By ANTHONY BOTTAN
The deal breaker for the proposed bond was the idea of using $50 million of it to build an outfall pipe for the Bay Park sewage treatment plant into the Atlantic Ocean. Residents of East Rockaway and Bay Park have expressed support for a pipe that would send treated effluent out into the ocean rather than into Reynolds Channel, where it is currently pumped. Residents and environmentalists were outraged, however, that the cost of the proposed pipe would be borne by county taxpayers.
"This is not an option. This is a necessity," Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said of the pipe. "Put it in the capital budget for next year."
The Legislature's presiding officer, Diane Yatauro (D-Glen Cove), said that putting an additional strain on taxpayers with a bond, especially during tough economic times, is not a good idea, which is why the bond plan was dropped. "We believe it may be asking too much for our constituents to seriously weigh the impact of any bonding proposal at this time," Yatauro said. "We agreed that, for now, we need to focus on working cooperatively toward resolving the problems of our western bays, the South Shore coastline and the threat to our waters and beaches."
Hempstead Town Councilman Anthony Santino recently sent a letter to East Rockaway residents, asking them to urge the Legislature to fund an outfall pipe. Santino warned them, however, that such a project might lead to the diversion of sewage from other plants in Nassau County - specifically, facilities in Cedarhurst and Lawrence - to the Bay Park plant, where there are already complaints about the smell and the outflow's effects on Reynolds Channel.
Connie Petrucci, who has lived in East Rockaway for 40 years, said that East Rockaway residents and Bay Parkers are in favor of an outfall pipe - unless Santino's contention is correct, in which case they would oppose it. "How dare you ask taxpayers to contribute more money?" Petrucci asked, directing the question to Legislator Jeff Toback (D-Oceanside), who is a strong advocate of a pipe. "Can you pledge that a new outfall pipe won't be used as an excuse to force us to accept more sewage from other plants?"
Environmentalists like Rob Weltner, president of the environmental advisory committee Operation SPLASH, said that though Republican and Democratic legislators argue on the best way to fund the outfall pipe, it needs to be built now. "Upgrades to the sewage treatment plant isn't rocket science," Weltner said. "The longer we wait, the worse the bay is getting."
Victor Consiglio, a member of Operation SPLASH, said he conducted tests of the water around Amityville, and his findings were shocking. He said he tested the acidity of the water, using a scale of 1 to 9 - from most to least acidic - and found the water rated a score of 9. For aquatic life to flourish, water should be "neutral" - measuring, on Consiglio's scale, close to 5. Instead, Consiglio explained, "The water is completely alkaline. Everything in that area is completely dead."
Legislator Peter Schmitt (R-Massapequa) questioned the bond, which was primarily sponsored by Legislator David Denenberg (D-Merrick), and how it would be funded. "We say now, we will not support bonding until the Nassau County executive comes up with a comprehensive plan ... what, when and how much money, then we will go ahead," Schmitt said. "We find this proposal, as it's written, fatally flawed."
Legislator Jeff Toback (D-Oceanside ) said an outfall pipe for the Bay Park plant would cost upward of $300 million, but insisted that the county needs to address this problem immediately. "I think the county needs to act now - the bays can't wait any longer," Toback said.
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