Sewer plant fix will worsen stench for now

Residents around the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant in East Rockaway, who have been living with a foul smell for decades, can expect it to briefly get worse as the county begins work on a major part of the problem.

County officials said spoiled sludge in tanks, called digesters, is a constant source of plant smells.

"The removal of this material will in the short term increase odors. In the long term, however, odor from the digesters will be reduced," said Shila Shaw-Gavnoudias, the commissioner of the Nassau County Department of Public Works.

The plant was completed in 1949 and the tanks have been refurbished twice, the last time in 1996, officials said. The digester work is expected to cost about $15 million -- part of $110 million projected for the plant between now and mid-2014.

Some residents said last week that they can put up with increased odor if it leads to an overall reduction in smell. But few thought it would be a major step to solve the plant's problems.

"It's the beginning of improvement, but really only the tip of the iceberg," said Kristin Ochtera, spokeswoman for the Green Bay Parkers, an area environmental group that has been at odds with various county administrations about problems with the plant.

"Several other things must be done as well," she said, "including cleaning and keeping clean the water in the bay and other nearby waterways where fish and plant life are being poisoned from plant seepage."

Debbie Alvino of nearby Island Park said, "Sometimes the smell even gets into our neighborhood. I hope the work they're going to do will make it smell better and be healthier."

County Executive Edward Mangano said he is working on that. "Every day, my administration remains focused on reversing the years of neglect at the Bay Park facility," he said.