Missed our March 2026 General Meeting? You can find a recording here.

If you were unable to join us via Zoom for our March 24th general meeting, you can view a complete video recording of the meeting below, or open it in a new window here.

Please click on any of the following dates for recordings of our February 24th, January 27th, December 2nd, and October 28th general meetings.

For recordings of our June, July and September 2025 meetings, please click here.

And for video of most of our meetings from April 2020 to April 2025, please visit our Vimeo page. Click on any of the videos to view the recording of the desired meeting.

Minutes of the March 2, 2026 Meeting of the Gowanus Canal CAG’s Water Quality & Technical Committee

Attendees, CAG Members: Joan Salome-Rodriguez (Moderator), Erica Eliason, Corinne Jenner, Katia Kelly, Emily Mitchell, Jason Schwartzman

Guests: Irene Baker, National Grid; Aaron Kaufman, Gowanus Remediation Trust.

You can view a video recording of the meeting here. Please enter code 7+AkN60k when prompted for access.

Joan shared the outfall map provided by Victoria at EPA at our request. Follow up question – how many of the outfalls are from new construction? Joan replied to ask Victoria, “How many of those outfalls, if any, are from new construction?”

We also wanted to know what Brian Carr meant by “first flush,” “second flush” when he used those terms at the General CAG meeting when discussing CSO events. Joan wrote him an email to ask.

What is the objective for the level of clean water once the canal is cleaned? 

Implementation of the remedy will improve the surface water quality of the Canal by controlling and substantially eliminating sheens and preventing contact of the surface water with the contaminated sediment.  

Joan sent emails to Victoria and Natalie covering a few questions – can CSO be measured at the outfalls with real-time data? Also sent email to DEC and DOH re: flood kits for basement flood testing. 

Follow-ups on Action Items

1. Any acknowledgement from Fagel, Waldron or Smith to our resolution re: dissolved oxygen levels? – Erica reported – no response.

2. What is EPA’s demand for responsible parties to maintain an operation and maintenance plan (OMP) for the Gowanus Canal clean-up strategy? Who will ensure that the OMP is done going forward? Will EPA continue to check that the water quality remains good and that the cap is intact? Does EPA have an OMP Plan? Where is it? Katia followed up on these two questions – any answer? Not yet.

3. To the best of the Committee’s knowledge, neither the DEC nor NYSDOH has ever performed a comprehensive hydrology and hydrographic study for this neighborhood as the Gowanus is in a FEMA flood zone A. According to EPA, DEC is currently completing a Gowanus Canal areawide groundwater study to evaluate the current hydraulic conditions, including groundwater elevations and flow direction. This study was scheduled for completion in late 2024. Joan & Steve & then the entire CAG with an inquiry by Emily Mitchell followed up with Aaron Fischer. Aaron answered. Joan drafted a follow-up for committee review as to whether contaminant sources would be included in the report. So did Jason. I include Jason’s here because it is better.

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Minutes of the March 2, 2026 Meeting of the Gowanus Canal CAG’s Archaeology & Historic Preservation Committee

Attendees, CAG Members: Joan Salome-Rodriguez, Moderator. Katia Kelly, Michael Kilian, Peter Reich, Jason Schwartzman.  

Guests: Irene Baker, National Grid; Aaron Kaufman, Gowanus Remediation Trust.

You can watch a video recording of the meeting here. Please enter passcode +D$t3q8= for access.

1. Checked status of the Storyboard with GRT. Chronical Heritage is working on setting up an account with a platform for activity. No certain date yet. Arts GIS is a multi-media platform that allows photos, video, text and audio and the Story Map is the history of the Gowanus Canal. Aaron reports that it is undergoing final internal review and may be published later in March.

Getting our stuff out there

2. Peter shared info on the Affordable Arts Fair at the Starrett-Lehigh Building – 621 West 26th Street in Manhattan.

3. Share materials with committee to send first tranche to Johnny and Emily (Arts Gowanus) for the Walkabout Tour. Joan has gathered her Gowanus Graffiti photos and put them in a zip drive for Johnny and Emily. Everyone else should start to do the same. Michael to help her put it in a Google Doc so it can be shared and maybe have locations?

