More Than a Million Pounds of Smelly Fish Wash Up Near One of Wealthiest Streets in Hamptons

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — The after effects of a massive fish kill in the Shinnecock Canal continue to pile up in the Hamptons — and most recently, more than a million pounds of smelly bunker have washed up near Meadow Lane, one of the wealthiest areas in Southampton.

Cleanup efforts are underway, both Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman and Southampton Village Mayor Mark Epley said Monday, with Will Caldwell of C Well Fish leading the efforts.

"We removed 12 tons of fish today," Epley said Monday. "The town hired the same company, Will Caldwell, to remove the fish."

The village, Epley said, is working to get a permit from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to go into the marsh and collect the dead bunker.

Something rotten in Southampton

But the deluge of dead fish has meant something's rotten in the Village of Southampton.

"Unfortunately the locks were opened after the fish died and the village along Meadow Lane is impacted greatly. The smell is bad. I have received complaints. Fortunately this happened now not in the middle of the summer," Epley said.

Schneiderman said Caldwell and his crew removed approximately 57,000 pounds, or 28.5 tons of "dead, smelly fish from Shinnecock Bay beaches in three days over the weekend. That's a lot of fish."

Southampton Town will take the fish into its facility, where it will become fertilizer; the town will also take the village's bunker and charge no tipping fees, Schneiderman said.

"Our facility is capable of taking in another hundred yards of material. We will end up with excellent compost next year," the supervisor said.

The Meadow Lane fish, Schneiderman said, "go on for a very long stretch. It's just tremendous." All the fish that died in the Shinnecock Canal got pushed out with the outgoing tide, and, as they began to decompose, began to float. Prevailing winds pushed them in a southeasterly direction to Meadow Lane, where many multi-million dollar estates are located, the supervisor said.

"I think some people were surprised when they came out for the weekend and the smell was unbearable," Schneiderman said.

Caldwell said neighbors on Meadow Lane have approached him as he commenced with the cleanup.

Two homeowners, he said, walked out and begged him to come to their house. "They said they can't turn on the heat because the smell coming from the vent is atrocious. They've been living in the cold."

Another woman, a caretaker for an "enormous mansion," said the homeowners came out this weekend. "They said they're not coming back until this is over with."

The homeowners, Caldwell said, wanted to write a letter to the mayor to complain.

"I told her she needed to write the mayor to thank him. This is a huge expense for these municipalities, they just can't handle it," he said.

Southampton Town has contracted $6,000 for cleanup for three days, Friday through Sunday; Southampton Village, Caldwell said, has contracted for four days at a price of $10,000.

"But this project could go into a month," Caldwell said. "We are seeing if this can be declared a natural disaster and can receive some Federal Emergency Management funding." The village, he said, "can't afford something like this."

Caldwell said he's working at half his normal rate because he lives in town but "it's still expensive."

Schneiderman said, at some point, the town will run out of ability to take in the massive loads of fish. There may be a private farmer to take some of it, he said.

The supervisor said he's very pleased with the efforts of Southampton Town trustees and the baymen.

Altogether, Caldwell said so far, he's taken away close to 200,000 pounds of bunker. In one day in Southampton Village, he moved 12 tons, or 24,000 pounds.

In total, the amount of fish to be removed from Southampton Village, he said, is 1.4 million pounds.

"It's unbelievable," he said. "It's huge." It's the biggest fish kill he's faced, "by tenfold," Caldwell said.

Caldwell said a Bobcat-type machine is used, with men raking the fish into rows and using pitchforks to put them into buckets for removal; no heavier equipment can be used on the beach for fear of hurting the beach or grass, he said.

Caldwell said when he surveys the scene, its enormity astounds. "All I can say is, 'Wow, this is crazy,'" he said.

All photos, except for cases of bunker, by Will Caldwell