The presence of oil in parts of Greenpoint is well documented, but it looks like someone wants the oil to be cleaned up. This morning there was artwork in the Queens-bound Nassau Avenue G stop asking for a stop to the oil spills. The artwork shows drops of oil on the walls of the station, pools of oil collected on the floors, and paper towels for straphangers to clean up the spill. Reader Shannan tells us that the paper towels said something to the effect of "no more oil spills." more ›

One part of last week's NY State Department of Environmental Conservation press release about the Greenpoint oil spill was "information on planned vapor and indoor air sampling will be discussed" during next Wednesday's meeting. And it looks like it means sampling in homes, as the Daily News reports that Greenpoint homeowners are being urged to sign up for emergency gas testing. The fear is that toxic gases have been affecting people's health. While ExxonMobil says, "there is no indication of any methane or benzene impacts to local residences," residents are concerned and one woman even has a pipe in her backyard so toxic vapors can be released! more ›

Earlier this year, State Comptroller Alan Hevesi asked that the Department of Environmental Conservation not negotiate a settlement agreement with ExxonMobil about a 1978 oil spill of 17 million gallons (bigger than the Valdez spill) off Newtown Creek. And now, tests that the DEC performed show there are "elevated levels of the carcinogen benzene and the potentially combustible gas methane in the soil". Oh, dear. more ›

get to the opposite tracks while still in the station. And in our experience in stations, when we've entered the wrong side, the subway clerks have been very nice and let us get in the other side (they might check your Metrocard, to see that you've swiped into the station, but still, it's nice). Either way, walking across the tracks is really not a good idea. [Via Candice at kittypower] more ›