Suffolk reveals shovel-ready projects

This is from yesterday's LIBN Report. Click here for the story or read below.

by Michael H. Samuels

Published: January 14th, 2009

Suffolk County has released a list of 19 shovel-ready wastewater and public works projects awaiting federal funding.

The projects listed require $743 million in future planning, construction and repairs, would yield more than 36,000 jobs and boost the local economy by as much as $4.6 billion, according to the county’s public works department.

“It all starts with sewers,” said Suffolk County Legis. Wayne Horsley, chairman of the Wastewater Treatment Task Force. “When you’re talking about growing the economy, smart growth, affordable housing, you can’t do any of that without the proper wastewater infrastructure.

He said more than 70 percent of Suffolk County is still without sewers.

“In a county of 1.5 million people, that’s not a good thing,” Horsley said.

The list includes eight “ready to go” projects and 10 in the pre-planning stage.

The last project is the Bergen Point Outfall Pipe Replacement Project, which needs $150 million in funding and could create up to 7,125 jobs.

The “ready to go” projects are:

The Brookhaven Sewer District
Huntington Sewer District
Northport Village
Patchogue Village/East Patchogue
Port Jefferson Village
Sag Harbor
Smithtown/Kings Park
Wyandanch
The pre-planning projects include:

Bellport
Center Moriches
Lake Ronkonkoma Hub
Mastic/Shirley
Centereach/NY 25 Corridor
Rocky Point
Sayville
Southampton
Yaphank
Horsley said the task force started looking at wastewater projects last year and was asked by Reps. Tim Bishop and Steve Israel to give them a list of those ready for go.

“We didn’t know how bad the economy was going to be, but we knew what the problem was,” Horsley said.

“Now, the issues have come together with real force. Congress is going to be putting together these lists and we’ve let them know that there is nothing more important to Suffolk County than the wastewater treatment issue.”