Some Manorhaven residents are concerned about smoke and a foul smell that came from a Dejana Industries property in the village on Tuesday.
A boater recorded a video of smoke rising from the Dejana property at 12 Manorhaven Blvd. and reported it to the Manorhaven Action Committee, a civic group.
Caroline DuBois, the acting secretary of the committee, said at Thursday’s board meeting that the boater sent her the video of the smoke, which he saw around 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
She said the boater also reported a foul, burning rubber smell.
Mayor Jim Avena said the smoke was a result of Dejana Industries, a snow removal company owned by businessman Peter Dejana, testing a snow melter.
“This has been going on historically,” Avena said.
Avena said the Port Washington Fire Department was aware of the testing.
Brian Vogeley, chief of the Port Washington Fire Department, confirmed that the department was aware of the testing.
“They even call our dispatcher to make us aware before they start to test the equipment,” Vogeley said. “This is now done due to the large amount of erroneous calls we received from people driving by and calling in the smoke. If we receive a call for it, we will still respond but we can slow the units down.”
Dejana also owns properties surrounding properties where he stores his company’s trucks and other equipment.
DuBois said she reported the incident to the state Department of Environmental Conservation and a Nassau County DEC officer will investigate.
“The Nassau DEC officer will be investigating the fire danger, smoke, steam, strong toxic odors/smell, grinding noise, dumping of possible toxic snow melt water into the harbor (down storm drains),” DuBois said in an email.
Board members questioned why the boater’s first instinct wasn’t to call the fire department.
Avena said the board will continue to look into the issue.
