Environment

Environment, Gowanus Canal

Mystery Junk in the Gowanus: Continued, by Emily Kluver

Are there treasures untold lying beneath the oily surface of the Gowanus canal? An organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of historical artifacts, Archeology and Historic Resource Services (AHRS), have attempted to answer this question. In a recent report they explored the identity and history of a number of large mystery items found in a 2010 sonar scan of […]

Environment, Photo Story, Waterfront

The Fish Gods of Erie Basin, by Noah Phillips

Paulie McDonald is looking for striped bass tonight. “They’re the biggest, meanest thing out here,” says McDonald, “and that’s what I’m trying to catch.” McDonald is standing on a crumbling concrete bulkhead behind one of the long brick warehouses that define the Red Hook landscape. Even as he speaks, McDonald’s eyes are fixated on the tip of the fishing rod […]

Environment, Gowanus Canal

Urban Waste to be Removed from the Gowanus Canal, by Nicole Rothwell

Debris removal from the Gowanus Canal will begin at the end of October the EPA announced at the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group meeting this past Tuesday. Initially, the removal of urban waste items – such as tires, shopping carts and potentially a few mystery items – was expected to begin this past August. However, at Tuesday’s meeting, Natalie Loney, […]

Environment, Local Issues - Red Hook, NYCHA, Red Hook Senior Center, Sandy Related

Miracle on Mill Street, by Noah Phillips

  Hurricane Sandy badly affected the Red Hook Houses, worsening the already uncomfortable living conditions for Red Hook’s 6,217 New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents. Sandy and its associated floods destroyed boilers, damaged roofs beyond repair, and compromised playgrounds, lighting, underground conduits, fencing, and sidewalks. Four years after the storm, a process is underway not only to repair the […]

Environment

Questions remain about Shore Power in Red Hook, by Noah Phillips

The Shore Power System at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal has not yet been handed over to the New York City Economic Development Corporation for use, despite a statement by the Port Authority that the handover was targeted for August. Sources at EDC confirm that the system is operational and that most ships that make port calls at the BCT have […]

Environment, Waterfront

Red Hook Shore Power system is operational, by Noah Phillips

The first Shore Power System (SPS) on the East Coast is operational in Red Hook at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal and has been for several months, according to New York Power Authority spokesman Paul DeMichele. The SPS allows some cruise ships to plug into the New York Power Authority’s electric grid, rather than idling their engines in port by burning […]

Environment, Gowanus Canal

EPA deal with Lightstone up for public comment

The EPA issued a press release today announcing a potential deal with the Lightstone Group regarding remediation of toxic poisons.  Lightstone has agreed to spend approximately $20 million to cleanup the land that they will be building on. EPA has the authority to name Potentially Responsible Parties (PRP’s) who then must pay for a Superfund Cleanup. In the case of […]