Saturday, October 9, 2021

Gowanus Canal CAG/Community Advisory Group General Meeting Tues Sept 28 2021

The Gowanus Canal CAG/Community Advisory Group general (ZOOM) meeting was held Tuesday evening, September 28, 2021. It was well attended by members and included many guests including EPA's, Christos Tsiamis, Brian Carr and Doug Garabini.

The EPA gave us an update on the ongoing cleanup which included information about some changes to the approach of the dredging around the Carroll Street Bridge in order to insure the integrity of the structure as well as successfully remediate and protect that remediation in the area around the Bridge. They showed us the completed ISS (in situ stabilization) and capping design plan for RTA2 which requires some special care around the old gas supply line at the edge of the Public Place site and they informed us that discussions with NYS DEC regarding the Public Place site's remediation are ongoing and to look forward to some more concrete conclusions of some of the discussed matters at our next general meeting.

In regard to Public Place and the dissatisfaction of what has been described as the downgraded remediation plan presented by NYSDEC, the CAG voted and approved a resolution LINK that came out of the Land Use Committee, requesting that EPA Region 2, assess, score and rank the former Citizens Manufactured Gas Plant (which includes Public Place) site for placement on the National Priorities List (NPL) and made a Superfund site under the jurisdiction of EPA. This would take the remediation of this most toxic, dangerous property out of the hands of New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), an action which CORD most enthusiastically endorses!

CAG member, George Fiala, from the Red Hook Star Revue, called the resolution, "a no brainer" and 17 out of the 21 attending CAG members agreed!

The vote to approve this resolution was 17 FOR 3 AGAINST with 1  (appropriately by Gowanus Green),  ABSTENTION 

It is interesting to note that two (2) of the three NAYS surprisingly came from Not For Profit organizations that are known for their fierce, public championship of the Canal and NY waterways. 

So it was rather bewildering when the Gowanus Canal Conservancy and the Riverkeeper CAG representatives voted against this resolution. 

The diluted NYSDEC plan for the site presents, among other concerning remedial downgrades, several dangers to the Gowanus Canal's eventual remediation. Those dangers were brought to the attention of the community by the EPA some time back and are the subject of lengthy, ongoing discussions between EPA and NYSDEC. Designating the site as a Superfund site would not only insure a much more thorough cleanup of the land itself, but would most definitely provide a more protected, remediated Canal.

CORD can only wonder what those environmental organizations and their donors are thinking.....

As always, please remember that ALL of the CAG meetings are open to the public, they are posted on the CAG website LINK with all of the necessary zoom details. Everyone is welcome!


CORD HISTORY:

With the "Protect Our Homes" petition, CORD was formed in May, 2007. This petition arose as an overwhelmingly negative response to the coming of the over-sized 360 Smith Street Development at the corner of Smith Street and Second Place (Aka Oliver House; aka 131 Second Place). This petition, which had well over three thousand signatures, led to a new zoning text amendment in summer of 2008.

To: Our Elected Officials, Community Leaders, The MTA:
(MAY, 2007)

We the undersigned Carroll Gardens homeowners and residents, are appalled by the "as of right" ruling which allows owners and developers to erect buildings in our neighborhood with no regard to the impact they will present to our quality of life and the value of our homes........

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?crlgrdns