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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Minutes of the January 6, 2026 Meeting of the Gowanus Canal CAG’s Land Use Committee

Attendees

CAG Members: Hildegaard Link, Louis Kleinman, Katia Kelly, Joan Salome-Rodriguez, Lisa Bowstead, Erica Eliason, Jason Schwartzman, Alexandra Dadourian, Joseph Alexiou, Susan Yung, Peter Reich, Andrea Parker, Margaret Maugenest & Steve Marcus

Guests: Aaron Kaufman & Irene Baker

Agenda Items Discussed

1) Follow up discussion regarding NYSDEC’s TCE Plume Study near St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, which took place during November 2024. Follow Up: Thanks to Heidi Dudek, on December 23rd, the Committee received the full report, which Hildegaard has kindly offered to use her expertise to summarize for the Committee. Additionally, Andrea has kindly offered to draft a letter to NYSDEC & NYSDOH asking a) to formally share the information with the community and b) do additional vapor intrusion work in the affected area.

2) Follow up discussion regarding the status of NYSDEC’s final decision regarding the proposed remedial plan for Parcel 3 (459 Smith Street) of the former Citizens MGP Works site. Follow Up: The Committee asked Steve to reach out to AM Simon’s office to ask for their assistance in obtaining an update.

3) Joan brought to our attention that NYSDEC had completed 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. Follow Up: This has been taken up in the Water Quality Committee and Land Use and other CAG members will have an opportunity to sign onto their request.

4) At a previous Committee meeting we discussed the former Citizens MGP Works site’s recent Groundwater Monitoring report and asked National Grid’s representative, Irene Baker, if there was a similar report for the former Fulton MGP site. Ms. Baker did respond stating: “There was other recent groundwater monitoring completed at Fulton, which is included in a Sentinel Well Monitoring Summary Report (2025). I recommend contacting DEC directly for that information”. Update: We want to thank Aaron Fischer who did respond to the Committee’s request on December 23rd by providing a link to the report. Please review and be prepared to discuss at our February meeting.

5) Follow-up questions to EPA’s Q&A, and the Committee’s Mission Statement, will be taken up at our February meeting.

Please note: Our next Land Use Committee meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 3rd at 6:30pm.

Next Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group General Meeting: Tuesday, January 27, 6:30 p.m.

Please join us for our January 2026 General Meeting, on Tuesday, January 27, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., conducted via Zoom video conference.

Join the meeting here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81431345410?pwd=drb4lhEv7H8OQJ4xQ7j60aZuv3tzci.1

Meeting ID: 814 3134 5410
Passcode: 052446

DRAFT AGENDA (all times are approximate)

6:30 – 6:45 p.m.: Welcome and CAG Member Introductions

6:45 – 7:15 p.m.: EPA Updates and CAG Q&A / Public Comment and Q&A as time allows

7:15 – 8:00 p.m.: Gowanus Canal CAG Charter Revisions

8:00 – 8:30 p.m.: CAG Business and Committee Updates

  • Archaeology and Historic Preservation Committee
  • Land Use Committee
  • Outreach Committee
  • Water Quality/Technical Committee
  • Administrative Committee
  • Facilitation Committee

8:30 p.m.: Adjourn

Guests are always welcome to comment and ask questions using the chat function.

All Gowanus CAG meetings are open to the public, unless specifically noted otherwise.

Minutes of the January 5, 2026 Meeting of the Gowanus Canal CAG’s Archaeology & Historic Preservation Committee

Attendees: Joan Salome-Rodriguez (Moderator), Edmund Diegel, Michael Killian, Peter Reich

Guests: Irene Baker (National Grid), Aaron Kaufman (Gowanus Remediation Team)

1. Michael explored the NYC Municipal Archives (https://nycrecords.access.preservica.com/?pg=2&s=gowanus+canal) and some of the photos show up in his Instagram account “Gowanus_Archeology” (there is an underline in there!). Eymund provided to the Gowanus Canal Conservancy (GCC) a bunch of material and would share with us, too. It can be found on Portside Proteus Gowanus. He and Michael will share emails.

a) Brooklyn Eagle’s archive was more tricky.
b) Peter & his wife’s work – he will check with Karen but suspects it will be ok.
c) VOG archive was looked over, to

2. Status of the Storyboard – still the same. Chronicle Heritage is working on setting up an account with a platform for activity. He believes we will have a more certain date in early 2026. 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.

Getting our stuff out there

3. Peter emailed Johnny and Emily and Andrea for a fresh start on working with Johnny Thornton (Arts Gowanus) and sharing material for the Walkabout Tour. The building where the CSO tank is going in is first. DEFERRED:  Invite Johnny to one of our meetings once we have a plan of what we’d like to see displayed.

4. How to get photos we would like to post to Johnny as there may be a cost associated with creating the vinyl posters (plastic and fabric 3’ x 5’) with the QR code (see one by the Carroll Street Bridge). But Peter thinks no real cost because the images can be sent to Johnny electronically. The QR code 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. 

5. “Through its Gowanus Neighborhood Art Advisory Committee (GNAAC) initiative, Arts Gowanus has made significant inroads working with developers to incorporate public art installations at 7-8 sites along the Gowanus Waterfront Esplanade; under review by Parks.” If we hear back from Johnny we can get an update on what exactly Parks is reviewing and whether there is security for items such as those with Quadrozzi.

6. Touch base with Andrea at GCC for possible displays. Similar conversation with Dredgers should take place. Agreed as a committee to build synergy with local arts community and to explore options with new GCC space, Thomas Greene Park community center. New semester so outreach to Brooklyn College Museum Studies Program and to Pratt’s archaeology team is timely now to see if there are any opportunities there. (This is Joan’s action item.)  

7. Clinton Street library not open yet but ultimately we’d like to see if some things could be displayed there.

8. https://america250.org/a250-funding-directory/  

This is for the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn. Suggestion from Eymund: a Union Street Bridge celebration since the Revolutionary War was partially won because of the Gowanus. August 27, 2026 is an important date for the Canal – special events should be thought up for the Gowanus Canal’s 1776 Revolutionary history. OUTREACH?

For a video recording of the January 5 meeting, please visit:

https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/DwLQ5Z4gC2MOzQoHmtyXda5P5PqN9Ww_2iBg6gl84CAhMfn07vsbe3Ea2ZhsEq11.pQ1j60Ez4-eAda5W

Passcode: =r86BkrU