Supervisors Foley, Nolan Onboard with Baykeeper’s Effort

MARCH 16, 2007, FARMINGVILLE, NY— Brookhaven Town Supervisor Brian X. Foley, Islip Town Supervisor Phil Nolan, Brookhaven Town Board members Carol Bissonette, Tim Mazzei and Kathy Walsh, Islip Town Board members William J. Rowley and Steven J. Flotteron, Peconic Baykeeper Kevin McAllister, Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri and leaders of boating, boating industry and environmental groups launched the Baykeeper-led initiative to have the South Shore Estuary declared a federal No-Discharge Zone at a press conference Friday, March 16.

If the petition drive is successful and the petition is certified by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and then approved by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, discharge from boats of partially treated sewage into the estuary’s waters—currently permitted—would be banned.

“Protecting and improving the health of our precious waters is a critical imperative for the Town of Brookhaven and all Long Island municipalities,” said Supervisor Brian X. Foley. “Our bays and rivers are a central part of who we are as a community.

“Baykeeper McAllister has the unanimous support of the Brookhaven Town Board in this effort, and I am proud to stand with Supervisor Nolan and the Islip Town Board in unanimous support of Kevin’s effort. We have spearheaded many initiatives in the Town of Brookhaven to protect and enhance our waters, and this is another important piece in that effort.”

Islip Town Supervisor Phil Nolan echoed Supervisor Foley’s sentiments, noting that Islip was the first municipality to pass legislation enabling the Peconic Baykeeper to begin the process of designating the South Shore Estuary as a federal No-Discharge Zone.

“The preservation of our local waterways is of the utmost importance to this administration,” said Supervisor Nolan, the sponsor of Islip’s resolution. “This legislation joins preservation efforts that have already been implemented in our Town, including wetlands acquisition and a mobile vessel pumpout program. The Town Board and I are committed to this endeavor, and encourage all South Shore municipalities to join this crucial movement.”

“As Long Islanders, we're deeply connected to our waters and it is our responsibility to ensure their long-term vitality,” said Baykeeper McAllister. “Clean water is critical to our environmental, recreational and economic interests and banning sewage discharges from vessels is another important step towards the overall goal of protecting and sustaining the South Shore Estuary. I applaud both Brookhaven Town Supervisor Brian Foley and Islip Town Supervisor Phil Nolan who, once again, have demonstrated their commitment to protecting our natural resources through their active support of this clean water initiative.”

“The designation of the South Shore Estuary Reserve as a vessel no-discharge zone is a critical step in stemming the tide of pollutants entering into our South Shore waterways,” said Councilwoman Bissonette. “This designation is another significant step forward and complements the work already underway through the Town of Brookhaven’s Forge River Task Force. This designation will play a vital role in our overall watershed management plan, remediation and restoration of Brookhaven’s south shore waterways. I thank and welcome the Town of Islip’s parallel efforts on this significant environmental initiative. The no-discharge zone designation will enhance water quality and recreation, and will preserve commercially significant shellfish and finfish habitats within our bays.”

“We can all do our part to eliminate pollution from local waters by using vessel pump-out facilities and honoring the No Discharge Zone designation,” said Councilman Mazzei. “Maintaining clean water is environmentally responsible in protecting our waterways for tourism, commercial fishing and recreational usage. I am thrilled to be partnering with Islip on this important initiative.”

“Our bays and creaks are our most precious resources on the South Shore,” said Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri. “If we don’t protect them, we ensure our own demise.”

The Association of Marine Industries, a trade group, is supporting the initiative as well. Phil Blindenhofer, AMI’s representative on the South Shore Estuary committee, attended the press conference and had a letter from AMI President Walter Dickerson that expressed the group’s support of the initiative.

The South Shore Estuary stretches from East Rockaway Inlet on the west 75 miles eastward to Heady Creek in Southampton Town. It includes 173 square miles of shallow bays and 107 tributaries that drain into the bays from the Long Island mainland.

The designation of NDZs first became available in 1976. After an initial wave of designations during the first year, there were no designations for about 8 years. There has been a gradual increase in designations since 1987. In the past 10 years, the Northeastern region--Massachusetts to New Jersey--has accounted for nearly 95% of the NDZ designations (15 of 16).

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