17 • TIMES, THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015 DEP Completes Upgrades At Jam. Water Treatment Plant $83 Million Project To Give Bay Healthy Boost by Anthony Giudice The Jamaica Wastewater Treatment Plant received an $83 million upgrade, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced last Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014. This upgrade will reduce the amount of nitrogen discharged into Jamaica Bay by approximately 2.5 million pounds each year from the Jamaica Wastewater Treatment Plant. It is also part of a $187 million commitment by the DEP to reduce nitrogen discharges by the four water treatment plants located on the bay by 50 percent over the next 10 years. The DEP has invested nearly $20 million into wetland restoration projects within Jamaica Bay as well. “The newly installed nitrogen reduction technology at the Jamaica Plant is part of our commitment to improving water quality, protecting the Bay as a premier wildlife refuge and continuing the critically important work to bring back a healthier Bay for generations to come,” said DEP Commissioner Emily Lloyd. The installation of the new nitrogen reduction technology required significant upgrades to the Jamaica Wastewater Treatment Plant. These upgrades included the overhaul of the current aeration tanks, new aeration influent gates, mixers and froth control systems, as well as a new tapered diffuser grid, refurbished process air blowers and a new process air header. This new equipment will allow the plant to convert the organic nitrogen found in wastewater into inert nitrogen gas that can be harmlessly released into the atmosphere before the treated water is sent into Jamaica Bay. “Clean and safe waterways benefit the quality of life of all New Yorkers,” Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said. “This upgrade to the Jamaica Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant will protect the bay’s precious natural resources.” Nitrogen is a naturally occurring element found in organic materials and is present in the wastewater that enters the treatment plant. Since nitrogen is not a pathogen and poses no threat to human health, wastewater treatment plants were not originally designed to remove it from the treated water it sent out into the receiving body of water. High levels of nitrogen can, however, degrade the overall ecology of a waterway by lowering levels of dissolved oxygen and promoting excessive algae growth. Besides being the body of water that wastewater treatment plants discharge treated water into, Jamaica Bay is also a diverse ecological resource that supports multiple habitats including, open water, salt marshes, grasslands and coastal woodlands among others. These habitats support 91 species of fish, 325 bird species, and many species of reptiles, amphibians and small mammals, according to the DEP. Helping To Feed Hungry In R.H. Assemblyman David Weprin held an annual food drive drop-off event at the River Fund New York’s central location in Richmond Hill on Monday Jan. 5. Assemblyman Weprin’s district offices received more than 350 pounds of canned goods, fruits, vegetables, and nonperishable items from residents throughout Queens. The food will benefit hundreds of homeless people and families, the elderly, homebound and disabled individuals. Pictured from left to right: Shirley Rice of the River Fund New York, Assemblyman Weprin and Durga Das of the River Fund New York. News From The GRRC TThhee GGrreeaatteerr RRiiddggeewwoooodd RReessttoorraattiioonn CCoorrppoorraattiioonn Celebrating 40 Years Of Helping Ridgewood This year, the Greater Ridgewood Restoration Corporation (GRRC) will celebrate its 40th year of service to our community. Please show your support for their many years of good work by contributing or volunteering. The GRRC was founded in 1975 by concerned citizens who were dedicated to preserving the quality of life in Ridgewood and its neighboring communities. Today they continue to provide invaluable services to the residents of Community Board 5, which includes neighborhoods of Ridgewood, Glendale, Middle Village and Maspeth. Every Thursday, GRRC Executive Director Angela Mirabile provides free housing counseling at the offices of Community Board 5 on Myrtle Avenue in Glendale. She assists both landlords and tenants with housing related issues. “Things can get complicated, housing forms can be difficult to navigate, and people need our assistance,” said Mirabile. To make a counseling appointment call Community Board 5 at 1-718-366-1834. Each year, the GRRC also contacts every property owner in the confines of Board 5 whose property has a lien against it and is on the NYC Lien Sale List. Last year they contacted 492 property owners and counseled those who requested help. “There are many property owners who aren’t even aware that their property has a lien against it, and once these liens are sold the owner’s incur a greater rate of interest on there debt”, explained Christa Walls, GRRC’s community liaison specialist. The GRRC Anti-Graffiti Program has just completed another successful year. In 2014, they removed graffiti at 125 locations, for a total of over 5500 locations since the program began 23 years ago in 1992. “There has consistently been a need for this program,” said -SEE BAY ON PG. 50- -SEE GRRC ON PG. 50- Call Now & End Your Tax Nightmare! ©Times Newsweekly - 2014 - THETAXAD • Owe the IRS more than $10,000? • Being Audited? • Unfiled Tax Returns? • Wage & Bank Levies? Co-Author of the best selling book “Breaking the Tax Code” Salvatore P. Candela, EA, ATA, ABA Enrolled Agent - Tax Advisor The TaxAdvocate Group (T) 877.TAX.1040 (F) 718.894.4476 scandela@thetaxadvocategroup.com www.thetaxadvocategroup.com
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