Rachael Luzietti

October 1, 2010

On September 27th the EPA declared New York City's Newtown Creek a Superfund site. The creek runs about four miles long between Brooklyn and Queens. It is also a branch of the East River and part the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary. Once a highway for industrial traffic, the creek is now heavily polluted with many containments including pesticides, PCBs, heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds. Newtown Creek joins Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn as the city's second Superfund site.

The creek has failed to meet water quality standards since the early 1990s. Interest groups such as the Newtown Creek Alliance and Riverkeeper have worked for Superfund site designation for some time. Newtown Creek is a source of water and recreation for its surrounding communities and there is considerable concern over the creek's potentially hazardous health effects. Residents still use the creek for activities such as kayaking and fishing, despite its high pollution levels.

The EPA will conduct a study to determine the best clean up method. The contamination is the result of between 17 million and 30 million gallons of oil pollution since the beginning of the 19th century. During that time the creek's shores were littered with factories and coal and lumber yards. Additionally, during the late 19th century, the city dumped raw sewage into the creek. So far the EPA has stated that six oil companies and the city itself will be required to participate in and help finance the clean up.

The clean up is expected to take between 10 and 15 years and cost between $ 300 million and $500 million. The EPA will focus only on the water and sediment. Despite the estimated time and financial commitments citizens, congressmen, and interest groups are happy about the creek's Superfund designation. There is mild concern that the designation will scare off developers and delay construction projects but overall the Newtown Creek Superfund status is being met with support and excitement. People seem to feel that the Superfund designation is the only way that the creek will actually improve.

1. Mireya Navarro, U.S. Cleanup Is Set for Newtown Creek, Long Polluted by Industry, N.Y. Times, Sept. 27, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/science/earth/28newtown.html?_r=1&ref=earth.

2. The Associated Press, U.S. Adds Industrialized NYC Creek to Superfund List, Bloomberg Business Week, Sept. 28, 2010, http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9IH0CRO0.htm.

3. U.S. EPA, Newtown Creek, EPA.gov, http://www.epa.gov/region2/superfund/npl/newtowncreek/ (last updated Sept. 27, 2010).

4. Newtown Creek Alliance, http://www.newtowncreekalliance.org/ (last visited Sept. 28, 2010).