Officials to Announce Update on Fish Kill on Saturday

Officials will be holding a conference on Saturday at noon in Riverhead regarding the recently fish kill in the Peconic Estuary.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone will be joined by environmental, county and town officials to provide an update on the recent fish kills on the East End and call upon the federal government for assistance to help the region with its nitrogen pollution crisis.

This is the second major fish kill in the Peconic Estuary, one of 28 federally designated estuaries of national significance by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Thousands of fish have recently washed up on the shores around Flanders Bay in the Peconic Estuary as excess levels of nitrogen are believed to be a significant, contributing factor.

Bellone will be joined by Peter Scully, Suffolk County Water Quality Czar and former Regional Director of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC); Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski; Riverhead Town Supervisor Sean Walter; Walter Dawydiak, Director, Suffolk County Division of Environmental Quality; Allison Branco, Peconic Estuary Program Director; Sarah Lansdale, Suffolk County Director of Planning; and Dorian Dale, Suffolk County Chief Sustainability Officer.

The conference will take place at the Riverhead Yacht Club at 68 River Avenue.