September 13, 2007
Big in Brooklyn: Greenpoint Oil Spill "May Be Even Larger Than Originally Estimated"
Will there ever be a point when there are stories about the Greenpoint oil spill cleanup, instead of stories about how big and dangerous the spill is? Representatives Anthony Weiner and Nydia Velazquez released the results of the first EPA study (first study ever after, what, 29 years!) of the Greenpoint oil spill, and they are pretty ugly. Here some excerpts from the press release:
- The original estimated size of the spill of 17 million gallons by a 1979 Coast Guard report should be used with caution. The present size of the plume suggests the original volume estimate may have been low. Estimates are as high as 30 million gallons.
- Northern border (Newtown Creek) is larger than originally mapped in 1979.
- Western border, “is somewhat expanded” from the original mapping.
- Eastern border: “appears to be moving across the former Paragon property.”
- A small thin plume has separated and flows along Meeker Avenue.
- Southern border is stable.
- Approximately 8.8 million gallons of the spill has been recovered. EPA cautions that this recovery volume may be overestimated.
- Only about 70% of the petroleum on the ground water is recoverable because of the urban setting, and because oil gets trapped in the soil--The American Petroleum Institute estimated in 40% to 80% will remain in the soil.
- While the spill has been well contained, at present, seepage continues into Newtown Creek.
Back in 1978, a Coast Guard pilot noticed an oil plume off Newtown Creek: It turned out the biggest oil spill in American history (more than the 11 million from the Exxon Valdez spill) had been taking place since the 1940s and 1950s, thanks to Exxon and in 1978, the spill covered 55 acres. Weiner and Velazquez are still unsatisfied with the EPA study, saying that more questions need to be answered and that clean-up need to happen immediately.
The Riverkeeper Group filed a lawsuit on behalf of Greenpoint residents in 2004: Check out the Residents of Greenpoint, Brooklyn V. Exxon lawsuit website - it has tons of documents and maps. The New Yorker in 2004 and Village Voice last year looked at this little-known spill; NPR also covered it, because the area of the spill was one of the sites for the NYC 2012 Olympic bid. And Erin Brockovich (the real one) has been working on the case, too. Earlier this year, Attorney General Cuomo said the state would sue Exxon
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Notice the graphic calls it "Free Product" ...Like it's been liberated, or chosen to wander off on its own.
Ahh, be free young sludge, freeeeee!
Be sure to check out the excellent documentary touching on this from VBS.tv -- "Toxic Brooklyn".
Channel Thirteen's New York Voices also did a show on this issue: www.thirteen.org/nyvoices
Toxic Brooklyn? This sounds like typical Blue State "pile on Big Oil". New York's drinking water comes from hundred of miles away. And New York's waterways are polluted for hundreds of other reasons. Should Exxon be held accountable? Yes. Is this a huge deal? No. You should be far more concerned about air quality from cars and Chinese coal fired electricty plants before you worry about oil in the ground.
is this why hipsters are such douches? the toxic fumes fuck up their brains and make them wear ironic moustaches and dress like 12 year old girls at slumber parties. yep, that's it
I was wondering how we were going to get a hipster knock out of this.
As reported on News 12 Brooklyn on May 29 2007, the NY Department of Health has completed its air sampling study in Greenpoint which concludes that there are no vapors being emitted from the 50 year old underground oil spill located in the eastern industrial section of Greenpoint near the East Williamsburg industrial park. Although Exxon is still responsible for continuing the clean up along the Newtown Creek these findings do put into question the lawsuits filed against the oil company for the property damage. Basil Seggos, chief investigator of Riverkeepers acknowledged that the studies findings were very good news for the residents of Greenpoint, but still looked forward to the day that Newtown Creek could be cleaned up.
You can see the video at
http://neighborhoodroots.tripod.com/vaporstudy.html
Slick smear campaign
No one in the media seems to report the fact that more than half of the 17 million gallon spill has already been cleaned up. Also, the remediation process has been going on, with the blessing of local elected officials, since 1992 and continues. Also interesting is that no one points out that the spill is almost entirely under the remote western industrial section of Greenpoint near the East Williamsburg industrial park. There are a few residential streets near Kingsland Avenue that are above the spill, but the vast majority of residential properties are not involved with the spill. A vapor study has been completed by the NYS Dept. of Health which concluded that there were no vapors coming from the spill into homes. There were also no vapors found in the air in the community.
http://neighborhoodroots.tripod.com/vaporstudy.html
The smear campaign has included news reports by Marcia Kramer of CBS news and Geraldo Rivera of FOX news first reporting on a cancer victim who lost his leg at age 14. The reports falsely linked this cancer survivor with Greenpoint in an attempt to create a scare about a 30 year old oil spill story. The cancer victim was actually a life long Williamsburg resident, named Sebastian Pirrozi, who now resides in Staten Island. Mr. Pirrozi had never lived in Greenpoint, but it is true is that there were three cases of extremely rare cancer on Devoe Street, the block in Williamsburg where he lived. In fact, one victim got cancer after residing in the same apartment as Mr. Pirrozi. One more case is five blocks away and even further away from Greenpoint towards Grand Street.
