Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Jamaica Bay Watch

Some eyes are on Jamaica Bay: among them, theirs, and his.

From what I hear, mine should be glued on it as if David Hasselhof and Pamela Anderson were hauling ass, or cleavage, along its briny shallows. From what I hear, it's dying, being poisoned by the nitrogen content from our treated waste.

Here's what David Quintana has written about the problem:

As some of you know, Jamaica Bay is being overloaded with nitrogen from NYC's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) waste treatments plants...This is destroying the aquatic life and the marshes at an alarming rate in the Bay...The Bay is losing 35-40 acres of marshland a year...Currently, the DEP is discharging 30,000 - 35,000 pounds (updated: previously erroneously stated tons not pounds) a day of nitrogen into the bay, at this rate this important community resource will cease to exist in our lifetime...this would be tragic...Scientists predict that, at the current rate, the marsh islands will completely vanish in less than 20 years...Adjacent to New York City, the bay is one of the largest and most productive coastal ecosystems in the northeastern United States, and includes the largest tidal wetland complex in the New York metropolitan area...


later in his post:

I also feel NYS DEC's enforcement action with NYC DEP should be as stringent as possible within the law...The City should be held accountable for this pollution and made to eliminate it completely or take actions to seriously mitigate the discharge of this life threatening pollutant to the aquatic life in Jamaica Bay...

In this regard, I would ask that everyone to please exert pressure on their local State Senators and Assembly members (phone numbers & contact information below) by calling their offices and asking that their representatives contact DEC Commissioner Peter Grannis to ensure that NYS DEC brings NYC DEP into full compliance or have the City face serious ramifications and penalties for non-compliance...

If you require additional information, please contact me...

Please feel free to distribute this widely...

Thanking you in advance for your kind and prompt cooperation in this matter...

Legislator Information
To find your NYS Senate member... http://www.senate.state.ny.us/senatehomepage.nsf/senators

To find your NYS Assembly member...
http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/


Thanks to Mr. Quintana for the warning.

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