Bay Park Plant to get $97 million advance for nitrogen issue

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, far right, and HUD Development Secretary Julian Castro received a tour of the plant from employees

Brendan Murray/Herald

New York State has issued the Bay Park Sewage Plant a $97 million advance on the $830 million in federal funds currently allocated to help upgrade and repair the outdated plant after it was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy two years ago. An additional $150 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for a pollution treatment system at the plant will also be forthcoming. The treatment system is designed to remove excess nitrogen that polluted Reynolds Channel and other waterways near the plant.

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, HUD Development Secretary Julián Castro, and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer made the announcement during a tour of the plant on Oct. 28.

“In addition to devastating homes and businesses across Nassau County,” said Mangano, “Superstorm Sandy caused tremendous damage to some of our most vital infrastructure which, as we learned, can make a bad situation even worse very quickly. The Bay Park Wastewater Treatment Plant is the perfect example of that.”

The state funding is an advance on the $830 million in federal funds allocated to repair elements of the Bay Park plant’s treatment and collection system, and to achieve an engineered resiliency against a 500-year storm. The plant currently is home to six construction jobs including cleaning, a complete rebuilding of the electrical system, a new dewatering facility and improvements to the plant’s odor-control system.

“The facility was inundated with nine feet of sea water during Sandy, causing power failure and environmental damage,” Mangano added. “Today, we are taking another crucial step forward to not only repair the damage that was done, but make the Bay Park plant stronger and more resilient than ever before. I am thankful for the governor’s support on this issue, making state funding available now.”

Schumer said the advance and the upgrades to Sandy were good news for residents who have had to suffer the long term-effects of Hurricane Sandy.