Standing on opposite sides of the Gowanus Canal from the
Benson Scrap Metal yard at 543 Smith Street near Hamilton Avenue, I watched for quite a while as a huge barge was slowly being filled with scrap metal. It was rather fascinating to watch, until I thought about all the metal that had most likely been dropped into the waters of the Gowanus over decades and had no doubt added to the pollution in the canal. As 2010 begins, I wonder what the next decade will bring to the Gowanus Canal and its surrounding area. Will places like Benson Scrap Metal still be operating on the edge of our neighborhood ten years from now?
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