D’Urso to hold water quality hearing

The Island Now
State Assemblyman Anthony D’Urso, seen here at his desk, will hold a water quality hearing. (Photo courtesy of the office of state Assemblyman Anthony D'Urso)

State Assemblyman Anthony D’Urso, chair of the Assembly’s Long Island Sound Task Force and a member of the Assembly’s Environmental Conservation Committee, announced that he and state Assemblyman Steve Englebright, chair of the Assembly’s Committee on the Environmental Conservation, will host a hearing on the quality of Long Island Sound water.

The hearing will be held on August 27, at 6 p.m. at the Manhasset Public Library located at 30 Onderdonk Avenue.

“I believe that we need to preserve and maintain our water quality for wildlife, marine life and recreational uses – for present and future generations,” D’Urso said.

With roughly 600 miles of coastline, Long Island Sound is home to thousands of species of invertebrates, fish, marine reptiles, marine mammals, and migratory birds. Long Island Sound also has an estimated four million people living in adjoining coastal communities, with an additional 19 million people living within 50 miles.

The presence of so many people, and the resulting storm water runoff and excess nitrogen, can lead to water quality impairment such as harmful algal blooms, and harm marine species.

The purpose of this hearing is to examine issues related to the Long Island Sound’s water quality, including the role of State funding, such as the Septic System Replacement Fund, available from the $2.5 billion provided by the 2017 Clean Water Infrastructure Act, in preventing water quality impairment.

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