Scajaquada Summit on Water Quality

NY State Senator Antoine M. Thompson is gathering all stakeholders to discuss Scajaquada Creek water quality.

Thursday, August 19th from 10:00 to 11:30
Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society [MAP]

The meeting will last 90 minutes. Short opening presentations will be given by:

• Julie O'Neill - Executive Director, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper

• Bogdan Fundalinski - Fundalinskistudio.com - History of the Creek and a proposal to increase flow

• Jerry Palumbo - NYSDEC - Regional Water Engineer - Sewer overflows into the Creek
  

• Jordan Dalton - Curator - Beyond the Multitudes - Scajaquada-centered Art Show in September

• Joseph Dispenza - President - Forest Lawn Cemetery - Proposal for the Creek which flows through the Cemetery
  

Come find out about plans and possibilities for cleaning up the creek and add your voice to the discussion. The purpose of this session will be to assemble stakeholders and those who have expressed concerns and ideas about improving the water quality in Scajaquada Creek. With help from participants we will update everyone on current plans and proposals and explore the best next steps for both short and long range improvements to Creek water quality.

The Senator would like to see this meeting result in an ongoing concentrated effort to improve Creek water quality. Some of the steps he would like to see explored and addressed are:

• Develop a way to regularly clean the trash racks and areas in the Creek where trash pools;

• Safely dredge pollution hot spots in the Creek, including the the “sediment” island that has formed in the Creek as it surfaces between the 198 and the Buffalo Historical Society);

• Create a wetland before the Creek goes underground to filter toxins from the Creek before it comes into Buffalo;

• Eliminate the sewer overflows that empty into the Creek;

• Define the process and develop an estimate of the cost to uncover the Creek as it flows from Pine Ridge Road to Forest Lawn Cemetery;

• Develop the institutional capacity to advocate for Scajaquada water quality and see projects through to their completion;

• Create a Scajaquada Creek Protection Zone where new projects would need to have either no impact or a net positive impact on Creek water quality

If you are interested in helping with follow-up from the Summit or want more details please email bnsenate@verizon.net or call Bill Nowak at 854-8705.

Please note - the August 19th session of Business Gets Green at the Merriweather Library has been postponed. The next session is set for Thursday, October 21st. However, we hope you will be able to attend the Scajaquada Summit!