Peconic River Cleanup

As an active member of the Peconic/Carman's River Community Oversight Committee,the Baykeeper continues to serve an important role in the protection and improvement of these two river systems. Of particular concern is the contamination of the Peconic River.

Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), located at the headwaters of the Peconic River, has been a focus of public attention during the past several years for their culpability in contaminating the riverine ecosystem with radioactivity, PCB's and heavy metals. The contamination poses a significant threat not only to the ecosystem but to public health as well.

As a result of additional testing performed by Suffolk County, it was recently disclosed that the level of mercury contamination in the system poses a much greater risk than previously indicated. Currently under debate are the levels at which the contamination will be removed.

The Cleanup Plan

BNL officials have presented several cleanup plans that seek to remediate the contamination by removing river sediments using conventional earth moving equipment. BNL's preferred plan would leave some contamination in place.

Peconic Baykeeper is actively participating in the development of an acceptable cleanup plan and continues to query BNL officials as to the specific methodologies that will be employed during the removal. It is the Baykeeper's position the contamination should be removed to the greatest extent possible to protect the families who rely on the river for subsistence fishing. The cleanup of the river has taken years to come to fruition and it is imperative that it is as thorough as possible.