EPA proposes early cleanup action for East Branch of Newtown Creek Superfund Site; public comment period opens August 28, 2024, with hybrid meeting scheduled for September 18

NEW YORK - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is inviting public input on a proposed early cleanup action for the Newtown Creek Superfund Site, located in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City. This action focuses on the East Branch of Newtown Creek, a critical step in the larger, ongoing effort to clean up the entire site.

The public can comment on the plan for 30 days beginning August 28, 2024. EPA will host a hybrid public meeting at Chatroom at Elsewhere, 599 Johnson Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, on September 18, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the proposed plan. To attend the meeting virtually, register here.

“This draft proposal is a significant milestone in our long-term commitment to restoring the health of Newtown Creek and its surrounding communities. We strongly encourage the public to participate and share their feedback on the proposal to help shape the future of this vital cleanup effort,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “This proposal would allow us to begin reducing risks now in a portion of the Creek. It will also help EPA gain valuable experience for future cleanup efforts across Newtown Creek as we continue our detailed study of the creek and assess the best cleanup options.”

The proposed cleanup plan, estimated to cost nearly a quarter of a billion dollars, is an interim action. This means that the cleanup begins now, but once it is completed, EPA could decide that additional work is needed to address any remaining contamination in this portion of the creek.

The proposed plan calls for:

• Dredging Contaminated Sediment: Removing contaminated sediment to a depth that allows for protective caps to be placed over the areas dredged without reducing water depths.
• Deeper Dredging and In-Situ Stabilization (ISS): Conducting deeper dredging in specific areas as well as stabilizing sediment where needed using a process called In-situ Stabilization or ISS. ISS involves mixing materials like cement into the contaminated sediment to lock in harmful substances, helping to contain and stabilize them in place.
• Installing Sealed Bulkheads: Temporarily installing sealed bulkheads where needed to act as barriers to prevent contaminated water from seeping from the shoreline to the creek.
• Off-site Removal: Transporting all dredged materials to appropriate locations or facilities.
• Activity Restrictions and Fish Consumption Advisories: Restricting activities in the creek to protect the cap and continuing New York State’s fish consumption advisories.
• Monitoring Program: Implementing a robust monitoring program to ensure the long-term protectiveness of the cleanup.

This early cleanup action is part of a broader strategy to address the extensive contamination at Newtown Creek, which EPA named a Superfund site in 2010. The site spans 3.8 miles and includes several tributaries, with contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins and heavy metals in the creek sediment. The comprehensive cleanup of Newtown Creek is expected to take several more years, with the overall plan still under development.

Written comments on the proposed interim cleanup plan may be submitted to Caroline Kwan, Remedial Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 290 Broadway – 18th Floor, New York, NY 10007 or via email: kwan.caroline@epa.gov.

24-065