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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Department of Environmental Protection Announces Initiative to Prevent Grease Blockages in Lower Manhattan Sewers
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."

 

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