Save Our Western Bays A Cleaner Bay

A Cleaner Ocean

The Case for an Ocean Outfall

Background

The Western Bays were once highly productive fishing and shell fishing grounds

containing the largest concentration of salt marshes in the South Shore Estuary Reserve.

These bays were historically a major economic asset supporting recreation, commercial

fisheries, real estate values, and tourism. Unfortunately, this once vibrant ecosystem has

been experiencing ongoing and accelerating degradation of water quality, excessive

Ulva (seaweed) growth, degraded salt marshes, hypoxia, and diminished shellfish

harvesting for over a decade. As a result, these waters were added to EPA’s 303(d)

impaired water bodies list in 2008.

Based on recent scientific studies, the evidence is clear: The Bay Park Sewage

Treatment Plant (STP) outfall pipe must be removed from Reynolds Channel and

relocated out into the Atlantic Ocean. An ocean outfall is necessary to save the Bays;

ensure cleaner ocean beaches; protect the public’s health; and preserve our quality of life. This is not only

the best option, it is the only option.

Recent Developments & Facts

The Bay Park sewage treatment plant (STP) services 42% of Nassau County (more than 500,000 people). Since

2008, over $1.64 million in state and federal money has been spent on studies documenting high levels of

ammonia, nitrate, and Ulva concentrated at or around the Bay Park outfall pipe located in the middle of

Reynolds Channel, and suffocating the Western Bays ecosystem. These studies disclosed that the Bay Park and

Long Beach sewage treatment plant outfalls contribute 94% (87.9% and 6.1% respectively) of the total dissolved

nitrogen into the immediate West Bay and 79.4% of the nitrogen to the entire western bays complex.

The studies proved unequivocally: The Bays are not just impaired, they are imperiled; and the location of

the Bay Park outfall and its ongoing inferior discharge is indeed the reason.

Similar projects have shown positive results:

Two successful nearby case studies

Mumford Cove, CT: In 1945, a sewage treatment plant was built to service a local Navy housing project,

which discharged into Mumford Cove, CT. By 1971, approximately 0.4 million gallons of treated

effluent was being discharged into this small and shallow cove each day. By 1985, the discharge had

increased to 3.5 million gallons a day, greatly increasing the total nitrogen content in the Cove as well. As

a result, by 1987, there was such an abundance of Ulva, the Cove had become devoid of seagrass (which

acts as a nursery for fish, clams, and other sea life) — quite similar to the conditions being witnessed in

the Western Bays today. In 1987, the plant’s discharge pipe was moved from the Cove to the Thames

River. In less than a year, the Cove’s Ulva content was reduced by 99%; and, within 10 years, the

seagrass had returned and, once again, become its dominant plant life!

Deer Island, MA: At a capacity of 1.27 Billion gallons per day, the Deer Island sewage treatment plant is

the second largest STP in the US. Prior to 2000 Boston’s sewage discharged into Boston Harbor which in

1988 was famously characterized as one of the most polluted waterbodies in the US. In 2000, the outfall

pipe was relocated offshore to Massachusetts Bay and upgrades were made to the treatment plant. There

is an extensive program in place to monitor the new outfall and surrounding waters to ensure the effluent

continues to meet requisite standards. The program indicates a complete and ongoing success — Boston

Harbor is cleaner, and Massachusetts Bay has not been negatively impacted by the outfall pipe.

This success is due to: improvements that were made to the plant itself, resulting in cleaner

effluent; and the relocation of its outfall pipe, resulting in better and more complete dilution of the

effluent.

Superstorm Sandy

During Superstorm Sandy, nine and a

half feet of seawater flooded the Bay

Park STP — resulting in the entire plant

shutting down and approximately 2.2

billion gallons of raw and partially

treated sewage being discharged into the

Western Bays. Sewage backed up onto

streets, into homes, and defiled the bays,

creating health hazards, causing

millions of dollars in damages, and

threatening the ecosystem.

How Will advanced treatment combined with an Ocean

Outfall Benefit Long Islanders?

1. It Will Provide for a Cleaner Bay & Ocean Beaches.

Excessive nitrogen loading in the Western Bays is causing seaweed

so dense, it not only depletes precious oxygen from the waterways, it

stifles marine life at the bay bottom. In addition, when mass amounts

of seaweed strand along the bayside and ocean shorelines, it affects

human health, quality of life, and our local economy. Noxious

hydrogen sulfide gas, originating from Ulva decomposition, wafts

through communities and inundates seaside dining establishments

with the odor of rotting eggs. In July 2013, seaweed stranding

became so voluminous at some of the most popular ocean beaches

that the Town of Hempstead was forced to plow and truck it away on

a daily basis. Increased mixing in the ocean, advanced treatment

standards, and vigilant monitoring will provide for improvements to the bay as well as along ocean beaches.

