What happens when Superfund runs headlong into Mother Nature?
Hurricane Sandy provides a vivid answer. As the NY Times
reports today, Hurricane Sandy had a significant impact
on the Gowanus Canal Superfund Site in Brooklyn, NY. The Canal
was completed in 1869 and for over a century was the recipient of
industrial discharges from mills, tanneries, and chemical plants
resulting in what
EPA describes as "one of the nation's most heavily
contaminated water bodies." Contaminants include PCBs, heavy
metals, and VOCs.
When Sandy's storm surge arrived, it quickly flooded the the
Gowanus Canal, causing the heavily contaminated water in the Canal
to rush into basements and first floors of surrounding homes.
Noting that the contaminated water was likely diluted by saltwater,
EPA's proposed response action for this release was
"cleaning with bleach, wearing goggles and gloves and getting
the water out of homes and buildings as quickly as possible."
Presumably, the
