"Gowanus Is Grander Than Brad Lander": Voice Of Gowanus Marches To Councilmember's Office To Highlight Issues With Massive Neighborhood Rezoning

Despite today's cold weather, members of Voice of Gowanus gathered this morning to protest the illegal virtual Uniform Land Use Review which New York City is trying to force upon its community.NYC's charter guarantees that ULURP hearings are to be help in physical locations in the Community Board district that is under consideration.Virtual ULURP hearings violate NYC's charter and they disenfranchise and alienate those who are on the wrong side of the digital divide.

VoG gathered at 11AM at the corner of 2nd Street and Bond St by the Gowanus Canal and then walked along Third Street to 4th Avenue, ending in front of Councilmember Brad Lander's office in Park Slope.
Lander has been pushing this rezoning throughout his three terms as our elected official, despite knowing fully well that he will be putting new residents in harm's way.

After all, most of the footprint of the massive rezoning is 

-in a FEMA Flood Zone A

-the Gowanus Canal that runs through the area is a toxic EPA Superfund that still needs to be cleaned up and 

-the City of New York still dumps millions of gallons of sewage into the canal.

More disturbingly, Lander wants to move ahead with the construction of 950 units of 'affordable' housing on Public Place,  one of the most toxic sites in the State, which will never be clean despite remediation.

The Gowanus rezoning is the largest being proposed by the City of New York. It is twice the size of the controversial Atlantic Yards rezoning and the recent Hudson Yard rezoning.
Neighbors, please pay attention to this issue. It is the most consequential land use action in our district in decades. AND IT IS ALL WRONG FOR GOWANUS!

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Dredging In The Polluted Gowanus: Two Whole Cars Were Just Fished Out Of The Canal

Mention the Gowanus Canal to anyone in the Gowanus neighborhood and they will inevitably wonder aloud what one may find buried beneath its fetid waters. History buffs have guessed that the toxic black sludge that has accumulated over decades at the bottom of the canal may hold artifacts from the Battle of Brooklyn which was fought nearby. Author Jonathan Lethem describes the Gowanus Canal as "the only body of water in the world that is 90 percent guns" in his book Motherless Brooklyn. 

And many old timers mention bodies....lots and lots of bodies, including, perhaps, that of famous teamster Jimmy Hoffa.

The speculations increased last month when dredging in the upper portion of the canal began this past November 16 as part of the Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund clean-up of the canal.  Since that day, excavators on barges have been digging up the contaminated material one shovelful after the other. It is a fascinating sight.

So, one can imagine the surprise of the excavator operator on site last Friday when he 'hooked' a whole car, possibly a Mercedes, on the East side of the canal between the 1st Street Basin and the Carroll Street Bridge (see the yellow dot on the map below).

What is even more amazing is that yesterday a second car was pulled out just feet away from the first one.

This one was located a bit nearer the 363-365 Bond Street development at Second Street, 

Car #2

The Police was called by the contractor, but apparently the detective in charge did not know what to do about the discovery and needed to talk to his supervisor.

In the meantime, both cars have been transported to an off-site facility to be cleaned. There are no reports of findings inside the cars yet, but we will keep everyone updated when we find out.

If you are as fascinated by all things IN the canal, you might want to read these PMFA articles.

From 2016:

It Came From The Gowanus: Viewing Debris Recently Removed From 4th Street Basin

From 2018:

It Came From The Gowanus Part II: More Items See The Light Of Day After Being Dredged From The Bottom Of The Canal

From 2009: 

Car Plunges Into Gowanus Canal Early On Saturday Morning

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Large Amount Of Coal Tar And CSO Pollution Flowing Into The Already Remediated Gowanus Canal 4th Street Basin

The Gowanus Canal's 4th Street Basin near Whole Foods earlier this year

Coal Tar sheen clearly visible on the surface of the water at Gowanus' 4th Street Basin

Looking Towards Whole Food's parking lot

CSO and Coal tar visible from Third Avenue, looking at the 4th Street Basin

From Whole Food's Esplanade.

The photos and videos above were taken early this morning in Gowanus.  They were taken byBrad Vogel of the Gowanus Dredgers and clearly show a large amount of Coal Tar and Combined Sewer Overflow at the Gowanus Canal's 4th Street Turning Basin near Whole Foods and 3rd Avenue.
The Environmental Protection Agency was immediately notified of today's condition.

