Aug
26th
RAISED BORE METHOD – 8.2.1.7. New Shaft Chamber and Tunnel, pp. 11-12
“. . . the raised bored construction method . . . involves drilling of a pilot hole from the surface. A boring drill rig would be assembled at the bottom of the shaft where the tunnel would terminate, and turned by a machine at the top. The boring spoils would fall into the tunnel, and would be removed as the drill is raised from the bottom of the shaft. Using the new tunnel for access, all the debris would collapse into the new tunnel and would be removed at the water treatment plant site . . . . This method would reduce the impact caused by construction in the area.”
From the Tunnel looking up the shaft:
Filed under Uncategorized
Reservoir is now a health issue…
Last week, the NYC Health Department issued a press release that stated Two New Yorkers have been infected with the West Nile Virus. You can read it here:
Two New Yorkers Test Positive for West Nile
What does this have to do with the Reservoir you ask?
Simple, for the last several months the DEP has kept the reservoir empty on both sides of the wall. The north side is empty and pretty much dry, however the south side is empty but with large standing pools of water that have now turned green and mossy.
So why is this a health issue? Again, simple, standing water attracts mosquitoes and with them come disease. The Health Departments own statement says:
“Take Simple Steps to Avoid Mosquitoes
* Eliminate any standing water from your property, and dispose of containers that can collect water.
Make sure roof gutters are clean and draining properly. Standing water is a violation of the health code. ”
So is DEP getting a violation? This is a serious situation that needs immediate addressing. Millions of mosquitoes could be breeding as I am typing this, do you want to be the next infected person?
I am asking everyone to call 311 and report the standing water in the south side of the reservoir. Please ask for a complaint number and if you can send it to us via our Contact us.
Philip McDonnell
FIPNA
Filed under Jerome Park Reservoir, Notices/Alerts
Aug
19th
THESE ARE PDF FILES AND ARE VERY BIG, SO BE PATIENT.
RESPONSE TO COMMENTS ON THE DSEIS
Filed under Court related, Jerome Park Reservoir
(1) no surface drilling or blasting
(2) hoe ram drilling
(3) blasting
Click below to view in flash. Use the mouse to click to the animated photo’s; the pages will advance but you need to use the mouse click to go through the presentation. FULL SCREEN IS THE LAST RIGHT BUTTON.
(Please click the image to advance the slides)
If you do not have flash, you can download the Acrobat (pdf) version by clicking here:
no-blasting-or-drilling-081808
Filed under Court related, Uncategorized
Aug
14th
This is the exact presentation given to the Facilities Monitoring Committee five days before the presentation at Amalgamated. Clearly you can see the DEP making the case between two types of methods, but not the one they have permission to use. The EIS is clear: no surface drilling (and that includes hoe rams) or blasting.
Click below to view in flash. Use the mouse to click to the animated photo’s; the pages will advance but you need to use the mouse click to go through the presentation. FULL SCREEN IS THE LAST RIGHT BUTTON.
(Please click the image to advance the slides)
If you do not have flash, you can download the Acrobat (pdf) version by clicking here:
cro-312os_6-13-08_fmc1
Filed under Court related, Uncategorized
Aug
14th
The Fort Independence Park Neighborhood Association already has the story, so check it out.
http://www.fipna.org/2008/08/12/blasting-causes-rats/
Filed under Friends of Jerome Park Reservoir, Jerome Park Reservoir, Reservoir
Aug
5th
It is truly amazing that the City has no idea what they are doing. See the note from the City’s attorney:
. . . . “DEP is currently in the process of finalizing its environmental review of proposed project changes, including the possibility of shifting from hoe ramming to blasting for rock excavation at the Jerome Park Reservoir site, and will not make any final decision regarding the use of blasting until that review is completed,” said Susan Amron, deputy chief of the environmental law division of the city’s law department, in a statement. (Riverdale Press, July 31, 2008 online)
Where in the world did hoe raming come from? They forgot to mention the originally approved section of the FSEIS. See below:
. . . . . From Section 8.2.1.7.
