RSS 2.0 FeedDecember 9, 2010, Wantagh Seaford Citizen
More sludge to Cedar Creek
Nassau wants EPA funding to repair Bay Park.
The problems at Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant could be solved with an infusion of federal cash but in the meantime up to 80,000 gallons of sludge will be trucked to Cedar Creek Water Pollution Control Plant in Seaford each day until further notice.
It is one of several short term measures the county is taking to correct the amount of settable solids now flowing into Reynolds Channel.
The Bay Park sewage treatment plant in East Rockaway has been in violation of state law for releasing excessive suspended solids into the Western Bays. This has resulted in a visible brown colored plume emanating from the outfall pipe for the last several months.
The county has said it will correct the problems, but it will take lots of money to make the substantial upgrades needed for odor control, nitrogen reduction and chlorine reduction. They also need to construct a new sludge thickener, costing approximately $10 million, which will address the current discharge problem.
Meanwhile, $20 million owed to Nassau County for two decades remains bottlenecked in Washington D.C. On November 30, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer renewed his call on the Environmental Protection Agency to reimburse Nassau County for over $20 million in federal sewer construction funds awarded in the 1980s for upgrades at the county’s two sewage treatment plants – Bay Park and Cedar Creek.
“The EPA must immediately refund the money to Nassau County to allow it to fund emergency repairs to the Bay Park sewage treatment facility,” said Senator Charles Schumer in a press release.
The EPA Region 2, which covers Long Island, has issued an opinion that the county should be reimbursed. In May, Senator Schumer met with County Executive Edward Mangano to press the EPA to release the funds. The EPA agreed to re-open negotiations, but no decision has yet been made.
“We’re hopeful the money will be freed up. It’s 30 years overdue,” said Rob Weltner, executive director of Operation SPLASH.
“I’d love to see it,” said county Legislator David Denenberg. “It would be great...if the county ever gets the money.”
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