EPA Press Office:

EPA Extends Public Comment Period on Plan to Address Contamination at the Meeker Avenue Plume Superfund Site in Brooklyn

NEW YORK (April 17, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a plan to protect people living and working in residential and commercial buildings at the Meeker Avenue Plume Superfund Site in the Greenpoint/East Williamsburg area of Brooklyn. Groundwater and soil in the area is contaminated with chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs), which can vaporize into soil and seep into buildings through their foundations. The agency is extending the public comment period, which was set to end on May 10 to a new deadline for public comments of June 25. The EPA held a public meeting on April 16 to explain this proposed plan.

Under the proposal, EPA would install special systems called sub-slab depressurization systems where needed and take preventative measures such as the sealing of cracks and gaps in the lowest level of a structure, where necessary. Sub-slab depressurization involves connecting a blower (an electric fan) to a small suction pit dug into the slab in order to vent vapors outdoors. EPA’s plan reflects the estimated costs for mitigation of up to 100 structures within the Meeker Ave site study area. The plan estimates that EPA’s work will be conducted on an ongoing basis for at least 5 years, the approximate time frame needed for EPA to complete the vapor intrusion sampling necessary.

The EPA is working closely with property owners and area residents to ensure that work is done with minimal disruption. EPA is continuing to investigate the entire site to determine the full nature and extent of contamination.

Written comments may be mailed or emailed to Rupika Ketu, Remedial Project Manager, EPA, 290 Broadway, 18^th floor, NY, NY, 10007, ketu.rupika@epa.gov

EPA’s proposed cleanup proposal will be available at Meeker Avenue Plume Superfund Site.

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For further information: Contact: Carlos Vega, vega.carlos@epa.gov, 212-637-3662