(A copy of this letter was sent to NYSDEC, Division of Environmental Remediation in Albany last week from Friends of the Bay)
We consider the remediation of the contamination at the Mill Neck Bay Marina, as well as ensuring appropriate use of the site once it is cleaned up, to be one of our top priorities…
This site is completely inappropriate for residential development. It is our position that this site should be thoroughly cleaned and acquired for public use as a passive park and we will continue to advocate to that end, through both the clean up and, should the owner pursue development of the property, the permitting process…
Proximity to the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge is of the utmost importance. This estuary produces 90 percent of the oysters harvested in the state of New York and up to 1/3 of the hard-shell clams. The importance of this industry to the local economy cannot be overstated and must be taken into consideration when assessing the clean up needed at this site…. this objective is not listed in the remedial action objectives (RAOs) for this site….
Environmental impact should be of primary concern and no matter what the intended use, every effort should be made to ensure that these contaminants do not migrate into the bay and onto our dinner tables…Any assessment of this site that does not include a Fish and Wildlife Resources Impact Analysis (FWRIA) is incomplete and (we) request that this analysis be performed prior to any final determination on the Remedial Action Plan…
In the end the only Remedial Action Plan that makes sense, is one that will protect this National Wildlife Refuge and remove all contaminants to the extent practicable. We will have only one opportunity to get this right and the additional costs are small when we consider the stakes.
Friends of the Bay
