"It Only Takes 1/10th Of An Inch Of Rain": Flyer Spotted On Smith Street Warns Of CSO Events

I spotted the flyer above, taped to a pay phone on Smith Street, last Friday. It seemed appropriate since Tropical Storm Andrea was dumping upwards of four inches of rain on the Metropolitan area that day, and breaking previous rainfall records all along the Northeast.
No doubt, the heavy rains flooded quite a few basements in the area, especially in Gowanus,

And today, it's raining heavily once again.

No group or individual took credit for the flyer and it was the only one I spotted on Smith Street.

Its message, however, is relevant and important for this area. As many of you know, New York City has an antiquated combined sewer system, which means that rain run-off from streets and roofs get collected in the same pipes with domestic sewage, and industrial wastewater, which lead to a waste water treatment facility.

The Red Hook and Owls Head Wasterwater Treatment Plants are responsible for our area. However, when the facilities exceed their capacity because of flash floods or heavy rainfall, the excess waste water is discharged into the Gowanus Canal.

There are currently 10 active Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO) and three storm water outfalls that dump directly into the canal.
The largest and most significant outflow is RH-034, which is located at the head of the canal. RH-034 contributes an annual discharge of roughly 121 million gallons.

(Who can forget the 2010 video of the CSO event at RH-034 )

The CSOs aren't just an embarrassment to New York City, they represent a significant risk to human health and to wildlife.

Though the City is currently working on upgrading the Gowanus Canal Flushing Tunnel and Waste Water Pumping Station, the upgrades will only reduce Combined Sewer Overflows into the canal by approximately 34%.

The Environmental Protection Agency has declared the 1.8 mile man-made canal a Superfund Site. The Agency has proposed a comprehensive cleanup plan to address the many decade’s worth of toxic sludge at the bottom at the canal as well as the ongoing pollution from upland sites adjacent to the waterway. In order to ensure continued protection of the canal once it has been remediated, the EPA has determined that future permanent CSO sediment controls are required. The agency has roposed in-line retention tanks be constructed near outfalls RH-034 and OH-007, the two largest contributors of CSOs and solids into the Gowanus.
These retention basins would go a long way towards finding a real solution to the CSO problem.

Mayor Bloomberg and NYC's Department of Environmental Protection Agency's Commissioner Carter Strickland have poo-pooed the idea so far.

What can we do as citizens besides advocating for 100% cessation of CSOs into the Gowanus Canal?
On a rainy day like today or last Friday, don't contribute more waste water to an already overloaded system. Wait till after the rains to run your washing machine or your dishwater. That would already help a tiny bit.

The result of a CSO event on the Gowanus Canal

A visual of CSO sludge accumulation from Outflow RH-034 at the head of the Gowanus Canal, clearly visible during dry weather during a low tide

Gowanus Canal CSO Outflow Locations.

(EPA Map)

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On A Day Of Massive Flooding In Gowanus, Local Politicians Ask City To Evaluate Hydrological Impact Of Large Elevated Sites Like Lightstone Group's In Flood Prone Area

Rendering of proposed Lightstone Group's Project on shore of Gowanus Canal
image credit: Lightstone Group

It would seem appropriate that on a day that saw heavy rains and flash flooding in the Gowanus area, our elected officials sent a letter to City Hall to ask if the "potential for adverse hydrologic impacts upon surrounding properties resulting from re-grading of large sites within flood hazards areas" has fully been investigated.

In the letter addressed to Deputy Mayors Cas Holloway and Robert Steele yesterday , Councilmember Lander, Congresswoman Velázquez and State Senator Montgomery specifically mention the 12 story, 700-unit Lightstone Group's project at 363-365 Bond Street.

Lightstone intends to re-grade their building site by raising the site of the development by two feet at First Street to address FEMA's recently released post-Sandy Advisory Base Flood Elevations and to comply with changes to the Building Code.

