Gowanus Canal Superfund Community Advisory Group To Meet Tomorrow Night

The Gowanus Canal Superfund Community Advisory Group (CAG)** is holding its April meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, April 26th, from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at One Metro Tech Center in downtown Brooklyn (2nd Floor.)

On the agenda this month is the Draft Charter, which will be presented by members of the Operating Procedure Committee hopefully will be adopted by the membership tomorrow. There will also be an update on the Water Quality, Real Estate, and Archeology Committees.

As always, the general public is invited to attend. Space is limited, so please rsvp to the CAG's facilitator Jeff Edesltein at edelstein@psouth.net.

**The Superfund Community Advisory Group is designed to serve as the focal point for the exchange of information among the local community and EPA, the State regulatory agency, and other pertinent Federal agencies involved in cleanup of the Superfund site

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At Second Gowanus CAG Meeting, CSOs Remain "The Elephant In The Room"

EPA's Christos Tsiamis

CAG Facilitator Jeff Edelstein

NYC DEP's Chris Villari

Last night, the second Gowanus Canal Community Advisory meeting, lead by neutral facilitator Jeff Edelstein, took place at the Old American Can Factory. Since the last time the CAG met, the Operating Procedure, Real Estate/Financing and Water Quality committees had formed and had, in turn, gotten together for an initial work session.

The CAG session started with a brief overview of the Committee meetings by Edelstein.

The Operating Procedure Committee had a very productive initial meeting yesterday morning. The members started the critical work of developing a charter to create a framework for how the CAG will work. Issues such as a mission statement, decision-making, membership and external relations will all have to be hammered out. The group is hoping to be able to propose a charter to the full CAG by February, with ratification of the charter by April/May.

The Real Estate/Financing Committee met on November 23rd to discuss core issues directly related to the Superfund process. Among the issues that will be investigated are financing, insurance, bulkheads, property rights, zoning, the 100-year flood levels and most importantly, the link between development and public health on the uplands. 

Christos Tsiamis, EPA's Gowanus Canal Project Manager, answered some of the committee's questions at last night's meeting. See video below.

The Water Quality Committee had their initial meeting on November 29th. The members identified several issues that relate directly to the water quality. Amongst the more important concerns are the flow between the upland sites and the canal, potential re-contamination of the canal after clean-up, water quality classification, and the Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) that continue to flow into the Gowanus.
Most of the committee's discussion centered on the need to address the CSOs as part of a comprehensive clean-up of the canal. Whereas the EPA Superfund will address the toxic sludge at the bottom of the canal, the CSOs that continue to pour into the Gowanus are the responsibility of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. The committee questioned if the EPA could take over the clean-up of the CSOs as well.

At last night's meeting, the working relationship between the EPA and the DEP came up again. Asked by Jeff Edelstein if he wanted to address some of the questions about CSOs that had come up at the Water Quality Meeting, DEP's liaison Chris Villari ruffled quite a few feathers and certainly got off to a rather bad start by declaring: "We are not here to talk about the CSO issue, but the Superfund issue." (Great Job as a liaison, Mr. Villari!)
You can see the video clip of response below.

Christos Tsiamis took the opportunity to clarify that the EPA is very much involved in a discussion regarding the CSOs and that there has been much communication between agencies. In fact, the EPA, the DEP and NYS Department Of Environmental Conservancy will be meeting to discuss the issue on December 15th. See his response below.

Christos Tsiamis announced that the Gowanus Canal Remedial Investigation (RI) will be published in January 2011. The EPA will then hold a meeting for the wider community to give a comprehensive presentation of the findings.

**For full disclosure, I am a member-at-large of the Gowanus Canal CAG, as well as a member of the Water Quality, Real Estate and Archeology committees.



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Gowanus CAG Off To A Good Start After First Meeting Last Night

Gowanus CAG's Neutral facilitator Jeffrey Edelstein with EPA's Walter Mugdan

Walter Mugdan during his presentation

Lucy De Carlo of CORD and Marlene Donnelly of FROGG

On Tuesday night, the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group (CAG) met for the very first time at the Old American Can Factory at 232 Third Street to lay the groundwork on how to structure the CAG, how to work together and how to best exchange information amongst its 57 members, the local community,  the Environmental Protection Agency and other pertinent government agencies involved in the clean-up of the extremely polluted  Gowanus Canal. Jeffrey Edelstein, the Neutral Facilitator who had been chosen by the communities impacted by the Superfund site in May, asked the CAG members to briefly introduce themselves and their affiliation.  Commenting on the unusually large size of this diverse group, Edelstein said: "Well, this is Brooklyn.  This is a unique situation."  He then asked Walter Mugdan, Director of the Superfund Program for the US Department for Environmental Protection's Region 2, to give an overview and update on the progress made.  

