BY JASON COHEN
As raw sewage continues to
leak from pipes in Mount Vernon
and polluting local waterways,
the city has now been
sued for the second time in two
years for allegedly violating the
Clean Water Act.
In 2018 the state fi led a lawsuit
against the city and the federal
government followed suit
in September.
Though Mount Vernon is
part of Westchester County, the
sewage from the pipes has heavily
polluted the Hutchinson
River, which fl ows into City Island,
Eastchester Bay and other
parts of the Bronx. In fact, regional
nonprofi t organization
Save the Sound released results
of its “2020 Long Island Sound
Report Card,” where it gave the
Eastchester Bay an F grade.
While Mount Vernon Mayor
Shawyn Patterson-Howard just
began in January, activists like
the Hutchinson River Restoration
Project, City Island Oyster
Reef Project, City Island Rising
and Save the Sound and elected
offi cials like Senator Alessandra
Biaggi are doing their best
to help.
“There is a commitment
among all of us to work on
this issue,” Biaggi said to the
Bronx Times.
Biaggi explained that this is
not something that can be fi xed
overnight. When she was elected
to offi ce in 2018, City Island residents
brought this to her attention
and she has met with them
and the mayor on more than
one occasion.
According to Biaggi, this is
an extremely important issue
but the problem is COVID-19
has put many things on the
back-burner and caused a huge
budget defi cit.
In fact prior to the pandemic,
the $3 billion Mother Nature
Bond Act, had $550 million allocated
for water quality improvement.
If and when this money
is made available, it could put a
huge dent in fi xing the pipes in
Mount Vernon, she explained.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, N 24 OVEMBER 20-26 BTR
“The Mother Nature Bond
Act is probably not the only avenue,
but it’s a big one,” Biaggi
said. “The project is so intensive
and it is going to require
an investment.”
City Island resident Barbara
Zahm sits on the boards of the
Hutchinson River Restoration
Project and on the Oyster Project.
Zahm said she was not surprised
the issue has not been resolved
because of the amount of
money involved.
Zahm and other activists
have asked for another meeting
with Biaggi.
“There’s a large movement
and concern about people who
care about our waterways,”
she said.
City Island Rising President
John Doyle shared
Zahm’s and Biaggi’s sentiments.
Doyle hoped Biaggi
along with Assemblyman
Michael Benedetto can work
Senator Alessandra Biaggi discusses the lawsuits against Mount Vernon
and how its sewage is impacting the Bronx. Courtesy of Facebook
with Mount Vernon and get
the funding needed to fi x
the pipes.
He is hopeful that a second
lawsuit will fi nally get the ball
rolling in the right direction.
“It’s a very damaging effect
on the Hutchinson River and
Long Island Sound,” Doyle
said. “We hope Mount Vernon
and the city starts to take
this seriously.”
Doyle noted that if the
Trump administration, which
has has often shown no regard
for the environment, sued
Mount Vernon, then there
must be a serious issue.
“If this was any other borough
it would not be acceptable,”
Doyle stressed. “People
swim in these waters from Locust
Point to Silver Beach, from
Throggs Neck to City Island.”
Biaggi, City Island talk water
quality in Mount Vernon and
the effects on the Bronx
Bill de Blasio
Mayor
Dave A. Chokshi, MD, MSc
Commissioner