Dredging Pilot at Gowanus Canal Superfund Site in Brooklyn, N.Y. to Begin
The
"This dredging pilot project represents a huge and critical step toward the full scale cleanup of this badly contaminated canal," said
More than a dozen contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals such as mercury, lead and copper, were found at high levels in the sediment in the
The EPA has divided the
For the first and second segments of the canal, the EPA plan requires dredging of approximately 307,000 cubic yards of highly contaminated sediment. In addition, in areas of the deep sediment that are contaminated with liquid coal tar, which bubbles up toward the surface, the sediment will be stabilized by mixing it with cement or similar binding materials. The stabilized areas will then be covered with multiple layers of clean material, including an "active" layer made of a specific type of absorbent material that will remove PAH contamination that could well up from below, an "isolation" layer of sand and gravel that will ensure that the contaminants are not exposed, and an "armor" layer of heavier gravel and stone to prevent erosion of the underlying layers from boat traffic and currents. Finally, clean sand will be placed on top of the "armor" layer to restore the canal bottom as a habitat.
For the third segment of the canal, the EPA requires the dredging of approximately 280,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment and capping of the area with active, isolation and armor layers and a layer of sand to help restore habitat. The plan also requires removing contaminated material placed in the
To learn more about the
The Superfund program is a cornerstone of the work that the EPA performs for citizens and communities across the country. On
The task force's recommendations focused on five overarching goals: expediting cleanup and remediation, reinvigorating cleanup and reuse efforts by potentially responsible parties, encouraging private investment to facilitate cleanup and reuse, promoting redevelopment and community revitalization and engaging with partners and stakeholders. Work to prioritize and reinvigorate the program by the task force has been initiated and will be ongoing into the future.
https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-task-force-recommendations
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