Attendees, CAG Members: Joan Salome-Rodriguez (Moderator), Erica Eliason, Corinne Jenner, Jason Schwartzman, Susan Yung
Guests: Irene Baker, National Grid; Aaron Kaufman, Gowanus Remediation Trust.
You can view a video recording of the meeting here. Please enter code Hg4&gbW# when prompted for access.
The members edited, reviewed and approved emails (see addenda linked here for text) the committee had previously approved sending to various agencies regarding the following:
– Basement flood water testing. DEC & DEP, DOH
– Real-time canal monitoring/public reporting DEP – Alicia West this may deserve a resolution and a presentation
– Bond-Lorraine Sewer – DEP Alicia West
– CSO’s – DEP Alicia West, EPA Victoria Sacks
– Hydrology – This may deserve a resolution: Current hydraulic conditions, including groundwater elevations and flow direction. This study by DEC was scheduled for completion in late 2024. Per Aaron DEC is working on it. Followed up with Aaron 4/27/2026. See addenda – we know they are not including toxins in the study. Suggestion – overlay the map. – Now that Jason has created a tool, can DEC use it once its survey is done? Though we want answers to the questions above, for now, we asked only ETA for the study and what the purpose of it was for DEC.
Housekeeping:
1) PowerHouse walkway at TB1.
2) Mounding: We will follow on the mounding studies once EPA presents on them again. Issue is forward looking – climate change.
3) Dissolved Oxygen Levels: Any acknowledgement from Fagel, Waldron or Smith to our resolution re: DO levels, Erica? NOT YET
4) OMP: 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? Will follow with Katia at next meeting. Any answer?
– Has DEP started to measure how much of first flush the new buildings are capturing? We did not cover this yet.
– Did the scientific projections in the LTCP account for the results of climate change? We eventually will ask questions about this.
– Outreach – can the artists stop dumping their paint in the canal by washing brushes, etc… Eymund said at the June meeting that this is an issue in the canal.