Q&A
Feasibility of reopening pumping stations in Southeast Queens
1:08:37
·
128 sec
Council Member Williams inquires about the possibility of reopening pumping stations in Southeast Queens to address flooding issues. Commissioner Aggarwala explains the challenges and infeasibility of restarting the old wells.
- Restarting the wells would cost about $1 billion and require complete rebuilding
- The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has deemed it unfeasible to permit water extraction from the old wells
- Restarting the wells would negatively impact Nassau County's underwater water supply
Nantasha Williams
1:08:37
The other question I had had to do with the pumping stations, and largely just I know I've had some of these conversations with you already, but also wanted to know Some activists, many who might be in the chambers today have advocated for us to open back up the pumping station.
1:08:57
So I just want to know if there was any feasibility studies on cost or what that could look like.
1:09:01
Of course, I know it's and singed upon the state as well, but just wanted to know if there was any other feasibility studies to assess the viability of opening the public stations back on it?
Rohit T Aggarwala
1:09:13
Well, there have been there have been 2 efforts that we've undertaken or not.
1:09:17
We've 22 efforts have been on have been undertaken on this topic.
1:09:22
1, we took a look over the last year or so at the feasibility of restarting them.
1:09:29
We did conclude, and I think I gave testimony on this in the past that that restarting the wells, basically.
1:09:36
They've they've been out of service for such a long time.
1:09:39
And water quality standards and and the overall regulatory regime has changed so much that we think we would basically have to rebuild them entirely.
1:09:47
It would cost about $1,000,000,000.
1:09:51
Separately, however, the state DEC, which would have to give a permit for any extractions from the old wells, issued a report that basically said it would be completely unfeasible for them ever to give a permit for us to restart the wells.
1:10:08
So in fact, I think we need to be going the other way.
1:10:12
I think it's it's time to start permanently decommissioning the wells because of DEC, which is the regulating agency, says that they would never give a permit for us to extract water there, then it just becomes infeasible.
1:10:26
And just to be clear, the reason there were two concerns that they identified, but the most important one is that they determine that if those wells were restarted, it would have a significantly negative effect on the underwater water supply that Nassau County relies on.
