Pol Presses DEP For More Cleaning
In the wake of recent heavy rainstorms, State Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo is alerting his constituents to be on the lookout for catch basins that are not draining water properly and to report them to his district offices as soon as possible before bigger problems like flood damage to homes and stores could occur.
While examining the flooding problems experienced recently in Glendale during a rainstorm, Addabbo is working on solutions for such flooding issues.
“Having a catch basin cleaned of debris is not going to cure all the flooding issues in my district, but it may be the short, quick resolution to the problem in some cases.” Addabbo said.
According to the senator, residents in the southern part of Addabbo’s district make approximately 10 to 13 complaint calls a month involving catch basins and slightly below that number in the northern part of his district.
More recently, his Howard Beach district office had logged several calls to have the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) clean out the catch basin in front of the CTown Supermarket on Cross Bay Boulevard and Sutter Avenue, in Ozone Park, which kept getting clogged with garbage. Another problem catch basin was further down Cross Bay Boulevard in Howard Beach at 161st Street, in front of Explosions Hair Salon, which also fills with trash and debris regularly.
At both the Howard Beach or Middle Village district office, Addabbo’s staffers have been working with the DEP to get the problems fixed. Typically, after getting notification of where a problem is occurring, DEP takes at least seven to 10 days to arrive on site, while the actual clean-outs may only take hours. It might be slightly longer to get the job done if there are further problems or delays.
In addition, Addabbo reported that he was in contact with a DEP supervisor recently to discuss starting a bigger project soon in Coleman Square in Howard Beach to alleviate the repeated flooding issues there.
“We’ve already experienced some heavy rainstorms and fallen debris from trees, and our area’s typical high season for hurricane activity isn’t even here yet,” Addabbo concluded. “No community in my district is immune to flooding problems. So I urge all residents to call either of my district offices if you notice a catch basin that isn’t draining properly.”
