Court Street Merchants Association Opposed To Gowanus Superfund Designation

Docket Coordinator, Headquarters

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

CERCLA Docket Office

(Mall Code 5305T)

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20460

RE: FDMS Docket ID Number: EPA-HQ-SFUND-2009-0063

On behalf of our more than 400 members, CSMA is strongly opposed to the listing of the Gowanus Canal on the National Priorities List (Superfund).

After listening to both the EPA’s and City’s respective proposals, it is our understanding that the Army Corps Of Engineers and the EPA will be fully involved in this cleanup no matter which plan is decided upon, and that the EPA can, at any time, declare the Gowanus Canal a Superfund site should the City’s Alternative Plan fail to conform to the high standards set forth.

We believe the City’s Alternative Plan better safeguards the financial investments and livelihoods of our members and their employees, and for these and many more reasons fully support the City of New York’s Alternative Plan.

Respectfully,

Vincent Mazzone

President

I cannot possibly imagine why the Court Street Merchants Association and its 400+ members would get involved or even issue a statement to the EPA regarding their opposition to the listing of the Gowanus Canal as a superfund site, but there it is, right on their web site, under a heading that reads: The Voice Of Court Street.

The decision was made at the association's June 2009 meeting, at which Buddy Scotto, Funeral Director, outspoken critic of the EPA's Superfund designation and member of the Court Street Merchant Association, spoke about "

EPA’s plan to list the Gowanus Canal as a Superfund site (which would halt the much needed private development along the canal) vs NYC’s Alternative Plan."
The CSMA Executive Committee approved a motion to support the City's Alternative Plan.

Of course, Court Street merchants would like to see more development in the neighborhood. More development means more customers, which means more money.

But backing the City's half-baked plan, which was cobbled together to keep developments such as the Toll Brothers' project and the Gowanus Green Development on Public Place moving along, may not reflect the opinion of the customers who frequent the stores on Court Street.

It may not even reflect the opinion of all of the merchants in the association. Some Court Street merchants have the Superfund Me! sign in their window.

Through my activities with the New York City Council Campaign, I am aware that there is overwhelmingly support for the Superfund designation and clean-up of the Gowanus Canal. The much smaller number of Superfund opponents, with few exceptions, oppose the EPA clean-up for personal financial gain.

Don't they always say: " Follow the money?"

I think I will be more comfortable taking my business to Smith Street for a while.

I don't know how many members of the association voted for this, but here is a complete list of the merchants. Click here.

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