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The Gowanus Canal, one of the U.S.' most polluted waterways, is be cleaned-up after a century's worth of industrial contaminants and combined sewage overflows. Dredging, remediation, and neighborhood revitalization projects are underway.

The Gowanus Canal is located in New York City in the Borough of Brooklyn (Kings County). It measures 1.8 miles long and 100 feet wide and is bounded by several neighborhoods including Park Slope, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, and Red Hook.

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Type of conflict. 1st level:

Waste Management

Type of conflict. 2nd level:

Landfills, toxic waste treatment, uncontrolled dump sites
Manufacturing activities
Water treatment and access to sanitation (access to sewage)

Project Details and Actors

Project details

It has been found that the Gowanus Canal contains a dangerous amount of toxic and hazardous contaminants. Three former manufactured gas plants, the former Fulton, Citizens Gas Works, and Metropolitan Gas Light Company MGP sites, are believed to be the main sources of much of the PAH contamination in the canal [4]. National Grid is the PRP for these former sites. Other major PRPs are the City of New York, Consolidated Edison Co. of New York Inc., Hess Corp., Honeywell International, and the Brooklyn Improvement Co [7]. There are also 30 other private and federal government entities that have "significantly smaller shares of responsibility" and they are: Beazer East, Inc., Chemtura Corp., U.S. Navy, Cibro Petroleum Products, Inc., Kraft Foods Global, Inc., Stauffer Management Company, LLC, Daniel Tinneny, H.J. Baker & Bro., Inc., MCIZ Corp., Fifteen Second Avenue LLC, Brink's Inc., Rapid American Corp., Bayside Fuel Oil Corp., ConocoPhillips Co., ExxonMobil Oil Corp., Citigroup, Inc./MRC Holdings, Inc., NL Industries, Inc., Patterson Fuel Oil Company, Inc., Chevron Corp., Verizon New York Inc., SPX Corporation, U.S. Postal Service, Dun and Bradstreet Corp., Cooper Standard Automotive, Inc., Rexam Beverage Can Co., NIC Holding Corporation, Hauck Manufacturing Co., CBS Corp., Beam Inc., TDA Industries, Inc., Northeastern Plastics, Inc., and U.S. Maritime Administration [17]. The list of PRPs may change based on further developments.

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Level of Investment for the conflictive project

506,000,000.00

Type of population

Urban

Affected Population:

~21,000

Start of the conflict:

1910

Relevant government actors:

Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)
New York City
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
the New York State Department of Health
New York City Department of Environmental Protection

International and Finance Institutions

National Grid from United Kingdom
Honeywell International

Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available:

Gowanus Canal Conservancy - https://gowanuscanalconservancy.org/
Gowanus Neighborhood Coalition for Justice - https://www.gncj.org/
Our Lady of Peace - https://ourladyofpeace-brooklyn.org/
Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club

Intensity

MEDIUM (street protests, visible mobilization)

Reaction stage

In REACTION to the implementation (during construction or operation)

Groups mobilizing:

Local ejos
Neighbours/citizens/communities
Women
Ethnically/racially discriminated groups
Recreational users

Forms of mobilization:

Development of alternative proposals
Media based activism/alternative media
Official complaint letters and petitions
Public campaigns
Street protest/marches

Environmental Impacts

Visible: Biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), Floods (river, coastal, mudflow), Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Waste overflow, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality, Reduced ecological / hydrological connectivity, Oil spills
Potential: Large-scale disturbance of hydro and geological systems

Health Impacts

Visible: Exposure to unknown or uncertain complex risks (radiation, etc...)

Socio-economical Impacts

Visible: Displacement

Other socio-economic impacts

Gentrification

Project Status

Under construction

Conflict outcome / response:

Environmental improvements, rehabilitation/restoration of area
Project temporarily suspended

Proposal and development of alternatives:

The Gowanus Canal Conservancy and the Gowanus Neighborhood Coalition for Justice are demanding additions to the rezoning proposal which would further protect the tenants of New York City Housing Authority developments, specifically the Warren Street, Wyckoff Gardens, and Gowanus Houses. They demand funding and representation to pay for improvements of the buildings by following HUD Section 3 hiring policies to ensure that local and low-income residents are hired to complete the work. The Gowanus Neighborhood Coalition for Justice also wants the City to support an Environmental Justice and Racial Equity Assessment as well as ensuring all CD6 residents are included in a Community Health Needs Assessment and Emergency Preparedness Plan to address local health disparities and disaster risks. Most parts of the proposals by environmental justice organizations are in agreement with the EPA and city plans.

Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?:

Not Sure

Briefly explain:

The remediation process is not complete and the Gowanus Canal remains an unsafe resource for the community. The effects of the cleanup, restoration, and beautification will further the threats of gentrification against BIPOC residents. The propsed Gowanus neighborhood rezoning is part of this concern. Access to the plannes green spaces and infrastructure may still be unequal.

