New plan focuses on lowering Long
Island's nitrogen pollution
Originally published: September 10, 2013 7:09 PM
Updated: September
10, 2013 8:14 PM
By BART JONES bart.jones@newsday.com
Photo credit: Barry Sloan | Christopher Gobler, professor of marine science
at Stony Brook University speaks beside Adrienne Esposito of Citizens
Campaign for the Environment during a press conference to kick off the
Long Island Clear Water Partnership campaign in Farmingdale. (Sept. 10,
2013)
A coalition of environmental groups Tuesday announced a $3 million,
three-year public education campaign to rally Long Islanders and pressure
politicians to save the region's threatened water system.
Leaders of the newly formed Long Island Clean Water Partnership said at a
news conference in Farmingdale that their groups will spend $400,000 a
year for three years on TV ads alone. The message: Nitrogen pollution from
septic systems and other sources is endangering the water supply and
prompting large numbers of beach and lake closings.
"We just had the worst summer ever with pollution," said Adrienne
Esposito of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, a member of the
coalition. "We're losing the battle of the bays. Our bays are dying."
Environmentalists and scientists said one of the principal culprits is nitrogen
from sewage that seeps into the groundwater and then into bays and
harbors. They also called on the public to do more to prevent polluted
runoff and politicians to strengthen environmental protections for the
region.
The TV ads have already started airing; radio ads and door-to-door visits in
some neighborhoods are also planned, officials said. Funding for the effort
came from participating groups and several Long Island foundations.
"Long Island's elected officials need to take action now to protect our most
valuable resource -- our water -- before it's too late," said Richard Amper,
executive director of the Long Island Pine Barrens Society. The coalition
also includes The Nature Conservancy and the Group for the East End.
This summer saw a dramatic increase in pollution-related beach and lake
closings, often because of outbreaks of harmful algae linked to excessive
nitrogen. Northport Harbor was closed in May and Lake Ronkonkoma
Beach was closed in July and August.
Amper said the campaign will help educate people about many of their
actions that damage the water supply, such as using too much fertilizer or
flushing unused medicine down their toilets.
Many people pour damaging chemicals, such as oven cleaners and
degreasers, down the kitchen sink -- not thinking that they will end up in
the water supply, said Bob Deluca of the Group for the East End.
"We have to think about where all these products are going," he said.