DEC Report to the DEP in 2009 on the Earthen Berm
DECDamSafety_to_DEPAug2009

Site of the 66 trees that have to be removed
Fort Independence Park Trees kadraft 070511

NYS DEC page concerning the rules on Earthen Berms Dam Safety near Reservoirs: http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/4991.html

The next Croton Facilities Monitoring Committee (CFMC) meeting will be held on Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 7 PM in the DEP’s Contractor’s community office on 3660 Jerome Avenue, Bronx NY 10467 (across from the CWTP between 213th and Bainbridge)

1. Welcome, Call Meeting to Order
2. Consider, Adopt Minutes of    CFMC 4-30 (as revised) and 6-18 Meetings
3. DEP Report on Jobs & Hiring
4. Parks Dept Report on Jobs & Hiring
5. Status Report – Jerome Park Reservoir Public  Access Study
6. Croton Construction Update
7. Discussion, Set Next Meeting CFMC Principals

Topics should include questions concerning the below listed documents:

1.  Comptroller’s Audits

• DEP’s Oversight of Costs to Construct the CWTP, FR09-110A, 9/1/2009 – http://bit.ly/AI5Pr
• DEP’s Progress in Constructing the CWTP, FR08-121A, 9/1/2009 – http://bit.ly/1a4a3E

Community response  WaterBlogged.org » From Guest Pens: Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz – Croton is one of the Mayor’s worst failures http://bit.ly/3Xawfi

2.  Public comments in June and DEP response in September

June Public written:  Why_to_the_DEP_June_2009 (verbal comments in minutes we have not seen yet)

CRO-313-312OS Minor Mod RTC 07-24-09 v2

CRO_Design Commission Response_090728_FINAL

PDC Response 2 – Friend of VCP

3. Community’s response to the Design Commission

Deisgn_Comm_re_Parking_MGH_101309

As in the current national heath care reform mess, both the 2003 Croton Filtration and the 2005 Yankee Stadium Redevelopment meetings mangled an overlying issue with the project purpose — the taking of parkland (read: free land), when other alternatives existed to build said project. This mantra was encouraged by the so-called union-contractors and supported by union leadership and membership for selfish reasons – so contractors could make money; and union members higher pay and better benefits.

Just like some are confused about health care reform, few decision makers realized in 2004 and 2006 that alternative sites for each project would maintain union workers keeping their jobs and benefits, and would save the taxpayer billions of dollars.

Today, the message of health care reform is being purposely confused with “death trap for old people,” “increased in abortions,” or “socialistic medicine” for someone’s selfish agenda – like those $24 million per year health care insurance company CEOs, lobbyists tied to the health care industry, etc. Clearly, reform mean equal and better health care for all.

While those joint ventures of contractors and union leaders were initially successful, they ended with many corruption investigations, convictions and pleas, as well as with those same union workers left out in the picket line at the site of the Lehman College Science Building – across the street from the Jerome Park Reservoir!

Mayor Bloomberg & Friends are republicans; that explains the similarities to the national health care reform battle. Hopefully health care reform comes quicker than the long awaited park mitigation around the Jerome Park Reservoir and replacement parks around Yankee Stadium!

We need to learn from our mistakes; not make them over and over. The republican lobbyist spinners have selfish agendas. This is not a public relations campaign, this is our lives.  Health Insurance Reform is not complicated. The cost of inaction is immeasurable. President Obama’s program is clear:  he is not going to raise taxes, but cut the costs we all know exist.

I support the President’s Health Insurance Guarantees.

1. No Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions

2. No Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays

3. No Cost -Sharing for Preventive Care

4. No Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill

5. No Gender Discrimination

6. No Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage

7. Extended Coverage for Young Adults

8. Guaranteed Insurance Renewal

Join me. Take Action. Start the discussion.

22 Questions to the FMC and the DEP by Karen Argenti, June 18, 2009

1. Why is the Demonstration Building surrounded by a chain link, not an opaque fence as required by law? Why is this temporary building standing, if the Buildings Department permit approved demolition in January 2009?[1]
2. Why are there depressions in the roadway on Goulden Avenue at various work sites extending from Sedgwick to 205^th Street where the DEP contractor dug up and filled in?
3. Can you specify the new “information not previously available” as mentioned in the Minor Modification (MM) on page 2 that you received to make changes to the work at the Jerome Park Reservoir (JPR)?[2] Why has work stopped on the sound barrier?
4. Can you provide access to review all geologist reports for JPR?
5. Can you reference the page in Table 1 for the project element discussion “As Discussed in the Final SEIS” as well as the “As Currently Proposed (Minor Modification)?
6. Can you reference the page in the old FSEIS[3] referenced on page 9 of the MM[4] when you compare the work proposed in the FSEIS to the new work for the south basin ramp?
7. What other alternatives did you review in the site and the method of excavation for the Shaft and Meter Chamber?
8. What other alternatives did you review for the site and construction of the ramp for the south basin, such as attached to the dividing wall?
9. Where in the FSEIS did you study the impact of the construction of the south basin ramp, as well as the traffic impact for its use?
10. Where are the plans for the Outdoor Urban Ecology Lab (OUEL)?
11. Where are DEP’s plans for the restoration of the Harris Park Annex after the work is completed?
12. Where is the geologist report mentioned on page 15 of the MM?
13. Why did the city claim[5] the community’s court case was not ripe in August 2008, when it already had a complete statement of the process in an addendum to the original Cultural Resources Assessments related to CRO-313 and CRO-312OS with a state agency (no more an interested party than the public or the court) and made an agreement concerning impacts?[6]
14. What is the basis for holding executive sessions of the FMC? All public bodies must hold meetings open to the public unless certain reasons for executive sessions apply.[7]
15. Where is the public participation for the evacuation plan as stated in the document you provided to the EPA?[8]
16. What is the timeline and status of the work on the pipeline from the plant to the Hunts Point Dewatering Plant?
17. When is the DEP’s hearing for the MM?
18. When will the FMC meet during the summer?
19. Can the community have input in the plans for the vacated Jerome Avenue Pumping Station, and when will it be offline?
20. Where are the permits posted for the work ongoing at JPR?
21. Will the DEP discuss these projects at the DSC of the affected community boards and/or borough board?
22. What is the status of the park work at JPR?

http://www.waterblogged.org/parks-schematics-from-january-8th-cb8-meeting-on-jerome-park-reservoir-pathway/

Documents on the Valve and Meter Chamber at JPR – NOISE from the Off-Site Noise Analysis Sections in the 2004 FSEI

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/environmental_reviews/crotoneis.shtml

Methods for the noise analysis:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/croton/4-10noise.pdf

The actual noise impact analysis conducted for JPR and the surrounding area can be found on page 87 to 95, 176, 181-190 within this section:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/croton/8-02jeromepark.pdf

Lists of birds found at JPR is in the above section 8-02 on page 153-4

The mitigation plan including Maps suggests portable noise attenuating barriers — page 15-19 of this Mitigation section 9-04:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/croton/9-04offsite.pdf

Judge’s Decision

http://www.waterblogged.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/decisionbceqvdep090908.pdf

DEP’s Technical Memorandum for change in CRO 313

http://www.waterblogged.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/citytechmemo082908.pdf

Affidavit of Heath explaining the work

http://www.waterblogged.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/cityheathaff082908full.pdf

Meter can be gotten at Radio Shack – $49.99 Digital Display Sound Level Meter Model 33-2055

Outdoor Urban Ecology Lab – old documents:

http://www.waterblogged.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/outdoorurbanecologylab-jpc-2008.pdf