By:Laura Lane
About 34 homeowners own the pond, but they say its condition makes it impossible for them to enjoy their backyards. Judy Tager, who has lived on Smith Street for the past 49 years, said foul smells, mosquitoes and debris from the pond, which her backyard faces, have gotten much worse this summer. ÒItÕs a cesspool here,Ó said Tager, who now only looks at the pond from her window. ÒThereÕs stuff floating all over the pond. It smells, and now the garbage is on both sides of the pond, making a horseshoe. All the runoff is here. I donÕt use my backyard.Ó
Nassau County installed booms last spring to collect the garbage that flows into the pond from upstream, but the effort doesnÕt appear to be working, according to residents.
ÒThe booms are a short-term fix,Ó said county Legislator Dave Denenberg (D-Merrick), who has been trying to help the residents living near the pond. ÒWe have a commitment from the Department of Public Works that the booms will be cleaned after every rainfall, but they are only a partial solution. My goal is to have the county clean the pond every month and encourage the Town of Hempstead to do the same.Ó
Denenberg said that there are 2,700 outflow sources where stormwater from the street runs into drains.
Stormwater, polluted rainwater carrying such contaminants as insecticides from lawns and garbage from streets, typically makes its way into bodies of water like Smith Pond.
The polluted rainwater runs into pipes, which lead to a main pipe. Stormwater not only ends up in Smith Pond, but also flows into sumps, creeks and directly into Merrick Bay.
ÒTo talk about any one pond is dangerous, because what youÕre seeing is only an example of stormwater problems in Nassau County,Ó Denenberg said. ÒIf you look at what flows into the bay, itÕs horrible.Ó
Denenberg added that he has written approximately five letters to the Town of Hempstead regarding Smith PondÕs condition. He has asked the townÕs assistance in maintaining a filtration system that the county would put in place to stop stormwater pollution from entering the pond.
Mike Deery, Town of Hempstead spokesman, said the letters were never received. ÒWe have a detailed log of letters here, and donÕt have any copies of those letters,Ó Deery said. ÒWe have all of Legislator DenenbergÕs other letters logged, but none of these.Ó
Still, Deery said, responsibility for Smith Pond doesnÕt fall to the Town of Hempstead. ÒBoth the county and the town have a maintenance map that we share, and it indicates whoÕs responsible for the different areas,Ó said Deery. ÒIt indicates that the pond falls under the countyÕs purview.Ó
Denenberg believes the town should be involved in maintaining the pond because the roadways along which polluted stormwater runs belong mostly to the town. ÒThe 80 miles of roadway leading into Smith Pond are 6 percent county, 8 percent state and 86 percent town,Ó Denenberg said. ÒStormwater runs off from predominantly residential roads owned by the town into Nassau County creeks, which lead into Smith Pond. I also requested that the town participate in cleanup efforts Ñ like if the county is cleaning up the pond three times a year, that the town at least match those cleanup efforts.Ó
When contacted by the Herald and asked if the town would consider maintaining county filtration systems to prevent stormwater pollution from entering ponds and participate in the cleanup efforts mentioned by Denenberg, Deery was adamant. ÒThatÕs the most ludicrous thing IÕve ever heard,Ó he said. ÒThe town maintains the bottom of all the canals and bays out to the ocean inlet, and there are innumerable county roads whose stormwater runs into them. Is the county going to clean the pollution at the bottom of those waterways? We donÕt ask the county to maintain our areas, and we donÕt expect them to ask us to maintain properties that fall under their purview.Ó
Nevertheless, the federal government believes the stormwater problem must be managed. It enacted the Storm Water Phase II Compliance law in February 2000, an amendment to the Clean Water Act that gives states five years to develop a plan to manage the stormwater runoff problem. The federal governmentÕs objective is to prevent destruction of the waterways.
Both the town and the county are complying with the federal law separately. But five years seems a long way away for Smith Pond residents. ÒWe need a permanent solution for the pond now,Ó Tager said. ÒThis is unbelievable.Ó
