SUOZZI GETS IT DONE: NAVY GRUMMAN PLUME CLEANUP WILL HAVE ACCESS TO MILLIONS MORE IN FEDERAL FUNDS

Congressman Tom Suozzi announced he helped pass a Defense Spending Budget that provides an increase of over a hundred million dollars in funding for the Federal program that support clean-up of the Navy Grumman Plume. This money, which will go to the Navy Environmental Restoration Account, will increase to $465,550,000. It was previously at $355,000,000. This increase in funding means the Navy Grumman Plume, will have access to millions more in Federal Funding due to Suozzi’s career-long efforts of putting environmental cleanup front and center. 

The legislation is expected to pass the Senate later this week, where it will then be sent to the President’s desk for immediate signature. 

“This increase in access to Federal funds is a big victory for all of the people of Bethpage and Long Island that have been threatened by this plume for decades,” said Suozzi. “We still have a long-way to go for clean-up, but this additional financial support will further expedite the cleanup.”

“From day one Congressman Suozzi has been by our side fighting for additional funding and to expedite the clean up process,” said Mike Boufis, superintendent of the BETHPAGE Water District.

As a champion of environmental cleanup, Rep. Suozzi successfully brought funding and brought stakeholders together to finally clean-up the Navy Grumman Groundwater Plume. Through Suozzi’s advocacy, he has:

• Increased funding by hundreds of millions for the Navy’s Environmental Restoration account, thus increasing the funds available for cleanup in Bethpage;
• Has scheduled annual meetings that bring together all the stakeholders to accelerate remediation and facilitate cooperation between stakeholders;
• Has worked as a liaison between Bethpage Water District and the responsible parties, including the Navy and Grumman, to facilitate payments, clean up agreements, access information and examine options to accelerate/improve clean up; and
• Facilitated tours, meetings, exploration of site locations for cleanup and has made himself available to all concerned parties to expedite permitting and ultimate remediation of plume.

In addition, Suozzi has fought tirelessly to protect Long Island and New York’s environment. In 2008, the New York State League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) named him “Environmentalist of the Year. As a Member of Congress, he has increased funding to protect the Long Island Sound by more than 800%, almost 800%fought to keep the U.S. in the Paris Climate Accord, supports the Green New Deal, and through his efforts as chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus, has helped drastically reduce the amount of nitrogen in the Long Island Sound.