Since the Gowanus Canal was originally engineered to drain the upland marshland surrounding the canal in order to keep water away from residences in Carroll Gardens and Park Slope, this change in hydrology raises serious concerns about flooding and drainage in the Gowanus area. It may mean more problems for nearby residents, who deal with flooded basements on an regular basis.

Lander, Velazquez and Montgomery are asking City Planning "if re-grading could-even in a limited set of circumstances- lead to such impacts, how will such impacts be evaluated?
For example, would the Department Of Buildings confer with the Department of Environmental Protection before approving building permits for a re-graded site in a flood hazard area, such as that planned for 363-365 Bond Street?"

Further, Lander, Velazquez and Montgomery believe that " it would be better to bring all stakeholders to the table to develop a comprehensive plan for the infrastructure, flood protection, and land use regulations needed for a safe, vibrant, and sustainable Canal area. We should seize this opportunity to create an innovative model for low-lying, mixed-use waterfront areas on a warming planet."

It is encouraging that our Electeds recognize the hydrological impact to surrounding areas if developers like Lightstone's are allowed to re-grade the Gowanus area.

We need a new hydrological study before any new development moves forward.

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Hurricane Sandy's Aftermath: Gowanus Business Owners Concerned About Toxic Sludge Left Behind After Canal Flood Waters Receded

(credit: google maps)

Due to their location on the banks of the Gownus Canal several businesses, most of them film production companies, have endured severe flooding during Hurricane Sandy.   Though the three and a half feet of water have now receded from the Douglas Street block were they are housed, the owners of Canal Creatures, CW Films, Eastern Effects, Camera Farm, Scrap Paper Productions, Alex Sullivan Audio, Papa, and PMC Digital are very concerned about the toxic compounds and raw sewage that were mixed in the water and are now coating everything.  Since the Gowanus Canal was declared a Superfund site by the Unites States Environmental Protection Agency, these concerns are understandable.
Here is a link to a video showing the damage and sludge left behind after the storm.

Kevin Howard, Production Manager and Co-owner of Canal Creatures Production writes:

"It is a horror show, with smells that we have never encountered before, even after years of living and working along the banks of the canal. NO ONE understands what the long-term effects will be of a SuperFund site having been stirred up and spread all over the Gowanus neighborhood. The many contaminants of this site have been resuspended in the flood water and are now in everything that has been soaked by the flood!

 Mark Bracamonte, Production Creature at Canal Creatures described the situation facing these businesses:

Our building has been sealed shut, and multiple film production business have been displaced and are now out of business. The EPA came down, only after many harassing calls from us. They came and took samples saying they would have results in 8 hours. That was 3 days ago. We still have no word.
There is ZERO neighborhood awareness about the potential health risks the area is facing. People are digging through contaminated trash, and debris with NO GLOVES and proper gear. IT IS SHOCKING THAT THE C TOWN GROCERY SUPERMARKET ON BOND AND DOUGLASS IS OPEN AND SELLING FOOD when we know they had the same toxic flood water as we did."

Some of the businesses have fund temporary quarters at Film Biz Recycling, the Gowanus recycling/prop rental center, where they "will figure out [their] strategy for dealing with this immediate situation."
They have also shared their neighborhood story online on a Tumblr blog here: canalcreatures.tumblr.com

In an interview on the blog, Chris Hayes, principal partner at Eastern Effects states:

"We had a devastating flood like everyone else in the community. We have gotten no help from any government agency as of yet. No information that has been coherent as to what steps we should take, no one is telling us if the area is safe to inhabit, what we are being exposed to. No one has any answers. You kind of get the run around when we call anybody, I kind of feel like we have been left for dead out here, I mean, I have millions of dollars in inventory that’s sitting rotting now because we cant figure out what to do about it, if I’m even supposed to be in the building or not. There’s little snippets of information that are conflicting, so I feel like it’s every man for himself around here in this area. ….We built our business in this area, built up the community, and every one has abandoned us. It’s heart breaking, there’s no words that can express my sorrow that has happened to me and my partners here. It’s just a bad situation."

