BAILEY QUINLAN

Ever since colonization Brooklyn has been a center of industrialization, and as a result the city, and the surrounding air, water, and inhabitants have paid the price- literally. Industry has gone unchecked, polluting the air, soil, and water for so long, that many sites of extreme contamination are a either part of the State & Federal Superfund Program, designated as Brownfield Cleanup sites, or are otherwise undergoing an environmental remediation process.

The companies that did their business on these sites- some carelessly dumping toxic waste into the environment for decades- profited by being reckless and neglectful, threatening the well-being of the environment and surrounding residential neighborhoods. But many of these businesses have long since closed, and new developments have been built on top of them or adjacent to them, with the possibility of exposure to the residents of these buildings through the contaminated air they breathe and the water they drink and the ground they walk on.

Environmental justice initiatives have shown again and again that lower-income families and people of color are disproportionately exposed to these contaminants, causing chronic disease and co-morbidities. According to this ATLANTIC ARTICLE, the EPA’s National Center for Environmental Assessment released a study indicating that people of color are much more likely to live near polluters and breathe polluted air. Nationwide, more than 1/2 of people who live near hazardous waste are people of color. Black children are twice as likely to suffer from lead-poisoning than white children. Black and Latinx children have the highest rates of asthma.

Although the Superfund program was created to to do exactly that- FUND the clean-up of the contamination- the federal funding has run out, and according to this WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE, “Over the past 20 years, American taxpayers have spent more than $21 billion in cleanup and oversight costs for properties polluted by dangerous wastes, known as Superfund sites, while hundreds of companies responsible for contaminating water paid little to nothing, an analysis of congressional budget data shows.”

Who's ACTUALLY paying for the clean up?


Who’s held accountable years and years after the contamination has taken place? What if the business is long-gone? What if they refuse to pay?


Who calls in the contamination?Are we relying on residents to know?


Do people have the right to know if their apartment building, school, or community playground is located on top of a contaminated site?


What obligation does the government/realtors/landlords have to inform renters and buyers that their home is on contaminated land?


Do residents have to get sick and die before anything is done to address the long-term impacts of exposure to toxins?


How long does it usually take to clean up? What impact does it have on the community?


How has nature begun to take the space back, over time?

Once a vital cargo transportation hub, with as many as 100 ships transporting cargo through it daily, the Gowanus Canal has been seen as a dumping ground since the mid-20th century, and is recognized as one of the most polluted bodies of water in the United States. The adjacent waterfront is primarily commercial and industrial, currently consisting of concrete plants, warehouses and parking lots.

During the late 1800s, industrial manufacturing and chemical plants lined the canal, including 22 coal plants that routinely dumped pollutants (some now known carcinogens) into the canal without any thought to the environmental impact. Brooklyn's slaughterhouses also dumped blood and other wastes into the water giving it a distinct purple color and putrid smell, which still persists today. More than a dozen contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls and heavy metals, including mercury, lead and copper, are found at high levels in the sediment in the Canal. 

The canal's toxic sediment layer averages 10 feet thick, and at some spots reaches 20 feet, sometime described as "black mayonnaise."

Throughout its history, the Gowanus Canal's contamination has been exacerbated by floodwater overflowing sewer lines. Despite this, during the first decade of the 20th century, up to 700 structures were built in South Brooklyn every year without considering the issue of wastewater sanitation. As a result, all sewage from the new buildings drained downhill and into the Gowanus.

A 1981 study indicated that on average, more than 13 million gallons of raw sewage emptied into it every day. When tested for bacteria, the waters of the Gowanus Canal was found to include typhoid, cholera, dysentery, and tuberculosis, and an almost total absence of oxygen, huge amounts of raw sewage, grease, oil, and sludge.


In 2009, fecal bacteria were found at levels of 17,329 cells per 100 milliliters, with anything above 104 cells per 100 milliliters being considered unsafe. As of 2013, fecal matter was still present in Gowanus' water at levels of parts per hundred. A more usual measurement for a waterway would be parts per million

Overall, the water is considered unsafe to drink or swim in, and contact with the canal's water is discouraged. Fish caught in the canal are generally toxic and unsafe to eat in large quantities.

