of runoff. Former Sen. Clinton along with Sen. Schumer and Congressman Bishop were successful in obtaining federal dollars to study this waterway and I plan to continue that effort.

Recently, my colleagues on the EPW Committee and I passed the Water Infrastructure Financing Act, which will secure $20 billion nationwide for the Clean Water Revolving Fund over the next five years. This fund will deliver billions of federal dollars to communities to rebuild failing sewers and filtration systems.

Last year, the state received just over $75 million from the fund. This year, working with Sen. Schumer and my colleagues from across the country, we were able to secure $244 million next year for New York, an increase of more than $168 million dollars from last year. This funding will help Long Island build the infrastructure it needs and provide taxpayers much-needed relief.

This legislation is expected to come before the full Senate before the end of this year.

Investing in infrastructure helps create jobs and can lower the property tax burden on our families. Efficient sewer systems are not only cost-effective, but they also help protect our natural resources, which are among Long Island’s most cherished assets. Inefficient systems can release harmful nitrogen into our waters, polluting the ecosystems for fish and wildlife. Stronger sewer infrastructure benefits everyone – from homeowners, small businesses and young adults, to nature enthusiasts, fishermen and farmers.

By committing federal dollars to flow to local governments and communities, we can open up more opportunities for economic growth through downtown revitalization, create cleaner environments and protect community health and well-being through clean water. Our local governments and communities cannot and should not be left to cover these costs. Taxpayers simply cannot afford it. It is time for the federal government to deliver Long Island its fair share.

Kirsten Gillibrand is a U.S. senator from New York.

Legal Action Holds Up Consolidation Plan!

The Town of Hempstead voted at their Town meeting on Thursday, October 1st, to proceed with filing a lawsuit against Nassau County for not performing their due diligence concerning the environmental impact of consolidating the sewer plants of Cedarhurst and Lawrence into Bay Park.

This throws a big, fat monkey wrench into former County Executive Tom Suozzi's ill-conceived sewer consolidation "Master Plan" and will keep the County tied up in court for a while.

Now we must wait to see if a judge rules in favor of the County and says they can proceed, or if they favor the Town and force the County to do a true environmental impact study for the bay.

Thank you to Supervisor Kate Murray, Tony Santino and all the Town Council members who voted in favor of going after the county because they are already doing irreparable damage to the marine ecosystem of our bay. One can only imagine what the impact of more sewage from Cedarhurst and Lawrence would have on the fragile health of a dying bay.

With voters electing to dump Tom Suozzi and Jeff Toback in 2009, we have a realistic chance that the new regime will be more sympathetic to the plight of Bay Park/East Rockaway residents and work towards finding a solution to lessening the impact the sewer plant has on our environment and help clean up the bay.

Click on our media page to see the full stories about the Town's lawsuit against the County as reported by Newsday and the Lynbrook/East Rockaway Herald.

This is an unaltered photo of Hewlett Point Beach taken June 7, 2009

questions, comments, info, stories, etc. - gbpinfo@greenbayparkers.org