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Confirmed: Gowanus Canal Can Give You Cancer
By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 2, 2011
Modified Feb 2, 2011
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 2, 2011
Modified Feb 2, 2011
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Photo via f.trainer's flickr
The Gowanus Canal having gonohorrea is nothing now that news has come out that the Gowanus Canal can give you cancer. According to the Brooklyn Paper, the EPA has confirmed that the waterway contains a whole bunch of cancer-causing chemicals and toxins (which is hardly surprising). This is not good news for humans, animals, or the environment.
The confirmation is part of the first phase of the (possibly decade-long) Superfund process, before the clean-up goes down. This morning, EPA rep Judith Enck said, "The contamination is widespread and may threaten people’s health, particularly if they eat fish or crabs from the canal or have repeated contact with the canal water or sediment. The level of contamination is so severe that I don’t feel comfortable saying that when we’re done, it will be fishable or swimmable." Never Forget: fecal tsunami!
This could go two ways: either in 10 years we'll have a revitalized urban waterway, or in the next couple of years the Gowanus Canal Goo will actually gain strength through toxins, become mobile, and eat us all (just like it ate through that plastic).
Tagged
brooklyn
cancer
epa
gowanus canal
superfund
toxins
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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