The EPA recently announced their plan to clean up the East Branch section of the Newtown Creek Superfund site, and they need your feedback.
The agency is hosting a public meeting tonight at 6:30 pm, to present their plan and solicit the community for feedback. They have been accepting written comments since August 28 and will continue to do so until September 27.
You can join virtually or in-person; the in-person option will take place at the Chatroom at Elsewhere (599 Johnson Ave).
The East Branch site is one part of the larger process to clean up the Newtown Creek Superfund site. The overall clean up plan is still in development and likely won’t be implemented for another several years. In a press release, the EPA referred to the East Branch plan as an interim action: “This means that the cleanup begins now, but once it is completed, EPA could decide that additional work is needed to address any remaining contamination in this portion of the creek.”
Currently, the proposed plan includes dredging the site, in-situ stabilization (means that toxins are mixed with cement to keep them contained), and installing sealed bulkheads to ensure contaminated water doesn’t seep from the shoreline to the creek (you can click here for more details).
Written comments on the proposed interim cleanup plan may be submitted to Caroline Kwan, Remedial Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 290 Broadway – 18th Floor, New York, NY 10007 or via email: [email protected].