The sight is heartbreaking. Why? Because the 4th Street Turning Basin was the first portion of the canal to be cleaned and capped as part of the EPA's Superfund remediation of the polluted canal.  The basin had been chosen for a  Dredging and Capping Pilot Study, the results of which informed and helped EPA fine-tune different techniques that will  be applied to the entire canal.
E.P.A.'s plans to begin the dredging of the main canal sometime in late 2020.

The pilot study was completed in late 2018 and represented a huge milestone. The work consisted of dredging the contaminated sediment at the bottom of the basin and capping it to prevent recontamination.  It was the first time in over 100 years that a section of the Gowanus was clean of debris and toxic 'black mayonnaise', the thick coal tar sediment at the bottom of the canal, which is a result of heavy industrial use in and around the Gowanus over centuries.

This is why the sight of new coal tar and CSO floating on this remediated section this morning is so upsetting. The pollution was flowing into the Basin from the main canal.  Perhaps Wednesday's heavy rains are to blame for the current conditions?

This illustrates the complexity of remediating such a polluted body of water . It also demonstrates  the fragility of the environment after decades of abuse.
Surely, the sight of little ducklings swimming around on the polluted water in Vogel's video above is just so sad.


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EPA Explains Superfund Clean-Up Sequence For The Upper Gowanus Canal. Work To Begin This Fall

Christos Tsiamis, EPA's Gowanus Canal project manager

On Tuesday, January 28, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Unilateral Administrative Order to the six major corporations that bear the most significant responsibility for the canal's pollution. The order compels these Responsible Parties to begin the important work of dredging and capping of the upper portion of the Gowanus Canal and to restore the First Street Basin, which was illegally filled a few decades ago.

At last night's Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group's meeting held at Mary Star of the Sea Senior Home on First Place, the EPA gave the community a one-and-a half-hour presentation on the actual clean-up sequence for this upper portion of the Gowanus Canal.

Christos Tsiamis, the EPA project manager, began the lengthy and detailed presentation by saying:
"It has been a long time coming for me and for you, this moment when I stand here in front of you to discuss specific steps that we will take for cleaning up the canal in a timeframe that is within sight. So I am very happy to be here tonight."

Indeed, it felt like a huge milestone to finally be talking about dredging the main canal after so may years of planning.

With the lessons learned during the Pilot Study in the Fourth Street Basin near Whole Foods in 2018, the EPA has made some adjustments to the original clean-up plan and estimates that the work on Remediation Target Area 1, which covers the top of the canal from Butler Street to the Carroll Street Bridge, will begin sometime in late August/ September of 2020.

The work, as Tsiamis explained yesterday, needs to be carefully choreographed. Before the toxic material at the bottom of the canal can be removed, new bulkheads need to be installed to provide structural support to the shore. Also, work on the Fulton Bulkhead Barrier Wall Construction at the head of the canal is still ongoing. The sealed wall will serve as an environmental barrier, preventing liquid coal tar from the former Fulton Manufactured Gas Plant from recontaminating the canal after the Superfund clean-up is completed.

In addition, the Union Street Bridge and the landmarked Carroll Street Bridge need to be stabilized with pipe piles in order to not compromise them during dredging.  The Carroll Street bridge will most likely stay in an open position for three to four months and will be closed to traffic. The Union Street Bridge, however, will be passable.

Once all the support work has been completed, dredging of the soft, toxic sediment at the bottom of the canal will begin between the two bridges.

One major change in the clean-up plan has to do with the capping, which serves to keep toxins deep in the native soil from percolating back up into the water after the dredging. As Tsiamis observed as part of his work on the canal, there is a significant amount of upwelling of ground water.  In order to deal with this, the contractor will:

-first dredge most of the contaminated soft sediment and debris

-inject a cement layer into the most contaminated pockets of native sediment to stabilize these areas

-add an oleophilic clay layer 

-add granular activated carbon (to absorb any chemical pushed up from below) and a sand layer. The thickness and content will vary to match the expected dissolve phase flux through the cap and to provide an even surface for the top.

