The Environmental Protection Agency has extended the public comment deadline to Febraury 28th on the proposed control plan to partially reduce combined sewage overflow into the Newtown Creek superfund site and will present more info on the plan at a public meeting in Queens on Wednesday night.
Community groups such as the Newtown Creek Alliance have dubbed the EPA’s proposal the ‘No Action Plan‘ for lacking commitment to fully rid the three mile tributary to the East River of the raw sewage that overflows into the water during rain episodes.
A public meeting where EPA reps will provide updates on the Newtown Creek superfund site and the plan for combined sewage overflows will take place at Sunnyside Community Services (43-31 39th a St.) on Wednesday, Feb. 19th, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The Newtown Creek Community Advisory Group released comments on the proposed plan and are “deeply concerned that the Proposed Plan would take off the table any potential reduction of CSO pollution sources.” “We believe finalizing this Proposed Plan would call into question EPA’s commitment to cleaning
up Newtown Creek and set a poor precedent for future Superfund decisions,” the group’s letter states.
NCCAG also shared a letter to help people prepare and submit their own comments that “speak directly to the issues/concerns most important to them.”
Public comment on the proposed Newtown Creek plan can be mailed, or emailed, to:
Mark Schmidt
Remedial Project Manager
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
290 Broadway, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10007
Email: schmidt.mark@epa.gov