Newtown Creek Getting Superfunded
Back in August, The New York Times ran an article that made the odds of the Newtown Creek—the 3.8-mile waterway between Brooklyn and Queens which has had more oil leak into it over the last six decades than was spilled by the Exxon Valdez—getting placed in the Superfund program sound very high. So it was…
Back in August, The New York Times ran an article that made the odds of the Newtown Creek—the 3.8-mile waterway between Brooklyn and Queens which has had more oil leak into it over the last six decades than was spilled by the Exxon Valdez—getting placed in the Superfund program sound very high. So it was no great surprise when The Post, The Brooklyn Paper and NY1 all ran stories saying that the EPA would announce the move today. Cleaning up the pollution caused by 30 million gallons of oil could take ten years and up to $500 million, much of which the Federal Government would seek to get Exxon Mobil, BP and Chevron to pay for. The biggest problem with Newtown Creek is we just don’t know how dangerous the pollution is, said Evan Thies, spokesman for the Newtown Creek Alliance. The Bloomberg Administration supports the designation and resulting federal footing of the bill.
EPA To Make Newtown Creek A Superfund Site [NY1]
Newtown Creek Due for ‘Super’ Cleaning [NY Post]
Feds to Name Newtown Creek Superfund Site [Brooklyn Paper]
Between Queens & Brooklyn, an Oil Spill’s Legacy [NY Times]
Photo by Nathan Kensinger
A clarification–the superfund designation is solely for the non-petroleum contamination in the sediment of the creek. petroleum is actually *not* one of the contaminants considered in a Superfund designation. It’s a separate negotiation. Not that it shouldn’t be cleaned up, of course! Superfund is to clean up the PCB’s, etc. in the sediment.
it’s great news. there’s so much room around there for both commercial and residential expansion.
cleaning our waterways is necessary.
gowanus ain’t no picnic either remember.
as much as people say how horrible newtown is on this site, the reality is that few people live right on top of it or even near it in Greenpoint, yet people are living right next to gowanus. someone on N.2nd or N.3rd is a million dollar condo is a lovely, what? 4 blocks away from Gowanus?
we can’t just let these toxic sites continue to be ignored.
realize you weren’t serious of course!
half a BILLION? Double that when done. Why not just buy out the whole nabe and put a fence around it. Gotta be cheaper.