In the meantime, Councilman Brad Lander released this statement:

"Many of you have contacted me with concerns about the Gowanus Canal, a highly polluted waterway, which flooded neighboring streets. I have communicated with EPA Region 2 Administrator Judith Enck and NYC Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Carter Strickland. Thanks to both of them for making the time, and communicating quickly (with each other, and with me) about our concerns at the canal.If you live near the canal, do not touch standing water in the area, or any sediment or debris left by Gowanus flood-waters."

At a press conference after Hurricane Sandy, Mayor Bloomberg and Deputy Mayor for Operations Cas Holloway seemed flippant about the dangers associated with the health risks from Gowanus flood waters. When asked about the health risks related to the toxic water, Cas Holloway, who is more familiar to the Gowanus community as the former head of NYC's Department Of Environmental Protection (DEP) and, along with Mayor Bloomberg, a vocal opponent of the Superfund designation for the canal stated: "We’ll make sure that–we don’t think there’s any immediate danger to anybody and we don’t think there’s any issue.”

However, I just received an email from David Green, a science teacher, who raises the alarm on the dangers associated with the toxins. He writes:

"I am a science teacher with a background in Chemistry and Physics living in Brooklyn Heights.I saw your post on the flooding from the Gowanus canal.
The situation you describe is quite serious concerning the toxicological hazard from that particular flood. All the flooding in NY produced some hazard because of the sewage mixed with the flood water (particularly bad in red hook), but the Gowanus waters are leaden with Lead and Mercury, and dangerous volatiles too.
Sewage can be cleaned and sterilized with detergent and chlorine bleach, but if toxic water and sludge gets into a basement (or first floor) there is no way to clean it out completely. Wooden floors and even concrete absorb it and leave residues that cannot be removed.

Note: In areas that have been contaminated with lead and mercury compounds Chlorine bleach (such as Chlorox) could have the unintended consequence of turning non soluble compounds into more soluble ones making exposure risks greater, so bleach should not be used in Gowanus flooded areas.

The long term dangers of these toxins are so great that I would recommend to all people who lived in a dwelling that got flooded by the Gowanus (basements and first floor apartments that got filled with this water), to notmove back in to their apartments.
This is even more the case for people who have children. The younger the child the more damage is done by heavy metal poisoning, and the damage is essentially permanent. This damage can take years to accumulate in the nervous system but once done cannot be remedied. It does not take much to cause damage- the amount a child ingests by putting their hands in their mouth is more than enough. Some of these chemicals produce continuous vapors which makes it impossible to avoid exposure.

I would strongly advise people with children especially babies and toddlers to not move back in, until the apartment is cleaned and then tested for these chemicals. If levels are above those set for safe exposure they should find someplace else to live.
I know that this could cause utter disruption of peoples lives, but disruption of living plans is better than permanent neurological damage."

This is probably the best advice. The Gowanus Canal is a toxic brew on a good day. Hurricane Sandy's flood waters certainly deposited hazardous substances and sewage in businesses and homes on the banks of the Gowanus. I am frankly surprised that we don't have people in Hazmat suits controlling the situation.

   

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On Wednesday Eve, Come To Meeting With DEP Regarding Gowanus CSOs And Tell The Agency To Stop That S**t From Flowing Into The Canal

Community Board 6 is holding an informational meeting with Representatives of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection on "the findings from the Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund Site investigation and Feasibility Study relating to the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO's) at the Gowanus Canal."
Members of the community are invited.

It is important to note that New York City has been named a Potencially Responsible Party(PRP) by the EPA for its role in contributing to the toxins in the canal and for allowing CSOs to continue to discharge into the Gowanus.

However, rather than to work with the EPA to find a real solution that would address the CSOs in conjunction with the Superfund clean-up, the City has been trying to stall and kick the problem down the road. The DEP has even refuted some of EPA's finding, obviously eager to re-invent science.

