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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1986_05_29 Conservation Advisory Commission Minutes corrected TOWN OF MAMARONECK CONSERVATION ADVISORY COMMISSION AND WATER CONTROL COMMISSION JOINT MEETING A regular meeting of the Town of Mamaroneck Conservation Advisory Commission and the Water Control Commission was held on Thursday, May 29, 1986, at the Weaver Street Firehouse. The meeting commenced at 8:05 P.M. Members present: Robert Funicello James Santos Susan Amlicke Mary Anne Johnson Gloria Allen Elinor Fredston Marilyn Faust Also present: Tom Leddy, Beautification Director Jane Moss, L.I.F.E. Center Director Charles BBrustcin Administrative Matters: The minutes for the April meeting were discussed and approved for distribution; the next scheduled meeting-- for the CAC and WCC is Thursday, June 19, 1986, at 8:00 P.M. , at the Town Center Conference Room A. Solid Waste Disposal: The pros and cons of mandatory recycling were discussed among Commission members. It was recommended that the steps to the paper trailers should be improved. Environment: A discussion was held on the Mamaroneck Sewage Treatment Plant and outfall pipe in East Basin. The existing pipe will be used for back up and a new pipe will be installed; the short pipe will be sealed. Several questions were raised: Is the outfall being extended far enough? What is the maintenance procedure for the new pipe, Flint Avenue Pipe Station, the outfall pipe and County pump station? Page 2. Water Courses and Water Bodies: Mr. Funicello. presented the Pollution Control Subcommittee Report on Pollution Control and Enforcement in the Mamaroneck/Sheldrake Drainage- Scope of Report and Request for Authorization. Copy attached. " There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned. Dated: May 29, 1986 MEMORANDUM QMay 28 , 1986 TO: Town of Mamaroneck Conservation Advisory Commission (CAC) FROM: Robert Funicello, Alan Mason, Robert Hohberg (Pollution Control Subcommittee ) RE: Report on Pollution Control and Enforcement In The Mararoneck/Sheldrake Drainage - Scope of Report and Request for Authorization As part of its ongoing monitoring of the condition of the Mamaroneck/Sheldrake Rivers System the CAC (April , 1986 ) created this subcommittee to prepare a report on pollution control and enforcement in the River System ( "The Report" ) . The subcommittee now seeks CAC authorization to prepare the report generally as outlined below. The subject is broad, complicated and important. Consequently, the subcommittee also seeks CAC authorization to enlist the voluntary assistance of non CAC members with useful expertise, and to coordinate its work directly with that of other groups conducting similar studies such as Mamaroneck/Larchmont CZMC and Village of Mamaroneck CZMC, the League of Women Voters, Mamaroneck, New York and Federated Conservationists of Westchester County, Inc . , among others . ® • I . Purpose The Mamaroneck/Sheldrake Rivers System is a key feature of the town 's environment . Its well being has a direct impact on the quality of life in the town . Past studies by the CAC and the Westchester County Department of Health as well as by the Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities, show that the Mamaroneck and Sheldrake Rivers are badly polluted by point specific discharges , non-point specific runoff and by chemical spills . Judging from the ill effects this pollution has had on adjacent Long Island Sound (where most monitoring is conducted) , the problem is worsening. At this time there is no longer much uncertainty as to the general (and to some extent the specific) sources of this pollution. But the public 's -. er- perception, shared by the members of the CAC, is that the pertinent regulatory regime - the statutes, regulations and governmental agencies charged with their implementation and enforcement - has been lethargic in its response to this important environmental problem. The CAC 's charge, generally speaking, is educational and advisory - to study environmental questions and report. Therefore, the purpose of the Report shall be to set forth the specific laws and regulations , Federal , State and local , that regulate discharge of pollutants into the Mamaroneck/Sheldrake Rivers directly and indirectly system, and determine whether and to what extent these laws are being fully implemented and enforced. C 4010 II . Procedure The Mamaroneck/Sheldrake Rivers System flows through six municipalities: New Rochelle, Scarsdale, White Plains, Harrison, Town of Mamaroneck (unincorporated area) and the Village of Mamaroneck. But it is also subject to Federal, State and County laws and regulations. Consequently, nine separate governments, and various agencies within those governments have some (small or large) authority over discharges into the Mamaroneck/Sheldrake Rivers System. Any governmental regulation affecting discharges into the river system, from anti-litter and erosion control ordinances to the County Public Health Code, to State and Federal regulations under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, are 4C) relevant to the Report. Therefore, the first phase of the Report will be a compilation of all laws and regulations affecting discharges into the river system, with a brief synopsis of the requirements of each. The second phase will be a review of the compiled laws in light of what recent studies have shown about the nature of pollution in the rivers system. The Report will correlate the pollution with the applicable law so as to determine not only which pollution prohibitations are being violated but also which governmental agencies are authorized by law to correct those violations, either by enforcement or by direct actions such the repair of leaky sewers for example. C . . . The final phase of the report will be prepared after the ® findings of the first two phases have been brought to the attention of the appropriate governmental agencies. It will describe implementation and enforcement activities of each such agency including a description of budgetary appropriations. The Report shall be written for the Town Board and for the public. Its goal is to fully explain in a form understandable to the general public , how the laws relevant to the protection of the Mamaroneck/Sheldrake Rivers System are being implemented and enforced. It is hoped that the Report can be completed in time for inclusion in the CAC Annual Report for 1986 , but this will depend on how much volunteer assistance can be recruited. I t It is respectfully requested that the Commission authorize 1111., the preparation of the "Report on Pollution Control and Enforcement In The Mamaroneck/Sheldrake Drainage" at its next meeting on May 29 , 1986 .