Nassau County - Long Island, New York

November 15, 2012

Nassau County Department of Health Declares a State of Emergency for Identified Homes in
 Baldwin and East Rockaway

Uniondale, NY – Nassau County Health Commissioner Dr. Lawrence Eisenstein announced today that a State of Emergency has been declared for certain identified homes in Baldwin and East Rockaway.  This State of Emergency has been declared to eliminate threats to public health and safety for those residents affected by sewage main ruptures.

This State of Emergency provides for cleaning out and decontamination of certain identified homes and areas in Baldwin and East Rockaway related to sewer system breaches caused during superstorm Sandy.  The sewer main breaches occurred at Barnes Avenue in Baldwin and North Boulevard in East Rockaway.

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano and Commissioner Eisenstein along with representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) visited those impacted residents to assure them that the county would provide assistance to address their public health concerns.  An environmental hygienist will be made available to offer site assessments of every home in the impacted areas, and a remediation company will provide, at no cost to the homeowner, clean-up and decontamination services.

The Nassau County Department of Health will provide oversight of health impacts related to the remedial work being performed at these homes. Additionally, the Nassau County Department of Health recommends the following steps for cleaning up smaller sewage contaminated areas:
 

  • Remove children and pets from the affected area
  • To properly dispose of sewage, wear rubber gloves and boots during clean up and use soap and water followed by disinfecting the area with a 10% household bleach solution.  (10 parts water, 1 part household bleach). 
  • Place clothing worn during cleanup directly into the wash or discard into heavy duty garbage bags. 
  • Place heavy duty garbage bags for routine garbage pick-up.

For additional information, affected residents may call (516) 573-9635.

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