How did the Gowanus Canal get so polluted?
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How did the Gowanus Canal get so polluted?
The canal’s coastline has been poisoned by a century of industrial use, including chemical factories and manufactured gas plants, which left behind coal tar plumes that have sunk 153 feet underground.
What is the history of the Gowanus Canal?
The Gowanus neighborhood was once a system of tidal creeks winding through a salt marsh and fed by freshwater streams. These creeks were dammed to build tidal mills, and then dredged and channelized into a one of the busiest waterways in America, bringing goods into the growing city.
What were the two main sources of pollution in the Gowanus Canal that caused it to be declared a Superfund site?
The primary legacy contaminant of concern is coal tar, a by-product from manufactured gas plants, but there are numerous other contaminants in the soil and sediment. In 2010, the Gowanus Canal was designated a Federal Superfund site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
What was found in the Gowanus Canal?
The Gowanus Canal (originally known as the Gowanus Creek) is a 1.8-mile-long (2.9 km) canal in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, on the westernmost portion of Long Island….
| Gowanus Canal | |
|---|---|
| Contaminants | PAHs, VOCs, PCBs, pesticides, metals |
| Progress | |
| Proposed | September 4, 2009 |
| Listed | April 3, 2010 |
Why does the Gowanus Canal smell?
Lining its bottom is millions of cubic feet of toxic black mayonnaise, a combination of coal tar and sewage that sticks to the bottom of the canal at a depth of up to 10 feet thick. Yes, toxic pollution is a major problem in the Gowanus; it is why the EPA has made its formal presence.
How long will it take to clean the Gowanus Canal?
“The city literally just started cleaning up Gowanus and it’s going to take at least 10 years for them to finish,” said Riccobono, from Voice of Gowanus. He said the push to complete “this huge rezoning before they’ve even taken the first step to try to repair the legacy of environmental damage is incredible”.
How dirty is the Gowanus Canal?
As a result, the Gowanus Canal has become one of the nation’s most seriously contaminated water bodies. More than a dozen contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls and heavy metals, including mercury, lead and copper, are found at high levels in the sediment in the Canal.
Does the Gowanus Canal smell?
In Gowanus, where a toxic dolphin-killing canal mixes with the luscious odor of industry, that guidance is usually “Run for the hills — the water has turned to sludge!” The smells of Gowanus have now been mapped by Annie Barrett Studio for the design contest Axis Civita, organized by Gowanus by Design.
Are there fish in the Gowanus Canal?
Black sea bass describes this fish — which it sells for $12.99 a pound and is known to float beneath the canal’s surface — as “mild-tasting.” Men 15 and older and non-pregnant women older than 50 can indulge in locally caught specimens from the Gowanus Canal up to four times a month, according to officials.
Can you swim in the Gowanus Canal?
Like most people who have heard anything about the Gowanus Canal — of its murky sludge, oil slicks, raw sewage, carcinogenic chemicals and dying dolphins — Christopher Swain strongly advises against swimming in it. Unlike most, however, Mr. Swain can now speak from experience.
What happens if you swim in Gowanus Canal?
The report continues: “Water from the Gowanus Canal contains microorganisms, such as coliform bacteria, and likely contains viruses and parasites (protozoas) that can make a person ill if they enter the body.
Do fish live in the Gowanus Canal?
Among the fish, mummichogs (a type of killifish), American eel, bluefish and striped bass have all been caught in the Canal. Of these, most are probably transient, caught up by the flushing tunnel. Some of the mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus), however, might be resident.
Is Gowanus Canal toxic?
The city-owned lot where developers seek to build their affordable housing complex and public school has a dirty history: an ocean of coal tar – a toxic byproduct of gas production found all over Gowanus. This black, viscous liquid has been found at the proposed development site at depths of up to 153 feet.
Is the Gowanus Canal safe?
Canoeing, kayaking, boat touring and “catch and release” fishing are not expected to harm people’s health, although there may be some physical hazards, such as large commercial boat traffic. Breathing contaminants from the Gowanus Canal in outdoor air near the canal is not expected to harm people’s health.
