Staten Island Borough President Slams NYC Over Sewage-Tainted Clove Lakes Park
Vito Fossella criticizes city officials for neglecting a local park while prioritizing tourist destinations, demanding a multi-agency summit to address the decades-long pollution.
Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella has sharply criticized New York City officials for what he describes as a "toxic double standard" in park maintenance, highlighting the severe sewage contamination plaguing Clove Lakes Park.
Fossella is demanding an urgent summit of city and state agencies to address the pollution in the park, which has been ongoing for decades due to a collapsed sewer line originating from a lakeside restaurant. "If this were Central Park, people would be flipping out," Fossella stated, contrasting the perceived neglect of Staten Island's local gem with the attention given to more tourist-centric areas.
The New York Post's recent reporting brought the issue to light, prompting the city Parks Department to ban boating and fishing in the park a week later. Fossella expressed frustration that city agencies have not been forthcoming with information regarding the extent of the problem and claimed they are still leaving him in the dark.
"What the public deserves is a safe, fun, healthy, public recreation area, and they don’t have it right now," Fossella said. He recalled his own childhood spent playing in the park and called for a thorough investigation into the pollution crisis, emphasizing the need to determine "who knew what and when."
The extent of the environmental damage may be more significant than currently understood. On Wednesday, Parks Department employees were observed conducting dye tests to ascertain if other sewer lines within the park were compromised. One Parks Department employee indicated that all buildings within the park were being tested, but when questioned about the discovery of additional malfunctioning sewer lines, a different employee declined to comment.
The public bathrooms at Clove Lakes Park were closed during the testing. The Parks Department has stated that they are not aware of any other sewer lines leaking into the lake and are collaborating with the Department of Environmental Protection on subsequent actions.
Long-time park visitors noted that plumbing issues at the site of The Stone House restaurant have been a known problem for approximately 50 years. One parkgoer, who asked to be identified only as Tad, a 71-year-old trucker, recalled stories from a friend who worked at the restaurant about sewage in the basement.
Fossella also criticized city regulators for the delayed response and for not possessing or releasing crucial data concerning fecal coliform contamination. Park attendees expressed their dismay and anger over the situation. "There should be repercussions up and down the line," said radiologist Sydney Russel, 25. Donna DeWaters, 71, a retired nurse, shared her disappointment, stating, "I'm upset about it, really. Because it was beautiful. I took my kids here, and they were little."