Study will explore feasibility of constructing outfall pipe that would extend into the Atlantic Ocean.
This article was written by Stephen Bronner. A “major” study to explore
new methods of discharging treated wastewater from the Bay Park Sewage
Treatment Plant began over the summer and will last about a year, Nassau
Executive Ed Mangano announced Monday.
The study — funded by Nassau
County Capital Improvement Funds and a reimbursement grant from the
Environmental Protection Agency — will look to identify ways to improve the
facility and determine the feasibility of constructing an outfall pipe that
would extend into the Atlantic Ocean, according to a press release.
The treated discharge is now
released into Reynolds Channel on the north shore of Long Beach.
“For decades, the community
has sought alternatives for discharging treated sewage from the Bay Park
Plant,” Mangano said. “Today, those hopes come alive thanks to
environmental cleanup commitments made by Congressman Peter King, U.S. Senators
Charles Schumer and Kristin Gillibrand and my administration. Together, we
will work to improve our environment and repair the county’s aging sewage
treatment plants.”
The Colorado-based CH2M Hill
will conduct the study. The EPA
will provide 55 percent of the project costs, up to a maximum of $275,500. The
county is putting in money for the study “in lieu of a compliance order set
forth by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
connected to violations that resulted from a spill of treated solids into
Reynolds Channel in October 2010.”
At that time, Long Beach resident
Scott Bochner raised awareness of excessive sewage that was released into
Reynolds Channel from the Bay Park Sewer Treatment facility, located across the
channel in East Rockaway. Later, Bochner reported that from August 2010 to January 2011, the Bay Park Sewer
Treatment Plant dumped 38 million gallons of partially treated sewage into
Reynolds Channel and did not notify the public.
According to the county,
there have not been any environmental violations at Bay Park in about 18
months.
“I look forward
to hearing the results of this study,” said Legislator
Denise Ford, R-Long Beach. “The potential of having a viable solution to treat
and minimize effluent in Reynolds Channel would be a major environmental
victory for the residents of Long Beach and Nassau County.”
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