$1.6B project to protect Gowanus Canal from sewage overflow breaks ground
It will add 3.6 acres of public waterfront space
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Chief Climate Officer and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 Administrator Lisa F. Garcia on Wednesday broke ground on the first of two underground storage tanks that will have the combined capacity to prevent up to 12 million gallons of sewer overflow during rainstorms, stopping it from polluting the Gowanus Canal. This groundbreaking marks an important alignment among city leadership and the EPA to get these projects on track after Gowanus was categorized as a Superfund site in 2010. These two major infrastructure projects will make an estimated $1.6 billion investment in Brooklyn’s waterways and public spaces, significantly improve the health of the canal, and create 3.6 acres of new public waterfront open space and amenities for the Gowanus community.
“Today’s groundbreaking will protect the Gowanus Canal from pollution and deliver acres of new public spaces and waterfront access to New Yorkers,” said Mayor Adams. “This project is a powerful statement about our city’s adaptability and determination, and we’re not stopping here in Gowanus. We want to make sure that every waterway in New York City is clean enough for the dolphins we saw in the Bronx River to swim in, and whenever we have opportunities to bring new public open spaces to communities that are crying out for them, we’re going to seize those chances.”
“People in Gowanus have been waiting for this day for a long time, and, today, we’re proud to say that the wait is over,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “We’re breaking ground on 3.6 acres of new public space and two tanks that will protect the Gowanus Canal, ultimately delivering a cleaner community with a better quality of life for residents. And we’re grateful to have true partners in this effort at all levels — from the EPA, to local, state, and federal elected officials to community advocates, all dedicated to making Gowanus a better place to live.”