From a statement from Judith Enck, the E.P.A. regional administrator:“After conducting our own evaluations and consulting extensively with the many people who have expressed interest in the future of the Gowanus Canal and the surrounding area, we have determined that a Superfund designation is the best path to a cleanup of this heavily contaminated and long neglected urban waterway,”
After years of community activists speaking up against the developer's plan to put housing on the shores of the aquatic brownfield that is the Gowanus which then turned into supporting the EPA when they stepped in last April when the Toll Brothers got special "spot zoning" to build, something rational has finally happened. The canal will be cleaned the RIGHT way without putting the developers before the existing community. Hallelujah!!
The RESIDENTS of the community have tirelessly spread the word of the importance of Superfunding, a massive petition drive was organized within days of finding out about the nomination to encourage people to submit comments to the EPA's website, films were made, politicians were met with, the EPA themselves said that they had never had such massive community support.
I am happy to say that sometimes you can fight city hall and WIN!!!
Read the statement in today's New York Times.
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9 comments:
Hallujah is right!!!
I just read the guy from the Toll brothers whining that today is "a sad day for brownstone brooklyn".
a delusional fellow. the emperor has no clothes.
Fuck Troll Bros. and their planet-ravaging ways. Glad to see them run, but sorry for the other communities and open spaces they will now devour.
Is your business in the Gowanus Superfund? I can't find the list of what property is in this program.
I have appreciated your commentary for the last couple years. I am so happy all the hard work has paid off.you were like the dj of what is going on behind the scenes.Sort of like Tokoyo Rose, you have had a consistant wry yet positive take on things. Takes courage. Thanks and hope you are celebrating over there in the great Gowanus.
To long time reader..thank you and i am glad that i entertained and informed you...it was tough keeping track of that stuff cause i just want to write about music and artsy stuff. But when I heard that the Toll Brothers wanted to dig up the ground in my neighbor hood (the Bond Street area) I was terrified. And the fact that they acted arrogant at every community meeting made me hate them even more...ok i could babble forever but it feels good to "kick it over".
Hey Lisanne, congrats to you, the local residents living in and around Gowanus who kept up the fight and of course congrats to the Canal itself. I'm happy to see the borough win one over all the nonsense self-invested politicians and developers.
I've been getting more updates from you about this story than in the media so thank you also for your reporting.
Thanks BB! and i read your blog to find out what is going on in the Prospect/Crown Heights area. Yes Congrats to the canal indeed! Lisanne
Ha! You know you've made it when you've been compared to Tokyo Rose :)
Seriously, this is great news. Who'd a thunk we could fight city hall and win?
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