In This Issue:
SWIM’s Recent Public Meeting
SWIM's 2018 Agenda
NYC DEP Progress Report on the CSO Long Term Control Plans
SWIM Members Call on DEC not to approve the City's Proposed CSO Long Term Control Plans
Updates on Coney Island Creek
SWIM Meeting with DEP about CSO Chlorination Concerns
Save the Date!
Job Openings
Waterfront Alliance Harbor Scorecard
How Green is Your City Council Member?
SWIM's January 31st public meeting at Pratt Institute: In case you missed the meeting you can get a recap on the meeting and access the presentations on SWIM's Blog here. We presented our 2017 member survey results and had two break out discussions on key topics we'll address in 2018: Scroll down to see the key topics for our 2018 Clean Waterways in NYC agenda.
SWIM's 2018 Clean Water Agenda: See SWIM's Principles for Clean Waterways in NYC here. Key Topics for 2018: -NYC's MS4 Stormwater Management Plan: (SWMP) for the NYC Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4): Plan due out in Spring 2018 -NYC Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Long Term Control Plans: Open Waters, Jamaica Bay. DEP Public Meetings/Public Comment March - June -Combined Sewer Overflow Alert System: Ways to Improve the Public Alert System -DEP's Plans to Chlorinate CSO's: Campaign for CSO capture vs. Chlorination -Green Infrastructure on Private Property: Provide input on DEP's revamped grant program for GI on private property -Water Rate Restructuring Study: Join forces with advocates around the City to call for an accelerated timeline and specific criteria for the City's water rate restructuring study.
NYC DEP Progress Report on the CSO Long Term Control Plans
Every quarter the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) submits a progress report to NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) on the City’s Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Long Term Control Plans (LTCP) and posts it on their website.
One of our key concerns in the report is that despite ongoing community concern and unanswered questions about potential residual chlorine toxicity, proposed chlorination facilities are moving forward in Alley Creek, Hutchinson River, and Flushing Creek. We’ve posted some highlights from the latest report on our blog here.
SWIM Resources to Learn More:
SWIM Coalition Fact Sheet on the City's Combined Sewer Overflow Long-Term Control Plans and our many concerns about the State's intention to approve them.
SWIM Members Call on DEC not to approve the City's Proposed CSO Long Term Control Plans: SWIM Coalition sent out an action alert in late January calling on our members and elected officials to respond to the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation's request for public comment in response to their proposed CSO Consent Order Amendment. Here is a link to SWIM's Steering Committee's letter and several SWIM Coalition member's comment
letters on this matter.
The Amendment to the Consent Order will give the City the go ahead to proceed with the flawed CSO Long Term Control Plans we've been following with great concern.
You can read more about this issue on our blog. We are especially grateful to
City Council Member and Chair of the NYC City Council Committee
for Environmental Protection, Costa
Constantinides for the comment letter
SWIM participated in a Community Workshop with Coney Island Beautification Project, NYC Water Trails, NY Littoral Society, Billion Oyster Project, Partnerships for Parks and NYC DEP at the Wildlife Conservation Society's New York Aquarium on Saturday, February 3, 2018. Image Courtesy of J. Welch
Update on Coney Island Creek Stewards and stakeholders gathered at the Wildlife Conservation Society's NY Aquarium this month to share updates on what's going on in and around the Creek. Water quality in the Creek remains a challenge but there are a lot of folks working hard to make sure the Creek gets cleaned up. Check out SWIM's blog post here for details about the workshop. The community has recently learned that NY State DEC has settled their case with the Beach Haven apartment complex for their illicit discharges violation of 200,000 gallons of raw sewage per day into Coney Island Creek for at least a year. Illicit discharges are taking place in waterways across the City, here is a recent article about the issue. Settlement funds from the Beach Haven violation will be distributed via grants to support environmental benefit projects within the Coney Island Creek watershed that address water quality in the Creek, green infrastructure, the creation or improvement of open space and waterfront access, ecological and recreational programs, stormwater management, and green jobs training.
SWIM Meeting with DEP on City's Chlorination Plans SWIM Coalition members and local advocates met with NYC DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza and his senior staff members on February 14th to discuss our concerns about the City's plans to chlorinate raw sewage before it discharges into several local waterways rather than capture and retain it during combined sewer overflow events. Talking sewage on Valentine's Day! Now that's some dedicated stewards. Check out our blog entry to learn more about this issue and our discussions with DEP. Image courtesy of Summer Storm Sandoval. 2018
Save the Date!
March 1: SWIM at Alley Pond Environmental Center Clean Water Symposium on Green Infrastructure and Water Quality in Alley Creek and Little Neck Pond, Queensboro Community College 7 P.M. - 9 P.M. Click here to RSVP.
March 7: DEP Public Meeting at 6:30 P.M. for the Open Waters East River CSO Long Term Control Plan. Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. Click here to RSVP. This is an important meeting to attend! 3 of the City's proposed CSO Long Term Control Plans are planning to divert CSO overflows into the E. River. For more info see our recent blog post about this issue
March 29: SWIM Public Meeting 11:00 A.M. at NYC Soil and Water Conservation District, 121 Ave. of the Americas, 5th Floor Conference Room. Click here for more details and to RSVP.
Job Openings Long Island Regional Planning Council is seeking a Program Manager for New York State’s Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan. Click here for details.
Waterfront Alliance Harbor Scorecard
As you plan your goals and activities for your local waterways this year, don’t forget to use the Harbor Scorecard tool that the Waterfront Alliance launched last summer. The scorecard allows you to take a deep dive into the details that impact water quality in your local waterway. And the Waterwire newsletter and events calendar on the Waterfront Alliance website are both great places to learn more about what's going on with our waterways and check for waterway related activities going on all over the City each month. Here is a Waterwire entry on SWIM's recent actions related to the CSO LTCP's