NAG Hires Environmental Consultant Firm to Assess Toxic Contamination and Cleanup Plan at Greenpoint Site Slated for Residential Development

NEWS RELEASE
 

For Immediate Release:                                                             For More Information Contact:

 
August 12, 2015                                          Rita Pasarell, 917-913-4993, ritabeth@gmail.com
                                                               Mike Schade, 718-873-3505, schadeyacres@gmail.com
 
(Brooklyn, NY) Neighbors Allied for Good Growth (NAG) has hired Environmental Stewardship Concepts, LLC (ESC) an environmental consulting firm, to act as a Technical Advisor to NAG and the community on the NuHart Plastic Manufacturing State Superfund site in northern Greenpoint. NAG is a 20-year-old civic engagement nonprofit organization which focuses on environmental issues, and the ESC team are technical experts for community organizations concerned with Superfund site contamination and cleanup. NAG received a Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which will help foster community awareness and involvement in the Superfund investigation and remediation process.
“Many residents who live near this highly contaminated site are very concerned about the toxic chemicals that have migrated into the community,” said Rita Pasarell, Board Chair of Neighbors Allied for Good Growth.  “We are excited to hire ESC so they can help us inform and empower the community to meaningfully participate in the Superfund process.  This is great news for Greenpoint.”
In 2010, the NuHart property was classified by the state DEC as a Class 2 state Superfund site, “representing a significant threat to public health and/or the environment and requiring action.”  The current owner of the property, Dupont Street Developers, LLC, plans to develop residential buildings at the site. Before development takes place, however, there will be a plan to address the industrial pollutants currently onsite.
At present, the site contains underground plumes of phthalates and trichloroethylene (TCE), chemicals remaining from the site’s prior usage as a vinyl plastics manufacturer, which discontinued operations in 2004. These chemicals, if not properly remediated, may pose serious hazards to human health and the environment.  
After the site’s current owner submits its site cleanup plan to the DEC, ESC will develop detailed analysis and recommendations, which will then be shared with NAG and the community.  ESC will also be developing factsheets on the site and will speak at upcoming community meetings about the site. Community members are invited to meet with ESC to discuss concerns about site cleanup.
Dr. Peter DeFur, Rich Chapin, and Laura Williams of ESC bring 60 years of highly-skilled environmental consulting experience to this project.  ESC president Dr. DeFur is an expert in ecological risk assessment, environmental regulations and policies, and toxicology.  Mr. Chapin, an engineer, has experience on numerous complex environmental projects, with a focus on hazardous substances cleanup and soil and groundwater contamination assessments. Ms. Williams, ESC’s Senior Environmental Scientist, has reviewed and commented on numerous cleanup plans on many contaminated sites throughout the country.
NAG, the ESC team, and the community will work together throughout the Superfund site remediation process. NAG will also encourage community members to attend the DEC’s public comment hearing about the site’s cleanup plan, which will likely be in late 2015 or early 2016.
For more information about NAG, visit: http://nag-brooklyn.org/
For more information about ESC, visit: http://www.estewards.com/  

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