Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray and Councilwoman Angie Cullin held a press conference on Monday to announce their vehement opposition to the plan of rerouting north shore sewage to Hempstead Town's south shore waters. The town recently learned that the Village of Great Neck is considering a plan which would close the village's two sewage treatment plants along Manhasset Bay. These plants would be replaced with approximately 6.2 miles of pipeline in order to connect the village's sewage to existing south shore sewer lines. The Cedar Creek Sewage Treatment Plant, located in Wantagh, would then process the waste and discharge it into the Atlantic Ocean.

"We adamantly oppose Great Neck's proposal to close its sewage treatment plants and divert waste to the Nassau County sewage treatment facility at Cedar Creek," Murray said, noting that if the plan were to be enacted, the Cedar Creek plant would be pumped with sewage from 12,000 Great Neck homes. "Equally offensive to the Great Neck Mayor's proposal is his attitude toward the Town of Hempstead, particularly the communities of Wantagh and Seaford."

The supervisor explained the mayor wants to close the "unsightly" sewage plants in Great Neck because they are not in keeping with the community's residential nature. In their place, the village would construct new townhouses, condominiums, a waterfront park and shops.

"We are offended that he has no such aesthetic concerns about pumping his waste into the middle of the lovely residential neighborhoods of Wantagh and Seaford," Murray said. "The Town of Hempstead is a lovely bedroom community, but we refuse to be a bathroom community."

The supervisor, together with Cullin, explained that many local residents have already expressed opposition to the plan, and that they've endured enough.

Cullin, who represents the families who surround the Cedar Creek Sewage Treatment Facility, said she intends to "flush" this plan.

"I have a message for Great Neck's Mayor Falk and all those who support his plan - the plan stinks and we're not going to take it," Cullin said. "Supervisor Murray, the residents of our district and I are going to flush this terrible plan. Residents of my district ... will not be dumped on. I have no sympathy for the concerns of a mayor who will attempt to make his community more desirable at the expense of other communities."

"Residents of Wantagh and Seaford have already expressed concerns about the effluent emitted from the Cedar Creek Plant and its possible impact on their health," Murray said. "Additionally, neighbors are worried about the negative impact of additional sewage on air quality, unpleasant odors and general quality of life."

Two local residents who were present at the press conference echoed these concerns.

"We don't understand why we're being dumped on," said longtime Wantagh resident Olga Browner, also a member of the Long Island Nutrition Network. "Great Neck should take care of their own waste."

Tom Gallagher, also a longtime resident of Wantagh and a member of the Cedar Creek Health Risk Assessment Committee, said that additional sewage being pumped into the plant could cause pump blockage. He added that since every manhole cover along Merrick Road (below which the piping would run) has a hole for ventilation, the smell coming from these pipes, which he said is already pretty bad in warm weather, would be horrendous. He also indicated that plant would need to be updated to handle even more sewage and that it already is 85 percent filled to capacity.

"It makes no sense to increase the plant's volume by 10 percent, given the serious and valid concerns of our neighbors," Murray said.

To express exactly how they feel about the plan, Cullin took a copy of the proposal and threw it into a toilet bowl.

Murray encouraged residents to contact their county legislators and let them know how they feel about the proposal. She further noted that the town will continue to fight this plan and do their part by collecting petition signatures to be forwarded to county officials who will have the final say on this project, as Cedar Creek is a county facility. Petitions were sent out to residents earlier this week explaining the plan and what residents can do to join the fight opposing the proposal.

Murray also stated that the town will be contacting all regulatory agencies, such as the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Health, to protect the ecological integrity of the south shore.

"To Great Neck's mayor and county officials - hear us loud and clear when we say 'don't dump on Hempstead Town.'"