Stuart D. Feigenblatt, a resident of the Village of Great Neck for 17 years and an account executive for a large construction company, has officially filed as a candidate for commissioner of the three-member Great Neck Water Pollution Control Board. He will challenge David L. Lurie, a local realtor, who will run as an incumbent, having just been appointed by the Water District Board to fill temporarily the vacancy on the commission after Commissioner Sidney Evans resigned. The election for the position will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 9, the same date as the Great Neck Park District election.

Mr. Feigenblatt stated, "I have always been concerned with safety and environmental issues. Certainly, the handling of our water resources and the treatment of sewage is one of the most important environmental issues we face today. My background of over 30 years in building, construction, environmental safety and recycling gives me the knowledge and experience to evaluate our need to upgrade our present sewage treatment facilities.

When I learned in late October that one of the commissioners on the Water Pollution Control Board had resigned unexpectedly, I decided to run for the unexpired term because I am very concerned about the soundness of the Water District's plans for upgrading our sewage treatment facilities, as required by federal law. Prior to the mayoral election in the Village of Great Neck last June, the Water District was in partnership with the now defeated prior mayor to implement a massive, unworkable and financially ruinous plan to pump raw sewage from Great Neck many miles away to the south shore treatment plant at Cedar Creek. Mr. Lurie, who was part of the defeated mayor's administration, never rejected that plan and even now he does not rule it out. The disruption along East Shore Road, to Northern Boulevard, Shelter Rock Road and the Long Island Expressway would be horrendous and long lasting. The newly elected mayor of the Village of Great Neck, Richard Deem, strongly opposed that plan, and I did too as I worked hard to elect our new mayor."

Mr. Feigenblatt continued, "The present Water Pollution Control Board apparently has not abandoned its plans for diversion of sewage to Cedar Creek, despite the electorate's clear opposition in the mayoral race last June. Instead, the board has authorized the spending of tens of thousands of dollars of public funds to further determine the costs of such a plan. They have not abandoned their diversion plan despite the fact that state funds available to assist in the upgrading of sewage treatment are woefully inadequate to cover that total cost. The Water District and the Village of Great Neck could still face millions of dollars of unfunded costs that will be loaded on the backs of our residents. I want the Water Board to focus its attention on plans to upgrade our present sewage treatment plants, which could be done efficiently and cost-effectively with the funds available. If elected this will be one of my primary goals."

Mr. Feigenblatt, who is also president of a company that trades both ferrous and nonferrous metals, has volunteered his services to the Building Department of the Village of Great Neck and serves on Mayor Deem's Citizen's Advisory Panel. He was critical of the Water Pollution Control District's handling of both the board member's resignation and the upcoming election. "During the recent mayoral campaign, I strongly supported the concept of open and responsive government as championed by the newly elected Mayor Richard Deem. Sad to say though, the Water Pollution Control District is badly lacking in this important matter. This board did not announce the resignation of Sidney Evans in a timely manner, and hampered my efforts to obtain nominating petitions. These are actions that tend to disenfranchise the electorate. I will work to change all that."