As community members, we should all attend to tell the City and DEP that we want them to work with the Federal Government to give us the clean-up we all deserve.



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DEP's Caswell Holloway To Speak About Green Infrastructure At PS58

Caswell Holloway, Head Of NYC DEP

Last time Caswell Holloway, then Chief of Staff to Deputy Mayor to Edward Skyler, came to speak in Carroll Gardens, he was presenting New York City's half-baked alternative to the Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund clean-up for the Gowanus Canal.

Now, ironically, he heads the NYC Department of Environmental Protection Agency. Mr. Holloway will come to PS 58 on Thursday, April 14th to speak about his agency's Green Infrastructure Plan. The evening is hosted by Councilman Brad Lander. Below is more information on the meeting from Lander's office :

Community Conversation

on

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection’s

Green Infrastructure Plan

and what it means for our neighborhoods

with Caswell Holloway

Commissioner, NYC Department of Environmental Protection

Hosted by

Councilmember Brad Lander

Green infrastructure is an alternative approach to improving water quality that integrates features such as swales and green roofs with investments to optimize the existing system. Join us for a dialogue with DEP’s Commissioner about the application of the Green Infrastructure Plan in our neighborhoods, and get answers to the following questions:

1. What exactly is Green Infrastructure and why is DEP promoting it?
2. How might Green Infrastructure make our neighborhoods cleaner and more environmentally friendly?
3. How can residents get involved? (hint: there are a number of ways)
4. How can private property owners apply for DEP’s Green Infrastructure grants?

Learn more about the DEP’s Green Infrastructure Plan at http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/stormwater/nyc_green_infrastructure_plan.shtml

Thursday, April 14, 7-9pm

PS 58, Auditorium (330 Smith St., between 1st and Carroll St.)

Caswell Holloway was appointed Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection in the beginning of 2010, and has focused on four core functions: customer service, utility operations, capital projects, and sustainability.

In the area of sustainability, Holloway appointed the first Deputy Commissioner of Sustainability, and has led the DEP toward the reduction of energy needs and greenhouse gas emissions. He has also launched the NYC Green Infrastructure Plan, a hybrid approach to stormwater management that will dramatically reduce combined sewer overflows and, if approved by State and Federal regulators, would save New Yorkers $2.4 billion between now and 2030.

Cas has previously served as Chief of Staff to Deputy Mayor for Operations Edward Skyler and as Special Advisor to Mayor Bloomberg.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

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Local Resident Writes To EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson

Yankee, the dog

Last week, I posted a letter I wrote to the Environmental Protection Agency's Administrator, Lisa Jackson. I was prompted by reports that Mayor Bloomberg is lobbying against the Superfund Designation of the Gowanus Canal in Washington.
The fact that the majority of residents support the designation and that the EPA is supposed to be above politics, doesn't seem to matter.

I had included her address and the contact information and urged all of my readers to send their own letters.
Carroll Gardener Jean (Kitty) Farson did just that, and sent me her own letter to Lisa Jackson. With her permission,I am reprinting it below.

Dear Administrator Jackson,

I recently found out that the EPA has not listed the Gowanus Canal on the list of Superfund Sites. I am so very disappointed, as I am a strong supporter of the canal being listed as a Superfund Site.

I am a long time resident of Carroll Gardens (back when no one would even walk on Smith Street much less sit at an outdoor café and eat) and a home owner.

Until now, I strongly felt that the canal needed to be cleaned up under the Federal government based on quality of life and health of current and future residents. We have an extremely large influx of young families with small children in the last few years.

But I want to share a personal moment with you. I have attached a picture of my dogs, Yankee, the fawn male in the foreground, a beautiful Bullmastif/Pitbull mix we rescued after his owner was killed in the WTC on 9/11. He recently passed away from cancer, Lymphosarcome.

I walked Yankee every night down along Bond Street and sometimes down to the canal itself, as it was a favorite spot of his. I do not have scientific facts and figures citing any relationship between Lymphosarcoma and all the toxins in the canal and I am not suggesting there is even a connection.

