Raw Sewage Still Flowing into the Bay
In order to address as many topics as efficiently as possible I have taken the liberty of posting a "letter to the editor" of mine that was printed in the Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot back in March. The letter shows the basic situation and very little has changed since it's publication. The most important points are very simple - Raw sewerage is being discharged, it is illegal, the DEC has mandated that it be corrected over a year ago and that Nassau County and the Town of Oyster Bay are dragging their feet.
Re: Proposed Sewage Treatment Plant - Mill Neck Bay
As reported in the March 16th edition of this paper, on January 23rd, The Village of Bayville held a public meeting to present and discuss the Final Draft Report of the Non-Point Contamination Source Study. As many of you are aware, the development known as Continental Villa has been continually discharging raw sewage into Mill Neck Bay for decades. These homes were constructed with on site septic systems that were poorly designed and constructed for the soil conditions present at that site. Due to the failure of these systems, these homes were inappropriately connected to a lateral under-drain system which discharges untreated sewage into the bay. The only attempt at treating this sewage is a contact chlorination tank that cannot handle the volume that regularly flows from this development.
This condition has been allowed to exist for far too long. The Non-Point Contamination Source Study clearly shows it is a major factor in the closing of Bayville's Creek Beach to swimming and the closing of all of Mill Neck Bay to shell fishing. It is obvious that the effects of this point source extend beyond Mill Neck Bay, contributing to impaired water quality throughout the Oyster Bay - Cold Spring Harbor estuary. The Study also shows that water quality improvements have been made through road drainage projects designed to limit runoff. With the construction of a sewage treatment plant, and a continued effort by surrounding municipalities to reduce storm water runoff, water quality in Mill Neck Bay and the entire Oyster Bay - Cold Spring Harbor Estuary will undoubtedly see significant improvement.
It is astonishing to me that we can continue to allow untreated sewage to discharge into wetlands and waters that fall within the boundaries of a National Wildlife Refuge, a Significant Fish and Wildlife Habitat and a Regionally Important Natural Area. It is of little wonder that this refuge has also been designated one of the ten most endangered National Wildlife Refuges, out of a total of 545 in the nation, by Defenders of Wildlife, a well-respected national environmental organization.
It is also astonishing that after decades of discussions on this problem, that the design of the plant is still not complete and that there is no firm date scheduled for start of construction. This, despite the fact that the Department of Environmental Conservation had mandated the plant to be operational before September 15, 2005. The timely completion of this plant is far too important to delay due to foot dragging and the inability of government to agree on cost sharing details. The overwhelming passage of recent environmental bond proposals in the Town of Oyster Bay and Nassau County should be the clearest indication of the priorities of the constituents of both the Town and the County.
It is time for our elected officials to take the lead and ensure that the construction of this plant begins immediately. We have waited long enough.
And we are still waiting.
Barry E. Lamb
Bayville
Other communities around Long Island Sound test for contamination during regular walkabouts during low tide. This hunt exposes "hidden" sewer pipes and other poluted runoff sites. They take samples for base line tracking and monitoring. In many cases, they have found illegal sewer hook ups, seepage from cesspools and other leakage into broken storm drain pipes. A similar project should be undertaken by our public works. department.
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