Pilot environmental clean-up project seeks Town committee funds: Town Board could split on decision

A subject of discussion at Tuesday afternoon’s Town Board work session concerned the fate of Fresh Pond.

Board members were considering a proposal that the Water Quality Improvement Projects Advisory Board (WQI) would help fund a pilot project preliminary to a permanent solution to cleaning up the Pond.

The problem is related to phosphorous buildups poisoning the Pond, said Town Engineer Joe Finora. He estimated the full remediation would likely remove 125 kilos of phosphorous, essentially protecting Fresh Pond from developing algal blooms for centuries.

A harmful algal bloom, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, occurs in a body of fresh water when toxin-producing algae grows.

Shelter Island has received a $260,000 grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) toward the $325,000 cost of the pilot project the Fresh Pond Neighbors Association would like to conduct this summer.

The balance would be split between the WQI and Fresh Pond Neighbors if the Town Board makes the decision to approve use of the money for the project. It would cost $32,500 of WQI money — funds that come from a tax paid by buyers of Island property.

The Town had originally applied for two grants, one awarded by the DEC and the other to Suffolk County for $50,000, which the County rejected; but advocates for the Pond were encouraged to re-apply this summer.

County officials said they liked the project, Mr. Finora said, but weighing its merits against other applications, it didn’t quite make the grade. If a grant were to be forthcoming this summer from the County, it would negate the need for WQI to use its funds to contribute to the pilot project. But the timing would mean a delay of a year before the money would be available.

Another grant could be sought, Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams said. But it wouldn’t change the year-long delay in starting the pilot project, she added.

Mr. Finora said he didn’t intend to be involved in the relationship between the Town and the Fresh Pond Neighbors Association. His role was in working on the technical end, and providing information about the project and working out a budget to pay for the work.

Councilman Benjamin Dyett was bothered by a promise he said the Fresh Pond Neighbors had made about raising whatever money would be needed to augment the DEC grant. He further asked if the Waterways Management Advisory Council had been approached about using some of its money for a dock that is part of the pilot project.

Mr. Finora said the WMAC hadn’t been approached, but noted the platform on which equipment would sit is not really a dock.

There was further discussion about whether delaying the pilot project for a year might have a negative effect on nearby Menantic or Dickerson creeks.

Councilman Gordon Gooding asked about requiring Fresh Pond neighbors to install state-of-the-art I/A (Innovative/Alternative) septic systems. But, that would be detrimental to dealing with the phosphorous project that is the problem in Fresh Pond, Mr. Finora said.

While some Fresh Pond residents have updated their septic systems, he is not encouraging others to do so until the phosphorous problem is solved.

Mr. Gooding asked about oxygenation used at Georgica Pond in the Hamptons. The two bodies of water are very different, Mr. Finora told Mr. Gooding; oxygenation wouldn’t solve the problem in Fresh Pond.

At the Monday, March 17 meeting, at the request of Ms. Brach-Williams, a resolution is to appear on the agenda seeking to schedule a public hearing for April 7 on a proposal to use WQI funds for the pilot project.

Deputy Supervisor Meg Larsen said she favors moving ahead with the pilot project this summer using WQI money. If the resolution to schedule an April public hearing passes Monday night, and there is no pushback to using the WQI money at that public hearing, the Town could begin the pilot project this summer.

But that depends on at least one Democrat, either Mr. Gooding, Mr. Dyett or Councilman Albert Dickson, joining the two Republicans — Ms. Brach-Williams and Ms. Larsen — to provide the money.