Speak up for the future of Flushing Bay
September 22, 2015
Riverkeeper Team
Healthy communities depend on healthy waterways – and it's a key time for New York City residents to help raise the bar. Members of the public can speak out in Queens on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at a meeting about the future of Flushing Bay and Flushing Creek. The meeting is one in a series that helps shape long-term plans to reduce sewage overflows into New York City waterways.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will hold the public meeting from 6-8 p.m. at Al Oerter Recreation Center, 131-40 Fowler Ave. in Flushing, Queens.
This represents the third and final opportunity for members of the public to make their voices heard about the city’s Combined Sewer Overflow Long Term Control Plan (CSO-LTCP) for Flushing Creek and see a presentation about the DEP's plan of action. This is also a kickoff meeting for the Long Term Control Plan process for Flushing Bay.
What are Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs)?
Combined sewers carry both sewage and stormwater in the same pipes, and when rain or snow melt overwhelms wastewater treatment plant or pipe capacity, untreated sewage will overflow into our waterways to prevent treatment plant failures. In the Hudson River Watershed, including the East and Harlem rivers, there are more than 660 CSO outfalls.
What is a Long Term Control Plan?
To reduce these discharges, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is implementing CSO Long Term Control Plans under the Clean Water Act over the next decade or more in the Capital District, New York City and several other river cities. The DEP is developing 10 waterbody-specific Long Term Control Plans for New York City’s waterways, including Flushing Creek and Flushing Bay. The city is developing this plan because of a groundbreaking agreement with the state to invest $2.4 billion to reduce the 27 billion gallons of sewage and stormwater discharged annually into the Hudson River Estuary and New York Harbor. Riverkeeper made sure decision-making will remain public—and citizens like you will have the right to enforce this landmark clean water agreement.
Why should you attend this public meeting?
This will be the public’s last chance to comment on the city’s inadequate plan for Flushing Creek. The plan falls way short of the Creek’s deserved reduction of CSOs and proposes to chlorinate wastewater without having studied the potential impacts to the ecosystem and the people that recreate on the Creek. Come out, speak up and demand that a comprehensive LTCP for Flushing Creek and Bay is developed.
On Flushing Bay, this kick-off meeting is an important opportunity to:
- Learn about the CSO Long Term Control Plan process
- Learn about the scope of the Flushing Bay Watershed
- Demonstrate strong community support for Flushing Bay
- Develop a baseline for how people use and benefit from Flushing Bay today
- Share your vision for the future of Flushing Bay as a place for fishing, swimming and boating
With questions, or to RSVP, please e-mail ltcp@dep.nyc.gov, or call 718-595-4148.
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