I do wonder what will happen to our air quality and our overall quality of life if you allow the politicans to oversee the cleanup of the canal via unscruplous and out of state developers rather than allow the professional Environnemental Protection Agency team clean up the canal. I have even bigger concerns about how the contaminated soil will be hauled out of the site once the excavation is started. Will they simply drive it out in contaminated dump trucks or will there be some agency (ie EPA) to oversee that trucks are hosed down and clean before they drive up my block?

My neighborhood is very, very much in support of Superfunding the canal. I can only speak for myself, but I think Mayor Bloomberg and Caswell Holloway are very out of touch when it comes to our middle class Brownstone neighborhood and what is best for the future of the Gowanus Canal.

Respectfully submitted,

Jean Farson

Please, dear Reader, take some time to write to Administrator Jackson and to our elected Officials and let her know that Mayor Bloomberg is not representing the wishes of the community.

***Please send your own email or phone to the following:

*Lisa Jackson, Administrator, US Environmental Protection Agency

202-564-4700 email: jackson.lisap@epa.gov

*President Obama, The White House

email: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461

*Governor David A. Paterson

State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
518-474-8390
to email, click here

*NY Senator Charles Schumer: 914-734-1532

*NY Senator Kristin Gillibrand: 212-688-6262

*Representative Nydia Velazquez: 718-599-3658

*Representative Yvette Clarke: 718-287-1142


Related Reading:

Please Help Get Bloomberg Politics Out Of The Gowanus Canal Clean-Up!

Bloomberg Still Pushing His Gowanus Greenwashing Plan Over EPA Environmental Science

Mayor Bloomberg, Your Band-Aid Approach To Gowanus Clean-Up No Solution

Gowanus Superfund: City And Elected Officials Spinning As Fast As They Can

Last Night's CB6 Gowanus Superfund Meeting: The Pros Vs. The Amateurs

Regarding Gowanus Superfund Designation, Our Local Pols Are Showing Incredible Lack Of Leadership

'Why The Gowanus Should Be A Superfund Site' By Tom Angotti, PHD

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

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Bloomberg Still Pushing His Gowanus Greenwashing Plan Over EPA Environmental Science

"Put simply, if we treat the Earth over the next forty years the same way we did over the previous forty, the planet will be in serious peril that we will not be able to reverse."

From Michael Bloomberg's campaign web site

Pardon me for asking, but why is Mayor Bloomberg so intent on derailing the Environmental Protection Agency 's listing of the Gowanus Canal as a Superfund site? Ever since the EPA announced that it was considering placing the canal on its list of the nation's priority cleanup sites, the Bloomberg machine was set in motion to stop the designation. To counter the federal agency, the city quickly came up with its own clean-up plan, for which it neither had the scientific expertise nor the funding.
Why the rush by the city to out-EPA the EPA? Most certainly, because long ago, Mayor Bloomberg had promised his developer friends, like the Toll Brothers, that they could make millions off the banks of the Gowanus by building luxury condos. He had visions of 12 to 14 story buildings with thousands of units of housing along the waterway. Just think of the profit! All the City needed to do was to re-zone the area from industrial to residential use. Sure, the banks of the canal were toxic, but that was just a small technicality. The City was fine with letting individual developers clean up their own sites.

It seemed like such a win-win situation for the Bloomberg administration and for the developers. Most Gowanus residents, however, were not as comfortable with the arrangement. Though they showed up at every community meeting on the subject, though they shared their concern about the toxic nature of the area and questioned the safety of bringing families to live on the waterway, their voices were conveniently ignored.
It was all a done deal long before local residents had ever been informed of the plan.

But then, a rather big wrench was thrown into the works. In April, 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it had nominated the Gowanus Canal for consideration to be added to the National Priorities List (NPL), also known as "the Superfund list" for short. If added, the Gowanus would be entered into the EPA's cleanup program. which would include intensive study and analysis of the nature of the hazardous materials and pollutants within the canal, identification of the parties that have been responsible for the pollution, and a supervised cleanup.

