Hello from CORD!
The
public is invited to attend a VERY IMPORTANT meeting of the Gowanus Canal Community
Advisory Group (CAG) with senior-level officials from the NY State
Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) on December 4 from 6
p.m. – 8 p.m. at PS 32, 317 Hoyt Street, Brooklyn.
Your
presence at this meeting will help demonstrate the community’s strong
support for a comprehensive clean-up of the canal. The CAG will be
asking NYSDEC officials pointed questions about the state’s role in the
enforcement of Clean Water Act requirements to eliminate sewage
overflows, whether and how the state is coordinating with EPA’s
Superfund cleanup process, and other issues of vital importance to a
proper clean-up of the canal and protection of public health.
Background:
On Tuesday, November 27, 2012 the CAG's monthly meeting was held at the St Mary's Houses. Although
most of the meeting concentrated on internal administrative business,
there was an announcement from EPA Community Coordinator, Natalie Loney
which was of particular interest.
EPA Region 2 has sent their Proposed Plan to National EPA Headquarters
in Washington DC and to The NY State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for comment.
As
Natalie explained, beside the future of the plan depending upon
approval from DC, one of the criteria EPA must meet is STATE ACCEPTANCE
of the plan.
The DEC now has to review and comment on that plan--and accept it in order for the EPA to proceed.
Natalie
tells us that Region 2 is still hoping to have this accomplished and
the plan put out to our community (because we get to comment too!) by
the end of this year.
Now
NY State DEC has been taking a position that we at CORD believe is NOT in the
best interests of our Canal or our Community. The Water
Quality/Technical Committee of the CAG, which unanimously passed a
resolution which demanded 100% elimination of CSO's, in addition to the
sediment cleanup, had requested a
meeting with the NY State DEC to discuss some of the concerns and
questions they had.
DEC
agreed to that meeting--and even though all CAG meetings are open to
the public, in the wake of Sandy, it was decided to hold this meeting at
PS 32 in order to accommodate more neighborhood residents.
So, on Tuesday, December 4th at 6-8 PM PLEASE come to PS 32 at 317 Hoyt Street, Brooklyn.
CORD
