Saturday, September 1, 2012

Victory on the wagon wheel issue...or 'Am I a pain in the neck, or what?'

I know have been like a pit bull with something in its grip, not wanting to let go of this issue, but I think, finally, some progress has been made on the plastic wagon wheels! Just to give a quick recap, in March 2011 a sewage water treatment in Mamaroneck accidently released thousands nitrogen filters into the Long Island Sound. These filters look like little plastic wagon wheels and if you walk the beaches along Smithtown Bay, you have surely seen them. I periodically collect them by the bags full and then send then with a terse letter to the Environmental Facilities Commissioner over there, Thomas Lauro.
He said he tried to come here to clean them up, but couldn't get on our beaches. So I wrote to Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn, who took on the issue and finally the Commissioner took notice. Now this recent article, http://www.lohud.com/article/20120830/NEWS02/308300054/Westchester-nears-Sound-cleanup-deal-over-Mamaroneck-sewage-treatment-plant, from a Westchester paper states that Westchester County, where the plant is located, could be fined and there will be some money to clean up the wheels. Hurray! That's all I ever wanted. I wanted to see them take responsibility for the garbage and to be fined. I think that is the least that should be done. I mean, who do those people think they are...Wall Street bankers? I have to say I feel good about getting results on an issue that matters. I love my beach. Don't mess with my beach. Thanks to Legislator Hahn for always being an advocate for our environment! It would have been nice, however, if Mr. Lauro had at least mentioned me as a thorn in his side, maybe slamming down a box of wagon wheels that I sent him, saying, “I’ll do anything, just please stop her from mailing me these packages!”

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