This week, Phase 1 demolition began on the 22 Clay St. building as one of the many steps of the proposed remediation process on the NuHart State Superfund site and surrounding area.
On March 7, the site owners Madison Realty Capital joined a community meeting co-hosted by North Brooklyn Neighbors with Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, Council Member Lincoln Restler, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and the New York City Office of Environmental Remediation to unveil cleanup plans and answer questions from community members.
The site is split up into two zones: NuHart East, which is enrolled in the Brownfield Cleanup Program, and NuHart West, which remains a New York State Superfund site. As demolition on the NuHart East portion begins, cleanup continues at the NuHart West site, including decontamination of interior equipment in alignment with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (which governs the disposal of hazardous waste).
Prior to this, both sites completed asbestos abatement and NuHart East completed Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) closure work, with NuHart West projected to finish by this May. Only once the RCRA work is complete can the demolition start.
Jane O’Connell, the Regional Remediation Engineer from NYSDEC, specified the two main contaminants being focused on in the cleanup process. The first is phthalates, chemicals employed by NuHart in their plastic production to make it more durable, which become hazardous when released into the environment. These are present in the southwestern portion of the site. The second contaminant is trichloroethylene (TCE), an industrial solvent often used for cleaning manufacturing equipment.
Efforts also include testing for soil vapor in surrounding areas, which O’Connell clarified have not spread to nearby residential areas. In terms of toxic dust, O’Connell confirmed that above-grade structures (meaning those that are fully above the ground) must be confirmed to be decontaminated, including dust mitigation, and NYSDEC is satisfied with the absence of phthalates and TCE in any materials being demolished.
Madison Realty Capital’s plans for the site (as presented by Managing Director of Development Zachary Kadden) include two buildings with a total of 471 residential units, 30% of which will be affordable. In addition, there will be below-grade parking, ground-floor retail, and a private interior courtyard.
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how can they keep building apartments here without other INFRASTRUCTURE???? the roads are a mess. there is no ferry. it’s 20minutes for a G train. The last 10 years have seen this neighborhood go from idyllic to impossible.