Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group's Operating Procedures Committee Submits Charter Draft

For the last few months, the Operating Procedure Committee of the Gowanus Canal Superfund Community Advisory Group (CAG) has been working incredibly hard on drafting a charter, which will serve as a framework and guide for the CAG.

Craig Hammerman (Community Board 6), Rita Miller (Carroll Gardens Coalition for Respectful Development), Steven Miller (Member-At-Large), and Maria Pagano (Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association,) the four members of the committee have just submitted their draft of the Charter for consideration to the full CAG and hope that it will be ratified at the next meeting on April 26th.

Members of the public are welcome to comment on the draft charter and /or to attend a meeting on Thursday, April 21st at 6:15 PM, 250 Baltic Street (CB6 Conference Room.) If you would like to attend, please RSVP to: edelstein@psouth.net

The Committee issued the following statement:

"We have crafted this charter with care and diligence. We hope you will recognize the strength of the basic structure, the thoughtful design of the overall framework and the breadth of our consideration."

Below is the opening statement of the Draft Charter's Vision statement for the CAG:

We, the CAG members, believe that this is an historic opportunity to not only restore a long neglected and abused waterway, but to set an example of what we are scientifically, morally, and environmentally capable of as a great nation – an example of a community that cares about our impact on our small portion of the planet. A community that is committed to showing what we can do when driven by science and conscience, as well as, but not only by, dollars and cents. A community that takes seriously the monetary investments being made in the canal and demands the best results for that investment. A community that expects all of the government agencies to take the investments in the canal - both financial and emotional - as seriously as we do. A community that expects the government agencies to work together, and with us, toward the same ends: adhering to the highest standards and achieving the best environmental results for the canal and our community.

The clean-up of the canal presents a remarkable opportunity to realize the hopes and dreams of the community for its future. We recognize that these aspirations are as diverse as our community. Our vision for the CAG is to advance these hopes and dreams by working together in ways that build trust and utilize intensive transparency, collaboration, and leadership.

To read the draft in full, click here

Since I am a GAG member and will attend the April 21st meeting, I will gladly bring any of my readers' questions or suggestions on the Draft Charter to the committee. You can leave them as comments on this post or email them to me at pardonmeinbrooklyn at gmail dot com.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Read More

We Are The People....A Letter To Senators Schumer And Gillibrand Regarding The Gowanus Canal Clean-Up

credit: guest photographer Max Kelly

Sometimes, the voices of the people get drowned out in the storm of greed and politics. But when these voices join together to speak as one, they just might make a loud enough roar to create a wave of change.

Politics, seems to have crept into the decision-making process by the Environmental Protection Agency's Washington Office on whether to list the Gowanus Canal as a Superfund site. However, only science and the health of the residents living in this community should be considered.

Please join members of your community and of the The Coalition For Respectful Development (CORD) in reminding our Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer that we want the Gowanus Canal added to the National Priorities List.

Won't you please cut, paste and send the letter below to our senators? ( **see instructions below**)

Dear Senators Gillibrand and Schumer, 
 


We are residents of the Gowanus area. 
 
Our neighborhoods may have different names such as Carroll Gardens or Park Slope, but we are the people whose lives are touched every single day by the deplorable condition of the Gowanus Canal. 
 


We are the people who applauded Commissioner Grannis's request to nominate this open sewer to the National Priorities List. 
 


We are the people who signed a petition in support of that nomination. 
 


We are the people who attended the multiple meetings held in our community. 
 


We are the people who obediently sent in our comments to the Environmental Protection Agency in the prescribed, timely manner and we are the people who have been waiting patiently for science and common sense to lead our Canal into the healthier life the Superfund designation would offer us all. 
 


We are the people who are beginning to strongly feel that what residents want is of no importance; that the desires of those who stand to benefit financially somehow trumps the health of those who inhabit the area. 



We are your constituents. Our pro designation comments represent the majority and we ask that you speak on our behalf. 
 


The Gowanus Canal must be added to the National Priorities List. It must be designated a Superfund site. 
 


Work must begin with the sole motivation of improving public health and the environment. 
 
No other plan, no other dream, no other ambition is more important.

No other course of action should be permitted to take precedence over the health of Gowanus area residents and our children. 
 
The EPA indicated in those community meetings that they are ready, willing and able to proceed. 
 


We are the people. Represent us, please. Call E.P.A. Administrator Lisa Jackson.

***Please copy, paste and sign the letter above and email to both senators.***

For Senator Schumer, click here

For Senator Gillibrand, click here

Thank you!

Read More

NEWS FLASH: Car Plunges Into Gowanus Canal Early On Saturday Morning

Same spot, different outcome.

Almost 88 years separate the incident described in the article above and the virtually identical car crash into the Gowanus Canal this last Saturday. Both cars drove through barriers at DeGraw Street. However, this week-end's driver was very fortunate and survived. The crash victims in 1921 weren't so lucky.

Related Reading:

NEWS FLASH: Car Plunges Into Gowanus Canal Early On Saturday Morning

Car Drives Into Gowanus Canal: More Photos

Read More

Car Drives Into Gowanus Canal: More Photos

photos courtesy of Ethan Finkelstein on Flickr

Reader Ethan alerted me to these great photos on his Ethan Finkelstein's Flickr page. The photos were taken in the early hours of Saturday, right after a car drove into the Gowanus Canal.
Below is the caption underneath the photos.
"After hearing many heli's overhead at a friends house in Carroll Gardens we looked on Gothamist news map to see what the commotion was about. It turns out there were people in the Gowanus. We decided to investigate and head over to the spotlights in the sky.
We got the the scene, and there were many speculators. The true story isn't really know. What we saw were wet men being put into ambulances, and being questioned by police. Then we could see scuba divers in the Gowanus. So after close inspection you could see a car floating in the water.
We believe the car came through the 3rd ave side of the Gowanus not the Carroll Gardens side. As there was no damage on our side to the railings or fence."
Thanks Ethan, for pointing me to your photos.

For photos of the car being dragged out of the canal, read:
NEWS FLASH: Car Plunges Into Gowanus Canal Early On Saturday Morning

Read More

Car Drives Into Gowanus Canal: More Photos

Last night, Rescue helicopter landing in PS 32 Schoolyard

Car Plunges Into Gowanus: Police Helicopter
Video taken by a friend's teenage son.

****Update****

I took these photos this morning as the police got the car out of the canal. The driver apparently made it out safely. It would appear that there were no others in the car with him.Overnight, a car plunged into the Gowanus Canal at Bond and DeGraw. I heard the helicopters overhead at about 1 AM, but then fell asleep again. Here are two accounts from readers. If you have any further information or photos, please send it to pardonmeinbrooklyn@gmail.com

Well, due to too much wine with the neighbors I missed all the excitement last night and slept through the whole thing. According to the boys a car went into the canal at Degraw around 1:00 AM. I wouldn't believe them but they have a picture of the helicopter that landed in PS 32. They said a man escaped but 2 kids were still missing. I am not sure how accurate their reporting is.

There is a car in the canal at Bond st. On my roof last night late lots of fire.cops and helicopters about 1 am or i would have called you. Police thought it crashed through barrier but not sure no evidence of that supposedly. But is is half submerged. Police divers boats all in the canal underwater lights the works. A big scene very weird to have happen now with all the attention. Cops told me not sure how it got there not sure how the call came in but it was there right in the middle, trunk popped open. Very surreal scene. When i left they were still not saying if anyone was inside. doing this remote a bit of a pain so that is all for now.

Related reading:

Car Drives Into Gowanus Canal: More Photos

Car Plunged Into The Gowanus Canal...in 1921

Read More