On December 1st, 1999, New York City decided that a $660 million filtration plant that was required by EPA for the Croton Resevoir, would be built in Mosholu Golf Course in Van Cortlandt Park. Their argument was that it was the place would have the least adverse impacts on the community, while keeping costs down. The purpose of this page is to inform citizens about what the filtration plant will do to the neighboring communities, and why a filtration plant should not be built in The Bronx.

Brief History
During the 1970's, New York City had plans for a filtration plant to be built in Jerome Park Resevoir to filter the water that was to come through the massive new water system that ran under the City. A few decades passed, and it was finally decided that the plant would be built beginning in the early 1990's. A fight was put up by residents of the Jerome Park area who were worried about the effects a filtration plant would have on a residential neighborhood. With about 50,000 residents in walking distance from the plant, and an educational park immediately adjacent, their concerned was more than warranted. The possibilty of a plant would mean that there would be over 5 years of construction, hundreds of heavy duty trucks driving in each day, chemical spills, dust, asthma, rats, and an unbearable amount of noise. The effects would have direct impact on the neighborhoods of Van Cortlandt Village, Kingsbridge Heights and Bedford Park. Also possibly effected would be Norwood and Kingsbridge/Riverdale.

But through perserverance and unity, the community was able to get hundreds of people out to meeting and protests, and publicized the issue extensively. On December 1st, they were able to claim victory as Jerome Park Resevoir was not chosen as the preferred site. But there was also loss in that Mosholu Golf Course, less than a mile a way was instead chosen. Much of the uproar came over the fact that the plant could be built in Westchester, in Greenburgh or Mt. Pleasant particularly. The towns wanted the plant, and they would be built in industrial areas with virtually no impact on the population. But instead, the City did not want to pay an extra $150 million to build it up there, and would've rather put the whole increase in water rates on City residents.

Why it shouldn't be built in Mosholu Golf Course
Building a filtration plant in Mosholu Golf Course instead of Jerome Park Resevoir does NOT solve the problem, it shifts it. One extra important factor is that since the plant will be constructed under Mosholu Golf Course, there will have to be blasting of 60-80 feet of bedrock. The impact of the plant will directly affect Norwood, (a diverse working class community, with strong Puerto Rican, Irish, West Indian, South Asian, and Albanian populations.) and the Northern portion of Van Cortlandt Village, particularly the Amalgamated Houses (which consists of a large elderly population). Indirectly affected will be the communities of Woodlawn, Kingsbridge Heights, and Bedford Park. Woodlawn in particular will receive a heavy amount of truck traffic along E. 233rd St., which is stated in the DEP's Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).

The shifting of the filtration plant devestates these communities. On top of the possible impacts mentioned in the Jerome Park section this piece, the following are new impacts on these neighbrohoods. Norwood in total has 35,000 residents, with more than half of those living within a half mile radius of the plant. Norwood also has a large amount of medical facilities, including, Montefiore Medical Center, North Central Bronx Hospital, IAHD, Bainbridge Nursing Home, and Wayne Nursing Home. In Van Cortlandt Village, at the foot of the park is St. Patrick's Nursing Home. Construction will be visible from Tracy Towers, The Bronx's tallest buildings, a few blocks from the site. DeWitt Clinton High School, St. Ann's School, PS 94,PS 95, PS 80, MS 280, and the Mosholu-Montefiore Community Center are all within walking distance. The structural integrity of surrounding buildings and the Elevated Number 4 train (which the DEP admits they have no idea of what would happen to it) is feared not stable enough to hold up to the kind of blasting the City has in mind. There are two playgrounds immediately near the proposed plant site, one on the corner of Gun Hill Rd. and Jerome Ave., in Norwood, and a larger playground across from the Amalgamated Houses on the corner of Mosholu Parkway. The construction of the plant would require the destruction of 200 trees to make way for trucks, and the destruction of natural landscape in the Mosholu Golf Course. ASTHMA is a huge factor. Dust will rise up and affect the children living in the neighborhood. Also importantly, many golfers will be out of a place to golf, as Mosholu Golf Course is the only Golf Course in New York City along a train line. The Golf Course attracts many golfers from Manhattan, Westchester and other parts of The Bronx.

Also, what happens once the plant is completed? Are the residents guaranteed safety from chemicals produced by the plant? The plant is supposed to take 6 years to build. Which means in New York City time, at least a decade.

Filtration Avoidance is Possible!
Yes, filtration avoidance is possible. The safest and most effective way to clean the Croton water system is through natural means. There are numerous ways to clean the water naturally, the most popular way being alum. The biggest obstacle that the communities have had to face is the reluctance of the City to convince the EPA to consider filtration avoidance as a viable option. It would benefit all at a low cost.

How you can find more info or get involved
Mosholu Woodlawn South Community Coalition (MWSCC) has been have frequent meetings concerning this issue. Approximately 75 people have attended each meeting on average. There also has been Community Board hearings in Community Boards 7,8 and 12 (all who unanimously voted against the filtration plant), with attendance at Community Board 7 nearing 200 people. The MWSCC has and is looking to gain the support of local employers, notably Montefiore Medical Center, and environmental groups, such as Friends of Van Cortlandt Park, the Sierra Club, and more. We also are looking for citizen support from anywhere in the City or Westchester County. For more info call the MWSCC at (718)655-1054.

Please help us stop the destruction of the vibrant communities of the Northwest Bronx.