Action On The Forge

By Kevin mcallister, Peconic Baykeeper

»tHe Forge River in Moriches, New York, was thrust into the public spotlight in June 2005 when a whitish-gray plume consumed the river. Fish and crab carcasses floated on the water as juvenile eels rose from the depths to breathe and blue crabs scuttled ashore to survive. The Forge was dying and spreading its contagion into the greater reaches of Moriches Bay. Fred Chiofolo, a bayman for more than 40 years in the area, said, “This was a golden place and always one of the great places to fish for crabs, eels, clams, flounder, bunker, everything. It’s horrible what’s happened and, what’s more, most of the recent shellfish closings in northern Moriches Bay are a result of the Forge.”

The dire conditions set in motion a call to action. The community quickly rallied, appearing by

no Swimming

While there are many sources of nutrient pollution in the watershed, testing has revealed a significant source is nitrogen-enriched groundwater. The culprit is most likely the thousands of antiquated cesspools present in high-density communities in the watershed. the hundreds at press conferences and meetings in an effort to save the Forge. Concerned residents trained by the Peconic Baykeeper regularly tested the waters, recording dissolved oxygen levels and collecting samples for fecal bacteria. In September 2005, Peconic Baykeeper petitioned the New York Department of Environmental Conservation to classify the Forge River and its tributaries as impaired waters. Under the Clean Water Act, states are required to identify impaired waters where conditions prevent specific “designated” uses. In this instance, the Forge failed to provide the water quality necessary for the survival of its fish populations. The river’s high level of bacteria also presented a serious threat to the people who use the bay. In April 2006, after nearly a year of testing and the community’s clear demand for action, the state granted the petition and placed the Forge on the impaired waters list.

Already the designation has prompted new leadership and action at many levels. The Town of Brookhaven has taken the lead to create the Forge River Task Force, composed of government officials, citizen leaders and public interest groups, including Peconic Baykeeper. The Task Force is analyzing the factors that caused the decline and will make recommendations to guide restoration efforts. Ironically, the distinction of being an impaired waterbody has been the impetus to reverse decades of neglect and indifference. W

Massive Kill Prompts changes in Rhode island

By John torgan, narragansett Baykeeper

In August 2003 oxygen depletion from nutrient pollution in Greenwich Bay lead to a massive fish kill. Sometimes it takes an environmental disaster to create the political will to make real changes. This is certainly the case in Rhode Island, where a hypoxic (low-oxygen) event in Greenwich Bay wiped out more than a million juvenile menhaden as well as countless other marine animals in August of 2003. This event set into motion a sequence of actions that led to the upgrades of most of Narragansett Bay’s major wastewater treatment facilities.

In the weeks prior to the fish kill, Narragansett Baykeeper had been ringing the alarm about hundreds of thousands of baby soft-shelled clams washing up dead along shores and bottom dissolved oxygen levels approaching zero. unfortunately there was little anyone could do at that point to prevent the fish kill. Days of heavy rain washed millions of gallons of sewage into the bay, followed by a stifling heat wave and calm, neap tide conditions which lead to widespread algae blooms. And then, a sudden drop in the remaining oxygen levels caused the fish to suffocate. It was a perfect storm of factors, including the nitrogen from sewage pollution, which conspired to foul the bay’s waters.

The public outcry was immediate and urgent. The governor and environmental officials convened hearings, a legislative committee investigated the causes, and promptly moved legislation aimed at cutting nitrogen levels from wastewater by 50 percent by 2008. With 2008 approaching, we are thrilled that our advocacy on this has paid off: construction of advanced wastewater