More than half of the 21 billion gallons of raw sewage that New York City dumps into its waters yearly through combined sewer overflows (CSO) — discharges of untreated stormwater and sewage from old sewer systems — is released into the Upper East River and its tributaries in the Bronx and Queens. Building a new wastewater treatment plant on Rikers Island is absolutely essential if the city is to meet its goal of treating all the city’s wastewater and eliminating CSO discharges by 2060.

Riverkeeper recently testified at a New York City Council hearing in support of Council Member Sandy Nurse’s Bill to create a Renewable Rikers master plan. This bill would direct city agencies to begin meaningful planning for the redevelopment of Rikers for sustainability and resiliency, including a new wastewater treatment plant, renewable energy generation capacity, and composting facility, once the jail complex has finally been closed.

While the current administration has missed multiple legally-mandated deadlines to move forward with the closure of Rikers by 2027, Riverkeeper will continue to push the next administration and Council to close the jail and fulfill the vision of Renewable Rikers.​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍​​‍​​​​​‍​‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‍​‍‌‍​​‌​​​​​​​​​‍‌​‌‌‍‌​​​‌‌‍‌‌​‍‌​‌​‌‍​‌​‌‌‍​​‍‌​‍‌​​​​‌‌‌‍​‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​​‌​‌​‌‍​‌​‍‌‌‍​​‌‍​‌‍​‍​​‌‌​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌‍​‌‌​‍‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‍​‌‍‌‌​‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍​​‌‌‌‍​‍​‌‍‌‍​‌​‍​‌‍‌​​‍​​​​​‍​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‍​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‌​​​‍‌‍​​​‌‍‌‍​​‌‌‍​‍​​‍​‌​‍‌​‌​​​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌​​‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌‍​​‌‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​​‌​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍​​‍​​​​​‍​‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‍​‍‌‍​​‌​​​​​​​​​‍‌​‌‌‍‌​​​‌‌‍‌‌​‍‌​‌​‌‍​‌​‌‌‍​​‍‌​‍‌​​​​‌‌‌‍​‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​​‌​‌​‌‍​‌​‍‌‌‍​​‌‍​‌‍​‍​​‌‌​‍‌‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌‍​‌‌​‍‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‍​‌‍‌‌​‍‌‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍​​‌‌‌‍​‍​‌‍‌‍​‌​‍​‌‍‌​​‍​​​​​‍​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‍​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‌​​​‍‌‍​​​‌‍‌‍​​‌‌‍​‍​​‍​‌​‍‌​‌​​​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌​​‍‌‍‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌​‌​​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‍​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍‌‌