The Great South Bay will only be as healthy as the 50 creeks that flow into it. That is why Save the Great South Bay (STGSB) launched the Creek Defender Program, in which local Creek Defenders organize and guide their communities by leading cleanups and habitat restoration projects.

On Saturday, March 30 at 9 a.m., volunteers gathered for the West Islip Community Creek Cleanup in the parking lot at Clean One Laundromat, east of Costello Ace Hardware, ready to clean debris from in and around the Willetts and Sampawams creeks. Yet, upon arrival, the volunteers learned through a newsletter from the the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) that Willetts Creek is too contaminated for volunteers to clean up.

Buildings and foundations at the on-site former Dzus facility were demolished in 2020-2021, and the site was redeveloped into a commercial space. According to the DEC, sometime before April 2021, the owner illegally removed the asphalt cap at the eastern end of the former facility. This asphalt cap was an engineering control put in place to prevent stormwater infiltration and minimize the off-site transport of contamination through groundwater. The DEC issued notices of violations for the removal of the cap.

The DEC recently detected increased levels of cadmium in groundwater on and around the former Dzus Fasteners property, as well as increased levels of cadmium in the sediment and surface water of Willetts Creek. The DEC determined the increased cadmium detected can be attributed to the release of contaminated groundwater from the former Dzus Fasteners property. This contaminated groundwater allows cadmium to bind to creek sediments.

DEC is pursuing enforcement action against Island Associates Inc., the owner of the Dzus Fastener Company State Superfund Site (DEC Site No. 152033), as the party responsible for the illegal removal of an asphalt cap that previously prevented off-site migration of the cadmium on-site.

DEC previously requested that the owner perform a cleanup (interim remedial measure, or “IRM”) under DEC and DOH oversight and any necessary further investigation and cleanup to ensure full protection of public health and the environment. The owner repeatedly refused to comply with this request. As a result, New York State will implement these actions.

Due to the contamination, West Islip Creek Defender Andy Mirchel directed volunteers to two cleanup sites in Sampawams Creek.

Before departing for the creeks, West Islip High School teacher and leader of the West Islip Environmental Club, Brian Haldenwang, along with members of the club, presented a $500 check of donations for the Great South Bay Oyster Project. The project seeks to increase the volume of oysters in the GSB—oysters clean the bay better and faster than any human can—to restore their habitat and return a shellfishing industry to the bay.

Haldenwang shared that club members have been raising funds by selling chocolate for years.

“We have been saving funds for years to buy a greenhouse, but the cost for a greenhouse keeps going up, and at this rate, by the time we have enough money it would be double,” shared Haldenwang. “So, we decided to start funneling these funds out to different organizations, and Save the Great South Bay is such a worthy cause.”

After the check was presented to GSB Oyster Project director Andy Mirchel and water-quality tester Ed Ragan, volunteers hopped in their cars for the quick drive to the designated cleanup areas.

Volunteers were given garbage bags, pickers, gloves, safety vests, and a map of the area. Other members of STGSB put on waders and dredged into the creek, clearing out fallen trees and logs to keep the arteries to the bay free flowing.

Cleaning up garbage littered in and around the flowing creeks was disheartening at first, considering how all of the litter was caused by human ignorance, laziness, or simply indifference. But as the area slowly became clean and litter-free due to passionate volunteers coming together for the common good, the creek cleanup became a heartwarming event. Once a huge pile of garbage bags had been amassed with no more garbage in sight, the West Islip volunteers came together to share the fond memories they had of Sampawams Creek, both in childhood and adulthood.

“I have lived here for 30 years. I feel personally connected to the creek,” shared Mirchel.

While saving the Great South Bay may sound like a daunting task, STGSB asks you to start where you stand, in your own backyard. If you are interested in taking care of the island you call home, the Creek Defender Program will be hosting many more volunteer events, including an Islip cleanup on Saturday, April 6, and a Bay Shore cleanup on Saturday, April 13. For more information, visit www.savethegreatsouthbay.org/events.