That was bad news for Team Bloomberg. The Superfund listing could derail their carefully laid plans, the area would be stigmatized and developers would get cold feet, they opined. Existing house prices would plummet, they insisted.
They were so intent on keeping the Gowanus from being listed, that they came up with their own "better and faster" plan to clean up the canal. They also created a very lengthy document, which they handed in as part of the agency's public comment period.

But that was still not enough. Recently, Mayor Bloomberg personally started lobbying against the Superfund designation by calling Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, the head of EPA in Washington, to make a case against the Superfund listing.

That makes me 'super' angry. An overwhelming amount of comments sent to the EPA by local residents regarding this matter are FOR the designation. Mayor Bloomberg totally ignores that little fact. He pretends to be speaking on our community's behalf, when in reality he is representing his cronies.I have no doubt that the EPA and Administrator Jackson will only consider science, when making the decision on whether to list the Gowanus Canal as a Superfund site. I trust that they will make the right decision and take charge of this environmental disaster.
I do however resent the meddling of our mayor in matters that should be left up to scientists. These are hardly the actions of a "Green" mayor. Shame on him.

Related reading:
Mayor Bloomberg, Your Band-Aid Approach To Gowanus Clean-Up No Solution
Gowanus Superfund: City And Elected Officials Spinning As Fast As They Can
Last Night's CB6 Gowanus Superfund Meeting: The Pros Vs. The Amateurs
Regarding Gowanus Superfund Designation, Our Local Pols Are Showing Incredible Lack Of Leadership
'Why The Gowanus Should Be A Superfund Site' By Tom Angotti, PHD





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Last Night, Act Two Of City's Gowanus Alternative Clean-Up Plan Presentation

Last night was Round 2 of the City's presentation on their alternative plan for the Gowanus Canal. This time, the meeting was geared towards Gowanus-area business owners.
Cas Holloway, Chief Of Staff to NYC Deputy Mayor Skyler, again was the master of ceremony. ( How Mr. Holloway can continue to keep a straight face during these presentations is beyond me. How much salary do you suppose the city pays him to act as sacrificial lamb? Probably not enough!!!!)

I am still in South Carolina, but received accounts of the meeting from neighborhood residents who were in attendance.. Below is their great coverage.

First account:

The City finally claimed ownership of the letter they are circulating about their alternative and but it on city letterhead.

In answer to the previous evening's question, Cas Holloway indicated that no money has been spent on lobbyists to DC because municipalities can lobby and Cas has been to DC several times to lobby for the City's Alternative Superfund plan. We learned at Tuesday night's meeting that Cas is neither an engineer nor a scientist. He is, however, a former corporate litigator which for some reason he mentioned several times last night. This explains so much like why he sometimes seems to be defending client whom he knows is guilty, the word parsing, the careful delivery.

Walter Mungden and his team, who are engineers/have science backgrounds, were there and as usual Walter logically dispelled the misinformation and clarified the City's points and answers. Walter also said that the EPA has indicated in writing that the EPA sees no reason why the City cannot proceed with the flushing tunnel work. So, that avenue of threat seems to be closed for the City but I am sure they will conjure up something else. Walter also inserted a dose of reality in terms of PRP liability. The EPA's intention is not to drive viable business away and the EPA can not blood from a stone so it is unlikely they will go after someone for $100,000 if they only have $5,000.

The City had some new slides. One slide contained the fear mongering tactic that super fund would lower property values, make obtaining mortgages difficult, lead to higher interest rates for area residents, etc. He was however very careful to say that it "could" lead to these things. Deb Scotto was all too happy to jump on the fear mongering bandwagon and was a little more strident than Cas saying that super fund would just be a stigma on the neighborhood it would condemn the neighborhood and people wouldn't be able to rent their properties, renovate, refinance, or sell.

