Army Corps of Engineers
Surveys Polluted Waterway
GOWANUS -- Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved $134,000 in federal resources for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study currently under way on the Gowanus Canal.
The funding was included in the Fiscal Year 2010 Energy and Water Development Appropriations conference report. Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-Brooklyn) applauded the funding as the next step toward completing this important study.
“The Army Corps study is nearing completion, and its findings will play a critical role in developing our next steps for cleanup and habitat restoration at the Gowanus Canal,” Velázquez said. “The funding approved today will move us closer to cleaning up the canal for future generations.”
The Gowanus Canal, a 1.5-mile body of water, connects with New York Harbor and Hudson and East River estuaries. Over the years, the canal has suffered decades of pollution from industrial sources, storm water runoffs and sewer overflows.
The total cost for the Gowanus Canal and Bay Ecosystems Restoration Feasibility Study is projected to be $5 million, with funding equally split between the federal government and local agencies. To date, the federal government has committed $2.25 million for the study, which will help guide future efforts to clean up the canal.
“This project is laying the groundwork for a clean future for the Gowanus Canal. Working together, we can secure a healthy environment for the residents of Southwest Brooklyn to live, work and raise their families,” Velázquez said.
The FY 2010 Energy and Water Development Appropriations conference report must now be approved by the Senate before being signed into law by the president.
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