Barge Loaded With Toxic Materials From Gowanus Canal Cleanup Sinks in Gowanus Bay

A barge ship loaded with polluted sediment from the Gowanus Canal sank in the Gowanus Bay, the Environmental Protection Agency revealed in a statement Tuesday.

The boat containing the dredged material from the canal bed laced with toxic materials like coal tar was moored in Gowanus Bay and became submerged, contractor Cashman Dredging discovered Monday, according to EPA.

The boat sank in an area of the harbor called the Bay Ridge flats, an 8 to 20 foot deep shoal off the coast of Sunset Park, EPA rep for the Gowanus cleanup Natalie Loney told the local watchdog organization the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group Tuesday evening.

Cashman mobilized pumps, booms and silt curtains to the location — which EPA did not immediately specify — and pumped water from the sunken vessel into a different empty barge during low tide as operations to stabilize the boat continued Tuesday, according to the agency.

The EPA is investigating the incident to determine the cause, whether contaminated sediment got into the water, and to evaluate next steps, according to the January 26 release.

“EPA’s goals are to do all that we can do to ensure that this type of mishap does not happen again and that any impacts from yesterday’s accident are appropriately and promptly addressed,” the statement read. “EPA will update the public as more information becomes available.”

Local Council Member Brad Lander called the incident “very distressing,” and said he was trying to find out more information from the EPA.

“Very distressing to learn that a barge carrying toxic sludge dredged from the Gowanus Canal sank y’day in Gowanus Bay,” the pol tweeted in response to Brooklyn Paper’s story. “I’ve reached out to the EPA for more info. We’ll keep the community apprised as we learn more about what happened & what’s being done.”

The EPA-managed dredging of the upper third of the Gowanus Canal launched in November to scoop out polluted sediment, before stabilizing the ground and capping it with a protective layer.

Smaller barges transfer the filthy sediment to larger watercraft at the Public Place site at Smith and 5th streets, before shipping out across the bay to be processed in New Jersey.

Editor’s note: A version of this story originally ran in Brooklyn Paper. Click here to see the original story.

Related Stories

• Here’s What Will Happen During the Gowanus Canal Superfund Cleanup
• New Construction Timeline Slips Completion of Gowanus Tank and Head House Project to 2032
• Gowanus Canal Cleanup May Be Delayed Yet Again Over City Revenue Shortfall

Sign up for amNY’s COVID-19 newsletter to stay up to date on the latest coronavirus news throughout New York City. Email tips@brownstoner.com with further comments, questions or tips. Follow Brownstoner on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.