The Sebastian Pirrozi story was also covered by the NY Post (also owned by FOX News Corp) and published on October 15, 2006. When the Post reporter, Angela Montefinise, was contacted about the facts in her story, she said that her editor, Susan Edelman, had rewritten her story before it was put in the paper. She said that she was aware that Mr. Pirrozi never lived in Greenpoint, and that her original unpublished article pointed out the fact that it seemed that there were people who were trying to attach themselves to the old oil spill story to make some money with unscrupulous “ambulance chaser” attorneys. She didn’t understand why her editor reworked her article and misrepresented where the cancer cluster was. She was unhappy that her name was attached to the article.
Congressman Anthony Weiner who has been in the forefront of this smear campaign stated that Greenpoint has a 25% higher asthma rate than the rest of the city. The only problem is that the two health studies done by the state and city show the asthma rate in Greenpoint to be between 25% and 50% LOWER than the rest of the city along with a 10% LOWER cancer rate. Where are they higher? You guessed it- Williamsburg. The State DEC is aware of toxic industrial sites in Willliamsburg near Devoe Street that could potentially be the cause of these rare cancers, but no one is calling for that study. “Instead, there seems to be a no holds barred attack on Greenpoint and a blatant disregard for the health concerns of the Willamsburg community”, One has to wonder Congressman Weiner are in the pocket of Williamsburg real estate developers trying to cover up a serious health concern that may hinder the sales of their luxury condo developments. “Public officials are to serve and protect life and property- not serve and protect property of their cronies.” One must question whether the recent support of massive residential development in Williamsburg and the historic resistance from Brooklyn politicians (including Borough President Marty Markowitz and Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez) to residential development along the recently rezoned Greenpoint waterfront has anything to do with this dissemination of lies.
http://www.nyhealth.gov/statistics/cancer/registry/pdf/volume1nycneighborhoods.pdf
Lets do a Greenpoint vs Williamsburg toxic score card.
Liquid Natural Gas storage facilities in Williamsburg: Yes, in East Williamsburg
Liquid Natural Gas storage facilities in Greenpoint: none
Radioactive storage facilities in Williamsburg: Radiac on Kent Ave
Radioactive storage facilities in Greenpoint: none
Williamsburg oil spill size: Unknown (it might be even bigger than the Exxon Valdez) The Astral oil company operated on the Williamsburg waterfront for decades and may have spilled over 100 million gallons of oil into the ground under Williamsburg contaminating ground water and creating toxic vapors. Williamsburg’s higher cancer rates may now be better understood. How many new residents know about the potential deadly health risks that this oil poses?
Greenpoint oil spill size: defined and now half its original size.
Williamsburg oil spill location: Under newly developed luxury condos and possibly under the majority of the developing community. The full devastating results can only be determined by a lengthy study.
Greenpoint oil spill location: Under the remote industrial property next to the East Williamsburg industrial park.
Greenpoint condos being built on former toxic brownfields: none
Williamsburg condos being built on toxic brownfields: Many (including the Eastern District Site, and now the Williamsburg Oil field site)
Blogs revealing the toxic hazards in Williamsburg: Hard to find
Blogs dedicated to spreading lies about toxic hazards in Greenpoint: You can hardly swing a stick without hitting one.
All of Greenpoint less desirable industries of the past were located in the eastern industrial section along the Newtown creek. Greenpoint’s East river waterfront had been home to lumberyards, rope factories for a century and then was abandoned for nearly half a century. None of Greenpoint’s East River waterfront has the toxic history that Williamsburg’s Eastern district terminal has. The smear campaign unleashed on Greenpoint, just when we it was rezoned curiously excluded Williamsburg’s toxic issues. The media still isn’t covering the issues, just day after day coverage of hipsterville. Do a williamsburg search in the NY times. It’s pretty revealing.
Luis Garden Acosta, Founder/President & CEO of El Puente, a highly respected community human rights institution that promotes leadership for peace and justice through the engagement of members (youth and adult) in the arts, education, scientific research, wellness and environmental action has called Williamsburg “the most toxic place to live in America” in a documentary created by Williamsburg based VBS organization. Other rare cancer clusters in Willamsburg have been reported.
Who the hell is the weird anti-blue state, oil spills are great person? Does anyone know how to to an IP search and see if they are from Exxon or something? Seriously, very very weird comments. Uh, it seems that people are upset about an oil spill in their backyard? Is that really partisan. Do Republicans like oil spills?
i live smack in the middle of this schlop. ain't skeered. of course it's not cool, but i think exxonmobil should pay my rent...so i can dedicate more time to grooming my ironic mustache