Island Park, NY - January 8, 2015 - Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky sent a letter this afternoon to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (“DEC”) Regional Director Peter Scully urging DEC to immediately test the waters in Island Park for toxins.

Assemblyman Kaminsky wrote, “Today, I personally observed over 10 large dead fish floating in the waters in Barnums Channel behind and adjacent to, the establishment Peter’s Clam Bar.  I am deeply concerned that the presence of these dead fish is not a coincidence, but rather the result of the December 2014 PSEG Long Island spill of dielectric fluid.  Further, I observed seagulls eating these fish, which, if such fish were in fact poisoned, carries great consequence for the health and safety of our ecosystem.”

The spill was first discovered by PSEG Long Island on December 22, 2014.  At the time of original reporting, PSEG Long Island advised that the spill was “non-toxic” and made up of “mineral oil.”

However, after personally observing the situation in Barnums Channel, Assemblyman Kaminsky urges the DEC to test the waters to definitively rule out the possibility of potentially harmful toxins.

He said, “I am deeply concerned by what I saw.  I hope the situation is not as bad as I think it is, but only scientific testing will give us the answer.”