The Gowanus Canal Superfund: So Where Are We?
On Tuesday, March 23, the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group (CAG) met for their monthly meeting.
Our terrific EPA Team members, Project Manager Christos Tsiamis, Attorney Brian Carr and Community Liaison Natalie Loney were there to offer an update on progress. Also a warm welcome to a new member of the Legal Team, Walter Sainsbury.
Highlights included:
-the dredging of the Canal is ongoing and proceeding well. Phases One and Two north of the Carroll Street bridge are complete and getting prepared for the In Situ Stabilization (ISS) - the initial (cement) layer of capping which will begin sometime in late Summer 2021.
-Phase One dredging south of the Carroll Street bridge has been completed. Phase Two to begin this week running till approximately mid April.
-some support work around and beneath the bridges will also be taking place in the coming months.
-clarification regarding the task and purview of the EPA included confirmation that the Superfund site is NOT confined between the bulkheads of the Canal but includes the protection of the remedy and prevention of future contamination to the Canal, therefore making sites that have historically contributed to contamination as well as any that could possibly contribute to future contamination within their purview.
-confirmation that although the rezoning of the area is not part of EPA's purview, as detailed in the former Regional Director Peter Lopez's letter to New York State DEC, the rezoning must NOT negatively impact the remedy. So developments abutting the canal will be held to EPA criteria (i.e. discharges) so as not to negatively impact that remedy.
-the EPA will also be looking at the mandatory Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which must accompany the Gowanus rezoning proposal as a broad standard. At this point, actual data is very limited but EPA will be looking at each of the expected developments individually in regard to possible impact. The EPA will be commenting on the EIS. The Agency is not assisting in the drafting of this document.
-it was reported that information regarding the ROD mandated CSO tanks would be coming at a future meeting
-the EPA assures us that the EPA and NY State's DEC will be working in the interest and safety of everyone regarding any development of the highly contaminated Public Place site to make it safe for the public.
-Christos, who gave a detailed synopsis of conditions on Public Place in regard to the proposed Gowanus Green residential development plan back in December neither retracted any of his previous statements nor did he have any additional data to report on about the site.
Our neighborhood has been and continues to be very fortunate to have this EPA team working on this project. They have been from the onset, honest, open and willing to share any and all relevant information about this cleanup with us. There have been no surprises sprung on us from this team, no double talk and no hidden actions. This team has consistently done what they have said they were going to do - all performed in a professional manner . They even managed to engage this community in a heartfelt manner. That is not something that most bureaucratic, government required community groups receive.
CORD sincerely doubts that the Federal, State or City governments care what our CAG or our community thinks or feels. But we believe that this EPA team has been and continues to be extraordinary and committed not only to their task but to our neighborhood.
The CAG, through resolution, LINK , because this Team has earned and maintained our trust, has once again called upon the EPA to continue their watch over the Public Place brownfield cleanup - which has been downgraded since the original plan was presented - even though the proposed Gowanus Green plan, as far as we are aware, has more or less remained the same. We understand that the EPA indicated that it is actively participating in the assessment of what must be done. That is a relief to us all.
During the discussion of Public Place, a DEC employee by the name of Janet Brown was called upon by our Facilitator to comment. Usually, when guest attendees, even those representing some of the agencies involved are present, the responses from them are normally some variation on the,"...we will have to get back to you on that..." variety. But Ms Brown was surprisingly well prepared and energetically willing to spread the information that residential developments can be safely done on former MGP sites, "...if exposure routes and paths are mitigated...". She pointed to a former contaminated Con Ed site on the west side as a successful cleanup.
When asked if former MGP sites and/or redevelopments of such were categorized by contamination levels and if we were getting the cleanup the neighborhood (and the proposed future residents on the site) deserve, Ms Brown replied once again that the coal tar lying at varying depths up to 150 feet beneath the ground, can provide a safe place to live "as long as exposure routes and paths are mitigated."
Ms Brown indicated that she was apparently sent to the CAG meeting to correct some "misinformation from the December CAG meeting.." We are not exactly sure how leaving the bulk of the toxic chemicals beneath the ground assists in providing the proper mitigation to route and path exposure - especially when many, many very deeply drilled pilings are being driven into that very ground, nor how situating the school closest to the wells is smart design, nor how reducing the ability to contain any gravitational coal tar seepage into the canal by removing the previously planned and discussed "wings" which were to be situated, we believe at about 100 feet each on either side of the site from the water going towards Smith Street makes sense, but that must be for another DEC expert at another time. Since she did not clarify any of these concerns, which misinformation she was referring to is rather a mystery.
Overall, an information packed meeting. Great progress on the Canal's planned clean and capping. Once again, our EPA Team proves that approaching a problem, drawing up a plan and working toward its accomplishment is not only possible - it's happening!
Unfortunately, the State and City of New York still seem to be relying on the old talk big, do as little as possible, and most importantly, keep kicking the problems can down the road approach. Again.
CG CORD
