Thank you Senator Montgomery!

CORD received a press release from State Senator Velmanette Montgomery regarding the Superfund of the Gowanus Canal news this afternoon.
We include it below as well as our statement to the Senator. CORD

Dear Senator Montgomery,

We Thank You too because...

You were the first elected official to formally request that the EPA proceed with the designation of the Gowanus Canal

You were the first to openly speak of the benefits designation would offer to public health, environment and to our future generations

We have always known that we can count on you to do what is best for our community and to put people first

We know that we can continue to count on you as the clean up proceeds and the Gowanus Canal and the surrounding area begins its long journey back

Thank you so much.

CORD

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
March 2, 2010

Press Contact: Jim Vogel 718-689-4384, jvogel@senate.state.ny.us

Senator Velmanette Montgomery on EPA Superfunding the Gowanus Canal:
THANK YOU!

I congratulate the people of Brooklyn on today’s announcement by the United States Environmental Protection Agency that the Gowanus Canal will be listed on the National Priorities Registry.

I was proud to stand with the local Gowanus residents who overwhelmingly said “Superfund Me!” And today we know our voices were heard. We know that this is the beginning of a lengthy process, but we are confident that with the oversight of the EPA, and their extensive experience and success in dealing with highly polluted areas like the Gowanus Canal that this complicated job will be done thoroughly, professionally, and to recognized international standards. I am confident that New York City and Brooklyn will gain enormously as we reclaim the long-ignored Lavender Lake and transform it into a vibrant, healthy, natural resource to the benefit of us all.

Thank you, everyone who contributed their personal knowledge and contributed to today’s decision. And thank you to the EPA for hewing to the science. All of us look forward to working with you on this long overdue reclamation.

__________________________________________

BACKGROUND:

The Gowanus Canal runs for 1.8 miles from Gowanus Bay into central Brooklyn. For over 100 years it served as an industrial waterway and was lined with industries that scarred the waterway with a legacy of pollution, including heavy metals and pesticides. After decades of consideration, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in 2009 asked the United States Environmental Protection Agency to consider listing the Canal on the National Priorities Register (Superfund).

Senator Montgomery was the first elected official to formally and enthusiastically urge the EPA, for the future health and prosperity of the Gowanus region, to Superfund the Gowanus.