"Ice Dam" Flooding on West 12th Road

There is a 13 foot mound of snow located at the bay end of West 12th Road in Broad Channel. 

The snow was deposited there by sanitation workers who plowed our street after the recent snow storms.

From what I have been able to ascertain, the D.E.P. has precluded sanitation from the past practice of dumping this plowed snow into Jamaica Bay for environmental reasons.  I guess D.E.P.'s logic is that whatever pollutants may be present in this snow pile will somehow disappear by the time it is washed away by rain or melts in the spring, at which time it will all...wait for it....drain into Jamaica Bay!

Consequently, the snow has now packed down and frozen over forming an "ice dam" which precludes run off from the street from draining out into the bay. 

The run off, consisting of melting snow, ice and rain, is now backing up West 12th Road and as of 10:15 a.m. this morning, extends a quarter of the way up the block and is still rising!

This extensive amount of ponded run off will almost certainly freeze solid later tonight when the local temperature rapidly drops back in to the mid 20's!

We fully understand and appreciate the difficulties faced by our terrific sanitation workers in addressing the extensive amount of snowfall we have recently experienced but, nevertheless, if snow is to be dumped at the bay end of West 12th Road, a cut out should be provided to alow for sufficient run off to prevent this type of dangerous sitation from happening.

We have called and reported this condition to the City's "311" service [Service Request # 185190305] and they have referred this matter to the City's D.E.P.

We have also contacted several other city officials in an effort to expedite corrective action in this regard.

Additionally, we have contacted NY1 and other media sources to apprise them of this situation.

We'll keep you updated....