The year is underway and the first meeting was a success. The windy cold weather did not keep people away and we are ready to mobilize.
Congratulations to Larry Moriarty elected as Treasurer and Dan Volpe as Member-at-Large. The Executive Committee is now complete.
Three goals have been established for the next few months as we continue to organize. They are: (1) Membership (2) Beach Access (3) The Spill Bill and Privatization of Water Treatment Plants in Nassau County.
In order to address these goals we are actively putting together committees. If you are interested or want to learn more, please contact us at Chair@centralLI.surfrider.org. 
When trying to learn more about the waste treatment facilities in our area and the privatizing them I am finding some disturbing possibilities regarding the disposing of the produced fluids resulting from hydro fracture drilling and how the Bay Park and East Rockaway facilities could be used to “treat” the fluids. Read the attached link for comments on the dangers we face here, if you read the first few paragraphs and skip down to the Nassau facilities you will get the gist.
How would privatizing the facilities change the eligibility for receiving the frack fluids?
Is the real problem the way the frack fluid is “classified” thus allowing to be handled by waste treatment facilities set up to handle sewage only?
Follow the SGEIS (State General Environmental Impact Statement) progress here:http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/47554.html
I thought the fracking issue was an upstate issue. With these facilities already at capacity and plans to outsource their operation to private companies what is to stop the new owners from seeking alternate ways to increase their revenues?? Why not “treat” the tracking fluids with their heavy metals, chemicals and radioactive levels for a fee… (will they just release the water into our bays and waterways and collect the $$ to help pay for their purchase of the plants?)
A major concern with the privatization of the waste treatment plants could be addressed by closing a loophole now available to the hydro fracing drillers with the passage of BILL NO A07013. It has passed in the Assembly and died in senate after being referred to the ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
COMMITTEE which is made up of 15 members of which only 4 are in the Long Island area. The chair and the majority of the members are from upstate NY.
Why this legislation is important is plainly stated by the summary provided in the bill:
Currently, the regulations promulgated by the Department of Environmental Conservation that govern the waste
produced by the oil and natural gas industries exempt “drilling
fluids, produced waters, and other wastes associated with the
exploration, development or production of crude oil, natural gas or
geothermal energy” from being regulated as hazardous waste. This
exemption is in place despite the fact that the waste resulting from
the exploration, development, extraction and production of crude oil
and natural gas may be hazardous in many instances.
This legislation would supersede that regulation and ensure that when
waste from these operations meets the definition of hazardous waste,
that it be treated in a manner consistent with other hazardous
wastes. Failure to properly classify waste that meets this threshold
could present a real danger to public health and the environment. If
not treated properly, hazardous waste can, among other concerns, lead
to contaminated air, drinking water, soil, and food. There is no
compelling reason why waste produced from oil and natural gas
activities that meets the definition of hazardous waste, should not
be subject to the same laws regarding generation, transportation,
treatment, storage and disposal as other hazardous wastes.