“The Sewage Treatment Plant has been a sore subject in the Ludlow Park community for decades. Sitting on the Hudson River, the plant is a source of air pollution to the disgust of our residents. Despite cries from locals, officials have done little to fix the problems caused by the plant.
We all deserve to know the truth about the ongoing fight to clean up the Sewage Treatment Plant.
As your County Legislator, I have always recognized the air pollution from the plant as a serious health hazard. For years, I have worked to fund various remedial projects to correct the problem.
To view this in historical terms, we know this to be, whether intended or not, an issue of environmental injustice. The Ludlow Park community has borne the burden of the entire county’s waste for decades now.
Rather than building a plant in another part of the county, Ludlow Park has born the environmental impact. It is well past the time to right this injustice and clean up the plant.
We must be swift and address this problem head-on. I do not believe that in my lifetime I will see another plant built, whether in the north or elsewhere. Rather than watch our residents get sick, we need to fix the problems that are causing the unhealthy air, while working on responsible development in the surrounding area. I continue to work to keep improvement projects funded and moving forward.
Not only that, I have also worked to establish a more green space along the water. I have secured $10 million for a county park in the vacant lot adjacent to the plant. I have also partnered with Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano to establish more green space for our residents along the waterfront.
I have been a County Legislator from 2002 to 2011 and now again since 2019. Over 19 years, I have supported and advocated for efforts to clean the air in a phased-in approach. Through that work, projects have been undertaken to modernize engines, blower aeration, and flood prevention systems. We have also been able to replace gates and valves with modern equipment, with a cleaner byproduct.
We have executed four phases of odor control projects.
Last year alone, $35 million dollars was allocated for further improvements across the facility. $108 million and counting to clean the air for Ludlow Park residents, and we have not stopped fighting to this day.
While conditions have greatly improved, we need to do more. I have joined with County Executive George Latimer to request an additional $69 million in federal funds to improve the facility further.
The $69 million will go toward the installation of caps on the tanks of the sewage in the treatment process. With the support of Congressmember Jamal Bowman, we intend to lobby the federal government together until the funds are allocated.
It is our responsibility in government to protect our people. I have always been diligent in my work to improve conditions for the community surrounding the sewage treatment plant as well as the Hudson River. I look forward to continuing this effort and working with leaders at all levels to get the job done.”