NBN & NCA Push to Name Meeker Plume Superfund
North Brooklyn Neighbors partnered with the Newtown Creek Alliance to host a virtual community meeting about the nomination of the Meeker Avenue Plume to the National Priorities List (NPL) on Monday, October 25, 2021.
The meeting was organized to help residents and other locals stakeholders better understand the threats posed by the plume, its size and scope, what it means to become a federal Superfund, and how they can advocate for the site’s inclusion.
Dr. Judith Zelikoff, a toxicologist and member of the faculty at the NYU Dept of Environmental Medicine, offered expert analysis of the plume’s most prevalent toxins and the risks to human health.
The Meeker Avenue Plume’s nomination to the NPL was announced in September and came at the behest of NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, the agency currently monitoring the toxic site, for the US Environmental Protection Agency to takeover the site. According to DEC, the site’s scope and complexity warrants federal intervention.
The announcement kicked off a 60-day public comment period for interested parties to weigh in. All comments are due by Monday, November 8, 2021. Wednesday, December 8, 2021. [Updated: 11/5/2021]
NBN and NCA are encouraging local stakeholders to support the plume’s listing. The organizations have compiled submission tips and key points that can be used as a guide for making comments.
If listed, the Meeker Avenue Plume will become NYC’s fourth active federal Superfund. The others are Newtown Creek and nearby Gowanus Canal and the Wolff-Alport Chemical Building in Ridgewood.
Fact sheets in English, Español, and Polskie.
Meeker-Ave-NPL-Community-Update-Sept-2021-FINALRead NBN’s submitted commitments in support of the proposed rule.
NBN-Meeker-Avenue-Plume-NPL-Comment
