Air and Soil Quality Concerns in Gowanus
My office has received dozens of emails from residents in Gowanus about unpleasant odors and troubling vibrations around the Head End Site, DEP Combined Sewage Overflow (CSO) tank construction, and the DEC Brownfield Remediation sites. While the agencies have made efforts to mitigate these issues, residents continue to experience and report these odors.
My team and I have been actively communicating with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), State Department of Environmental Conversation (DEC), and NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and our partner elected offices about these concerns. In April, I supported a letter issued by Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon to the agencies urging immediate action and transparency regarding these sites and their operations. Unfortunately, the agencies’ responses have fallen short for both the elected offices and our constituents.
In June, the Gowanus area elected officials and agency representatives met to revisit these concerns. The agencies committed to putting together one-pagers about the construction sites, as well as points of contact for residents to report issues. You can learn more about the DEC remedial sites and points of contact here. My office will continue to share one-pagers as we receive them from the agencies. We have requested the agencies to meet with residents to discuss these concerns directly and are working with them to prioritize scheduling this for the Fall.
Additionally, parents from PS 32 and PS 372 have reached out to my office about the results of the DEC’s soil vapor intrusion study. The DEC and Department of Health (DOH) presented the test results to the school communities and shared that no remediation is needed at PS 32, but that remediation is necessary at the PS 372 Annex, which they plan to begin in August. Parents have voiced concerns about impacts on their children’s return to school and questions about the timeline and implementation of the remediation and ongoing monitoring work, and we’re working to ensure that the agencies produce timely responses that are accessible and clear. I’m urging the agencies to conduct follow-up monitoring at these schools and to provide our community with timely and accurate updates. I also plan to attend a walkthrough of the school after remediation.
The health and safety of our neighbors, including the school community, remain my top priorities. My team and I are working closely with the agencies so that constituent voices are heard and the ongoing remediation efforts are completed.
