Smart Growth Environmental Award to Operation SPLASH

The award for Environmental and Historic Preservation was presented to Operation SPLASH of Freeport at the 13th Annual Smart Growth Awards symposium sponsored by Vision Long Island on Friday, June 13.

Operation SPLASH won the award for its efforts in protecting Long Island’s waterways and shorelines.

Operation SPLASH was founded in 1990 with a beat up old boat and a handful of volunteers to pick debris out of the water. Fast forward to 2014, and the organization now has 3,500 volunteers and six boats.

Rob Weltner, Executive Director of Operation SPLASH, accepted the award. Weltner, a Freeport native, grew up fishing and clamming with this father. But when it came time for him to take his children to enjoy the water, years of pollution eliminated many maritime opportunities. More than 65 million gallons sewage are dumped along Long Island’s bay and shorelines every day, while storm drains route oil and other waste directly into the water.

“Polluting the area’s ecosystem for decades has cost Long Island precious resources. We’ve learned our lesson and hopefully we can move on,” said Weltner.