Politics & Government

EPA to Village: Clean Up Your Act

"Inadequate" stormwater management plan may have allowed pollutants to leak into Northport Harbor, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Environmental Protection Agency has accused of having an "inadequate" stormwater management system to regulate the discharge of pollutants into Northport Harbor.

According to the EPA's report, the Village's stormwater management plan was not fully developed and implemented, which may have resulted in debris, chemicals, and other pollutants contaminating Northport waters. 

The EPA also found raw sewage in a stormwater pipe at Stanton Street and Bayview Avenue, as reported by Newsday, and cited the Village for not having a detailed detection and elimination plan for such unallowed substances.

Find out what's happening in Northportwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Northport Village has until the end of September to develop and implement an improved stormwater management plan, and until the end of November to create and implement a plan to address non-stormwater discharges. A municipal operations audit must also be completed by Jan. 31 to determine the sources of pollutants. 

Northport Village said in a release that they received the EPA report on Aug. 1 and will immediately begin cleanup of the identified areas, adding that they maintain over 400 catch basins, leaching basins, and sumps throughout the Village. 

Find out what's happening in Northportwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

As part of their cleanup efforts, the Village is also awaiting a proposal from Stony Brook to test all of the outflow pipes in the village as part of a stormwater grant, last tested in 2007-08.

A Village representative said on Tuesday that they are disputing some of the EPA's findings, but would not reveal further information.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here