Walter Mugdan explained that there are three characteristic concerns about the Gowanus Canal.  First, the environmental concern for the polluted land surrounding the canal, secondly, concern for the water quality in the Gowanus and thirdly, the mud or sediment at the bottom of the waterway.  The Gowanus Canal was placed on the EPA's National Superfund Site list because of this highly toxic sediment. 

The water quality and land remediation, however, are the responsibility of New York State's Department Of Environmental Conservation (DEC).  The  NYS DEC had asked the federal Government to step in to deal with the sediment.

"We have a work sharing arrangement with DEC." Mr. Mugdan said." All these jobs need to be done."

Mr. Mugdan then went on to explain the clean-up process. (see chart on top)

The first step, the Remedial Investigation (RI), an assessment of the nature and extent of the contamination as well as the associated health and environmental risks, has been completed ahead of time. Walter Mugdan praised Christos Tsiamis, EPA's Region Two Project Manager in charge of the Gowanus Canal.  "Christos has done the most amazing job to move the work at a much quicker pace."  A report draft will be released by December 31st, 2010.

The next step in the process is to complete a Feasability Study (FS), a determination of the treatability and development of clean-up alternatives for the site. Mugdan expects the Feasbility Study to be done in draft by the end of 2011.

A proposed clean-up plan, which identifies a preferred remedial alternative for the site will most probably ready by 2012, at which time the community will have 60 days to comment.

"If I were a betting man, I would bet that we will be dredging a lot of muck out of the canal" Mr. Mugdan said.

Mugdan estimates the entire process to take about 10 to 12 years. "We will be together for a long, long time" he told members of the CAG.

After his presentation, Mr. Mugdan took questions from both the CAG members and the audience.  One important issue, the relationship between the EPA, the DEC and the New York City Department Of Environmental Protection (DEP), came up a few times.  There was concern about the contamination from the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSOs) into the Gowanus Canal.  Though the DEP is currently working on improving the system, the work will only reduce the CSOs by 34% at most.   Asked if the EPA would consider taking over the remediation of the water quality since the DEP's plan will not even come close to meeting the criteria of the Clean Water Act, Walter Mugdan answered that right now, his agency does not feel that it is necessary though he acknowledged that the DEP's plan is not a total solution.  "There is always a chance. We have the authority to do so."

Asked if the Gowanus Canal will ever be "swimmable and fishable", Mugdan shook his head. "Not in our lifetime, but the risks can be significantly reduced."

***Please also take the time to read Found in Brooklyn's excellent post on last nights meeting:  Gowanus News: First C.A.G Meeting Recap.

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Proposed List Of Members For The Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group Released

Proposed Gowanus Canal CAG Organizational Members

Gowanus Canal CAG Members At-Large

This past May, when Jeffrey Edelstein of Edelstein Associates was chosen by the Carroll Gardens/ Gowanus Canal Area residents to be the Neutral Facilitator for the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group (CAG) as part of the EPA's Superfund designation of the polluted waterway, his first order of business was to meet with neighborhood organizations and individuals who wished to be on the CAG and to come up with a group that was representative of the community.

This was an important first step. A Superfund Community Advisory Group is designed to serve as the focal point for the exchange of information among the local community and EPA, the State regulatory agency, and other pertinent Federal agencies involved in cleanup of the Superfund site. As its facilitator, Mr. Edelstein will serve as a representative for the CAG and will help its members understand the technical and scientific information put forth by the EPA.

Today, Mr. Edelstein has released his preliminary list of the Gowanus Canal GAG. (Please click here for the entire document) He is now asking the community for review the list and to comment before it is finalized. He writes:

Attached you will find a memorandum presenting the proposed list of members of the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group (CAG) for the Superfund clean-up. The memorandum also describes: 1) the assessment approach that was used to develop this list; 2) the issues of concern that were described to me by members of community during the assessment; 3) the observations, conclusions and criteria that I used to develop the membership list; 4) the elements and structure that are needed for the CAG to be successful; and 5) other background information.

The public is invited to submit comments to me about this memorandum.

Comments should be sent either via email (edelstein@psouth.net) or US mail (PO Box 389, East Waterboro, ME 04030) by 5 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Friday, September 17. Following the review of comments, any changes to the proposed list, if warranted, will be announced along with the date, time, and location for the first CAG meeting, which is expected to be in October. The meeting will be open to the public. In order to provide all members of the community equal opportunity to comment on the proposed formation of the CAG, this memorandum has not been shared with any individuals, agencies, businesses, or organizations prior to its public release today.

