MEDIA RELEASE

MARCH 10, 2009

CONTACT: JOSHUA SLAUGHTER
    Office:  (631) 852-1300
Cell:  (631) 456-1718
 Email: Joshua.Slaughter@suffolkcountyny.gov

Browning and Levy Announce Storm Water Remediation
Plan for Forge River at CR 80

Joint Project with New York State will Address Discharge
at Storm Drains on County Road 80

Hauppauge, NY – Legislator Kate Browning (WF-Shirley) and Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy today announced plans for Phase 2 of a program to prevent road runoff and harmful pollutants from entering the Forge River.

The $647,500 from Suffolk will be matched by funds from New York State to provide leaching basins, oil/grit separators, storm water treatment units and an infiltrator basin along County Road 80. This project will treat all of the runoff from a watershed area totaling 9.95 acres that currently discharges directly into the Forge River.

“Restoring the health of the Forge River is vital to the overall health of the Great South Bay and to the quality of life on our South Shore,” said Levy. “These treatment units and basins will directly reduce the amount of pollutants impacting the Forge River.”

“This project is another commitment from Suffolk County to reduce the impact of pollutants on the Forge River,” said Browning. “This is another piece in the overall effort to remediate the problems that have left our river virtually dead.”

According the county officials, the 30 leaching basins, two oil/grit separators and the infiltration basin will result in a reduction of approximately 66 pounds of Nitrogen, 8.7 pounds of Phosphorus and 3.3 tons of sediment per year.

Levy noted Suffolk has been involved in many efforts to protect the Forge River, including ongoing water monitoring programs and the purchase of over 110 acres of land within the Forge River watershed.

The Forge River, located between the hamlets of Mastic and Moriches on the south shore of Suffolk County, New York, has great recreational and ecological value.  Unfortunately, historic activities have subjected the river to numerous nutrient and pollutant sources including duck farm and sewage treatment plant discharges, septic system leachate, storm water runoff, loss of wetlands, small-lot development, and shoreline hardening that have resulted in adverse impacts. 

In response to these problems, the county has committed to a monthly water quality monitoring program at twenty sites along the river corridor.  Monitoring for parameters including nutrients, salinity, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, chlorophyll-a, and phytoplankton, is being conducted by the county to help develop the data needed to lead to a mitigation plan.