Feds Will Start Pulling Decades of Debris From Gowanus Canal Any Day Now

GOWANUS, BROOKLYN — The removal of debris from the Gowanus Canal could begin as early as next week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed on Tuesday.

The canal was classified as a Superfund site in 2010 due to its level of environmental contamination. Its remediation will take years to complete, with key details still being worked out. Among them: whether the city will build two underground retention tanks on property currently occupied by Gowanus's Eastern Effects film studio. The tanks are needed to prevent raw sewage from flowing into the canal during rain storms.

But long before that takes place — and before the industrial filth on the canal's floor can be dredged up — decades of debris must first be removed from the waterway.

In response to a report in The Red Hook Star Revie, EPA spokesman David Kluesner confirmed Tuesday that the debris removal process could begin as early as next week.

"We would like to have the start of the debris removal start sooner than November," Kluesner said, though he added the final details are still being worked out with the contractor on the job.

The initial removal will take place near the 4th Street turning basin, Kluesner said, not far from Whole Foods. It will involve machines placed on land, on the water, or on both, he said, pulling up large objects submerged in the canal, such as tires and pieces of wood.

Kluesner said EPA community liaison Natalie Loney will inform the Gowanus community when the start date for the project has been finalized.

Pictured at top: the Gowanus Canal. Image via Google Maps.