As early as 1889, various attempts have been made to remove the pollution or dilute the canal's water, which have all ended in failure.

In March 2009, the EPA proposed that the canal be listed as a SUPERFUND CLEANUP SITE, but a couple months later the NYC government opposed the Superfund listing, feared the designation would result in many potentially costly lawsuits against polluters (the city being one of them), and would put a stop to luxury development. The city claimed it could come up with a cleanup plan that would match the work of EPA, and execute it faster. But the plan was to the detriment of city residents, since the city planned to fund the cleanup through taxpayer dollars from the state and city levels, while the EPA would seek its funding from the polluters. A year later, the EPA went against the city’s wishes and announced that it had placed the Gowanus Canal on its SUPERFUND NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST. 

The EPA restoration is required to be paid for by the more than 30 entities deemed Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) for the pollution, including Brooklyn Gas and Electric, now doing business as National Grid, the City of New York and the United States Navy.

Work on the cleanup process began in October 2017, and at the time, the cleanup was expected to cost $500 million. The cleanup itself was expected to start in 2020 and be completed two years later. 

As of May 2020, the Gowanus Canal Superfund Site was designated “Human Exposure Not Under Control” (which means an unsafe level of contamination has been detected at the site and a reasonable expectation exists that people could be exposed.) After decades of bureaucracy, stalling, and set-backs, the EPA has officially initiated clean-up activities at the site, which was expected to begin in late summer 2020.

The total cost of the cleanup is currently estimated to be in excess of 1 billion dollars.

Site Name: Former Spic and Span Cleaners and Dyers Inc.

Site Code: 224129

Program: State Superfund Program

Classification: 02

Location: 315 Kingsland Avenue Brooklyn on the southwest corner of the intersection of Kingsland and Norman Avenues.

Site Type: STRUCTURE

Estimated Size: 0.51 Acres


Site Description:

The site is completely covered by multiple buildings of varying construction and height. Numerous other commercial and industrial properties are located to the north, east, and west of the site. A large residential area is located immediately south of the site, and extends south along both Kingsland Avenue and Monitor Street. A large sewage treatment plant is located approximately 1/2 mile north of the site. The site is zoned for both residential and light manufacturing. The site is partially occupied, and is utilized for a variety of purposes (residential, warehousing, etc.).

Site was operated by Spic and Span Cleaners and Dyers, Inc. (a.k.a. Eastern District Dye Works) from the early 1900's until the mid-1960's. Groundwater is approximately 11-25' below ground surface in the vicinity of the site. Groundwater flows north to northeast toward Newtown Creek, which lies approximately 1,300' northeast of the site.


Contaminants of Concern (Including Materials Disposed):

Contaminant Name/Type: tetrachloroethene (PCE)

Site Environmental Assessment

Nature and Extent of Contamination: - Groundwater. The primary contaminant of concern at the site is tetrachloroethene (PCE). PCE has been found in shallow groundwater at concentrations up to 39,000 ppb, and in deep groundwater at concentrations up to 170,000 ppb, exceeding the Part 703.5 class GA standard of 5 ppb. PCE DNAPL has also been found on-site at concentrations up to 1,000,000 ppm (100%) in deep monitoring wells. Trichloroethene (up to 5,000 ppb), cis-1,2-dichloroethene (up to 14,000 ppb), and vinyl chloride (up to 3,200 ppb) have also been found in shallow groundwater at concentrations above their respective Part 703.5 class GA standards (5 ppb each). - Soil PCE has been found in soil up to 290,000 ppm, well above the soil cleanup objective for unrestricted use (1.3 ppm). -Soil Vapor and Indoor Air Concentrations of PCE in soil vapor have been found up to 8,200,000 ug/m^3, and in indoor air up to 170 ug/m^3. Concentrations of TCE in soil vapor have been found up to 32,000 ug/m^3, and in indoor air up to 12 ug/m^3. Significant Threat: The site poses a significant threat to public health and the environment.

