Municipal Officials Conference: Managing Cesspools and Septic Systems to Protect Long Island's Waters More>
 Approximately 130 coastal managers, septic and cesspool company business owners, researchers, water quality professionals, elected officials, engineers and concerned citizens gathered for a March 2014 conference to hear experts deliver much needed information about the state of Long Island's cesspools and septic systems and where we go from here.

• On Blog: Where Does It All Go? More>
  What it is like to have a group of professionals inspect your home septic system? When the criteria for candidate homes for inspections was discussed by the organizers of March 2014's  Cesspool and Septic conference, Eric Swenson realized that his home in Oyster Bay, fairly close to Long Island Sound, seemed like a good candidate.

 

Municipal Officials Conference: "Managing Cesspools and Septic Systems to Protect Long Island's Waters" - Flyer | PDF
Registration is now open for this event, which will be held on Tuesday, March 25 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Old Bethpage Village Restoration:cesspool.brownpapertickets.com.

Representatives from the conference's partners - which include New York Sea Grant, the Manhasset Bay Protection Committee, the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee, the Oyster Bay / Cold Spring Harbor Protection Committee, the Town of Oyster Bay and Friends of the Bay - will deliver the latest information on the problems that septic systems and cesspools are suspected of causing.

"The intent is to provide municipal officials with on-the-ground case studies and comprehensive tools and techniques that have proven successful in reducing the impacts of cesspools and septic systems elsewhere in the northeast," says New York Sea Grant's Water Quality Specialist and NY Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) Program Mananger.

Presenters will also provide an overview of initiatives that are currently underway on Long Island to address cesspools and septic systems in a proactive, innovative, and cost-effective manner. "This conference serves as an important forum for networking, sharing ideas, and considering next steps," says Keenan.


On YouTube: Canada Geese Causing a Water Quality Issue? More>

New York Sea Grant Water Quality Specialist Eileen Keenan, Manager of the New York Nonpoint Source Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) Program, discusses the issue with Long Island Report. This past summer, Keenan was a moderator at the NYSG co-sponsored Second Annual Long Island Green Infrastructure Conference & Expo hosted at Brookhaven National Laboratory.


NYSG a Sponsor of 2nd Annual LI Green Infrastructure Conf & Expo More>
Mid-June '13 conference focusing on ‘How to Address Water and Energy Issues and Benefit by Going Green During Tough Economic Times’ will be hosted at Brookhaven National Laboratory.


NYSG at the Forefront of First Annual Long Island Green Infrastructure Conference More>
NYSG was one of several cosponsors of this event, at which municipal officials and engineers, planners, consultants, property owners, landscape architects, and business leaders were provided with information on how green infrastructure can be an effective means of protecting Long Island’s valuable groundwater and coastal resources.


NYSG is a sponsor of  the 1st Annual Long Island Green Infrastructure Conference & Expo focusing on ‘Protecting Our Water Resources.' The event will be hosted by the Nassau and Suffolk County Soil and Water Conservation Districts at Brookhaven National Laboratory on Thursday, June 21, 2012. More>


NYSG's NEMO Program Educates Officials on Storm Sewer System Regulations More>
As seen in the Great Neck Record (May 2012), local officials recently discussed the operation of separate storm water systems. Eileen Keenan, manager New York Sea Grant's NEMO Program, briefed the local officials on the MS4 (municipal separate storm sewer system), the regulations, basic requirements, effectiveness evaluation and special requirements relating to impaired water bodies in the area.


New York Sea Grant NEMO Program Addresses Peconic Water Resource Protection More>
In Fall 2010, NYSG's Eileen Keenan participated as a panelist at the Peconic Estuary Program’s Call to Action Conference in Southampton, NY. Attended by over 200 municipal officials and local stakeholders, the conference offered action-oriented discussions that covered stormwater and nitrogen management, eelgrass protection, and habitat restoration.


Supporting Municipal Natural Resource Protection More>
Municipal stormwater management and nonpoint source pollution control on Long Island are of vital importance to protecting estuarine resources. The NYSG Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials Program has responded to these issues since 2001, providing technical expertise and assistance concerning EPA Phase II Stormwater Program compliance to nearly 100 Long Island municipalities.