In 2009, the CHA Board of Directors unanimously voted to support the efforts of a South Brooklyn Coalition of Neighborhoods including Friend of Gowanus Canal (FROGG),
the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association, the Gowanus Houses Tenants Association, Carroll Gardens Association for Responsible Development (CHORD), Park Slope Neighbors, and the Columbia waterfront district, along with the strong advocacy of Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, in a united push to let science decide whether or not the Gowanus Canal should be designated a Superfund clean-up site. Our advocacy paid off in April, 2010 with the federal government (the EPA) designating the Gowanus Canal a Superfund site.
The clean up of the canal will be complicated because of the nature of the site and its contaminants. It is also complicated by the fact that sewage in the form of rain water run-off (referred to as the combined sewage overflow or CSO) continues to pollute the canal.
We are very involved in the developments of this situation and along with our good neighbors to the south, we are active members of the EPA's community team. We will post meetings about this continuing clean up effort and we encourage CHA residents to attend.