Site Health Assessment

Exposure to site-related contamination in drinking water and soil is unlikely since area homes and businesses are supplied with public water and contaminants are below the ground surface. Since the possibility exists for vapors from site-related chemicals to migrate into nearby homes and businesses, soil vapor intrusion sampling will continue in the area and data evaluated as they become available.

Site Name: EMPIRE ELECTRIC COMPANY

Site Code: 224015

Program: State Superfund Program

Classification: 02

Location: 5200 1st Avenue in Brooklyn, New York on the southwest corner of 52nd Street and 1st Avenue. Currently serves as a parking lot.

Hazardous Waste Disposal Period: 1950 - 1985

Site Description:

The area is primarily industrial (zoned 3, heavy industries), with a potato chip manufacturing plant (Utz), a New York City Department of Sanitation vehicle maintenance and storage building, an DHL courier company, the former BUG Kings County Works manufactured gas plant site, and the waterfront (Bush Terminal docks) in the general vicinity of the site. Past Use of the Site: The building was constructed in 1892 by the Brooklyn City Railroad Company for use as a power plant for the municipally owned trolley system. The building was used for electrical generation until the 1930s when the trolley system was abandoned. The facility was conveyed to the city of New York in 1940. On September 5, 1951, the City transferred the property to Hastone Realty Corp, who then subdivided the parcel into two lots (Lot 6 and Lot 9). Lot 9 was sold, and Empire Electric operated on Lot 9, in the eastern two thirds of the building, from 1951 to December 1986 when the property was once again sold. Empire Electric¿s operations consisted of reconditioning electrical apparatus, including transformers containing PCBs, and warehousing. The site was sold again in 1986, but the building remained unused and abandoned for commercial/industrial purposes; however, homeless people were found to be regularly inhabiting the building.


Contaminants of Concern: 

1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, PCB aroclor 1260

Site Environmental Assessment:

Post-excavation soil samples from beneath the former basement floor exceeded the 1 ppm surface and 10 ppm subsurface criteria historically used to assess PCB contamination in soil. Two soil samples also exceeded the TSCA definition of hazardous waste. The site presents a significant environmental threat due to the presence of high concentrations of PCBs at and below the water table and expectation of off-site migration of PCBs via groundwater.

Site Health Assessment:

The site is completely fenced, and contaminated soil is at depth below clean backfill, stone and concrete. Therefore, contact with contaminated soil is unlikely. Contaminated groundwater at the site is not used for drinking or other purposes and the site is served by a public water supply that obtains water from a different source not affected by this contamination. Volatile organic compounds in soil vapor (air spaces within the soil), may move into buildings and affect the indoor air quality. This process, which is similar to the movement of radon gas from the subsurface into the indoor air of buildings, is referred to as soil vapor intrusion. Because the site is vacant, the inhalation of site-related contaminants due to soil vapor intrusion does not represent a current concern. However, there is a potential for soil vapor intrusion in future on-site buildings and off-site buildings.

Site Name: ACME Steel/Metal Works
Site Code: 224131
Program: State Superfund Program
Classification: 02
Location: 95 Lombardy Street Brooklyn on the east side of Vandervoort Avenue between Anthony and Lombardy Streets.
Site Type: STRUCTURE
Estimated Size: 1.01 Acres

Site Description

The site is completely covered by one (1) two-story and three (3) one-story brick buildings. The site is surrounded by other commercial and industrial properties. Sergeant William Dougherty Playground is located immediately north of the site across Anthony Street, and the eastbound on-ramp to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (I-278) is located one block to the north. A small residential area is located one block south of the site. 

The site is currently used as a granite warehouse and showroom at 95 Lombardy Street, and a paper distribution office and a kitchen cabinet warehouse/showroom at 46 Anthony Street.

