Superfund

(Kings County): The Gowanus Canal runs 1.8 miles through South Brooklyn. Its borders the neighborhoods of Red Hook, Carroll Gardens, and Gowanus. It was once a vital cargo transportation hub but has seen decreased use with the decline of domestic water shipping. As industrial pollutants drained into the Canal it became recognized as one of the most polluted bodies of water in the U.S. As Brooklyn waterfront redevelopment attracted upper-class residents, cleanup concerns adjacent to the waterfront began. It was designated a Superfund site in 2009, and restoration began in 2013. With dredging and the area cleanup nearly complete, the city forecasts construction of roughly 16,000 Gowanus apartments to boost the areas economy. Sewer overflow and on site water-detention will need to continue to be regulated as these projects forecast an additional 1.8-millio-gallons more water. On heavy rain days, the sewage and rainwater combine in an overflow pipe that discharges into the canal and is not sustainable for the neighborhoods future. The EPA and city have considered diverting the sewage into newly built tanks along the canal, or into a new tunnel to be finished in 2030.