After 3 Sinkholes, Legislator Wants To Cut Through Red Tape For Funds

BALDWIN, NY — In the wake of multiple sinkholes ripping through Nassau County streets, one legislator is using it as a call to address aging infrastructure.

County Legislator Debra Mulé points out that the sewage and water pipes are all decades old and are in urgent repair.

In the past three months, craters were created in Lido Beach, Baldwin and Oceanside.

"There is no doubt that this will happen again," Mulé said in a Monday news conference.

These disruptions have blocked streets with blocked roadways, while the water main was shut for residents and businesses.

Mulé said money should be rushed to the county from the funds passed by Congress and signed by President Biden, allocating one of the largest amounts toward infrastructure in history.

"I have already written letters to our federal representatives to release that money as quickly as possible, and to make sure that it can be used for this purpose," she said. "In addition, I have written to the governor, asking her to send the funds out our way as soon as it's received by the state."

Mulé (D-Freeport) said she'll work with her colleagues to "prioritize these needs."

The legislature needs information on which pipes are most vulnerable, "in order to make realistic and proactive decisions about where to begin repairs," Mulé said.