(phote credit: Krispy on flickr)If I thought presentations by D.E.P. and the U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers last night at a C.B.6 meeting would give me some reassurance about the Gowanus Canal, I was terribly mistaken.
I walked out of that meeting dazed.
Though I will leave the technical and scientific explanations to the experts, here is what I took away from last nights meet.
The Gowanus Canal, as every one knows, is a cess pool after 200 years of industrial use. In other words, it is an environmental disaster. Efforts to clean it up so far have produced mostly studies, studies and more studies. D.E.P. and the Corp Of Engineers have been busy coming up with ways to improve the health of the canal, but they come up short on actions. In fact, two of the mayor improvements, modernizing the flushing tunnel as well as the upgrade of the pumping station are only slated to start in 2008 with a completion date of 2012. And as all New Yorkers know, this is all subject to the Budget Gods willing it all to happen in that time frame. So it may be delayed further.
Add to that the fact that though D.E.P. and Corp Of Engineer models take the rezoning and building up of the area into consideration in their studies, they admitted that the true extend of the Atlantic Yard as well as potential "revised" zoning would make them "have to go back to the table."
And most importantly, as Friends And Residents Of Greater Gowanus (F.R.O.G.G.) member Marlene Donnelly pointed out, D.E.P. does not have a great track record with keeping actively involved in the maintenance of the canal. Back in the 1960's the agency ignored the pleas for help from the community. The Gowanus Canal is in such a sorry state today partly because these pleas were not heard for the last fourty years.
The D.E.P representatives last night acknowledged that there is no legal mandate that would force the agency to keep up their efforts in the future. So, basically, if the city falls on hard times, if the pump station needs a new pump...the stink will be back.
Yet, we are already discussing rezoning the area along the canal from commercial/industrial to residential. It sure seems to me that this is way too premature. Now if our politicians truly represented the interests of their constituents instead of those of big name developers , they would hold off at least till 2012 to rezone. Why not first see if the suggestions by D.E.P and the Corp improve the water quality in the canal, keep sewer overflow to a minimum and make doubly sure that the chemical sludge at the bottom does not harm? Wouldn't that make sense?
I believe we are years away from a healthy, clean canal. Talking about residential housing on the shores of the canal at this point sounds not only foolish to me, it sound criminal. Looking at the D.E.P. time frame for the flushing tunnel and the pump station upgrade, I believe that constructions of condo buildings will start before we even know if these actions will improve the health of the canal sufficiently to allow humans to live on its banks.
Shame, shame shame to us all if we allow this to happen.
To read the U.S, Army Corp Of Engineer report, click here.
To read my follow up post, click here: Sanitizing The Gowanus Canal
Reactions To the Presentation From Fellow Bloggers:
Shooting The Sh*t About The Gowanus Canal from Found In Brooklyn
The Gowanus Canal Clean Up...Coming Eventually from Gowanus Lounge
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