The site was utilized as a metal fabricator and painting facility from the 1930's to the late 2000's.

Contaminant of Concern:

trichloroethene (TCE)

Site Environmental Assessment

Nature and Extent of Contamination: - Groundwater. The primary contaminant of concern at the site is trichloroethene (TCE). TCE has been found on-site in shallow groundwater at concentrations up to 66,000 ppb, and in deep groundwater at concentrations up to 70,000 parts per billion or ppb, exceeding Part 703.5 class GA standards (5 ppb). Concentrations of tetrachloroethene (up to 8,000 ppb) and 1,2-dichloroethene (3,200 ppb) have also been found above their respective Part 703.5 class GA standards (5 ppb each). - Soil TCE was detected in soil at 2.3 parts per million or ppm in one sample (exceeding the unrestricted Soil Cleanup Objective). - Soil Vapor and Indoor Air Concentrations of PCE in soil vapor have been found up to 3,100 ug/m^3. Concentrations of TCE in soil vapor have been found up to 4,500 ug/m^3, and in indoor air up to 13 ug/m^3. Significant Threat: The site poses a significant environmental threat due to ongoing releases of TCE from source areas into soil and groundwater.

Trichloroethylene- The symptoms of acute non-medical exposure are similar to those of alcohol intoxication, beginning with headache, dizziness, and confusion and progressing with increasing exposure to unconsciousness.[18] Respiratory and circulatory depression can result in death.

Much of what is known about the human health effects of trichloroethylene is based on occupational exposures. Beyond the effects to the central nervous system, workplace exposure to trichloroethylene has been associated with toxic effects in the liver and kidney.[18] Over time, occupational exposure limits on trichloroethylene have tightened, resulting in more stringent ventilation controls and personal protective equipment use by workers.

Research from Cancer bioassays performed by the National Cancer Institute (later the National Toxicology Program) showed that exposure to trichloroethylene is carcinogenic in animals, producing liver cancer in mice, and kidney cancer in rats.

Ever since colonization Brooklyn has been a center of industrialization, and as a result the city, and the surrounding air, water, and inhabitants have paid the price- literally. Industry has gone unchecked, polluting the air, soil, and water for so long, that many sites of extreme contamination are a either part of the State & Federal Superfund Program, designated as Brownfield Cleanup sites, or are otherwise undergoing an environmental remediation process.

The companies that did their business on these sites- some carelessly dumping toxic waste into the environment for decades- profited by being reckless and neglectful, threatening the well-being of the environment and surrounding residential neighborhoods. But many of these businesses have long since closed, and new developments have been built on top of them or adjacent to them, with the possibility of exposure to the residents of these buildings through the contaminated air they breathe and the water they drink and the ground they walk on.

Environmental justice initiatives have shown again and again that lower-income families and people of color are disproportionately exposed to these contaminants, causing chronic disease and co-morbidities. According to this ATLANTIC ARTICLE, the EPA’s National Center for Environmental Assessment released a study indicating that people of color are much more likely to live near polluters and breathe polluted air. Nationwide, more than 1/2 of people who live near hazardous waste are people of color. Black children are twice as likely to suffer from lead-poisoning than white children. Black and Latinx children have the highest rates of asthma.

Although the Superfund program was created to to do exactly that- FUND the clean-up of the contamination- the federal funding has run out, and according to this WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE, “Over the past 20 years, American taxpayers have spent more than $21 billion in cleanup and oversight costs for properties polluted by dangerous wastes, known as Superfund sites, while hundreds of companies responsible for contaminating water paid little to nothing, an analysis of congressional budget data shows.”

Who's ACTUALLY paying for the clean up?


Who’s held accountable years and years after the contamination has taken place? What if the business is long-gone? What if they refuse to pay?


Who calls in the contamination?Are we relying on residents to know?


Do people have the right to know if their apartment building, school, or community playground is located on top of a contaminated site?


What obligation does the government/realtors/landlords have to inform renters and buyers that their home is on contaminated land?


