The city yesterday was pushing its plan for cleaning up the Gowanus Canal, a route it says would provide the same results as if the E.P.A. took it on as a Superfund project but in much less time. “This isn’t a ‘trust us’ scenario,” said Cas Holloway, chief of staff to Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler. “The goal is to have a Superfund-quality cleanup faster than the Superfund.” The city says it can get the job done in less than a decade, whereas it says the E.P.A. could take as least twice as long (and potentially longer depending on the amount of legal wrangling). Time is particularly important to the city because of the plans that are on the books for two large mixed-use developments along the shores of the canal. The E.P.A., which is accepting public comments on the canal's Superfund candidacy, questions whether the the city would be able to secure the federal funds it would need for its plan.
City Proposes New Plan for Gowanus Canal Cleanup
Gowanus Superfund Debate: Both Sides Now [Brownstoner]
Conflict over Gowanus Canal Superfund Status [Brownstoner]
Photo by wallyg
