Did Brooklyn really need another oil spill? The NYC Office of Emergency Management has warned the public not to fish or participate in any recreational activities near the Paerdegat Basin because of an oil spill in the channel, which opens to the Jamaica Bay. Of course, some of those near the basin may have been tipped off by the gas odor.
What happened? According to WABC 7, "National Grid was replacing a gas main on Thursday that runs through the waterway when 1,100 gallons of a petroleum-cement mixture spilled into the basin. Workers were 'killing' the gas main by filling it with cement, when something went wrong, and the product spilled into the water."
The U.S. Coast Guard is overseeing the cleanup, and Sheepshead Bites reports, "Coast Guard and local governmental agencies will investigate the cause of the accident. If National Grid is determined to have caused it or acted inappropriately, they will be fined, [U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Erik] Swanson said. There will also be continued testing of the waters to ensure the public’s safety."
The 1,100 gallons is nothing compared to the oil spill (from Exxon) that occurred in Greenpoint and Newtown Creek over decades—it's believed that amount of oil is between 17 million and 30 million gallons. That's why Newtown Creek is a Superfund site, after all!
