Green Infrastructure (GI) has to be incorporated into the Long Term Control Plans in a meaning and measurablemanner. While this plan goes a long way toward that goal, there is no need for additional planning for incorporation of GIwhile the Long Term Control Plans (LTCPs) are being developed. Just do it; it is already widely accepted all over thecountry and by EPA.

Read more here

BCEQ_letter_CSO2011 111811

“Examining Harlem River Water Quality: Imputs, Effects and Solutions”

Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at Manhattan College, Leo Engineering Building

2:30 pm – 4:00 pm, Main Auditorium: GENERAL MEETING

• What is the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Program? What is an Estuary? US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Bob Nyman Director, NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Program
• What is the State of the Sewers? NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), NYC Region 2 Director Suzanne Mattei -The State of the Sewers
• What can the History of the Harlem River teach us? Sid Horenstein, Environmental Educator Emeritus, American Museum of Natural History
• What we see Google Mapping of Places of interest along the Harlem River? Jerry Willis, National Parks Service, and the Harlem River Working Group (HRWG)

4:00 pm, Downstairs Cafeteria: REFRESHMENTS, TABLING, BREAKOUTS

4:15 to 5:15 pm, Downstairs Cafeteria: BREAKOUTS

• “Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda 2010-2014” presentation and public comment, Fran Dunwell, NYS DEC
• Grass roots designed Public Participation process for CSOs, Petition and Letter Writing – Karen Argenti, BCEQ & HRWG
• Google Mapping CSO Places of interest along the Harlem River – CSO Photos – Jerry Willis, National Parks Service, HRWG

5:00 – 5:30 pm, Main Auditorium: SUMMARIES REPORTED by 5:20 pm

5:30 – 7:00 pm, Auditorium: HARLEM RIVER WORKING GROUP MEETING

7:00 – 9:00 pm, Board Room: BCEQ BOARD MEETING

^{Open Spaces, Environment and Health}

^{Presentations}

^{Energy Efficiency}

^{Harlem River Working Group}

^{Shape Up NY}

^Workshops

^{Rain Water Harvesting}

^{Organic Growing Techniques}

^{Worm Bins Made Easy (composting)}

^{Panel Discussion}

^{Sustainable/Green Community Development}

^{Learn about all the Resources/Opportunities for Community Groups, Educators & Volunteers}

Join us for the 16th Annual Bronx Parks Speak Up

^{Saturday, Feb. 27th}

^{at Lehman College Faculty Dining Room}

^{11:30 am to 5 pm}

11:30am—12:30pm Registration

Networking, Refreshments & Live Music

^{For more info or to register e-mail to bxspeakup@hotmail.com.}

^{To reserve a table please send an e-mail to speakuptabling@hotmail.com by 2/19/10.}

Kingsbridge Armory 101609b

If you wan to read the complete Enviromental Impact Statement, it is located on the NYC.gov – New York City Office of Environmental Coordination http://bit.ly/2VV3On

Read our documents

Bronx River LTCP WWFP 091809 BCEQ

Bx Riv Stakeholder LTCP 060707

StormWaterCaptureProjects_BronxWishList

CRO_Design Commission Response_090728_FINAL with comments

BCEQ Doctrine of Low Impact Development

Every development project should make at least one environmental condition in its vicinity better and make none worse. In addition, new or re-development in the Bronx should prove:

1. Required and/or allowable parking incorporates the least number of off-street spaces.

2. No parking should be free, except for deliveries.

3. For redevelopment projects, no new parking spaces allowed, unless developer meets the “BCEQ Mitigation Trading Criteria.”

4. Parking should be in a structure that is multi-level, enclosed with a natural green growth cover to capture rainfall, with scrubbers inside that will clean the air from the car exhaust.

5. Parking should not be sprawled over blacktop, or in an area that allows fumes to concentrate and impact the public.

6. Mass transit should be encouraged and, as an incentive, should be provided FREE to any and all who purchase tickets and/or use the facility.

7. The city should provide tax incentives to those who provide FREE mass transit as part of the ticket cost (including express buses).

8. Brownfields should not be capped, but cleaned to the highest, not just best use. Exception to this includes proposals with natural attenuation and scientifically documented biogeochemical processes with a proven record for cleaning and/or neutralizing the pollutant of concern.

9. Projects promoted by the City should adopt the model professed by the City of New York to the world in its Olympic 2012 proposals, proving the City’s ability to deliver, and thereby promote its ability to attain future Olympic Games. That Model included:

a. Sports activities should encourage mass transit use within the city and the metropolitan area by arranging for EXPRESS service on rail, ferry, subway and bus to the stadium (Yankee, Shea or Giant).

b. Choose Stormwater Management practices at the highest level, not just determining adequate capacity in the sewers. The city’s policy must be to capture and treat all rainfall prior to discharge into a waterbody, and meet all Phase II Stormwater Regulations. Anything less will never diminish the CSO problem and all of its health implications.

10. Stormwater Criteria should include methods to attenuate, convey, pre-treat, treat & polish stormwater runoff, paid for by the developer, (as adopted from the NYS DOT Route 120 project):

a. No untreated discharges to the waterbody within the limits of the project.

b. Multi-barrier watershed approach reduces pollutant loads from existing conditions.

c. Practices are arranged in “series” providing a “treatment train” prior to discharge from the project site.

d. Design provides oil spill/containment treatment.

e. Design includes both structural and nonstructural components compatible with the natural and constructed features of project site.

f. No net increase of impervious surfaces from project within the watershed basin.

g. Natural water capture vegetated landscape and street cleaning are on the treatment train.

h. The Soil Erosion & Sediment Control Plan (SESCP) is limiting and confining the extent of disturbance to protect natural vegetation.

i. Annual stormwater facilities maintenance contract will be used to maintain the stormwater facilities.

j. Mitigated wetlands must be in the same watershed basin. Mitigated wetland impacts will be monitored for 10 years.

11. BCEQ Mitigation Trading Criteria includes:

a. Replacement should be by Tree Diameter – inch for inch. It does not matter if the tree is currently not alive, as long as the diameter is measured and included in the analysis.

b. It is not equivalent to replace older and larger trees with multiples of smaller one’s. So if the exact size is not available then the exchange should be “wood for wood” – that is the area of the new tree would be equal to the area of the old tree, or πR2 times the height.

c. Exception to the inch for inch tree replacement scenario would be an upgrade to a higher level of tree, that is, one that cleans the air, is drought and pollutant resistant, is long living, or a multiple of five to one, using trees ¾ of the replacement diameter.

d. New housing development projects are required to include street tree plantings as part of the builder’s paving plan. This should be strictly enforced and notice should be provided to the local community board.

e. If turf must be used on green areas (and particularly in sports areas), it should be replaced by credits toward green open space or roof top gardens within a 500 foot radius.

This shall be posted on our web site.
Approved, Board of Directors on May 10, 2006.

Revised parts were added on June 10, 2006 after comments from members.

EPA Memo on Green Infrastructure March 2007 (PDF) – This is a great memo that explains the benefits of Green Infrastructure. A must read.