It's been two and a half years since the Gowanus Canal was declared a Superfund site, and the EPA has finally announced how they plan to cleanup the toxic waterway and how much it will cost. The Times reports that price tag will likely be half a billion dollars, ranging from $467 million to $504 million, and the process will require dredging the "ten feet of black mayonaise" from the bottom of the canal. Companies partially responsible for the extreme pollution in the canal?PCBs, lead, cooper, and dozens of other fun things·will pay for the cleanup. This includes National Grid and the former Brooklyn Union Gas company.
The cleanup also includes plans to control and stop raw sewage discharge into the canal from the city, and the whole thing will last until 2020. The canal will be dredged in three segments, which will then be stabilized with a concrete mixture and capped with sand and clay. The Times report does not say where the contaminated gunk will go once its removed, but we hope the dredging digs up something interesting, like a pirate ship or some skeletons.
· A Price Tage for the Gowanus Cleanup [NYT]
· Ten Feet of Black Mayonnaise: A Day on the Gowanus Canal [Curbed]