Surprise! Gowanus Canal is Super Contaminated!
Yesterday the EPA came out with a report from the first phase of a federal investigation into what exactly is in the Gowanus Canal and where it’s actually coming from. If you’re brave enough to read it in full, the PDF can be downloaded here. The Brooklyn Paper breaks down the report, which finds that…
Yesterday the EPA came out with a report from the first phase of a federal investigation into what exactly is in the Gowanus Canal and where it’s actually coming from. If you’re brave enough to read it in full, the PDF can be downloaded here. The Brooklyn Paper breaks down the report, which finds that “uncontrolled discharges of sewage, storm water and other types of discharges into the Gowanus continue to contaminate the canal.” There are more than a dozen contaminants, two of which are suspected carcinogens. Next up the EPA will review different options to clean up the canal and then remove all the existing debris and strengthen the bulkheads. Even after all remediation is said and done, EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck says, 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. Yeah, we think we’ll pass.
Photo by Jackie Weisburg
I’m with you, ENY. While I am a sucker for the “industrial charm” of the Gowanus area, living there seems nuts.
The city should upgrade their entire sewer system so it’s no longer dumping untreated sewage into any of the water ways around the city. No argument there but I suspect they’re not doing it because there’s no money to fund a project like that. The canal has far more than just raw sewage problems. It’s got over 40 years of industrial waste. Even if you wanted to fill it in you’d still have to clean it up the soil before you could safely cover it over.
When the original pump was put in, there was only one. A large part of the current upgrade is that they are turning one tunnel/pump into two. This way one pump can be shut down for periodic maintenance while the other pump is still flushing out the canal.
Personally, while it may not serve a purpose, I like the canal, it gives the neighborhood some personality and I’d be sad to see it go.
I think once the clean-up is done, it’s going to be a nice geographical feature.
Surprise! Gowanus Canal is Super Contaminated!
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Yet people still want to live, build and develop housing near here and even KAYAK in the water! I don’t understand it.
“I’m sure I am missed something about why is was delayed, but from they were fixing the flushing tunnel when I moved here 11-12 years ago.”
They rebuilding the entire tunnel, not just fixing the pumping station at Butler.
Looks like the flushing tunnel is NYC DEP http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/press_releases/99-28pr.shtml
My understanding is that they reactivated the flushing tunnel 12 years ago, but shut it down last year for 2 years of repairs.
By NYGuy7 on February 3, 2011 9:52 AM
They are currently upgrading the flushing tunnel that’s supposed help divert more of the sewer overflow into the harbor.
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I’m sure I am missed something about why is was delayed, but from they were fixing the flushing tunnel when I moved here 11-12 years ago. When I took a tour of the canal by boat (2003-04ish) with some local pols, they were fixing the flushing tunnel. Good to know they are still fixing the flushing tunnel.
The flushing tunnel is Army Corps of Engineers.
so without the sewage being diverted, it will still go into the canal, thus keeping it polluted.
oh, BTW, Who ever is paying for it, be it the city or some one else, it is still a waste of money that could be used on something more useful…
and then to say, even when its cleaned up, they still dont know………….yeah that’s really comforting