References to published books, academic articles, movies or published documentaries

[3] The significance of polycyclic aromatic

hydrocarbons as environmental carcinogens
[click to view]

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Gowanus Canal Cleanup, New York state, USA | EJAtlas

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The Gowanus Canal, one of the U.S.' most polluted waterways, is be cleaned-up after a century's worth of industrial contaminants and combined sewage overflows. Dredging, remediation, and neighborhood revitalization projects are underway.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Hazardous Waste Site | Brooklyn, NY | 1800s to Present

What Happened?

The Gowanus Canal was built in the mid-1800s and once served as a major commercial route to New York Harbor. A variety of industries historically operated along its banks, including manufactured gas and chemical plants, mills, and tanneries. These facilities released multiple contaminants into the canal, including PAHs polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; a group of organic contaminants that are often the byproducts of petroleum processing or combustion. Many are toxic to aquatic life and several are suspected of causing cancer in humans., PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls; a class of chemicals previously used in manufacturing that remain in the environment for many decades, accumulate in living creatures, and pose health hazards to humans, wildlife, and fish. , coal tar wastes, heavy metals, and VOCs volatile organic compounds; a group of chemicals that evaporate or vaporize readily and are harmful to human health and the environment. . Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) are also a source of pollution to the canal.

EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; federal agency with the mission to protect human health and safeguard the environment. designated the Gowanus Canal a Superfund site in 2010. The Record of Decision was released in 2013, detailing planned cleanup activities for contaminated sediments at the site.

What Were the Impacts?

Pollution in the Gowanus Canal continues to impact fishing and recreation in the canal for nearby residents. Skin contact with the water poses a health hazard for humans, and fish consumption advisories A federal, state, or local government recommendation to avoid eating a certain fish or shellfish because it is unsafe due to high levels of contamination. are in place. Shad, perch, and eels are considered unsafe for all groups, while children and women of child-bearing age are advised to eat no fish or crabs from the area.

What's Happening Now?

NOAA is working with EPA to ensure that the ongoing cleanup protects the local environment and associated recreational benefits. In addition, we are currently pursuing a Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Investigation performed by trustees to identify injuries to natural resources caused by oil spills, hazardous substance releases, and grounding incidents in National Marine Sanctuaries, and plan restoration activities. The goal of NRDA is to restore natural resources and compensate the public for lost recreational use. for the canal. A NRDA will allow us to quantify impacts due to the contamination, and pursue funding from polluters for restoration projects. In addition, EPA is working with the City of New York to eliminate several CSOs.

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Gowanus Canal | Hazardous Waste | Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program

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Hazardous Waste Site | Brooklyn, NY | 1800s to Present What Happened? The Gowanus Canal was built in the mid-1800s and once served as a major commercial route to New York Harbor. A variety of industries historically operated along its banks, including manufactured gas and chemical plants, mills, and tanneries.

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Progress Updates - Gowanus Superfund - Page 4

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Progress Updates and Look Aheads Please scroll below to view the Gowanus Canal Superfund Project Team’s regular progress updates. Also available on this page are past updates and special notices. For additional information, please use the following links: Cultural Resource Updates Environmental Moni…

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More than 27 billion gallons of raw sewage and polluted stormwater discharge out of 460 combined sewage overflows ("CSOs") into New York Harbor alone each year. Although water quality in New York Harbor and throughout the Hudson River Estuary has improved significantly over the last few decades, many parts of the waterfront and its beaches are still unsafe for recreation after it rains. As little as one-twentieth of an inch of rain can overload the system. The main culprit is outmoded sewer systems, which combines sewage from buildings with dirty stormwater from streets.

This extraordinary degree of pollution imposes steep environmental, human health, and economic costs. CSO discharges, in addition to preventing safe recreation, impair navigation and damage fish habitat.
Fact Sheet - Storm Water CSO's and Green Infrastructure

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More than 27 billion gallons of raw sewage and polluted stormwater discharge out of 460 combined sewage overflows ("CSOs") into New York Harbor alone each year. Although water quality in New York Harbor and throughout the Hudson River Estuary has improved significantly over the last [...]

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Long-Overdue Dredging Of Gowanus Canal Turns Up ‘Black Mayonnaise,’ Sunken Cars, Evil Stench

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After more than a century of toxic pollution, Brooklyn’s infamous Gowanus Canal is finally being cleaned up.

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used this to find out how far neighborhoods were from the canal

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Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

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for my visual, I wanted to show how for Black people, the "nature" they are around are full of pollution, sewage, oil, and even garbage bags. But for white people, there is beautiful green space, fresh, clean water, and just nice places to be. So I drew 2 river "parks" : one with clean, bright grass, tree, and a clean place, another with pollution and sewage.

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disclaimer/note about visual and statement

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disclaimer/note about visual and statement

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what I wrote, and drew, was meant as a dramatization to get people thinking. I do not have enough reasearch to confidently make the claim that white people live near parks and black people live near pollution.