Staten Island Assemblymember Pirozzolo Meets With DEP Rep Re: Flooding, Battery Storage Facility Concerns, Island Infrastructure

Assemblyman Pirozzolo Meets with DEP Commissioner Lisa Garcia to Address Battery Storage Concerns, Flooding and Staten Island Infrastructure

Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo (left) at the proposed BESS site at 1963 Victory Boulevard on Staten Island with NYC DEP Commissioner Lisa Garcia (center) and Borough Commissioner Jennifer Sammartino-Mallen (right). Photo credit: New York City Department of Environmental Protection @NYCWater

Editor’s note: Assemblymember Pirozzolo is on the ballot today to keep his assembly seat in New York State.  Registered voters who did not vote in early voting can go today to their assigned poll site to cast their vote.   Assemblymember Pirozzolo recently announced that he was joining the community and the borough president in opposing the BESS (Battery Energy Storage Site) announced for Victory Blvd.  The main argument there is that a crucial Staten Island underground waterway runs from this site all the way down to the area where the Forest Avenue Shoppers Town is, as well as snaking its way in multiple other streamlets and underground outlets all over the island.  The potentially disastrous results from allowing the BESS station to be built, with the possibility of an accident (not unheard of among these new sites popping up all over the country) are that it could cause environmental contamination for decades or centuries to come.  One fire at such a location would contaminate the entire waterway, and that is saying nothing for the contamination of the ground and the neighborhood were such an incident to occur. Part of this discussion covered remediation and testing at Clove Lakes Park for contamination arising from old, decaying sewer pipes that are underwater and need replacement.  The borough president, along with Senator Lanza and Assemblymember Pirozzolo, have been instrumental in getting this apparently decades-long problem finally resolved, with the ducks, geese, turtles, and other aquatic life grateful for the restoration of purity to their environment.   Asm. Pirozzolo was also instrumental in obtaining settlement funding from the opioid lawsuit, which brought $12 million to the island for opioid prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.  Staten Island has also been the site of the so-far very successful “hotspotting” program, where those suffering from opioid addiction disorder are assisted with housing, keeping medical care appointments, and basically having a person they can always turn to that helps them feel supported.  This is a warm hand-off program where a person is cared for from the ER, back into the community, and into drug treatment programs.  The results thus far are very encouraging – and simple and low-cost as well, since they primarily rely on the human connection.  The program does rely heavily on medication assisted treatment, rather than some of the other, less controversial and less addiction continuing options, such as NAD therapy (administration of high-dose intravenous niacinamide which reduces the body’s craving and need for opioids).  It should be mentioned that NAD, which is a form of niacinamide, has been used successfully orally to treat alcoholism by doctors practicing Orthomolecular Medicine, however, large-scale randomized clinical trials are sparse, and those that were conducted used a small dose of niacinamide rather than the larger doses used by practitioners such as Dr. Abram Hoffer, in the range of 500-3,000 mg, allowing the niacin to fill the empty NAD+ receptor sites, which can also be substituted by alcohol.  Alcohol also has the negative effect of depleting the body’s stores of NAD+, thus creating a vicious cycle of vitamin deficiency, cravings to fill that deficiency, substitution with alcohol for a temporary ‘good feeling’ when serotonin rises, followed by a ubsequent crash in levels leading to craving for more alcohol.  NAD+ therapy may have the potential to be as effective as psychological and support group interventions, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, but there is no profit in using it (pharmaceutical companies are profit-motivated – and they fund the vast majority of scientific research, since it benefits them monetarily).  Asm. Sam was also instrumental in finally bringing summer meals to Staten Island, with the second year of the City food truck being on Parks property at Clove Lakes Park, where all school-aged children are welcome to come for a meal while school is not in session.  

STATEN ISLAND, NY – Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo welcomed New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Lisa Garcia to Staten Island on Wednesday, October 21, for a meeting focused on several pressing environmental and infrastructure concerns, including the proposed lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) at 1963 Victory Boulevard in Westerleigh.

Commissioner Garcia was joined by DEP Borough Commissioner Jennifer Sammartino-Mallen and members of the agency’s engineering and public affairs teams. Following the meeting, the commissioners accompanied Pirozzolo to the proposed battery storage site to demonstrate firsthand the environmental and public safety concerns surrounding the property.

Proposed Battery Energy Storage Facility at 1963 Victory Boulevard

Pirozzolo reiterated his strong opposition to the proposed facility, citing the property’s history of significant flooding and the presence of a waterway running through the site that connects to underground streams and municipal sewer infrastructure.

The Assemblyman expressed concern that a fire or other emergency at the facility would contaminate surrounding waterways, raising serious questions about whether the location is appropriate for a lithium-ion battery storage installation.

“Recently, I joined Borough President Vito Fossella in expressing our opposition to this facility,” said Pirozzolo. “New York State took the wise step of banning PFAS chemicals in firefighting foams. Why would we then allow a lithium-ion battery storage facility at a location where a fire would immediately introduce dangerously banned PFAS chemicals into our waterways?”

Stormwater Flooding and Bluebelt Expansion

The meeting also addressed persistent stormwater flooding affecting residents and businesses throughout Staten Island’s North Shore and Mid-Island communities.

DEP has recently initiated a study to evaluate the potential expansion of its Bluebelt system into these areas. Pirozzolo encouraged the agency to examine the impact of stormwater runoff from state-owned highways on local storm sewer infrastructure, noting that these roadways may contribute significantly to flooding in surrounding neighborhoods.

“Although our first concern with our highways has always been traffic, we recognize that these highways can also play an indirect but significant part in our flooding problems,” Pirozzolo said.

Recognizing the state’s responsibility for these highways, Pirozzolo urged DEP to pursue dedicated state funding to help address related drainage issues. He also pledged to work with state officials to secure the necessary resources.

Clove Lakes Park Sewer Issues

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Pirozzolo also raised concerns regarding ongoing sewer leaks at Clove Lakes Park and called for greater coordination among the agencies responsible for addressing the problem.

While the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation maintains oversight authority and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation is responsible for repairs, Pirozzolo urged the DEP to closely monitor the situation and assist in expediting the sewer connection application for the operator of the Stone House Restaurant within the park.

“This is a concern I share with Borough President Vito Fossella and Senator Andrew Lanza, and we have spoken out about it together,” said Pirozzolo. “We would appreciate anything DEP can do to monitor the situation and help coordinate the agencies involved.”

“I appreciate Commissioner Garcia and Borough Commissioner Sammartino-Mallen and their teams taking the time to come to visit me personally at my Staten Island office and hear our concerns, seeing some of these issues firsthand,” Pirozzolo concluded. “These are serious problems that affect the safety and quality of life of our residents, and I look forward to continuing our work together to find solutions.”

Assemblymember Pirozzolo Speaks At Clove Lakes Park. Image Credit – Staten Islander News

Banner Image: Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo (left) at the proposed BESS site at 1963 Victory Boulevard on Staten Island with NYC DEP Commissioner Lisa Garcia (center) and Borough Commissioner Jennifer Sammartino-Mallen (right). Image Credit – New York City Department of Environmental Protection @NYCWater