The Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group’s Outreach Committee met on Thursday, December 13, at 9:00 a.m., in the offices of the Fifth Avenue Committee, at 621 Degraw Street.
This was the first meeting of the reconstituted Outreach Committee, and discussion was focused on the future of the Committee.
CAG Members Present
Sabine Aronowsky
Jordan Heiden, Gowanus Canal Conservancy (Committee alternate for Christine Petro)
Katia Kelly
Eric McClure
Sabine reached out again to Dan Wiley and Natalie Loney about scheduling a spring 2019 Superfund Town Hall meeting.
Updating the cleanup timeline
Items that need to be updated/added:
- MOU between National Grid and EPA for construction of the Fulton cut-off wall.
- Completion of the 4th Street Basin pilot process.
- Creation of the North Gowanus Visioning Group.
- Acquisition of land for head house and northern CSO tank.
- How does the tunnel proposal affect the cleanup timeline?
Will there still be a head house? What will the effect be on the Salt Lot? Will there be additional space freed up for public use at the Salt Lot?
If NYC DEP attends the January CAG meeting, we can get more clarity on the proposal for a tunnel vs. retention tanks.
Katia: in order to not confuse the community, we should maybe put a question mark on tunnel vs. tanks, and the timing of it.
Can EPA provide any more detail and estimated dates for future milestones? Check with Natalie Loney.
Other questions regarding the timeline:
- Timing for construction of the Fulton cut-off wall?
- What is the timing for Thomas Greene Park & Double D Pool remediation, given the city’s acquisition of the property adjacent to the canal?
Ask Andrea Parker to update the timeline (Jordan will relay the request).
Should the Outreach Committee do a “year in review” at the January CAG meeting? Milestones achieved, resolutions passed, etc.
Superfund Town Hall
Invite CB6 to co-sponsor.
Hold the meeting near the north end of the canal, since that’s where work will be happening. Wyckoff Houses? PS133? PS133 requires a fee and insurance (could EPA or CB6 cover those costs?).
Should DEP be invited to present? We should clear that with EPA first.
Need to make sure that the Town Hall includes a few minutes for the CAG to present itself to the community.
Aim to have a date for the Town Hall by our January CAG meeting.
January Outreach meeting can focus on putting together a review of 2018 accomplishments for the January CAG meeting. Could also be translated into a “newsletter” update to post to the website and for members to distribute.
Touch base in advance of January CAG meeting. Set the third Thursday of each month, at 9 a.m., as our regular meeting date.