Thank you to the 52 individuals representing the diverse sectors of the community who have expressed interest in serving the community through CAG participation and who have provided valuable and thoughtful input during this assessment phase.

Regards,

Jeff Edelstein

Please take some to review his proposed list here. We all need to stay informed and involved in this process.

I, myself, volunteered to be a member of the CAG and am very proud that my name has been included on that preliminary list.

The Coalition For Respectful Development (C.O.R.D.) one of the neighborhood groups that tirelessly lobbied to get the Gowanus Canal listed as an E.P.A. Superfund site, has also been chosen to be on the G.A.G. The group has just issued a statement on their website. To read it,click here.

Related Reading:

Jeffrey Edelstein Chosen As Neutral Facilitator For Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group

SUPERFUND! Gowanus Canal Gets Listed!

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Jeffrey Edelstein Chosen As Neutral Facilitator For Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group

Jeffrey Edelstein of Edelstein Associates

Jeffrey Edelstein of Edelstein Associates has been chosen by the Carroll Gardens/ Gowanus Canal Area residents to be the Neutral Facilitator for the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group (CAG). On May 11th, the Environmental Protection Agency had invited local residents to chose between Mr. Edelstein and Steve Shapiro of Certus Strategies as facilitator.

Superfund Community Advisory Group is made up of members of the community, and is designed to serve as the focal point for the exchange of information among the local community and EPA, the State regulatory agency, and other pertinent Federal agencies involved in cleanup of the Superfund site. As its facilitator, Mr. Ed

will serve as a representative for the CAG and will help its members understand the technical and scientific information put forth by the EPA .

Below is the official announcement by the EPA on Mr. Edelstein's selection.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 is pleased to announce that Jeffrey Edelstein of Edelstein Associates has been selected by the Gowanus community to act as the neutral facilitator for the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group. Mr. Edelstein is a professional environmental engineer with 20 years of expertise in storm water, wastewater and the Clean Water Act. He holds a BS. from Cornell University’s School of Biological and Environmental Engineering, and has trained in public policy dispute resolution at the Muskie School of Public Service, the University of Southern Maine Mediation Institute, the Consensus Building Institute, and the Lincoln Center for Land Policy. In addition, Mr. Edelstein is on the national mediation/facilitation roster of the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution (USIECR), and is actively involved in initiatives that help grow and improve the practice of Environmental Conflict Resolution.

The Gowanus Canal is a recently listed Superfund site located in Brooklyn, New York.

Mr. Edelstein will now begin to work with the communities impacted by the site to help form the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group.

Related Reading:

Gowanus Superfund News: Last Night, Gowanus Community Chose Between Two Neutral Facilitators For Community Advisory Group

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Gowanus Superfund News: Last Night, Gowanus Community Chose Between Two Neutral Facilitators For Community Advisory Group

It was a much smaller crowd in the PS 32 auditorium last night than at any previous meeting between the Carroll Gardens /Gowanus community concerning the Superfund designation of the Gowanus Canal. Now that the Federal Agency has placed the polluted waterway on the list reserved for the most toxic sites in the nation, it is time for the community to form a Community Advisory Group, also known as CAG

As Natalie Loney, EPA's Community Involvement Co-Ordinator explained last night, a Superfund Community Advisory Group is made up of members of the community, and is designed to serve as the focal point for the exchange of information among the local community and EPA, the State regulatory agency, and other pertinent Federal agencies involved in cleanup of the Superfund site.

In order to facilitate the process, to make sure that the CAG truly is inclusive and representative of the community as well as to help understand the technical and scientific information put forth by the EPA, the agency makes a neutral facilitator available to the CAG group.

Last night, the community got to meet and chose one of the two facilitator candidates: Jeffrey L. Edelstein of Edelstein Associates and Steve Shapiro of Certus Strategies.

Both introduced themselves, gave a brief presentation and then answered questions from the audience about the CAG, the process, the Gowanus Canal and their experience as facilitator.

Certainly, both candidates were highly qualified and had vast experience.

At the end of the meeting, the community members in attendance were able to cast their vote for either Jeffrey Edelstein or Steve Shapiro.

The result will not be available for a few days, as voting will remain open till midnight on Thursday, May 13th.

If you would like to cast your vote, please email Natalie Loney at loney.natalie@epa.gov

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