Friday, May 31, 2019
Vol. 79, No. 22
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NY State grants $525 million for water pollution cleanup
REGAL EAGLES
BY GARY SIMEONE
The Bethpage High School’s robotics team, the Regal Eagles, participated in the FIRST World Championship in Detroit, Michigan. This marks the third straight year that the Royal Eagles were contenders in the event. See page 19. Photo courtesy of the Bethpage Union Free School District
School budgets pass in local districts
Residents of local school districts voted on school budgets on June 21st.
Hicksville
Voters in Hicksville approved (916-329) the $139,348,682 budget, a 2.7% spending increase. School board members Carla Hoene and Lynda Imbraile who ran unopposed, were elected.
$60,000 in funding for the Hicksville Gregory Museum was also approved by voters.
Bethpage
Bethpage voters approved their $87,343,557 budget, a 2.48% spending increase, by a 708168 margin. Three candidates, John Lonardo, Marie Swierkowski and Christina Scelta, ran unopposed and were elect-
ed.
Levittown
Voters in Levittown approved the school budget by a 1,304-620 margin. The $222,353,639 budget was a 2.99% spending increase. Two school board members, Christina Lang and Peggy Marenghi ran unopposed and were elected.
It has been an uphill battle to rectify the potential damage caused by the expanding Grumman Navy plume. In the latest development last Thursday, the New York Governor’s office released a $585 million plan to clean the groundwater pollution that has been steadily expanding from the former Northrop Grumman Navy manufacturing site in Bethpage. The plan calls for drilling 24 wells in order to pump 17.5 million gallons of water per day to five different treatment plants and recharging the clean water into the underground aquifer through four water recharge basins. “New York will not stand idly by as polluters threaten the health and safety of Long Island’s residents and communities,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo in a statement to the public. “With the release of this groundbreaking plan to contain and treat the Grumman/Navy plume, we are taking action on a comprehensive system to safeguard communities and ensure that Long island’s drinking water and environment are protected for generations to come.” The plan is a result of the DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation)’s comprehensive investigation into the nearly four mile long and two-mile wide plume. The long-term study found the plume has spread 4.3 miles southward to the Southern State Parkway and is up to 900 feet deep in places. Basil Seggos, DEC commissioner, said that the investigation was necessary, because many Long Island communities are in the path of the plume. “When New York’s natural resources and public health are at risk, we act,” said Seggos. “The DEC has exhaustively investigated the plume and now know that containment and treatment are possible.” After debating over five possible scenarios, the State’s recommended alternative is to surround the plume with extraction wells, which will pump and treat 17.5 million gallons of water per day. The water will be treated to drinking standards at multiple treatment facilities, before it’s sent to recharge basins, used as irrigation in Bethpage State Park or put into a nearby creek. The DEC has set aside a public comment period for the remediation plan from May 23 through July 7. Comments can be directed to DEC Project Manager Jason Pelton at Jason.pelton@dec.ny.gov. A public meeting will be held at Bethpage High School on June 10 to present the proposed plan.
District appoints permanent principal PAGE 3 Levittown honors stand-out students PAGE 6