4. How the WalkAbout works – There will be a QR code there that folks can use that takes one to a website with a map the viewer uses to find their current location and see what was there before the re-zone. Will invite Johnny and Emily to an upcoming meeting. https://gowanusimprovementdistrict.org/get-involved is where the Walkabout link lives. The actual Walkabout link is here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c878d7e5ed124f27942a436244695ebb

5. Jason created an excel document that compares what materials already exist in various walking tours. It gave us a good starting point to decide on materials. We went over it together.

NYS DEC Public Meeting on Proposed Brownfield Cleanup of Public Place Site, Wednesday, March 25, 7 p.m.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) will hold a public meeting at P.S. 32 at 420 Union Street in Carroll Gardens on Wednesday, March 25th, at 7:00 p.m., to discuss the proposed brownfield cleanup plan for a portion of the Public Place/former Citizens MGP site.

Members of the public are invited to provide comments on the proposed cleanup effort, described in the project fact sheet, at the meeting and during a 45-day comment period that concludes on April 25th.

The Draft Remedial Action Work Plan and related project documents can be found at https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/data/DecDocs/C224012/.

You can sign up for site-specific email updates from NYSDEC here.

For project related questions, please contact:

Aaron Fischer, Project Manager
NYSDEC, Division of Environmental Remediation
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233
(518) 598-7799
aaron.fischer@dec.ny.gov

For project-related health questions, please contact:

Michele Dolan
NYSDOH, Bureau of Environmental Exposure and Investigation
Empire State Plaza
Corning Tower Room 1787
Albany, NY 12237
(518) 402-7860
beei@health.ny.gov

Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group Resolution Asks NYSDEC to Reject Proposed Amendment to Brownfield Cleanup Agreement for Citizens MGP Site and Place Site Parcels I, II & III into the NYS Superfund Program

At its February 24, 2026 general meeting, the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group passed the following resolution asking the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to take certain actions regarding the environmental remediation of the former Citizens Manufactured Gas Plant (MGP) Works site.

The resolution reads as follows:

To: Amanda Lefton – Commissioner, New York Department of Environmental Conservation

Date: February 24, 2026

Resolution Supporting Assembly Member Simon Regarding the former Citizens MGP Works Site

By the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group (CAG) members voting in favor of this resolution, members are expressing support for Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon’s August 19, 2025, and January 4, 2026, letters to NYSDEC. The resolution urges NYSDEC to reject the proposed amendment to the Brownfield Cleanup Agreement and to place Parcels I, II and III of the former Citizens Manufactured Gas Plant (MGP) Works site into the New York State Superfund Program so that the entire site is managed under a unified, enforceable framework appropriate for its level of contamination and long-term risk.

Background

The former Citizens MGP Works site contains deep coal tar contamination that poses a long-term threat to nearby residents. NYSDEC and EPA investigations have documented mobile coal tar and contaminated groundwater extending across parcel boundaries, requiring off-site monitoring and long term source control. This former MGP site also represents a significant threat of recontamination to the Federal Superfund remediation of the Gowanus Canal.

The site is divided into four parcels. Parcels I, II, and III are currently in New York State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program, Parcel IV is in the State Superfund Program, and the Gowanus Canal is in the federal Superfund Program. Although the site functions as a single contamination system, it is governed under these multiple programs, agreements, and owners.

In June 2025, the Public Place site applicants submitted an application to NYSDEC to amend its Brownfield Cleanup Agreement, requesting that the existing Brownfield site (C224012, aka Parcels I & II) be subdivided into two separate Brownfield sites to facilitate redevelopment (to become C224012 and C224012C). NYSDEC opened a public comment period on the proposed amendment, which closed on January 4, 2026.

Cleanup relies on engineered controls and monitoring systems that must operate and be maintained for decades. These controls will sit beneath multiple buildings, including low income housing, a school, and public spaces, and responsibility will eventually be distributed among multiple owners and operators. This creates long-term legal and practical challenges for ensuring that monitoring continues, systems are maintained, corrective action occurs when needed, and accountability does not weaken as properties change hands.

