www.BXTimes.com BRONX WEEKLY March 15, 2020 4
Biaggi and environmentalists
discuss polluted LI Sound
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MEMBER:
BY JASON COHEN
A group of activists recently
got together with elected offi cials
to discuss the heavily polluted
Hutchinson River, which fl ows
into City Island and the Bronx.
On Thursday, February 19,
Senator Alessandra Biaggi held
a meeting with Mount Vernon
Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard,
the Hutchinson River Restoration
Project, City Island Oyster
Reef Project, City Island Rising
and Save the Sound to talk about
the Hutchinson River that fl ows
into Pelham Bay Park and identity
solutions.
In June 2018 the federal government
sued Mount Vernon for
allegedly violating the Clean Water
Act by failing to comply with
environmental rules meant to
stop raw sewage from polluting
local waterways.
Patterson-Howard, who began
his term in January, is quickly
addressing the pollution problem.
The senator expressed gratitude
that Patterson-Howard held the
meeting.
“My constituents from civic
and environmental groups on City
Island, with an interest in protecting
Eastchester Bay, the Long Island
Sound and other waterways,
expressed concerns about sewage
spillage from Mount Vernon into
the Hutchinson River and Eastchester
Bay,” the senator said.
Biaggi explained that Mount
Vernon’s aging sewer infrastructure
and residential pollution in
the Bronx and surrounding areas
are contributing factors to
the pollution of the Eastchester
Bay. Patterson-Howard stressed
that Mount Vernon is committed
to taking all possible measures to
repair the city’s aging infrastructure
and welcomes support for the
city’s efforts.
Biaggi told the Bronx Times
that the consensus at the meeting
was that the concerned parties
would like to see an ongoing
line of communication between
her, Patterson-Howard and City
Island residents so that everyone
is able to share information and
resources.
Looking to the future, Patterson
Howard is meeting with
the Mount Vernon Public Works
Department and reaching out to
the NYS Department of Environmental
Conservation. The Mount
Vernon Law Department is also
continuing to work with the
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency regarding the ongoing
federal lawsuit.
City Island Rising members
John Doyle and David Diaz attended
the meeting. Both stressed
how concerned they are about
the water pollution and while the
problem originates in Mount Vernon,
it affects their community.
Doyle feels the meeting was
productive and everyone left in
agreement.
“Everyone kind of agreed
something must be done,” Doyle
said. “The water quality affects us
all. We have to step up and do better.
People don’t want to look out
and see their water is polluted.”
Diaz echoed Doyle’s sentiments.
He noted that companies
that dump chemicals into the
water are a huge part of the problem.
“This is an issue that we
have been dealing with for some
time,” Diaz said. “It really hasn’t
gotten any better. The Hutchinson
River is just so bad. The pollution
has to stop. There’s got to
be a better way to facilitate the
waste.”
Elected offi cials and activists meet in February to discuss water pollution in the Hutchinson River. Photo Photo Courtesy John Doyle
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