Huntington Supervisor Frank P. Petrone, Northport Mayor George Doll and Asharoken Mayor Gregory Letica today signed an historic agreement among the municipalities, formalizing cooperation on measures affecting water quality in Northport Harbor, Centerport Harbor and Northport Bay.
The agreement creates the six-member Northport Harbor Water Quality Protection Inter-Municipal Council, whose members will include the Supervisor, the two Mayors and one additional representative from each of the three respective municipalities. It will have the legal authority to apply for state and federal funds in order to conduct studies, develop management plans, provide educational services and coordinate water quality protection and enhancement programs.
“We share a common waterway and the common interest of preserving water quality.” Supervisor Petrone said. “Working together under this agreement will maximize efforts to undertake projects, obtain grants and establish uniform rules and regulations aimed at achieving our common goal.”
Both the Federal Government, under the Clean Water Act, and the State Government under its SPEDS permit and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems, urge local governments with water bodies that fall under joint shared jurisdiction to enter formal partnerships like this as a means of maintaining cleaner, safer shared water bodies.
The agreement is the latest outgrowth of work done by the Northport Harbor Water Quality Protection Committee, which Supervisor Petrone and Adrienne Esposito co-chair. Formed in 2010, the Committee’s members include elected officials from the Town and the incorporated villages of Northport and Asharoken; federal, state and Suffolk County officials and agencies; representatives from the local boating public and interested citizens.
The committee has met steadily and has studied ways to restore Northport Harbor and other adjacent waters to good health. In October 2010, the committee issued a draft action plan. The plan included a series of short-, medium- and long-term initiatives and suggestions about how various levels of government could work together and how to seek funding to implement the recommendations.
The committee also held three community forums, each attended by about 150 people who offered useful suggestions about things that could be done to improve the water quality.
Among the other accomplishments in meeting the Committee’s action plan are:
o Dye testing in Centerport and Northport Sewer Districts for potential leaks in collection systems.
o Centerport Harbor dredging to increase tidal flushing
o Initiated a pilot program for eel grass restoration
o Approval of a plan to upgrade the Northport sewage treatment plan and waste water collection system to meet to meet Federal and State 2014 Nitrogen standards.
o Worked with State and County official to obtain grant funding to offset part of the cost of upgrading the Northport plant
o Worked with Federal representatives to obtain a grant for Stony Brook University to continue and expand Red Tide testing.
“Today, the public is safer and more protected than they were four years ago,” Esposito said at the committee meeting that followed the signing. Noting some studies showing progress in water quality, she added, “These are studies that four years we could only dream about. Now they are a reality.”
In the photo: Seated, (l-r): Asharoken Mayor Gregory Letica, Huntington Supervisor Frank P. Petrone, Northport Mayor George Doll. Standing, (l-r): Asharoken Deputy Mayor Mary P. Pierce; Adrienne Esposito, co-chair of the Northport Harbor Water Quality Protection Committee; Huntington Councilwoman Susan A. Berland; Northport Deputy Mayor Henry Tobin; Northport Trustee Damon McMullen