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Missed our February 2026 General Meeting? You can find a recording here.

If you were unable to join us via Zoom for our February 24th general meeting, you can view a complete video recording of the meeting below, or open it in a new window here.

For our January 27th general meeting, you can view a recording here.

For our December 2nd general meeting, you can find a video here.

For a recording of our October 28th general meeting, please click here.

For recordings of our June, July and September 2025 meetings, please click here.

And for video of most of our meetings from April 2020 to April 2025, please visit our Vimeo page. Click on any of the videos to view the recording of the desired meeting.

Minutes of the February 2, 2026 Meeting of the Gowanus Canal CAG’s Archaeology & Historic Preservation Committee

Attendees, CAG Members: Joan Salome-Rodriguez, Moderator. Peter Reich, Katia Kelly, Michael Killian, Joseph Alexiou, Jason Schwartzman.  

Guests: Irene Baker – National Grid. Sean Downey – GRT. Nick Bello – Park Slope Living.

You can view a video recording of the meeting here. Enter passcode 2@Q%VvI= for access.

1. Checked status of the Storyboard with Sean.  Chronical Heritage is working on setting up an account with a platform for activity.  No certain date yet.  Arts GIS is a multi-media platform that allows photos, video, text and audio and the Story Map is the Hx of the Gowanus Canal.  Asked them to expedite, please.

Getting our stuff out there

2. We had a long discussion on the fresh start on working with Johnny Thornton (Arts Gowanus) and sharing material for the Walkabout Tour.   Joan & Peter reported on their meeting with Johnny and Emily.  They, too, are looking for space as their grant has expired and been spent.  But there is a website we can use for things we would like shared and we will gather an initial tranche of materials to send to them.  We discussed what we want out there.  The initial tranche can be what was pulled from the Canal as we have info on what the items are and where they came from.  We want the building where the CSO tank is going in first.

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Minutes of the February 2, 2026 Meeting of the Gowanus Canal CAG’s Water Quality & Technical Committee

Attendees, CAG Members: Joan Salome-Rodriguez (Moderator), Linda LaViolette, Mark Yarish, Katia Kelly, Erica Eliason, Susan Yung, Emily Mitchell, Margaret Maugenest, Jason Schwartzman

Guests: Irene Baker – National Grid.  Sean Downey – GRT.  Nick Bello – Park Slope Living.

You can view a video recording of the meeting here. Enter passcode Hm%H$n9k for access.

Early discussion was not on the agenda but covered information about the CSO tanks – are they big enough, can there possibly be a third tank (maybe at Public Place if it were to be part of the state Superfund Program and not otherwise developed).

  1. This discussion led to a brief discussion of that which had been item two on the agenda – Sewershed in Gowanus. Would like to have a discussion at our meeting. I think there are issues related to the Atlantic Yards Project and the BMT project. Our infrastructure cannot possibly take all that. DEFERRED until next meeting.
  2. Finally went over Natalie’s Q&A’s that affect Water Quality. We discussed all of them and the action items are as follows:

A. What is the objective for the level of clean water once the canal is cleaned? 

Implementation of the remedy will improve the surface water quality of the Canal by controlling and substantially eliminating sheens and preventing contact of the surface water with the contaminated sediment.  

What about CSO’s?  Corinne was following to draft an inquiry on this issue.

NOTE:  We may have wanted to direct this to EPA initially and probably still should but we should send to DEC and definitely DEP as well since Lisa Garcia, the former head of EPA’s Region 2, is now the Commissioner at DEP. We know the current objective per DEC is SC but the question remains – what about the CSOs? We know that even with the tanks, there will still be CSOs in the water. What will happen to those? Will the City have to re-dredge?  

B. What are the EPA’s water quality ARARs (actual measures that must be met for the water quality) for the Gowanus Canal? EPA and New York State have promulgated surface water standards which are enforceable standards for various surface water contaminants – EPA’s water quality standards (40 CFR 131) and New York State surface water quality standards (6 NYCRR Part 703). DEC has the primary responsibility for implementing the Clean Water Act.

