$10M Grant To Fund Nassau's First Grease Receiving Station In Great Neck

Great Neck Water Pollution Control District will receive $10.52 million in funding that will be used to install Nassau County's first modern grease receiving station.

The disposal station will convert grease into energy to run the plant.

“Nassau County currently lacks a facility capable of handling commercial grease disposal on a large scale, and constructing a local station is long overdue," Sen. Elaine Phillips, who announced the funding, said in a press release.

Phillips said the disposal station will provide economic and environmental benefits as well as reducing the taxpayer burden.

“We hope to set the example, that there is energy in wastewater," Christopher Murphy, Superintendent of the Great Neck Water Pollution Control District, said. "Utilizing these proven technologies, wastewater treatment plants can become more environmentally friendly and self-sufficient, all while saving taxpayers’ dollars."

The grease station will accept brown grease collected at local restaurants and commercial kitchens, which will greatly reduce carbon emissions due to a decrease in waste transport to facilities in Suffolk and New Jersey, according to Phillips' office.

Great Neck Water Pollution Control District is also on track to become the first in the state to refine cooking grease into power and heat for the facility.

The funding was received through New York’s Transformative Investment Program. The grant will additionally provide necessary upgrades to the current anaerobic digester at the East Shore Road plant and construct a third microturbine at the district’s existing Microturbine Co-Generation Waste to Energy Facility.

The upgrades to the current anaerobic digester at the East Shore Road plant will double its methane production, automate the anaerobic digester process, incorporate new safety components and allow for more than triple the amount of gas storage at the facility, Phillips' office said. The increased storage will also generate more electric and heat and will reduce dependency on outside utility services.

The grant was approved on Friday, Aug. 18 during the Empire State Development Board of Directors meeting.

The Long Island Regional Economic Development Council also provided $770,000 towards the $12.3 million project.

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