Do residents have to get sick and die before anything is done to address the long-term impacts of exposure to toxins?


How long does it usually take to clean up? What impact does it have on the community?


How has nature begun to take the space back, over time?

Once a vital cargo transportation hub, with as many as 100 ships transporting cargo through it daily, the Gowanus Canal has been seen as a dumping ground since the mid-20th century, and is recognized as one of the most polluted bodies of water in the United States. The adjacent waterfront is primarily commercial and industrial, currently consisting of concrete plants, warehouses and parking lots.

During the late 1800s, industrial manufacturing and chemical plants lined the canal, including 22 coal plants that routinely dumped pollutants (some now known carcinogens) into the canal without any thought to the environmental impact. Brooklyn's slaughterhouses also dumped blood and other wastes into the water giving it a distinct purple color and putrid smell, which still persists today. More than a dozen contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls and heavy metals, including mercury, lead and copper, are found at high levels in the sediment in the Canal. 

The canal's toxic sediment layer averages 10 feet thick, and at some spots reaches 20 feet, sometime described as "black mayonnaise."

Throughout its history, the Gowanus Canal's contamination has been exacerbated by floodwater overflowing sewer lines. Despite this, during the first decade of the 20th century, up to 700 structures were built in South Brooklyn every year without considering the issue of wastewater sanitation. As a result, all sewage from the new buildings drained downhill and into the Gowanus.

A 1981 study indicated that on average, more than 13 million gallons of raw sewage emptied into it every day. When tested for bacteria, the waters of the Gowanus Canal was found to include typhoid, cholera, dysentery, and tuberculosis, and an almost total absence of oxygen, huge amounts of raw sewage, grease, oil, and sludge.


In 2009, fecal bacteria were found at levels of 17,329 cells per 100 milliliters, with anything above 104 cells per 100 milliliters being considered unsafe. As of 2013, fecal matter was still present in Gowanus' water at levels of parts per hundred. A more usual measurement for a waterway would be parts per million

Overall, the water is considered unsafe to drink or swim in, and contact with the canal's water is discouraged. Fish caught in the canal are generally toxic and unsafe to eat in large quantities.

As early as 1889, various attempts have been made to remove the pollution or dilute the canal's water, which have all ended in failure.

In March 2009, the EPA proposed that the canal be listed as a SUPERFUND CLEANUP SITE, but a couple months later the NYC government opposed the Superfund listing, feared the designation would result in many potentially costly lawsuits against polluters (the city being one of them), and would put a stop to luxury development. The city claimed it could come up with a cleanup plan that would match the work of EPA, and execute it faster. But the plan was to the detriment of city residents, since the city planned to fund the cleanup through taxpayer dollars from the state and city levels, while the EPA would seek its funding from the polluters. A year later, the EPA went against the city’s wishes and announced that it had placed the Gowanus Canal on its SUPERFUND NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST. 

The EPA restoration is required to be paid for by the more than 30 entities deemed Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) for the pollution, including Brooklyn Gas and Electric, now doing business as National Grid, the City of New York and the United States Navy.

Work on the cleanup process began in October 2017, and at the time, the cleanup was expected to cost $500 million. The cleanup itself was expected to start in 2020 and be completed two years later. 

As of May 2020, the Gowanus Canal Superfund Site was designated “Human Exposure Not Under Control” (which means an unsafe level of contamination has been detected at the site and a reasonable expectation exists that people could be exposed.) After decades of bureaucracy, stalling, and set-backs, the EPA has officially initiated clean-up activities at the site, which was expected to begin in late summer 2020.

The total cost of the cleanup is currently estimated to be in excess of 1 billion dollars.

Site Name: Former Spic and Span Cleaners and Dyers Inc.

Site Code: 224129

Program: State Superfund Program

Classification: 02

Location: 315 Kingsland Avenue Brooklyn on the southwest corner of the intersection of Kingsland and Norman Avenues.

