We are always looking for people
to come to the monthly meetings
and bring us ideas and
suggestions for future activity.
All are welcome!
MEETING SCHEDULE ON THE
1
st
TUESDAY
OF THE MONTH
Meetings held at the Nature
Center at Blue Heron Park
October 6, 2015
November 3, 2015
December 1, 2015
January 5, 2016
February 2, 2016
March 1, 2016
April 5, 2016
May 3, 2016
June 7, 2016
July 5, 2016
August 2, 2016
September 6, 2016
Page 7
Fall 2015
NATURAL RESOURCES PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION
(EDC) is the lead agency in a pro-
posed flood control project that in-
cludes construction of a flood gate
for the Creek. However, there are
some serious flaws in the flood gate
proposal.
For starters, the proposal seems to
be ignoring the volume of water that
comes out of the numerous gigantic
storm water outfalls (and a combined
sewer overflow) that enter the Creek.
Also, it's one thing to close a flood-
gate (providing there are no malfunc-
tions) to keep the ocean storm surge
out, but if the gates cannot be
opened after the storm, there will be
life threatening health hazards be-
cause of the outfalls. There are also
concerns about how the complicated
machinery of a flood gate will stand
up to the quantity and variety of float-
able debris that comes out of the
storm water outfalls.
Even the location of the gate is ques-
tionable. It was first proposed close
to the western end of the Creek at
West 37
th
St., which would have put
the entire Coney Island peninsula,
excluding the private gated commu-
nity of Sea Gate, within the gate’s
protection. But now EDC has fo-
cused on a location further east,
near West 23
rd
St, which would leave
tens of thousands of residents out-
side of the protected zone. For the
area outside the gate, EDC is pro-
posing more traditional measures
such as flood walls, levees, etc.
which could probably be constructed
a heck of a lot faster than a flood
gate. So then why is a flood gate
even needed? Well, EDC has pro-
posed that the flood gate would also
have a pedestrian bridge/bike path
on top of it that would connect Kaiser
Park to Calvert Vaux Park. All of
these extra bells and whistles will
undoubtedly mean a longer con-
struction time as well as additional
costs. Curiously, EDC’s own slide
presentation shows that a flood gate
would be
less effective
than perime-
ter protection (flood walls and lev-
ees, etc.).
Please join the conversation by let-
ting us know how you feel about the
importance of
real
protective
measures.
HISTORY AND ADVENTURE IN
THE KILL VAN KULL
By Anthony Rose
On the final Sunday morning of Au-
gust, a small band of adventurers lit
out for an examination of the Kill Van
Kull.
Dave Sanders, a photographer who
works as a stringer for the NY Times
had heard stories of wildlife and the
abandoned legacy of a maritime past
along the Arthur Kill and Staten Is-
land’s north shore. A nurse he met
while working a parade in Staten
Island turned him on to Tony Rose, a
nurse she knew who frequented
these sites seeking interesting pho-
tos and treasures amongst the trash.
Rob Carrano, a diver who is also an
NRPA member with Tony, rounded
out the trio.
The group entered the water at the
foot of Port Richmond Avenue, a
gritty, urban industrial site
nestled between Flag Cart-
ing and a live poultry
slaughterhouse. Passing a
tug boat to enter the Kill,
their first site viewed was
Faber Park where a former
empty lot that used to store
oil trucks has been trans-
formed to a terraced green
space with strolling paths and a re-
cently completed skate park.
We remarked to Dave how police
and Coast Guard helicopters usually
pass overhead within fifteen minutes
of our entering the water and some-
times the Rapid Response boats
buzz by; their 50 caliber machine
guns hidden by a canvas cover that's
not fooling anyone. But far from a
threat, the kayakers are another set
of eyes in the harbor - looking for oil
or transmission fluid leaking from the
shorefront junkyards or sewage com-
ing from the storm sewers when
there hasn't been recent rain.
Skeletons of boats and barges long
abandoned litter the shoreline form-
ing habitat for fish and seabirds.
Workboats, tugs and pleasure craft
passed by as well as buzzing jet
skis. In the distance, we could see
tankers and container ships as they
majestically plodded along past Ber-
gen Point.
Rob and Tony beachcombed the
shore of Shooters Island while Dave
disappeared in a clout of cinders like
some shorefront
roadrunner.
"Sorry," he said, "I'm having a kid in
a candy store moment." The sights
of the ships and cranes and derelict
pilings and piers caused a Kodak
Moment of sensory overload for him.
As the turnaround of the tide threat-
ened to push us backwards faster
than we could paddle, it was time to
go.
While Tony and Rob returned to their
day-to-day, Dave culls his pictures
and prepares his story to pitch to his
editors.
We hope the story of life and re-
demption in the harbor gets to Times
readers to show that Staten Island
holds more than the dump and cast
members from Jersey Shore.
