Gowanus Canal Cleanup Scheme Kicks Off

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) started a debris removal pilot project at the Gowanus Canal Superfund Site yesterday.

Field personnel will be removing debris from the 4th Street Turning Basin (located at the intersection of 4th St. and 3rd Ave), according to the EPA’s latest announcement.

Work is scheduled to continue for 3-4 weeks and these removal operations will take place on weekdays from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.

This debris removal pilot is part of EPA’s overall plan to remove contaminated sediment from the Gowanus Canal Superfund Site.

The turning basin is littered with underwater debris that accumulated over time.

Left in place, this debris could restrict future barge access and hamper dredging of contaminated sediment from the bottom of the basin.

“Water, air and odor monitoring will continually be conducted during this project,” EPA added.

This will include visual inspection and a network of automated monitoring stations that measure air quality. These stations will provide real-time data to project managers.

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