Site Type: STRUCTURE

Estimated Size: 0.51 Acres


Site Description:

The site is completely covered by multiple buildings of varying construction and height. Numerous other commercial and industrial properties are located to the north, east, and west of the site. A large residential area is located immediately south of the site, and extends south along both Kingsland Avenue and Monitor Street. A large sewage treatment plant is located approximately 1/2 mile north of the site. The site is zoned for both residential and light manufacturing. The site is partially occupied, and is utilized for a variety of purposes (residential, warehousing, etc.).

Site was operated by Spic and Span Cleaners and Dyers, Inc. (a.k.a. Eastern District Dye Works) from the early 1900's until the mid-1960's. Groundwater is approximately 11-25' below ground surface in the vicinity of the site. Groundwater flows north to northeast toward Newtown Creek, which lies approximately 1,300' northeast of the site.


Contaminants of Concern (Including Materials Disposed):

Contaminant Name/Type: tetrachloroethene (PCE)

Site Environmental Assessment

Nature and Extent of Contamination: - Groundwater. The primary contaminant of concern at the site is tetrachloroethene (PCE). PCE has been found in shallow groundwater at concentrations up to 39,000 ppb, and in deep groundwater at concentrations up to 170,000 ppb, exceeding the Part 703.5 class GA standard of 5 ppb. PCE DNAPL has also been found on-site at concentrations up to 1,000,000 ppm (100%) in deep monitoring wells. Trichloroethene (up to 5,000 ppb), cis-1,2-dichloroethene (up to 14,000 ppb), and vinyl chloride (up to 3,200 ppb) have also been found in shallow groundwater at concentrations above their respective Part 703.5 class GA standards (5 ppb each). - Soil PCE has been found in soil up to 290,000 ppm, well above the soil cleanup objective for unrestricted use (1.3 ppm). -Soil Vapor and Indoor Air Concentrations of PCE in soil vapor have been found up to 8,200,000 ug/m^3, and in indoor air up to 170 ug/m^3. Concentrations of TCE in soil vapor have been found up to 32,000 ug/m^3, and in indoor air up to 12 ug/m^3. Significant Threat: The site poses a significant threat to public health and the environment.

Site Health Assessment

Exposure to site-related contamination in drinking water and soil is unlikely since area homes and businesses are supplied with public water and contaminants are below the ground surface. Since the possibility exists for vapors from site-related chemicals to migrate into nearby homes and businesses, soil vapor intrusion sampling will continue in the area and data evaluated as they become available.

Site Name: EMPIRE ELECTRIC COMPANY

Site Code: 224015

Program: State Superfund Program

Classification: 02

Location: 5200 1st Avenue in Brooklyn, New York on the southwest corner of 52nd Street and 1st Avenue. Currently serves as a parking lot.

Hazardous Waste Disposal Period: 1950 - 1985

Site Description:

The area is primarily industrial (zoned 3, heavy industries), with a potato chip manufacturing plant (Utz), a New York City Department of Sanitation vehicle maintenance and storage building, an DHL courier company, the former BUG Kings County Works manufactured gas plant site, and the waterfront (Bush Terminal docks) in the general vicinity of the site. Past Use of the Site: The building was constructed in 1892 by the Brooklyn City Railroad Company for use as a power plant for the municipally owned trolley system. The building was used for electrical generation until the 1930s when the trolley system was abandoned. The facility was conveyed to the city of New York in 1940. On September 5, 1951, the City transferred the property to Hastone Realty Corp, who then subdivided the parcel into two lots (Lot 6 and Lot 9). Lot 9 was sold, and Empire Electric operated on Lot 9, in the eastern two thirds of the building, from 1951 to December 1986 when the property was once again sold. Empire Electric¿s operations consisted of reconditioning electrical apparatus, including transformers containing PCBs, and warehousing. The site was sold again in 1986, but the building remained unused and abandoned for commercial/industrial purposes; however, homeless people were found to be regularly inhabiting the building.