Similar to the Deer Island case study: Improving treatment of effluent and discharging it to an improved

flushed location will dramatically reduce nutrients fueling harmful algae blooms and excessive seaweed

growth that currently fouls bay and ocean beaches.

2. It Will Protect the Salt Marsh Islands that in turn protect us.

The Western Bays’ salt marsh islands provide critical habitat for birds and marine species; offer substantial

economic opportunities for residents and tourists; and protect low-lying communities from damaging wave

energy and coastal erosion. Unfortunately, the integrity of these

marshes are being undermined by excessive nitrogen pollution

from the Bay Park STP. Studies evince their root systems are

thinning — making them more and more susceptible to erosion

and collapsing along their edges. As these marshes erode and

sink, shoreline communities lose their natural buffer against

high-energy waves, increasing the risk of wave and water

damage for many waterfront properties. Turning off the

nitrogen spigot in the bay will force the salt marsh roots to

work harder, strengthening the integrity of the salt marsh

islands that protect our coastal communities.

3. It Will Protect Communities & the Environment Against Future Catastrophic Events. Bay Park, one

of the oldest STP’s on Long Island, has a long history of troubles and violations, resulting in millions of

gallons of raw and partially treated sewage being released in dangerously close proximity to surrounding

bayside communities. Had the 2.2 billion gallon Sandy spill occurred during the hot summer months, it would

have and triggered serious ahuman health crises and at the exact time when residents and response crews were

already overburdened with many other storm-related emergencies. While ideally future disruptions can be

averted, we would be naive to believe they won’t recur. An ocean outfall pipe will ensure the even in a crisis,

sewage can be discharged offshore, outside the sensitive bay, and away from human communities.

Discharging Bay Park effluent further away from high density coastal communities and sensitive

enclosed embayment is the safest and most prudent course of action.

What Must Be Implemented Now

A Modern, State-of-the-Art Sewage Treatment Plant

The re-engineering of the Bay Park STP provides a unique opportunity to employ modern treatment

techniques that will improve the quality of effluent; abate plant noise and odor in the adjacent

communities; and recover and/or utilize waste resources. For instance, ultraviolet technology should

be installed to disinfect pathogens, rather than chlorine, which will save in chronic chemical costs and

be safer for our environment. In addition, recovery of latent heat from generators has the potential to

accelerate biological nitrogen reactions in winter; and methane gas can be used as a fuel.

Most importantly, it is critical to fully anticipate that wastewater treatment technology will continue to

advance. Therefore, any STP reconstruction must plan for incorporating future upgrades and

technological improvements into its design. It is also important to note modernizations that advance

energy efficiencies or resource recovery opportunities that may be eligible for assistance from the US

DOE or NYSERDA.

Strict & Enforceable Discharge Standards

Nassau County’s economy is heavily dependent upon water-based recreation, fisheries and beaches.

Transferring the bay’s problems to the ocean is not an acceptable outcome. Relocating the outfall pipe

from Reynolds Channel to the New York Bight is in no way intended to be a “free-pass’. Simply, the

days of permitting sewage discharges into any surface waters without the strictest of treatment

standards, compliance and respective enforcement are at an end. A successfully renovated, state-of

-the-art Bay Park Treatment Plant will set an example and incentive to “reset the bar,;” acting as the

archetypal model for future STP renovations and constructions and mandating the highest possible

outfall discharge standards in New York Bight.

Professional Operators

After extensive research and numerous meetings throughout the last several years, the Western Bays

Coalition recognizes and supports an established and highly experienced, qualified, professional

contractor, specializing in wastewater treatment management, to be an essential component for a

cleaner bay and ocean. It has become exceedingly clear the Bay Park STP must be operated by a

management and engineering firm possessing a proven history of successfully operating and

implementing advanced wastewater technology.

Vigilant Oversight

Two other key components are crating a community oversight board; and installing digital real-time

dashboard to monitor key discharge parameters. Community oversight and real-time monitoring

will not only help facilitate local supervision, but also expedite compliance reporting for plant

operators and assist County officials in effectuating their reporting requirements to state and

federal agencies. When installed, the dashboard could send real-time information directly to NY State,

in a way that is compliant and consistent with the Sewage Right to Know Law, signed by Governor

Cuomo in August 2012.

The Western Bays Coalition

Citizens Campaign for the Environment * Operation SPLASH *

The Nature Conservancy * Point Lookout Civic Association * Sludge Stoppers