I combined the above question with the next one.

EPA made it clear at the outset of the Superfund program that a goal was to have no recontamination after the cleanup. Based on the failure of the City to build the CSO tanks, contamination will be going into the canal AFTER the cleanup. How will EPA conduct oversight to ensure that the City will RE-CLEAN the canal or will EPA be doing that? The ROD states “in the event that the permanent measures are not implemented in a timely manner, interim controls, such as temporary solids capture and removal, [would] be implemented to mitigate sediment from the CSO discharges until the permanent measures have been implemented.” These controls were not feasible. The City will be required to perform maintenance dredging if CSO solids build up and exceed the PRGs. This is enforceable under the CSO remedial action Unilateral Administrative Order.

Won’t City re-dredging potentially damage the cap? General CAG Q. MARK’s Q. DEC, DOH, DOHMH, DEP.

Can there be kits for residents/businesses to check basement flood waters for contamination? Can there be monitors along the Canal such as were utilized in France along the Seine for the Olympics? Mark Yarish will draft an inquiry on these two related questions.

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Missed our January 2026 General Meeting? You can find a recording here.

If you were unable to join us via Zoom for our January 27th general meeting, you can view a complete video recording of the meeting below, or open it in a new window here.

For our December 2nd general meeting, you can find a video here.

For a recording of our October 28th general meeting, please click here.

For recordings of our June, July and September 2025 meetings, please click here.

And for video of most of our meetings from April 2020 to April 2025, please visit our Vimeo page. Click on any of the videos to view the recording of the desired meeting.

Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group Resolution Asks NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to Amend Water Quality Classification to Strengthen Dissolved Oxygen Standard

At its January 27, 2026 general meeting, the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group passed the following resolution asking the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to amend the Class SC rule to maintain the previous dissolved oxygen standard of no less than 4.0 mg/L that had been in place under the Class I designation for the Gowanus Canal.

Effective on October 15, 2025, NYSDEC amended key water quality classifications, including reclassifying the Gowanus Canal to Class SC (swimmable and fishable). This reclassification inadvertently lowered the standards for dissolved oxygen levels in the Canal.

The resolution reads as follows:

Background

On October 15, 2025, the NYSDEC issued a Notice of Adoption (NOA) in the State Register, adopting updates to water quality classifications, including amendments to the classification of the Gowanus Canal. Please consider this resolution in response to the reclassification of the Gowanus Canal to Class SC (swimmable and fishable).

Petition & Comments

Effective October 15, 2025, NYSDEC amended key water quality classifications, including reclassifying the Canal to Class SC (swimmable and fishable). Previously, the Gowanus Canal had been classified as Class SD (fishable only) in the upper section, upstream of the Gowanus Expressway, and Class I (fishable only) in the lower section, downstream of the Gowanus Expressway. The CAG submits this resolution in response to DEC’s decision to reclassify the Gowanus Canal and encourages DEC to expedite an amendment to the SC regulations to require the higher DO levels that were previously required in the Canal.

The CAG has long advocated for reclassification of the Canal to better reflect the area’s current conditions and anticipated future uses. The CAG appreciates DEC’s decision to reclassify the Canal to Class SC, as the CAG previously petitioned. This designation represents an important and meaningful step forward and reflects a history of persistent community advocacy for improved water quality in the Canal.

However, the CAG is concerned that this reclassification inadvertently lowered the standards for dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in parts of the canal, an apparent unintended consequence of the reclassification. Under 6 CRR-NY 703.3 Water quality standards for pH, dissolved oxygen, dissolved solids, odor, color and turbidity, the DO concentration is not permitted to fall below 4.0 mg/L at any time for Class I waterbodies. In contrast, the DO concentration is not allowed to be less than 3.0 mg/L at any time for Class SC waterbodies.

As a result, under the Class SC designation, parts of the Canal are now subject to a less protective DO standard than was previously required.

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