WNYC News Blog: State Sen. Espaillat along with environmental activists calls for the city to stop dumping raw sewage into the Hudson River, and for improved notification system

Officials Say City Bungled Sewage Spill Warning Signs

Wednesday, July 27, 2011 - 05:11 PM

By Julia Longoria

City officials and activists ripped into the city Wednesday for how it handled the Hudson River sewage spill last week — saying New Yorkers weren't properly notified of unsafe waters following a fire at a waste water treatment facility in Harlem.

Reverend Earl Koopercamp, the rector at St. Mary's Episcopal Church on West 126th Street, said he saw no warning signs at Harlem Piers on the Hudson River, where he spotted fishermen continuing to fish after the spill.

"I saw a Parks worker, and I said, 'How come there's no signs?'" Koopercamp said. "He says, 'Signs? Why?' I said, 'They're pouring sewage in the river.'"

But DEP Spokesman Farrell Sklerov said the city's efforts at public notification were "extremely robust," ranging from the Parks Department signs and frequent press conferences to notifications on the health department and city websites.

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