A giant concrete tank, built underground to hold the raw sewage that currently gets pumped in the Gowanus Canal whenever it rains, has become the main focus of attention of the planners of the Gowanus Canal cleanup. The long-polluted canal was cited as one of the most toxic sites in America and declared a Federal EPA Superfund site in 2009 […]
Gowanus Canal
Developer tries to give Gowanus a free park, but city doesn’t want it, by George Fiala
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was tasked with the job of cleaning up the toxic Gowanus Canal in 2009, following over 100 years of unbenign neglect on the part of New York City. The canal was declared a Superfund site over the objections of New York City, who felt that passive measures, such as building bioswales, would clean the canal […]
City makes case for retention tank location at EPA meeting, by George Fiala
A major part of the EPA’s plan to clean up the Gowanus Canal is the prevention of future contamination. In addition to chemical toxins that have leached into the canal as a byproduct of the 19th century gas plants that abutted the canal, organic poisons from sewage overflows continue to contaminate. Overflows happen during rain events when the sewers become […]
Superfund project on schedule, by George Fiala
It’s been a rough winter for meetings, as the weather has cancelled quite a few, including the January meeting of the Gowanus Community Advisory Group (CAG). The CAG serves as a conduit between the community and the EPA and was set up to monitor the Superfund cleanup of the Gowanus Canal. The January meeting was held February 10 and featured […]
THE GOWANUS CANAL NOW, by Mark Shames
Everyone around these parts knows that the Gowanus Canal is a highly polluted waterway due to a legacy of industrial uses along its banks. Those toxin-generating uses are now gone. This has given us an opportunity to remediate the area and we have seized upon that opportunity. Progress has begun as “flushing tunnel,” which has the ability to draw water […]
EPA deal with Lightstone up for public comment
The EPA issued a press release today announcing a potential deal with the Lightstone Group regarding remediation of toxic poisons. Lightstone has agreed to spend approximately $20 million to cleanup the land that they will be building on. EPA has the authority to name Potentially Responsible Parties (PRP’s) who then must pay for a Superfund Cleanup. In the case of […]
In Dynamic Neighborhood, Conservancy’s Mission Remains Unchanged, by Keith J. Klein
Gowanus means many things to the community. For most it is a neighborhood, to others a polluted canal, but to the Gowanus Canal Conservancy (GCC), it represents more. To the GCC, Gowanus is a watershed. A watershed, also known as a drainage basin is an area where water from rain and melting snow or ice converge to a single point […]
Take Back Gowanus challenges Brad Lander’s “Shared Values,” by Harrison Neuhaus
On Wednesday evening, July 9, Gowanus business owners and local residents arrived mere steps from the pollution-ridden Canal to attend “Take Back Gowanus.” The meeting was called in reaction to City Council Member Brad Lander’s “Bridging Gowanus” series. Though he claimed that his goal was to find a “shared vision” for the future of the industrial neighborhood, Lander’s community meetings […]
Take Back Gowanus
Brad Lander’s Bridging Gowanus series of meetings has spurred some local Gowanus activists to hold their own meetings. “Take Back Gowanus” will be held Wednesday evening at 7 pm at the Green Building, normally home for weddings and other celebrations. It is at the corner of Bond and Union Streets. The Green Building is itself a symbol of the change in […]
It’s NYC vs. EPA at monthly CAG meeting, by George Fiala
From day one, NYC has been against the Gowanus Canal’s Superfund designation, finally granted in 2010. It was opposed not only by the Bloomberg administration, but also the local City Councilman at the time. The Daily News reported, in an April 2009 article, “City Councilman Bill de Blasio (D-Park Slope) said he didn’t believe the cash-strapped federal program would be able to […]