Legislator Dave Denenberg (D-Merrick) was the only Democrat to cross party lines in the initial vote. “I voted for the full amount because I believe, in this situation, and when it comes to sewage treatment plants, for the health and safety of our residents, we need to get it all done, whether the FEMA money is coming or not,” Denenberg said. “We need to step up — this administration is hundreds of millions of dollars behind in projects … [T]he Bay Park residents are ready. Give them the money.”

Denenberg said that he is encouraging the county to conduct responsible hearings on all of its ongoing projects and their progress. “No more excuses,” he said.

Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, a not-for-profit watchdog organization, agrees that more oversight is necessary, and that regular meetings should be held that include county officials, the CCE and Operation SPLASH (Stop Polluting Littering and Save Harbors). A bipartisan committee could meet every two months, Esposito suggested.

“The bottom line is, fixing the Bay Park Sewage Plant is a necessity, not a luxury,” she said. “We can’t do it piecemeal — it will cost $325 million just to fix the electrical system.”

The plant, Esposito said, is “disgusting, dangerous, and it’s unacceptable. The county has to get their act together.”

What will the $262 million fund?
The Nassau County Legislature approved funding for:
Influent screening: $29 million
Secondary treatment: $57.2 million
Digesters to treat biodegradable waste, sludge: $33.4 million
Sludge thickening: $30.7 million
Engine controls: $16.6 million
Pump stations, Phase I: $50.7 million
Odor control systems: $42 million

Projects not funded include the replacement of the electrical system, grit removal, tanks that separate solids from floatable trash, facility flood protection, and additional repairs.

Courtesy Nassau County