Once some of the audience members realized that if they were deemed PRPs under either plan they would have pay they became more skeptical. They also realized that litigation would probably be part of the equation under either plan. One person seemed to indicate that maybe the preferable thing to do was nothing since there didn't seem to be any health related problems caused by proximity to the canal. Cas did say that doing nothing was not an option. And of course no comprehensive health study has been done or if it has it is outdated and impossible to obtain.

Dan Wiley, from Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez's office, set the record straight regarding the use of WRDA and the viability of using that source of funding. There is a waiting list of properties for the funds, it is 50 million per year shared between all the states, you have to reapply for it every year, other areas in New York Harbor are on the list for funding but the canal is not. It doesn't sound like it is a true option. He also made a very important point - this isn't a political but a scientific decision.

It doesn't seem like there will be much difference in time frames and if I understood correctly the epa might be a little quicker. City wouldn't start for four or five years anyway. I think the City's push for support is more of stalling maneuver than a real commitment to clean the canal. My feeling is that in two or three years they will be more than happy to throw in the towel and turn it over to the EPA and in the meantime the City can use that time to get the Gowanus rezoning through. Cas did refer several times to the City's "plans" for the canal but never really indicated what those "plans" are. It would be nice if the City would clue the community in as to what the Bloomberg Administration plans for the neighborhood although I am sure we can all make a good guess.

A good portion of the audience seemed to be affiliated with Clean Gowanus Now! , GCCDC, and the CB6 Land Use Committee cabal. These meetings seem to be little more than a PR stunt orchestrated to drum up support for the City's Superfund Alternative Plan. The bottom line is that is not a popularity contest nor as Dan Wiley so rightfully noted last night is it a political decision but a scientific decision.

This is the second report sent to me by a local resident in attendance last night.

Some additions: there have been 45 sites which have used or are using the alternative plan--of these only one had multiple prps--(20 of them vs the 150 to 200 thought here) Not really sure what phase that project is in but one out of forty five suggests that alternative plans with multiple prps is not the best way to go

There were about 100 people there tonight--lots of suits- including David Von Spreckelsen, Toll Brothers V.P.---I wondered how they were all informed of the meeting but no one asked. It seemed to me that after a little while, most of the suits left a little disappointedly--maybe the initial city sales pitch sounded good but once Mugdan's calm, focused facts, combined with the plain truth that the EPA has nothing to gain or lose by choosing listing or alternative routes vs the city's "IF" (in giant flashing neon letters) plan was even too much for them to bear.

Ellen from State Senator Daniel Squadron's office, was there. She left copies of Daniel's pro Superfund statement. Both Oscar Jonas and Irene Van Slyke of Velmanette Montgomery's office were there--the senator's statement in support of Superfund was also available.

Ms. Found In Brooklyn also has a great recap of the meeting on her blog. Make sure you read it here: The Word "Superfund" Scares the City! A Recap on City's "Alternative to Superfund" Presentation.

My thanks go to my very involved neighbors who continuously attend these meetings and educate themselves on issues. I truly appreciate that they took the time to write these posts so that all Carroll Gardeners/Gowanus residents can stay informed.

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Airing On Brooklyn Independent Television: City And EPA Discuss Gowanus Clean-Up

The Waters Of The Gowanus Canal

BCAT's Round Table is airing this interesting conversation between EPA Project Manager Christos Panos, Community Board 6 District Manager and Cas Holloway, Chief Of Staff to NYC Deputy Mayor Skyler.
The discussion focuses on the difference between the EPA's Gowanus Canal Superfund plan as opposed to the city's alternative, which has been cobbled together hastily by Mayor Bloomberg's administration, in response to the EPA's proposal to include the canal on its list of Superfund Priority sites.

Mr. Holloway's presentation has gotten a wee bit more polished since the last time he gave it at a public meeting back in May, but it still fails to convince.

Take a look and let me know what you think.

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

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