In 2010, a former plastics manufacturing site in northern Greenpoint was classified by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as a Class 2 Superfund site. Now known as the NuHart Superfund site, two underground toxic plumes have been identified, one composed of phthalates and the other of trichloroethylene (TCE) both of which are potentially harmful to human health. Therefore, to protect public health and the environment, the site must be remediated before any development occurs.

The DEC is in the midst of a lengthy process to develop the requirements and methodology which will be implemented to clean the site. Because of the technical nature of the process, NBN was awarded Technical Assistant Grant (TAG) through the DEC. With this grant, NBN is entrusted with increasing “public awareness and understanding of remedial activities taking place in their community” and have hired experts to ensure the cleanup is as robust and protective of the health of the community as possible.

There is currently a school set to be built across the street from the NuHart Superfund site. Because of the way the toxins have spread underground, remediation of the Superfund site will also take place outside of the boundaries of the property. North Brooklyn Neighbors has long advocated for the school be sited elsewhere, believing that of having school so close to an ongoing remediation poses too great a risk to the health of our children.

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In mid-2021, one of the site’s creditors, Dupont Street 1 LLC, began the process of taking over ownership because the existing owner filed for bankruptcy protection. As part of the process, the presumptive new owner restarted work on the site and took over maintenance of the property.

Each week, they share updates on the upcoming work at the site. Read the updates here.
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