-finish with an articulated concrete armor top

Most of the toxic dredged material will be transported out of the community by barge on the Gowanus to New Jersey where there is sufficient space to separate and treat it before disposal.

The work on this upper portion is expected to take about 30 months and is estimated to cost $125 million. Upon its completion, the clean-up will continue on the middle and lower parts of the canal. 

Tsiamis told the CAG that work on the design for RTA2, the most polluted part of the canal, is already underway.

This big step signals the true beginning of the clean-up of this long neglected waterway. It will be a pretty momentous occasion for Gowanus and for this community.

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Environmental Remediation Of Gowanus Canal Moves A Giant Step Forward As EPA Issues Order To Begin Superfund Clean-Up

The long awaited environmental clean-up of the Gowanus Canal has just moved a giant step closer. 

On Tuesday, January 28,  the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Unilateral Administrative Order to the six major corporations that bear the most significant responsibility for the canal's pollution.  The order compels the Responsible Parties to begin the important work of dredging and capping of the upper portion of the Gowanus Canal and to restore the First Street Basin, which was illegally filled a few decades ago.

Though the beginning of the dredging work in that portion of the canal is still six or seven months away, the EPA is giving the PRPs advance lead time so that contractors can be hired, equipment can be procured and moved into place.

The work on this upper portion is expected to take about 30 months and is estimated to cost $125 million.  Upon its completion, the clean-up will continue on the middle and lower parts of the canal. Most of the toxic  dredged material will be transported out of the community by barge on the Gowanus.

Currently, bulkheads are being replaced from Butler Street to the Union Street Bridge to prevent the collapse of the uplands during dredging. Work on the Fulton Bulkhead Barrier Wall Construction at the head of the canal is also ongoing. The sealed wall will serve as an environmental barrier, preventing liquid coal tar from the former Fulton Manufactured Gas Plant from recontaminating the canal after the Superfund clean-up is completed.

This big step signals the true beginning of the clean-up of this long neglected waterway. It will be a pretty momentous occasion for Gowanus.

Below is EPA's press release on the order:

EPA Issues Administrative Order Requiring Start of Gowanus Canal Superfund Site Cleanup

NEW YORK (January 28, 2020) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the issuance of an administrative order requiring the start of the cleanup of the Gowanus Canal Superfund site in Brooklyn, New York. This is a major milestone in the cleanup of the site. The order, which covers both the cleanup of the upper canal – denominated as Remediation Target Area (RTA) 1 – and the 1st Street turning basin, is based on years of detailed engineering, scientific studies and design work. The work required by the order involves full-scale dredging and capping of RTA 1, as well as restoration of the 1st Street turning basin. This important work is estimated to cost $125 million and is expected to take about 30 months to complete. EPA and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) are coordinating closely on the cleanup of the Gowanus Canal and the surrounding area. The NYSDEC has primary responsibility for addressing contamination at the upland properties adjacent to the Canal.

“This order will ensure the remediation of a portion of the heavily-contaminated waterway, which is the centerpiece of a revitalized neighborhood,” said EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez. “By addressing Superfund sites in densely populated urban areas such as the Gowanus Canal, EPA is protecting public health and the environment while supporting Brooklyn’s continued economic redevelopment.”

“We’ve come a long way to achieve this significant milestone in cleaning up the Gowanus Canal. With pilot dredging tested, full-scale dredging, capping and restoration of the canal can proceed, starting with the first third of the canal,” said U.S. Representative Nydia M. Velázquez. “We are on an ambitious timeline for cleanup as compared to other Superfund sites throughout the nation. Most importantly, we are cleaning up Gowanus the right way, in a manner respectful of community needs, and responsible parties are shouldering the cost. I would like to thank all the EPA regional staff for their tireless work for the health and benefit of Brooklyn and New York.”

The remediation of RTA 1 is the first of three areas of the Canal that are targeted for cleanup. The restoration of the contaminated filled-in former 1st Street turning basin will serve as the primary wetlands area for mitigating or offsetting incremental encroachment into the Canal created by construction of deeper and more robust bulkheads along the Canal that are needed to allow dredging to take place at the necessary depths. The start of dredging required by the order is currently scheduled for September 2020, contingent on completion of bulkhead upgrades.

