Clean and Seed arrives in Oceanside

Last week, Nassau County came through on its promise to help Artie DeGannaro restore his lawn after it was ravaged by Superstorm Sandy almost two years ago. But it was about more than just his lawn for DeGannaro.

“One step at a time, we are getting our homes back,” he said.

DeGannaro, from Oceanside, was one of the first to apply for assistance from Nassau County’s Clean and Seed program, an on-again, off-again venture run by the county but dependent on federal funds. Now he is among the first to receive such assistance.

Nassau County declared a state of emergency two weeks after Sandy for homes where there were breaches in sewer mains, causing sewage to bubble up into the surrounding streets and houses. The county established the Clean and Seed program last year, to remove toxins from lawns in those neighborhoods and others across the county, with $2 million in capital funding, but after assisting 200 homeowners, it ran out of money. According to Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, there were currently 1,494 homes still on the program’s list at the time.

DeGannaro was one of those left on the outside when the program was halted. He’d had his home assessed for damage and was on the waiting list for work to be done.

On May 13, County Executive Ed Mangano announced a bi-partisan agreement that would approve $14.4 million in capital funding that would allow the program to be restored.

“Nassau County’s Clean and Seed Program has been an integral part of helping residents recover from the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. This bi-partisan agreement allows the County to continue the work it started in helping homeowners recover from the storm,” Mangano said.

After the announcement, DeGannaro began calling the Clean and Seed program every couple of weeks. About three weeks ago, he was told that his number had come up. Workers removed about three inches of topsoil from his front yard, then replaced the soil, leveled the ground and planted seeds.

“I should have my lawn back next summer,” he said.

Only homes that were originally assessed by the program will be serviced.