Velazquez, Simon call on city to redo environmental study for Gowanus rezoning
They say it doesn’t adequately address climate change, combined sewer overflow
The often-debated Gowanus Rezoning Plan had another setback on Wednesday when U.S. Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-Brooklyn) and Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon (D-Brooklyn Heights-DUMBO-Cobble Hill-Carroll Gardens-Gowanus-Boerum Hill-Park Slope) held a press conference on the banks of the Gowanus Canal and called on the city to redo the environmental impact statement for the rezoning plan in the wake of Hurricane Ida.
The lawmakers, both of whom represent the neighborhood surrounding the canal, are urging the city to re-evaluate the study, which they argue does not adequately consider the consequences of climate change in Gowanus or combined sewer overflow into the canal.
“The Gowanus rezoning must not proceed until a new EIS is completed, one that includes direct involvement of the EPA and FEMA in the preparation of the study as involved agencies — and one that actually uses relevant post-Sandy data,” said a statement from the Voice of Gowanus, a neighborhood organization that opposes the rezoning plan.