By MIKE CAPUTO and ANTHONY BOTTAN
To combat these pressures, four independent sewage districts -located within the villages of Lawrence and Cedarhurst and the cities of Long Beach and Glen Cove -have joined forces with the county and its large-scale system.
The agreement was announced during a press conference held last week by County Executive Tom Suozzi. It served as the county executive's first major step toward achieving his vision of consolidating smaller, special districts within the county's jurisdiction.
"It does not make sense to consolidate government unless it will actually save the taxpayers money in the process and will continue to provide the same or better services to the residents as part of the process," Suozzi said.
The county, which now controls 85 percent of the sewage, would operate 93 percent in Nassau if the plan makes it through legislation.
Mandates issued by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) forced the local municipalities to keep updating the old sewage facilities. Notwithstanding a modern plant in Glen Cove, the sewage treatment plants in Cedarhurst and Lawrence date to the 1930s, while the one in Long Beach was constructed in 1952.
When the DEC issues new mandates, the small districts must comply by making the necessary improvements. These ongoing improvements, which Cedarhurst Mayor Andrew Parise called "Band-Aids" placed on an old system, can cost millions of dollars, a price tag that small villages and cities simply cannot afford.
Under the consolidation plan, the county would begin designing the new pump stations-which would bring sewage to the county's facility in Bay Park-in 2008. Construction would begin in 2009, with the goal of a full county takeover when completed in 2011. When Nassau absorbs full control of the sewage districts upon completion of the pump stations, residents in the participating municipalities would pay taxes directly to the county on a
five-year freeze program guaranteeing one price.
Though the consolidation of sewage districts helps other municipalities, some Bay Park residents are furious. Residents said they deal with the smell from the sewage plant on a daily basis and the addition of more sewage only adds to the odor.
"We don't need anymore stink than we already have," 35-year Bay Park resident William Hoberg said. "We just got enough stink here."
Claire Marker, who has lived in Bay Park for 19 years, said she developed respiratory problems from the plant's pollutants and cannot believe that more sewage is on the way. "This is totally unnecessary. This is just a Suozzi underhanded thing to do and the people of this community do not want any part of this," she said.
Town of Hempstead Councilman Anthony Santino, who lives in East Rockaway, said he understands consolidating sewage districts helps tax payers, but does not agree with the extra strain it will put on Bay Park. "The consolidation of the sewage districts is laudable and will help tax payers, but it should not come at the expense of East Rockaway," he said.
Deputy Commissioner of the Nassau County Department of Public Works Joe Davenport, however, has little doubt the additional sewage will worsen the odor around Bay Park.
"We don't believe there will be an impact to the residents," said Davenport. "We believe the facility operates very efficiently. The vast majority of the processes and the process tankage are either indoors or enclosed with odor control treatment."
The state requires the county to keep a maximum capacity of 70 million gallons per day at its sewage treatment facilities. At Bay Park, Davenport said, the plant operates at 59 million gallons per day, 11 million under the maximum capacity allowed by the state. According to Davenport, plans to incorporate sewage from Lawrence, Cedarhurst and Long Beach into the Bay Park sewage amounts to an additional seven million gallons per day, four million under the maximum.
If other independent sewage districts follow suit and consolidate with the county, the only other system that would flow to Bay Park would be the Greater Atlantic Beach Water Reclamation Project. Davenport said the Atlantic Beach district would be small enough to still leave an excess within the maximum capacity.
Comments about this story? Mmalloy@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 202.
