HBCA Membership Meeting 8-24-15

Topic: Troubled Waters: Urgent Care for our Bays and

Aquifer
Speakers: Scott Carlin, moderator, John Bouvier, Ed Warner Jr., Scott Horowitz,
Alex Gregor, Kevin McAllister, Marty Shea, Chris Gobler, and Bill Hillman
Town Officials: Brad Bender, Janice Shearer
The format included an introduction to each of the panelists by Scott, followed by
each panelist providing their perspective on how best to do an immediate fix to
the poor health of our bays. They addressed the question, Is a controlled
breach the best short term fix for Western Shinnecock Bay?
Scott began with stating that we are not making investments in our estuaries and
bays, which hurts our economic health, jobs, sense of community and resiliency.
Chris Gobler Professor Marine and Atmospheric Sciences Stony Brook
University
Our bays are experiencing significant decline in shell fish (70%-99%), salt
marshes (20%-80%), reoccurring red, brown and rust tides. Greatest
impairment is in western Shinnecock Bay, declared impaired in 2010 by
the DEC.
Natural flushing in eastern Shinnecock keeps the bay in good health and
the breach in Great South Bay was very helpful to the bays health in area
where flushing took effect.
Remediation currently includes 5 million clams and 40,000 oysters in
western Shinnecock
Cited Brookhavens legislating advanced septic for large flow facilities.
Advocated that SH town do the same.
Alex Gregor Highway Superintendent
Concern for polluted groundwater, and septic systems are seeping into the
bays and oceans. Citizens must drive robust changes.
He advocated the installation of a pipe that would cross Dune Road at
Quantatuck and down Dolphin lane. An 8-foot pipe could deliver 13 million
gallons in 46 hours pushed with tides from the ocean to the bay. Pipe may
also be installed under the road. He urged that we continue the practices
in place that are assisting the health of the bays and ocean.
Kevin McAllister President Defend H2O
Clear benefit to flushing. A key factor in bay degradation is the amount of
time water remains without being turned over. It is however, a complex
issue.

We must move away from conventional septic systems with phased in

local laws. By the turn of the century, there will be a 6-foot rise in sea level
radically effecting roads and development as well as septic systems in
place now.
Ed Warner Town Trustee
Provided historical perspective. The turning point for the increase in algae
bloom was 1985. In 1890 the western Shinnecock waters were a poor
quality, which was aided by the Shinnecock canal. The Trustees believe a
controlled breach is a short-term solution. The issue must be resolved at
the source.
Concerns about development. Urged all to closely review all PDDs. The
solution to pollution is not additional pollution. We must have a working
plan.
Marty Shea Chief Environmental Analyst for Southampton
We must tackle the problem from the mainland side of the issue by
educating the public one homeowner at a time, urging them to restore the
natural systems. Much of our lost shoreline must be resorted to its natural
ecosystem.
He voiced concerns about a controlled break and fears unintended
consequences. Inlets cause erosion and pipes are not usually large
enough to do required flushing.
Scott Horowitz - Trustee
We are victims of poor land use, citizens that dont follow regulations and
lack of enforcement of these regulations.
We need to: Upgrade septic systems with incentive, identify ways to
restore wetlands and restore shellfish and buffers, and make smart land
use decisions.
Bill Hillman - Chief Engineer Suffolk County Department of Public Works
He had reservations about the ability of the piping systems to perform the
hydraulic exchanges and would be very expensive to maintain. The
bureaucratic energy needed to create this break would take too much
time and feared there would be no substantial impact. In addition, we do
not have the proper dredging equipment and doubts the feasibility of a
long term effect.
The emphasis should be on revising septic protocols and town
enforcement.
John Bouvier Town Conservation Board Member
Opening and closing inlets wont solve the problem. It would be a very
difficult task that is not feasible. We must go to the source of the problem
septic systems which leach many harmful elements in addition to
nitrogen. The Health Department presents problems. The vision for
Hampton Bays addressed in recent HBCA meetings provided a clear
sense and vision of where we need to go.

Questions and Answers:

We are best expending our efforts and money to clean up the bays in
populated areas close to the water and in older areas where septic
systems have degraded over time.
The thought of leaving the Shinnecock locks open in winter to provide for
a greater water exchange presents problems. The water would move
much faster and have a scouring effect undermining the roadways,
bridges and the bottoms. There is also concern for greater pollution in the
Peconic Bay.
What laws and septic improvement would you put into the community?
An effective denitrification system. 90% of our nitrogen comes from
urine. Suffolk County has been managing nitrogen levels for drinking
water, not for the marine environment, which is far more sensitive.
Brookhavens new local water pollution law shows that municipal
government can lead. (K.McAllistr)
A million clams for western Shinnecock Bay would break down the
brown tide density. Community must force the County Health
Department and the DEC to commit to meet higher standards and
monitor progress. Other communities have been successful i.e.
Forge River. County Execs have taken ownership. New septic
systems are already approved and can be used now. (Chris Gobler)
Keep pressure on the County Health Department to set different
standards. (Bill Hillman)
Have your own septic systems pumped, add 10 million clams, require
septic upgrades, use some type of flushing mechanism, do
navigational dredging to improve water circulation, put stringent local
laws in place and force the county to adhere to them, offer tax rebates
on new and upgraded septic within 500 feet of the water, provide
public environmental education, restore natural wetlands along the
shoreline, create a shoreline overlay zoning district that prohibits the
use of fertilizer and pesticides.
Enforce the regulations already in place; provide a seeding program,
septic rebates, wetland restoration and advocate strongly for water
protection with the County Health Department. (Scott Horowitz)
Is mosquito spraying harmful to the environment?
All herbicides are harmful to shellfish and eel grass as well as
pesticides and household cleaners. Reject mosquito spraying.
A final tally was taken on the question of a controlled break There were six No
votes recorded.