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