A Reminder To All That We Need To Continue Fighting For The "Most Stringent, Future-Thinking Mitigation Measures" For Gowanus

It is hard to believe that 2021 is only a few days old, what with all the events of the past week. When the country seems out of control and many feel powerless, it may make sense to remind ourselves that we can still help bring about  significant change and a better outcome for our communities through old-fashioned  peaceful activism.  

In 2009 and 2010, I was a member of the largest coalition of South Brooklyn civic groups from both sides of the canal ever assembled to fight for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placing the Gowanus Canal on its list of Superfunds.  

The common mission of all those in the coalition was to demonstrate that our community stood united and firmly behind the Superfund designation for the heavily polluted canal, because we had come to understand that only the Federal Government has the science, know-how and the best array of tools at their disposal to clean the canal to the highest level. Nothing else would do.

It was a hard fight.  Many may remember that then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg set in motion a shameless lobbying campaign to derail the Superfund designation. He was supported in his efforts by our then-Councilmember Bill de Blasio.

Their reasons for blocking the nomination became clear quite quickly: 

the EPA identified New York City as the second largest polluter of the Gowanus for allowing untreated sewage to discharge into the canal during heavy rain events. At the same time, Bloomberg and De Blasio were pushing a rezoning of the Gowanus area from manufacturing to mostly residential.

Developers, who had already speculated and secured their plot of land in Gowanus, were not happy about the EPA designation. They were lobbying our elected officials themselves and donated generously to deBlasio's  own Mayoral  Campaign.

Of course, the community and science prevailed and the EPA placed the Gowanus Canal on its list of most polluted sites in 2010.  Just this past November, the long awaited dredging of toxic material at the bottom of the waterway began. It was a proud moment for those who had fought so hard for it.

My friend and long-time Cobble Hill resident Roy Sloane, who represented the Cobble Hill Association in our coalition, recently reminded me of this important win for the community.

In his letter below, he encourages us all to continuing to advocate for the most thorough environmental clean-up and for the future of Gowanus.

Thank you for allowing me to share your words of caution with the community, Roy.

Hi Katia,

I wanted to write to congratulate you, all of the community associations and all of the individuals who were part of the coalition that fought to have the Gowanus Canal designated as a Superfund site. The start of the dredging that began on November 19th is the direct result of this community-initiated effort and truly marks the beginning of an exciting new era for the Gowanus Canal and it’s surrounding community. I am proud to have been a part of the grand alliance of civic organizations we assembled for the fight to clean up the Love Canal in our midst and want to thank all of the individuals and civic associations who helped make this incredible, positive transformation possible!

The clean-up of the Gowanus Canal should be added to the list of major citizen-initiated movements that have helped transform Brooklyn into one of the most exciting, vibrant urban communities in the world: the brownstone revival movement that took root here in the 50’s and 60’s, the citizen-led effort that led to the creation of Brooklyn Bridge Park and even the creation of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. These all began as individual efforts and civic initiatives. The canal clean-up will rank high as one more example of the community-powered, community-led movements that have contributed so much to improving the quality of life in Brooklyn.

I do urge all to continue the fight to guarantee that all contaminants and toxic materials are safely removed and to insist on the most stringent, future-thinking mitigation measures be required to completely protect any future residents. For all of us, the battle was not to re-build or re-develop the Gowanus neighborhood, it was to protect all our current and future residents. Personally, I do also hope that a slower pace of development post-COVID might allow for the preservation and protection of more of the historic architectural and industrial character of the Gowanus.

Again, thank you to the great coalition of organizations that united to fight for the Superfund designation just a few years ago — Friends And Residents Of Greater Gowanus , Carroll Gardens Coalition for Respectful Development , Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association, Gowanus Houses, Cobble Hill Association and Riverkeeper and especially all the individuals who participated in the lobbying effort should take deep pride that this major milestone has been achieved: dredging has actually begun!

All the best, Roy Sloane

Roy Sloane, long time Cobble Hill resident and former Cobble Hill Association president