“The construction of the New Shaft at this location would be done using
the raised bored construction method. This method involves drilling of a
pilot hole from the surface. A boring drill rig would be assembled at
the bottom of the shaft where the tunnel would terminate, and turned by
a machine at the top. The boring spoils would fall into the tunnel, and
would be removed as the drill is raised from the bottom of the shaft.
Using the new tunnel for access, all the debris would collapse into the
new tunnel and would be removed at the water treatment plant site for
either the Mosholu or the Harlem River Site alternatives. For the
Eastview Site, the material would be removed through the NCA from shafts
upstream of the Reservoir. This method would reduce the impact caused
by construction in the area.The drilling of the New Shaft via raised bore construction would take
place in the first summer of the scheduled construction period. The new
tunnel lining would be installed before the New Shaft Chamber
construction commences. In response to public comment, construction of
the New Shaft Chamber would occur during the school year with the
concrete pours taking place during the summer months, Saturdays, or
holidays to avoid disturbance of the nearby schools while they are in
session. The construction of the New Shaft Chamber would be
simultaneous with setting the piping in the New Tunnel from either the
water treatment plant or the NCA, depending on the site selection, to
the New Shaft Chamber.
Finally, remember the singlemost important line:
“There would be no surface drilling or blasting in relation to work at the Reservoir.”
Jul
30th
BCEQ Papers:
- Affirmation affirmationinsupport073008
- Order to Show Cause: the TKO osc-blasting-index-26028708
Other documents of interest:
- Letter from BP: bxbpcarrionletter_depblasting811081
- Page that says no blasting: 8-02jeromepark_unlocked-no-blasting
The City’s response: markpageaffopposing073008
Filed under Court related, Friends of Jerome Park Reservoir
See above the Section 8.2 page 184 which shows the promise made to the people in the EIS. Now they don’t want to keep the promise, so they are making up stories. It may not seem difficult to understand, but the DEP is having a hard time trying to figure out what to do.
On Wednesday, July 30, 2008, attorney and Bronx resident Ezra B. Glaser appeared before Justice Betty Owen Stinson seeking an Order to Show Cause (OSC) for a temporary restraining order against the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)’s proposal to blast in and around the Jerome Park Reservoir. The DEP and the City showed up to argue against the OSC. The Judge granted the TRO on the blasting issue.
“Our arguments were compelling,” stated Mr. Glaser, “The community groups would be harmed greater in the balance of equity then the DEP”. When the City claimed that “we’re not starting blasting August 1st” Justice Stinson replied, “Guess then you would not be harmed.” The FSEIS stated on page 184 of Section 8.2, submitted as one of the Exhibits: “There would be no surface drilling or blasting in relation to work at the Reservoir.”
Various borough wide and local groups and persons joined in: the bronx council for environmental quality (BCEQ) and IRA charles levenberg, both individually and in his official capacity as BCEQ President, the FORT INDEPENDENCE PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION and PHILIP MCDONNELL, both individually and in his official capacity as President of the FORT INDEPENDENCE PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, ASSEMBLY Member jeffrey dinowitz, both individually and in his official capacity, council member G. oliver koppell, both individually and in his official capacity, MARIO BENITEZ, ANTHONY PEREZ CASSINO, FRANCIS A. CHAPMAN, MICHAEL GARY, FATHER RICHARD GORMAN, SONIA LAPPIN, DAMIAN MCSHANE, MORRIS PALEVSKY, SAUL SCHEINBACH, LYNN SCHWARZ, and CAROLYN SMITH.
THE BRONX COUNCIL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (BCEQ), et. al v.THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (DEP), et. al, (Index # 260287 of 2008) will be heard on September 3, 2008.
This is a hoe ram, which is noisy but it is NOT allowed:
Filed under Court related, Jerome Park Reservoir