FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE00-18
June
2, 2000
Contact:
Geoff Ryan
(718/595-5371)
Department
of Environmental Protection Announces Initiative to Prevent Grease
Blockages in Lower Manhattan Sewers
Commissioner Joel A. Miele Sr., P.E., of the New York City Department
of Environmental Protection and representatives of the Council for
a Cleaner Chinatown and the Chinese American Restaurant Association
announced a program for food-related facilities that will prevent
grease from causing sewer blockages in lower Manhattan. Danny Li,
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Council, Bill Lam, President,
and Eva Tan,Vice Chairman, and Robert Tam, Chairman of the Board of
the Chinese American Restaurant Association, joined Commissioner Miele
in announcing a community/government partnership to address the problem
of sewer blockages, a serious issue the City has encountered in the
operation of its sewer system. The goal of the Chinese American Restaurant
Association and the Council for a Cleaner Chinatown is to help the
City achieve a cleaner Chinatown by emphasizing effective education,
maintenance and enforcement of sewer rules and regulations.
DEP is mounting a citywide education program on a geographic basis
to educate and inform owners of food-related establishments about
how to reduce grease discharges into the sewers. A brochure entitled
"What You Should Know about Preventing Grease Discharges into
Sewers" has been prepared for distribution to all restaurants
and food-related establishments. It has been translated into four
languages, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Russian, and will be supplemented
by a description of sewer regulations and information on how to install
and maintain grease collecting apparatus.
Commissioner Miele said, "We congratulate both the Council
for a Cleaner Chinatown and the Chinese American Restaurant Association
for their proactive effort in joining us in this neighborhood/community/government
action to maintain the City's infrastructure."