Politics & Government

Avella Says DEP Does Not Adequately Respond to NE Queens' Concerns

State senator accuses agency of not getting back to residents on issues such as flooding, catch basins or sinkholes.

State Sen. Tony Avella, D-Bayside, slammed the city’s Department of Environmental Protection Tuesday on the grounds that the agency does not adequately respond to concerns of residents in his district.

Avella said he would give the agency an ‘F’ in terms of its responses to issues such as flooding and catch basins.

“The DEP has been extremely disappointing in responding to the needs and concerns of Queens residents,” the senator said. “The responses my office has received have been extremely vague or simply nonexistent, requiring extensive follow up.”

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The DEP could not immediately be reached for comment.

Avella said several constituents have attempted to file a complaint into 311 and obtained a reference number, but then discovered a message on the city’s website that the complaint was “closed, no work order necessary” several hours later.

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The senator said he sent a list of all the outstanding correspondence to DEP Commissioner Carter Strickland in August.

“I understand delays in response time during a crisis, such as Hurricane Sandy, but the agency has no excuse for their continually abysmal responses,” Avella said. “In fact, DEP has always lagged behind other agencies in responding to local issues in Queens reported by my office.”

He said northeast Queens residents have attempted to contact the agency to complain of faulty catch basins, long-standing flooding conditions, obnoxious fumes and odors emanating from manhole covers and expanding sinkholes.


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