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Q&A
Council Member Gennaro and Deputy Commissioner Licata discuss green infrastructure bills and MS4 areas
1:17:02
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4 min
Council Member James F. Gennaro and Deputy Commissioner Angela Licata engage in a discussion about proposed legislation (Intro 1253 and Intro 1254) related to green infrastructure projects in New York City. They focus on the challenges and opportunities in implementing these projects, particularly in MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) areas, and discuss recent changes to the state's consent order that allow for more flexibility in spending on resilience measures.
- Gennaro expresses the intent to "level the playing field" for MS4 areas in terms of green infrastructure implementation.
- Licata highlights ongoing projects and investments in MS4 areas, totaling approximately $28 million.
- They discuss the challenges in measuring progress in MS4 areas and the shift in focus from CSO (Combined Sewer Overflow) reduction to stormwater treatment and pollution control.
James F. Gennaro
1:17:02
And getting to the bills.
1:17:08
I think your testimony on intro twelve fifty three is fine.
1:17:14
That's about the notification thing.
1:17:16
We wanna loop in DDC.
1:17:19
You know, there's a smart and a less smart way to do anything.
1:17:22
We wanna do that the smart way, and that sounds very reasonable.
1:17:26
Twelve fifty four with the MS four areas.
1:17:29
I mean, I hear you in terms of what you've been able to, you know, do in the combined sewer areas.
1:17:41
I I I what we're trying to get at with twelve fifty four is that a lot of the green infrastructure has gone into the sixties percent of the city with combined sewers because of the, you know, CSO problem and the CSO consent order.
1:18:07
And it was really an attempt to kind of, like, you know, level the playing field, like, a little bit because the MS four areas, you know, we're not getting that kind of, you know, greenery.
1:18:26
But as you, you know, mentioned, there are impediments there and areas that would be completely that we, you know, couldn't consider at all by virtue of the of the, you know, high water table.
1:18:45
Still wanna do something now.
1:18:46
And so, you know, took all of your, you know, analysis, you know, to heart here.
1:18:59
But I I I think we're still of the mind that we wanna try to, you know, work in a concerted way with DEP to get, like, something done there.
1:19:12
Do have do you have a follow-up follow-up do you have a response to that?
1:19:18
So what are your thoughts on what I just said?
1:20:56
allowed us about that.
1:20:57
Talk about that if you want to.
1:20:58
Help me out there.
1:21:00
I'm not I'm not very facile with that.
Angela Licata
1:19:22
Yeah.
1:19:22
First, our appreciation for your attention to this issue because it is very important to although it is only about 30% of the city, it is very important to address flooding concerns in the MS 4 area.
1:19:38
And so we do have, I mean, the good news is approximately $28,000,000 in upcoming projects within the MS4 area, and we've completed quite a lot of projects to date.
1:19:52
We are struggling with a metric for how to measure the amount that we could complete in the MS4 area, but we certainly do track the water quality volume because in the MS4 area, the goal is not CSO reduction, but the goal rather is to treat the stormwater and to eliminate the pollutants that don't ever get to a wastewater resource recovery facility before it's discharged.
1:20:20
You mentioned earlier in your opening remarks that we do treat for floatables.
1:20:25
We get that through the catch basin hoods.
1:20:26
But you're right.
1:20:27
There are other pollutants in the stormwater that we want to address.
1:20:30
Certainly, needs to be part of the strategy, needs to be part of our attention, and not to mention, of course, the flooding controls that are necessary there.
1:20:41
You're also very correct in your mentioning of the state's consent order change.
1:20:48
So in 2023, the modification to the order that we renegotiated with the New York State DEC
1:21:02
Yeah.
1:21:02
No.
1:21:02
But I can tell you're recalling that some of that occurred.
1:21:06
And, yes, what we have there is a volumetric goal for CSO reduction.
1:21:12
We want to reduce CSOs by 1,600,000,000 gallons a year through green infrastructure measures, as well as we now have a monetary obligation to spend, but the state did recognize that we need to build resilience in the city of New York, and so we pushed very hard for them to accept that under that consent order there could be spending that would improve water quality in the MS-four, and then also be co benefits with resiliency.
1:21:47
So we do have that opportunity at this point.