REMINDER! Gowanus Canal CAG To Host Superfund Town Hall With Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez Tonight

On Wednesday, May 29, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group (CAG) will be hosting a Gowanus Superfund Town Hall at  PS 133,  610 Baltic Street at 4th Avenue, in Brooklyn.  This is your chance to catch up on everything related to the clean-up of the canal,  to ask questions and, perhaps, to get involved.

From the Gowanus Canal CAG:
"The Gowanus Canal was designated a federal Superfund site in 2010, initiating a complex, multi-year clean-up of more than a century’s worth of toxins and other contaminants.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed a successful pilot dredging and capping of the 4th Street turning basin, and is now turning its sights on the process of cleaning the entirety of the canal, beginning at the head-end near Butler Street, in 2020.

Please join us at a public town hall meeting on May 29 for an important update on the canal clean-up, the future timeline, and an idea of what to expect as the work progresses. Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez will give a keynote, and representatives from the EPA will present a project overview and look-ahead. The public will have an opportunity to ask questions following the presentation."

Please RSVP via Eventbrite. The event is FREE.

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Gowanus Canal CAG To Host Superfund Town Hall With Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez

On Wednesday, May 29, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group (CAG) will be hosting a Gowanus Superfund Town Hall at  PS 133,  610 Baltic Street at 4th Avenue, in Brooklyn.  This is your chance to catch up on everything related to the clean-up of the canal,  to ask questions and, perhaps, to get involved.

From the Gowanus Canal CAG:
"The Gowanus Canal was designated a federal Superfund site in 2010, initiating a complex, multi-year clean-up of more than a century’s worth of toxins and other contaminants.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed a successful pilot dredging and capping of the 4th Street turning basin, and is now turning its sights on the process of cleaning the entirety of the canal, beginning at the head-end near Butler Street, in 2020.

Please join us at a public town hall meeting on May 29 for an important update on the canal clean-up, the future timeline, and an idea of what to expect as the work progresses. Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez will give a keynote, and representatives from the EPA will present a project overview and look-ahead. The public will have an opportunity to ask questions following the presentation."

Please RSVP via Eventbrite. The event is FREE.



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Harbor Seal Spotted Sunbathing In Gowanus This Past Week-End

Harbor Seal sunning in the 4th Street Basin of the Gowanus Canal this past Sunday.

(photo credit: Jason Deleon)

photos courtesy of Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club

It seems that all creatures big and small enjoyed yesterday's picture perfect spring day.
The Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 was alerted to the presence of a Harbor Seal in the Gowanus Canal near Whole Foods on Sunday morning when a local resident sent a photo to the agency. The animal was sunbathing on top of equipment that had been moved into the 4th Street Turning Basin as part of a Dredging & Capping Pilot Project related to the Superfund clean-up of the canal.
Members of the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club confirmed the sighting with an additional photo.
A seal in the heavily polluted canal is a rarity for sure. As we all know, the canal was declared a Federal Superfund site, an 'honor' reserved for the most contaminated places in the country.

In an email to the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group, E.P.A. Community Involvement Coordinator Natalie Loney wrotes:
"Just wanted everyone to know that EPA reached out to the Riverhead Foundation on Sunday morning after the seal was spotted sunning on the floating dock in the 4th Street Turning Basin. (Pic attached) We were informed that if the animal was not in obvious distress it should be left alone. Apparently, harbor seals are very adept at navigating into and out of these types of channels/canals.
Moving forward, any additional sightings should be reported to the Riverhead Foundation. However, action is unlikely if the animal is not in obvious distress."

The Foundation's 24 hour hotline number is 631-369-9829.

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