Stormwater issues and ineffective absorbent boom at Pratt Oil seep

Newtown Creek today during our May water quality patrol, which began this morning.

Raining. We see several sites with very turbid discharges – we assume storm water. No sheens. No SPDES signs (pollution discharge permits).

Also, at Pratt oil seep on Queens side the absorbent boom is hung up on rip rap. It needs better rigging to be effective.

Boom at Pratt seep, Queens side.

Discharge just east of Queens side Waste Management – very close/west of Pratt seep.

Strong, turbid discharge at Waste Management on Brooklyn side under Kosciusko. We’ve seen this before. It’s only visible in rain and at low tide.

Turbid stormwater discharge next to  Exxon groundwater well discharge at Meeker Av (right hand of two)

Discharge at Empire Transit Mix. This is a storm drain, I think. It is right next to the pipe where we saw cement waste discharged years ago which led to EPA enforcement.

And just for fun, the Gowanus Canal, the lower intestine of Brooklyn

Heavy equipment working in the Hudson north of the Tappan Zee Bridge

The State is conducting a “Pile Demonstration Implementation Project” (PIDP) in the Hudson and is also collecting many core samples of bottom sediment. The data collected will be provided to the contractors who are bidding on construction of the proposed two new bridge structures.

Riverkeeper, our riverfront Towns and Villages as well as Rockland and Westchester Counties have petitioned the Governor to slow and alter the current undemocratic and illegal process so that other crossing options which will not harm the river and our river communities can be investigated. So far, no answer from Cuomo.

If the Governor’s plan proceeds as currently proposed, our communities and the River will take an awful beating.

The River is starting to feel it already.

Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic Outing

Professors Karl Coplan and Dan Estrin with their students on the Fletcher!

Yesterday we patrolled Tappan Zee Bay with students from the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic!

The Clinic works collaboratively with Riverkeeper in many legal proceedings at the local, state, and federal level.

It was great to get them out on the water!