D c L Z 0170 - 1 (to 1 7 CliUO\/00 -Il\LES UNION • Ally.ui>·,New \ork f,A '.ROO tu.N LD: p T :H Arbor Hill group petitions for Patroon Creek status upgrade . Albany=*: Residents seek Ste,-e Schassler, director of the :WAT agency's Region 4. "respect and attention" m 17th century: Patroon used The DEC is not iust concerned for neighborhood stream to power grist and saw mills B 1850: Headwaters dammed about water quality.. "\W are con- By DINA CAPPIELLO to create Rensselaer Lake cerned with children ... getting Staffwriter 9 19709: Clean Water Act cuts caught in underground drainage 1 sewage and industrial pollution Once one of the state's most b·asins," Schassler said of the 1.5- m 1991: DEC says "poorest mile underground stretch. liolluted streams, Patroon Creek is water quality ever found in a now the obiect of defended' efforts stream'- in lower Patroon The federal Clean \later Act tO get the st·ate Department of 1994: DEC reports it as one of New York's 10 most polluted required states to classify water Environmental Conservation to streams - with copper and bodies. While there is nothing in designate it as safe enough for mercuryin crayfish, lead and the law that prevents a state from mercury in sediinent fishing and swimming. upgrading a stream that doesn't The Arbor Hill Environmental m 1998: DEC reports that caddis flies, mayflies and meet standards, it's not general Justice Corp. filed the petition to minnows indicate improved practice,according to M·aryMears, water quality upgrade the streant even though a spokesu·oman the US. Envimn- the Patroon Creek doesn't meet SOURCE: Arbor HiM mental Protection Agency. "States rhe more rigorous water-quality Environmental Justice Corp. petition to DEC don't cl·assify waters for what uses st·andards to earn the design·ation. they are meeting, but what uses The neighborhood group said a they should be meeting," Mears higher status will stimulate the ment in its condition, earlier this said. "The goal then becomes to creek's cleanup and protection. >·ear city officials discovered out- meet those uses." Currently the creek is deemed falls dumping sewage into its wa- quit·able for fishing ·and swimming ters and the DEC ·allowed treated with limitations. groundwater - cleaner than the 149•] ;, 6-0 [•N,Im : 1 <W*4•E [• "This classification will 0ive stream itself - to be disch·urged - Call the FREE i 4 L Patroon Creek the respect and th)ni the defunct National Lead attention that has been missing fur industries defunse contractor. t lottery Lines 6 so man>· years," s·aid Pete Sheehan "The setting of this creek has 3 of the Arbor Hill environmental alli,wed it to be ·addressed differ- F on - group, which was launched with endv than rivers in more n·atural funds from the shutdown of the ·areas," said attorney Marc Ger- ; Sourcetine! 3 state 's trash-to-energy incinerator stin·an. "The only way (the Pa- un Sherid·an Avenue. troon) is going to get (cleaner) is S All Results .....7777# The group's attorter s·aid that it continues to be upgraded d Daily ............... 7778 E Wednesdav thut the DEC hus ·and there is ·i regulatory effort to treated the stream differently be- achieve that goal." T Win 4 ............. 7779 2 cause it is located in u city and runs The DEC-which is rei-iewing through one of Albany's poorest· the group's petition - s·aid that it 6 Take 5 7780% has taken an active role in the neighborhoods. The P·atroon f Pick 10 winds its way from Rensselaer Lak e stream's health. ..,.,......7781 = through the Tivoli Preserve and "The Patroon Creek is a typical- 7782 t ' Arbor Hill to the Hudson River. ly stressed urban waterway, Over Lotto ............... 71 - Despite significant improve- time, it's been improving," said Tim, 3 g COLONLENAB_005149 200.1e COLONIE_08.08_0063_a.