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City Doesn't Give A Crap About 259K Pounds Of Poop Pumped Into The Gowanus Canal
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 4, 2012
Modified Jan 4, 2012
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 4, 2012
Modified Jan 4, 2012
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The Environmental Protection Agency a.k.a. The Bureau of Bloodthirsty Job-Killing Werewolves released an expansive report [pdf] last month that recommends a 10-year plan to dredge and replace layers of matter kindly referred to as "sediment" in the Gowanus canal, costing close to $500 million. Per CERCLA, polluters are required to pick up Superfund bills, and as expected, gas companies and other businesses who dumped chemicals and had unprotected sex with the Gowanus Canal are doing their damndest to limit their liability. Add the City of New York to that list: the Department of Environmental Protection says the Gowanus' troubles have little to do with the tons of poop that it pumps into the canal each year.
"The evidence clearly indicates that the primary sources [of canal contamination] are the former industrial plants on the canal, and not the ongoing sewer overflows," a DEP release states. That may be true, but what is the point of cleaning up the canal if 259,000 pounds of "suspended solids" continue to flow in annually? EPA spokesperson Elias Rodreiguez told the Post that the sewage is "a major source of canal contamination that will need to be addressed."
While the city is undergoing its own $180 million Gowanus Facilities Upgrade project [pdf], it claims that building a treatment center similar to the $404 million Paerdegat Basin facility would be too expensive. The DEP's statement continues:
The city is continuing with its separate program to improve water quality in the canal...including the upgrade of the Gowanus Pump Station and Flushing Tunnel, which will increase oxygen flow to the canal and reduce sewer overflows in order to reduce bacteria levels.
The EPA is holding a public meeting on the various Gowanus cleanup plans on January 24, and is expected to make a final decision later this year. No word on whether the EPA has been invited to this year's Newtown Creek Crab Boil.
Tagged
dep
environment
epa
goawnus canal
Gowanus
mayor bloomberg
sewage
superfund
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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