EPA, NYSDEC and the New York State Department of Health will be overseeing the work, which includes plans for community health and safety monitoring. The order is being issued to six parties that EPA determined have the largest shares of responsibility for the contamination at the Gowanus Canal site: Brooklyn Union Gas Co. d/b/a National Grid New York; the City of New York; Consolidated Edison Co. of New York, Inc.; Hess Corp.; Honeywell International Inc. and The Brooklyn Improvement Co. EPA is seeking to enter into cost recovery settlements with about 30 other private and federal government entities that have significantly smaller shares of responsibility.

More than a dozen contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and heavy metals, including mercury, lead and copper, are present at high levels in the Gowanus Canal sediment. The cleanup plan for the Gowanus Canal Superfund site includes dredging to remove contaminated sediment from the bottom of the Canal, which has accumulated because of industrial and combined sewer overflow (CSO) discharges. Following dredging, construction of a multilayer cap in dredged areas will isolate and prevent migration of any remaining chemicals in the deep native sediments. Certain areas of the native sediment, below the original canal bottom, that contain mobile liquid tar and are too deep to excavate will be mixed with cement and solidified to prevent the migration of the tar into the water of the Canal. Controls to reduce CSO discharges and prevent other land-based sources of pollution, such as street runoff, from compromising the cleanup are also included in the cleanup plan.

The Superfund program has been providing important health benefits to communities across the country for nearly 40 years. Superfund cleanups also strengthen local economies. Data collected through 2017 shows that at 487 Superfund sites in reuse, approximately 6,600 businesses are generating $43.6 billion in sales and employ 156,000 people who earned a combined income of $11.2 billion.

To view EPA’s administrative order for the site, please visit: https://semspub.epa.gov/src/document/02/586740

Learn more about the Gowanus Canal Superfund site here: www.epa.gov/superfund/gowanus-canal

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The End Of Trump, The Sculpture, In The Gowanus

 What's left of Donald Trump sculpture in the Gowanus this morning.

Below, the before photos from October 20, 2019

After an absence of several weeks, the floating Donald Trump sculpture in the Gowanus Canal, which first appeared near the Carroll Street bridge this past October, resurfaced.  And it is not looking so good.

It was spotted by a PMFA reader this morning next to the boat dock in front of the Lightstone Development at 363 Bond Street.

The reader commented:

"Looks like he’s seen some rough times. The boat/dock owner recently added some unfriendly-looking razor wire to the dock, to which DJT seems to have succumbed. But, trash is trash, so I wonder how this can get cleaned up?"

Sure looks like it's the end of Trump, the sculpture, in the Gowanus. 

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Tugboat Partially Sinks On The Gowanus Canal On A Rainy Sunday

The little white tugboat on the canal this past Thursday, before it sank.

****See 10/27/2019 update below the post****

Heavy rains may have been the reason a small tugboat partially sank on the Gowanus Canal this afternoon.
The boat was being used for work related to the  Fulton Bulkhead Barrier Wall construction at the head of the canal.

The construction work is part of the Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund clean-up of the heavily polluted waterway.  It is being performed by contractors for  National Grid under EPA's supervision and began in late August.

Photo taken late Sunday afternoon

photo credit: Brad Vogel

Photo credit: Brad Vogel

The photos above of the sunken tugboat were sent to us by friend and Gowanus Canal Dredgers Canoe Club member Brad Vogel, who told us that It happened during the storm earlier today.  Oil spill prevention booms on it by the time it was first noted

The incident has  been reported to both EPA and National Grid and oil spill prevention booms have been placed around the boat.

Below is the sunken barge from another angle taken by David Waitz before the booms were put in place.

Photo by David Waitz via Gowanus Dredgers

It seems odd for a tugboat to sink even on a  rainy day like today.  It will be interesting to find out the reason this could have happen.

 Update:
The photo of the tugboat below was taken on Monday, October 27th, after it was lifted out of the water. It was sent to us by Christos Tsiamis, EPA project manager for the Gowanus Canal Superfund clean-up

According to Tsiamis, "the reason for its partial sinking was that the bilge pump (that pumps water out of the boat) failed during that big rainfall (while no work was being done) and all the water stayed on the boat…"

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