Barge carrying toxic sediment sinks at NYC Superfund site
The Environmental Protection Agency is investigating after a barge carrying toxic sludge from Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal Superfund site sank back into the water, officials said Wednesday.
The barge carrying dredged material was moored in nearby Gowanus Bay when it sank on Monday, possibly sending pollutants back into the water, the EPA said in a statement. Dredging was halted to allow contractor Cashman Dredging to secure the sunken boat.
The Gowanus Canal, an industrial dumping ground during much of the 19th and 20th centuries, was declared a Superfund site in 2010. The surrounding area has transformed into a trendy neighborhood in recent years even as plans for a multimillion-dollar cleanup of the 1.8-mile waterway proceeded.
Brooklyn Boro
View MoreNew York City’s most populous borough, Brooklyn, is home to nearly 2.6 million residents. If Brooklyn were an independent city it would be the fourth largest city in the United States. While Brooklyn has become the epitome of ‘cool and hip’ in recent years, for those that were born here, raised families here and improved communities over the years, Brooklyn has never been ‘uncool’.