Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan (LINAP) Bulletin

February 2017

Visit the LINAP webpage for more information about the LINAP, past newsletters, documents, and more.

This Month’s Updates:

• Public Meetings
• Community Preservation Fund
• Long Island Commission for Aquifer Protection
• Nassau County Crescent Beach Groundwater Assessment

Public Meetings

Long Island Water Supply Sustainability Kickoff
NYSDEC & United States Geological Survey
February 14th, 2017, 10:30 AM
Suffolk County Water Authority Education Center
260 Motor Parkway, Hauppauge, NY 11788

Long Island Regional Planning Council – Meeting of the Council
Wednesday, February 15th, 2017, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Bank of America Building, Lower Level
300 Broadhollow Road, Melville, NY 11741
For more information: (516) 561-7613

Community Preservation Fund – Water Quality Improvement Plans

The Community Preservation Fund (CPF) was established by voter referendum in 1998, when voters in East Hampton (PDF, 26 MB), Shelter Island (PDF, 484 KB), Southampton (43 MB), Southold (PDF, 2 MB) and Riverhead approved a real estate transfer tax of 2% to fund the CPF. Recently, voters in all five towns approved a referendum that: extended the collection of the tax through 2050; and gave each Town the authority to invest up to 20% of CPF revenues in water quality projects consistent with their Water Quality Improvement Plan. Priority projects in the Plans include watershed studies, septic upgrades, stormwater runoff abatement, agricultural stewardship programs, and habitat restoration. The towns can also use a portion of the money for subsidies to help homeowners pay to upgrade their septic systems or cesspools.

Long Island Commission for Aquifer Protection

The Long Island Commission for Aquifer Protection (LICAP) is a bi-county entity formed to address both quality and quantity issues facing Long Island’s aquifers. LICAP recently published its annual State of the Aquifer Report (PDF, 9 MB) and is developing a Groundwater Resources Management Plan scheduled for release by the end of 2017. The Plan will assess water quality and quantity threats to groundwater and make recommendations for remedial action. Meetings have begun between LICAP and LINAP to identify opportunities for data sharing and future collaboration. LICAP has also released a GIS-based water quality mapping and database tool known as Water Traq. The tool allows anyone to view concentrations of numerous compounds in the aquifer. It also allows users to overlay topography, municipal boundaries, and the depth to groundwater.

Nassau County Crescent Beach Groundwater Assessment

The County has engaged an engineering consultant to conduct a site-specific groundwater assessment and stream sampling program for the Crescent Beach area. The purpose of the sampling program is to identify the source of bacterial contamination that has led to the closing of Crescent Beach by the Nassau County Department of Health. Remedial action will be based on the results of the sampling program and the specific source or sources of contamination. Well installations, sampling and analyses could take up to four months to complete. The project is anticipated to start in the spring.