Thanks to the Queens Borough Presidents Office yesterday myself, Christine Stengel Puma, Mario Bruno Assistant Commissioner NYC DEP, Vincent Sapienza Deputy Commissioner Bureau of Water Waste, Commissioner, Karen D. Ellis NYC DEP Community Affairs Bureau of Public Affairs and special thanks to Dan Brown Representative for the Queens Borough Presidents office took a tour of the Rockaway Park Wastewater Treatment plant.
We did get to see what tanks were capped off due to the very bad odor which was emitting from them. These were the four main tanks that we were told gave off 90% of the foul odor into our Community. We asked the question what about the other tanks that are not capped off there are over twenty of them.
I also said you mean that the other twenty or more tanks are only putting out 10% of the foul odor into the air, we were told yes.
They said the reason that all the other tanks which are not capped give out hardly any odor is because those tanks do not have moving water in them but the four that are capped do, that was the reason they smelled the worst before they were capped off.
They did open for our group one of the four capped tanks for at least a minute and boy it was very bad compared to the uncapped tanks.
The question was asked what about capping all the tanks not just the four, we were told the four worse tanks cost nine hundred and seventy thousand dollars to cap off. If all the others were capped it would cost millions of dollars for 10 % odor control.
They have upgraded and are still upgrading a lot of the equipment at this plant. Also there is no answer back yet about the ongoing study if this plant will become just a pumping station and I guess spending millions more to cap all the other tanks are not part of their plans.
We were also told that the study would be completed by the end of this year. When the study is completed and if a decision is made that this would became a pumping station only it could take 5 years or more to complete.
Danny Ruscilllo Jr.
Community Board#14 Board Member
President 100th Precinct Community Council
Rockaway Park Resident
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