WPCNR MR. & MRS. & MS. WHITE PLAINS VOICE. September 12, 2005: A reader learning of the Silver Lake raw sewage leak, exclusively reported by WPCNR and confirmed by the City of White Plains Friday, is disturbed at the lack of interest in it by local city and government authorities:
John,
As more information becomes available on the contamination of Liberty park, it reinforces the feeling that too many of our local officials work in isolation.
It was appropriate for Commissioner Nicoletti to promptly close the park when he first suspected a problem and before the test results were back. BUT, this lake is not purely a White Plains resource. It flows past numerous homes, businesses, and municipalities on its way to the Sound. It would seem only courteous to inform them of the suspicions so that they could take appropriate steps. Oh, and the local residents also.
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I am even more concerned about the apparent lack of interest on the part of the County, State, and Federal agencies. From what you have reported, we could have an open cesspool, and as long as it was not available for public swimming, then it is not that big a deal!?
That is just silly. People other than bathers are at risk – fishermen, waders, boaters. The outflow could potentially contaminate other downstream supplies and downstream municipalities should at least be warned so that they could increase their own monitoring or inform their residents if they wanted.
All of our steams and lakes should be periodically monitored; maybe not as often as a swimming beach, but at least once a quarter. Procedures should be in place so that any important information is passed on to surrounding communities. Saying that it is not my job should not be tolerated. Katrina showed us what depending on ‘appropriate channels’ can do.
Don Hughes
The CitizeNetReporter notes that WPCNR was told by the Department of Environmental Conservation spokesperson that the DEC does monitor waters on a regular basis, but did not offer to provide us with the schedule, saying that was available from Albany. The Westchester County Department of Health does not monitor the streams and waters on a regular basis unless they are swimming beaches.
