COPYRIGHT 2016 CAROLE OSTERINK
Friday, December 16, 2016
News from County Government
The Register-Star reports on two actions taken recently by the Columbia County Board of Supervisors. In the first, the board voted against a resolution authorizing a public hearing on a proposal to allow "common, safe items to be excluded from the dangerous fireworks definition: "Fireworks measure defeated in supervisor's vote." The outcome is that the sale and purchase of fireworks will continue to be prohibited in Columbia County.
In the second, the Board of Supervisors approved issuing a request for proposals "for design/engineering and other needed services for determining the location and design of a trail at the North Bay Recreation Area": "North Bay project takes step forward." The trail in Hudson would connect with the trail system at the Greenport Conservation Area and trails leading to Harrier Hill in Stockport.
COPYRIGHT 2016 CAROLE OSTERINK
COPYRIGHT 2016 CAROLE OSTERINK
Are there any existing North Bay water pollution monitors or documentation of same that could be reviewed by the BOS to safeguard the people from toxic waste landfill?
ReplyDeleteThere are two instances, but in the City that never follows up on anything does anyone know whether or not Crawford Engineering completes its scheduled monitoring of the test wells at the base of the landfill?
DeleteThe stuff is still oozing into North Bay - colored red with a metallic sheen - but I've never seen anyone's analysis of it, let alone Crawford's required reports (as a contracted matter).
A second location with NY State DEC test wells is at the Foster's Superfund site. In 2006, the DEC placed two test wells out in the marsh. At well MW-3, lead was detected in the groundwater, but according to the DEC subsequent testing never followed, and we can presume that no remediation will be attempted in the marsh.
As for water monitoring in general, the DEC first informed the City in 1982 that it was required to monitor water quality in North Bay. The DEC repeated this news on multiple occasions up to 2008.
In 2009, the exhausted DEC finally acquiesced on this one condition, and gave the City everything it was asking of the State.
But this apparent regulatory failure must be understood in context. The City had just come off a rocky experience after our Department of Pubic Works was implicated in the fabric factory's substantial release of chlorine into North Bay via the treatment plant.
To get back to your question, aside from the few instances mentioned above, North Bay is not monitored for water quality and never was.
Perhaps it would be worthwhile to see if Riverkeeper could lend a hand and test the water. It is a trustworthy organization.
DeleteThat's a beautiful picture!
ReplyDeleteGood news for me. Given its proximity to Robinson Street, I fantasize in my egomaniacal mind that the parklands there are my private preserve (I almost never see anyone else there). And a trail connecting the Hudson zone with the North Bay Conservancy area in Greenport, would just expand it all. :)
ReplyDelete