Contaminants of Concern: 

1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, PCB aroclor 1260

Site Environmental Assessment:

Post-excavation soil samples from beneath the former basement floor exceeded the 1 ppm surface and 10 ppm subsurface criteria historically used to assess PCB contamination in soil. Two soil samples also exceeded the TSCA definition of hazardous waste. The site presents a significant environmental threat due to the presence of high concentrations of PCBs at and below the water table and expectation of off-site migration of PCBs via groundwater.

Site Health Assessment:

The site is completely fenced, and contaminated soil is at depth below clean backfill, stone and concrete. Therefore, contact with contaminated soil is unlikely. Contaminated groundwater at the site is not used for drinking or other purposes and the site is served by a public water supply that obtains water from a different source not affected by this contamination. Volatile organic compounds in soil vapor (air spaces within the soil), may move into buildings and affect the indoor air quality. This process, which is similar to the movement of radon gas from the subsurface into the indoor air of buildings, is referred to as soil vapor intrusion. Because the site is vacant, the inhalation of site-related contaminants due to soil vapor intrusion does not represent a current concern. However, there is a potential for soil vapor intrusion in future on-site buildings and off-site buildings.

Site Name: ACME Steel/Metal Works
Site Code: 224131
Program: State Superfund Program
Classification: 02
Location: 95 Lombardy Street Brooklyn on the east side of Vandervoort Avenue between Anthony and Lombardy Streets.
Site Type: STRUCTURE
Estimated Size: 1.01 Acres

Site Description

The site is completely covered by one (1) two-story and three (3) one-story brick buildings. The site is surrounded by other commercial and industrial properties. Sergeant William Dougherty Playground is located immediately north of the site across Anthony Street, and the eastbound on-ramp to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (I-278) is located one block to the north. A small residential area is located one block south of the site. 

The site is currently used as a granite warehouse and showroom at 95 Lombardy Street, and a paper distribution office and a kitchen cabinet warehouse/showroom at 46 Anthony Street.

The site was utilized as a metal fabricator and painting facility from the 1930's to the late 2000's.

Contaminant of Concern:

trichloroethene (TCE)

Site Environmental Assessment

Nature and Extent of Contamination: - Groundwater. The primary contaminant of concern at the site is trichloroethene (TCE). TCE has been found on-site in shallow groundwater at concentrations up to 66,000 ppb, and in deep groundwater at concentrations up to 70,000 parts per billion or ppb, exceeding Part 703.5 class GA standards (5 ppb). Concentrations of tetrachloroethene (up to 8,000 ppb) and 1,2-dichloroethene (3,200 ppb) have also been found above their respective Part 703.5 class GA standards (5 ppb each). - Soil TCE was detected in soil at 2.3 parts per million or ppm in one sample (exceeding the unrestricted Soil Cleanup Objective). - Soil Vapor and Indoor Air Concentrations of PCE in soil vapor have been found up to 3,100 ug/m^3. Concentrations of TCE in soil vapor have been found up to 4,500 ug/m^3, and in indoor air up to 13 ug/m^3. Significant Threat: The site poses a significant environmental threat due to ongoing releases of TCE from source areas into soil and groundwater.

Trichloroethylene- The symptoms of acute non-medical exposure are similar to those of alcohol intoxication, beginning with headache, dizziness, and confusion and progressing with increasing exposure to unconsciousness.[18] Respiratory and circulatory depression can result in death.

Much of what is known about the human health effects of trichloroethylene is based on occupational exposures. Beyond the effects to the central nervous system, workplace exposure to trichloroethylene has been associated with toxic effects in the liver and kidney.[18] Over time, occupational exposure limits on trichloroethylene have tightened, resulting in more stringent ventilation controls and personal protective equipment use by workers.

Research from Cancer bioassays performed by the National Cancer Institute (later the National Toxicology Program) showed that exposure to trichloroethylene is carcinogenic in animals, producing liver cancer in mice, and kidney cancer in rats.

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