South Shore Residents Make A Stink Over Spills At Sewage Treatment Plant

NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- Residents on Long Island's South shore are outraged over a smelly diesel oil spill.

Nassau County's massive sewage treatment plant in Bay Park leaked sewage during Sandy and fuel from backup generators as well, CBS 2's Jennifer McLogan reported.

Now, the plant is suffering through another malfunction.

Two-hundred gallons of diesel oil spilled when a pressurized hose blew during a fuel delivery that was meant to supply temporary outdoor generators on Thursday. The spill resulted in an unbearable odor.

"The plant has suffered from a decade of neglect in maintenance and repair. Those chickens have come home to roost," Bay Park Civic Association spokesperson Patricia Kearney said.

Nassau County Public Works said that the spill was dealt with quickly.

"The spill was addressed quickly and there was zero impact to the local waterways," they said.

Residents were less than satisfied with that answer.

"Very worried about toxins leaking into our community," Bay Park homeowner Art Rosenthal said.

Sandy knocked the plant offline when nine feet of saltwater submerged power supplies. Sewage spilled into the streets, the channel, the bay, and made its way into the Atlantic Ocean.

Since the storm it has run on generators with monthly price tag of $700,000.

"This neighborhood was reduced to looking like and smelling like a third world nation. We have the money in place," Randee Gerry said.

Local Republicans requested $722,000,000 to repair the plant and wanted a 90-percent FEMA reimbursement.

Democrats stalled and asked for increased transparency, oversight, and hearings due to the amount of money involved.

"The Republican majority has not had a hearing on the status of these project since they became the majority and every one of these projects has fallen behind," democratic Legislator Dave Denenberg said.

The damaged treatment plant serves more than half a million residents which accounts for 40-percent of Nassau County's population.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories