MyRye.com
July 23, 2008
RYE – Long Island Soundkeeper Calls for Testing on Hen Island
(view the actual web story by clicking here)
Long Island Soundkeeper, a 20 year old environmental organization dedicated “to the protection and enhancement of the biological, physical, and chemical integrity of Long Island Sound and its watershed” made the following statement regarding environmental testing on Rye’s Hen Island.
Hen Island has been the subject of local controversy regarding alleged pollution coming from some island homeowners. MyRye.com reported rumors that the New York Times may be planning to report on the situation. Soundkeeper and Executive Director Terry Backer told MyRye.com “I have seen many applications for toilet water disposal as at Hen Island and more often than not they leach into the Sound. Testing would resolve the matter and I think (it) should be done.”
Statement of Soundkeeper Terry Backer
(regarding testing for Hen Island) “Soundkeeper has been watching the Hen Island situation very closely for the past year. We feel, as previously mentioned, that the effluent from Hen Island have only one place to go and that is into the Long Island Sound. The County of Westchester Health Department and The City of Rye are the agencies responsible for policing and testing the septic systems that are in place on Hen Island. If the Westchester County Health Department along with the City of Rye would agree to flow test and dye test the systems in place and should they all pass testing procedures, we would agree that no further action would be necessary. Long Island Sound is to important to us all to allow this situation to go on unresolved. Simple testing would put this matter to rest on way or the other. We strongly encourage the Country and the City to require appropriate testing.”
–Terry Backer, Soundkeeper
