Impaired waterways listed
www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/
31290.html
ALBANY — New York conservation officials want to remove dozens of waterways from the list of those considered "impaired" by pollution, citing measures to reduce stormwater and agricultural runoff, sewage discharges and smokestack pollution.
The Department of Environmental Conservation would include all or part of 590 lakes, ponds, streams and rivers on a list requiring plans to reduce pollution under the federal Clean Water Act.
While acknowledging much work remains, DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis said New York was making "great progress in improving water quality throughout the state."
The agency is accepting comments on its proposed update from the 2008 list of 562. Among the waters that would be added is Long Island's Great South Bay, which has had brown tides of algae the past two years.
DEC spokeswoman Maureen Wren said most new listings are water bodies that had not previously been assessed for pollution. They come mainly from the lower Hudson basin, the Niagara River/Lake Erie basin and the Atlantic/Long Island Sound basin, she said.
The seven proposed additions for brown tides may be deferred, with further study needed to determine their exact cause and whether the appropriate program to address them, Wren said.
In the Hudson Valley, the DEC proposed removing Rudd Pond in Dutchess County, the Shingle Kill in Greene County and Peach Lake in Westchester and Putnam counties.
Rudd Pond showed a decline in phosphorus from agricultural runoff. The Shingle Kill and Peach Lake were listed in 2002 with pathogens from nearby septic systems, but the DEC said that was fixed by new wastewater treatment plants.
In northern New York, the agency would remove from the list Gull Pond in Franklin County and Cranberry Lake in St. Lawrence County, both affected by acid rain and originally listed in 1998.
New York has imposed restrictions on power plants in the state and pressed for regional efforts to reduce smokestack pollution blamed for the acid rain and mercury in its waterways, notably in the Adirondacks.
Also, the Beaver River in Lewis County, listed in 2008 and polluted by nearby septic systems, is being removed from the list. The DEC said problems there will be addressed by construction of new wastewater treatment plant.
In the Southern Tier, the agency proposed removing from the list Beaver Lake and White Birch Lake, listed in 2002 for excessive phosphorus from nearby septic systems, saying water quality has improved. Park Creek and tributaries, also in Broome County, would be removed with the pending construction of a wastewater treatment plant expected to remove the pathogens from nearby septic systems.
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