Results tagged “sewage”

       

In the latest article in NY Times' series "Toxic Waters," about the "worsening pollution in American waters, and regulators’ response," the focus is on sewer systems. And the main example is here in NYC, starting at the Owls Head Water Pollution Control Plant, "where much of Brooklyn’s sewage is treated." And you will never think about a rain fall the same way again.

The opening line in this Wired article is sort of terrifying: "It's 2020, and cities are so overcrowded that it’s impossible to deliver packages." The megalopolis of the future sounds claustrophobic to say the least, but just how will we get our much needed crap delivered to our doors and desks? Before it breeds post-consumer waste, it'll travel through the sewer systems!

Three workers at a private recycling facility in Jamaica, Queens died while trapped in a sewage hole earlier this afternoon. According to NY1, "The men were subcontractors pumping three to four feet of water out of the hole, which was about 18-feet deep. One worker fell into the hole and the two others fell in while trying to help him." And CityRoom reports that two of the workers were a father and a son. The hole was full of hydrogen sulfide and fire officials said there was twice the lethal amount of the colorless gas, which the CDC says "can also result from bacterial breakdown of organic matter. It is also produced by human and animal wastes." Queens Borough Commander John Sudnik said, "It's toxic. At 50 parts per million, it's lethal in 10 minutes." Initially, the FDNY had called Con Ed to bring vacuum trucks, which helps suck debris from manholes, to Regal Recycling Co. but then cancelled the request because the victims were dead.

Yesterday, a number of beaches, including Coney Island and Manhattan Beach, were closed after concerns that raw sewage, which overflowed from a sewage plant, had contaminated the water. But one beachgoer at Coney Island ignored the many announcements and actually decided on a swim—only to be "cited for failing to comply with an officer" (the Daily News also has a photo of him being restrained from possibly heading back to the water). Others were disappointed, telling the Daily News, "We were looking forward to this day all week. It takes two hours to get here from the Bronx. The water looks okay to me," and "In New York, they exaggerate. They see a mosquito flying near the water, and they make a big deal." Beaches are reopening, but swimming is not allowed.

Those out in Coney Island today for the all-day Coney Island Bordwalk Party may have jumped the gun by wearing their swim trunks. The Parks Department closed off the water in Coney due to possible raw sewage overflow from a local treatment plant. Nearby Manhattan Beach was also shut down for the same reason, but both beaches remain open to sunbathers. Earlier in the weekend, Nassau County had shut down 22 beaches because of the heavy rain on Friday and yesterday it was revealed that a sizable chunk of Robert Moses State Park would have to close down due to erosion.

It was, oh, about one year ago that fisherman Robert Skonieczny first caught wind of an awful stench coming in the direction of Tottenville on Staten Island. Courageously, Skonieczny tracked the odors along Arthur Kill to its source: a storm drain spewing feces and other human waste into a marsh that feeds the bay! A call to 311 was placed, and he was told an investigator would be dispatched to the area. But over time, the smell got worse, the water in the marina got murkier, and the storm drain continued spewing feces, feminine hygiene products and toilet paper. Until yesterday! The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was on the scene and finally fixed an obstructed sanitary sewer that was diverting the waste to the storm sewers. DEP says they never received a complaint until this Monday, and suggested maybe Skonieczny's complaint got sent to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), but that city agency tells the Staten Island Advance they weren't alerted until last Friday. In other sewage news, be advised this is not the weekend for a dip in the Hudson; some 2 million gallons of raw sewage could be dumped in the river Sunday while a pipeline is repaired in Yonkers.

Earlier this week, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced that a Queens marina owner was convicted of dumping untreated sewage into Broad Channel in Jamaica Bay. Cuomo said, "John Schmitt’s actions have been truly disgusting. Dumping raw sewage into a public waterway is not just bad for the environment; it is a clear abuse of the people who use the bay for swimming, fishing, and boating." However, Schmitt's lawyer says his client will appeal, "This is a case over a toilet and a sink. There are people in Broad Channel today who still don't have sewer lines." Schmitt has been previously accused of taking 600,000 square feet of land for additional boats and dumping fuel, concrete, and other toxins into the marshland.