EPA comments on sunken barge carrying Gowanus Canal toxic sediment
From Brooklyneagle.com
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to investigate the incident that caused a barge containing material dredged from the Gowanus Canal, as part of the continuous operations at that Superfund Site project, to become submerged, under high tide conditions, in the Gowanus Bay. The barge was filled on January 22 with an estimated 850 tons of material dredged from the canal. This work is part of the dredging remedy being performed by potentially responsible parties (PRPs) for the site. The barge was permitted to be moored at a specific location in the Gowanus Bay.
On January 25, EPA was notified that the barge was resting upright on mudflats and it was partially submerged. Given the tide cycle, the barge had likely been submerged to varying degrees depending on the tide.