bayidge closing, The Leader, Locust Valley, Bayville, Glen cove, centre island, brooay

County Legislature Unanimously
Approves Birches Sewage Solution

According to Nassau County Legislature Presiding Officer Diane Yatauro, the legislature unanimously approved an inter-municipal agreement at their meeting on August 18th that will bring an end to three decades of pollution and foul odors in “The Birches” neighborhood of Locust Valley.
The project includes taking an antiquated pocket sewage treatment plant offline and transferring the sewage from The Birches to the state-of-the-art sewage treatment plant in Glen Cove that was recently acquired by the county as part of its consolidation plan. Nassau County Public Works will construct the sewage infrastructure; the Town of Oyster Bay will do all the roadwork. Once this project is completed, the water quality of Mill Neck Creek will improve and residents of The Birches can enjoy outdoor activities once again.
“I hope the agreement between Nassau County and the Town of Oyster Bay solidifies a burgeoning partnership that is based on two critical priorities: the well-being of our residents and the safeguarding of our environment,” Presiding Officer Yatauro said. “I appreciate the comment from the Town of Oyster Bay spokeswoman [Phyllis Barry] that I was the driving force in resolving this issue; however it was the residents of this community, who have lived with this inconvenience for over 30 years who provided the real impetus in the resolution of this long-standing problem.”
The inter-municipal agreement brings to a close more than three decades of contention. The development, originally called “Continental Villas” was built during a drought and when the water table rose, the cesspools failed. The Town of Oyster Bay installed an underground collection system which was later determined to be environmentally unsound. Years later, the county got involved and put in a contact chlorinator to treat the sewage on-site. This allowed bacteria-laden water to flow into Mill Neck Creek, a previously pristine, productive estuary and breeding ground for finfish, shellfish, and the harvesting of clams and oysters.
“An exciting aspect of this agreement is the possibility that some of the commercial shell fishers could once again harvest oysters from this area. Now that this stressful issue has been resolved, this neighborhood can get back to the basics of what makes for a great community,” added Yatauro.