City Council Candidate Josh Skaller with Carroll Gardens/ Gowanus supporters
Kevin Duffy-Acevedo reads a statement from CORD
Marlene Donnelly, a founding member of FROGG
A young Gowanus area resident on the Carroll Street Bridge
When it comes to the clean-up of the Gowanus Canal, members of the Carroll Gardens Coalition For Respectful Development (CORD) and Friends And Residents Of Greater Gowanus (FROGG) have lots in common with Josh Skaller, City Council Candidate in District 39.
The two Carroll Gardens/ Gowanus organizations, together with local residents, joined Josh Skaller on The Carroll Street Bridge this morning to express their support of his candidacy and for the nomination of the Gowanus Canal as a Superfund site. Skaller has been for the Superfund designation for the heavily polluted canal from the start. His campaign does not accept money from developers. He has vowed to listen to the wished of the community instead of special interests and to fight for "the integrity of our neighborhoods. The health of our future generations. The soul of our community."
He favors: "responsible development of the Gowanus Canal. That means development when the Canal is clean. That means development that gives back to the community. Development that sustains itself and paves the way for a New York City that does, too."
He further stated that: "We know what happens when we put public health aside for a short-term gain." "Love Canal happens. People get sick. The community suffers. That can't happen on our watch."
Marlene Donnelly, a Gowanus area resident and one of the founding members of FROGG, said: "We're a neighborhood group of people who live and work around the Gowanus Canal. We want the Canal to be cleaned because it's our backyard."
She and the members of her organization are highly sceptical of the city's motives and of the city's alternative to the Superfund program.
She expressed her support of the EPA, because only the EPA has the necessary tools to undertake the thorough clean-up needed to get the job done right.
CORD was represented by founding members Rita Miller, Lucy DeCarlo and Triada Samaras. Kevin Duffy-Acevedo read the following statement for the group
"CORD is pleased that Josh Skaller came forward so quickly to support the Gowanus Canal's possible nomination to the National Priorities List as a Superfund site.
CORD does not view this issue as either a 'pro' or 'anti'-development matter.
Rather, we see a comprehensive clean-up of the Gowanus Canal and the EPA's monitoring of the remediation of the surrounding uplands to insure the cessation of further ongoing or future cross contamination, as a matter of the utmost importance to our community's present and future well being."
"We are so fortunate that Josh Skaller shares our vision and our hopes for the future for this poor, long neglected, most critically contaminated site."
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