S.W.I.M. Coalition

To say a lot is going on would be a bit of an understatement. Here is a handy cribsheet of important events upcoming and ongoing…

1. Draft Stormwater Performance Standard available for comment NOW, hearing 10/31
Click here for the final version of the Stormwater Performance Standard (the on-site stormwater management rule for new properties and major renovations). DEP will hold an open public hearing on the draft rule next Monday, and, according to an email we received from DEP, written comments will beaccepted for 30 days after the hearing.

Draft Stormwater Performance Standard Hearing
October 31, 2011
10am – 12pm
NYC DEP
59-17 Junction Boulevard
6th Floor

Visit our web post for our initial thoughts and for a link to the draft guidelines that accompany the draft rule.

2. DEP NYC Green Infrastructure Citizen’s Group meets 11/1, 6pm
On Tuesday November 1st at 6pm, DEP will hold the annual meeting of the NYC Green Infrastructure Citizen’s Group to release their Annual Report and announce the 2012 GI Grant Program.  Perhaps this is another opportunity to have questions answered about the draft rule?

Green Infrastructure Citizen’s Group
November 1, 2011
6:00pm – 8:00pm
St. Francis College, Brooklyn
180 Remsen Street
(between Clinton Street and Court Street)

3. Public Meeting on proposed changes to CSO Consent Order on 11/9, 6pm
DEP and DEC have reached draft agreement on Green Infrastructure for CSO control.  From DEP’s press release, “the agreement modifies New York City’sapproach to improving harbor water quality, under which the city will invest anestimated $187 million in green infrastructure projects by 2015, part of a planned $2.4 billion public and private investment over the next 20 years. The city will also complete work on approximately $1.6 billion in gray infrastructure projects. A public comment period on the proposal begins todayand runs through November 18.”

Check out our post that links to all relevant documents and for details on how to submit comments.

Public Meeting on 2011 CSO Order Modification
November 9, 2011
6:00 pm
NYS DEC – Region 2 Annex Building
11-15 47th Avenue
Long Island City, NY 11101

4. S.W.I.M. Coalition November Public Meeting on 11/18, 3pm
In addition to a robust discussion of the above policy items, we will find a moment to relax and enjoy a presentation by Ate Atema of Atema Architecture/Flow Collaborative on a plan to take an entire CSO drainage area offline in the Gowanus area.

S.W.I.M. Coalition November Public Meeting
Friday, Nov 18
3-5 pm
Location TBA
RSVP to swimmablenyc@gmail.com!

It a big day, friends!

From DEP’s press release:

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection reached a draft agreement to reduce combined sewer overflows (CSO) into area water bodies, the agencies announced today. The agreement modifies New York City’s approach to improving harbor water quality, under which the city will invest an estimated $187 million in green infrastructure projects by 2015, part of a planned $2.4 billion public and private investment over the next 20 years. The city will also complete work on approximately $1.6 billion in gray infrastructure projects. A public comment period on the proposal begins today and runs through November 18.

Check out the October 19, 2011 ENB Notice for a summary of major changes to the CSO Consent Order, or dive right into the 2011 CSO Order Modification.

UPDATE 10/23: A “technical memo” explaining the proposed CSO Order is now posted on DEC’s website. It summarizes the dollar value of projects that have been added and deleted in each watershed (as compared to the 2005 Order), and the resulting changes in CSO volume reduction.

Public Comment Period: The comment period commences on October 19, 2011 and concludes on November 18, 2011. Comments will be accepted by Gary Kline, NYS DEC – Division of Water, 625 Broadway, 4th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-3506 , Phone: (518) 402-9655, Fax: (518) 402-9029, E-mail: gekline@gw.dec.state.ny.us.

—–>Public Meeting: A public meeting will be held at the NYS DEC – Region 2, Annex Building, 11-15 47th Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101, on November 9, 2011 starting at 6:00 p.m.<—–

Larry Levine at NRDC has already blogged about today’s announcement, stating:

Today, New York City and NY State released a proposed new plan to address the city’s 30 billion gallon-per-year sewage overflow problem.  It would, for the first time, make“green infrastructure” solutions a core part of the city’s program for achieving compliance with the Clean Water Act.  That’s a big deal, and a welcome development.

Of course, we’ll be looking closely to make sure the proposal, as a whole, is strong enough to safeguard water quality throughout the city’s waterways and ensure accountability for results over the long haul — our top objectives in this effort, for which NRDC and our coalition partners have been advocating for many years.

And, as we’ve done (successfully) in other places like Philadelphia, we’ll let the city and state know if we think the proposal should be strengthened in particular ways to ensure those goals are met.

We look forward to engaging with City and State environmental officials on the details of today’s proposal, to make it as strong as it can be.  We are confident we can forge a consensus on smart, cost-effective investments that clean-up our waterways while greening our neighborhoods and improving health and quality of life for all New Yorkers.

In other words, we can jointly make New York’s budding green infrastructure program into the largest and most effective one in the nation!

After all, who doesn’t want a cleaner, greener New York City?

Lillian Ball, Rocking the Boat, and ABC Carpet & Home invite you to the grand opening of the newest Bronx River wetland and waterfront park: WATERWASH ABC
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 4-6 PM
Behind the ABC Carpet & Home Bronx Warehouse Outlet
1055 Bronx River Avenue, Bronx, NY 10472
Light refreshments will be provided
Primary project partners: eDesign Dynamics, Drexel University, Excav Services

This project has been made possible through generous support from the New York State Office of the Attorney General Bronx River Watershed Initiative and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

THIS FRIDAY Oct 14: NYS Senate Committee on Environmental Conservation public hearing “for better notification procedures” of sewer overflows

Another chance to go on the record for public notification!  This hearing, “to examine mechanisms for better notification procedures in instances where sewage and other pollutants have been released into our water”, is sponsored by NYS Senator Adriano Espaillat.

When: Oct. 14, 2011
Who: Senate Standing Committee on Environmental Conservation
Place: Senate Hearing Room, 250 Broadway, 19th Floor, New York, New York
Time: 10:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M.
Contact: Ibrahim Khan (212) 544-0173
ORAL TESTIMONY BY INVITATION ONLY, but written testimony is encouraged!
Also, this event will be streamed live!