City Violated Federal Law In Gowanus Cleanup, Rezoning Opponents Say

BROOKLYN, NY — Opponents of the greenlit Gowanus Rezoning plan who recently took the city to court over the controversial rezoning tried another tack Monday, writing a letter to the U.S. EPA's Inspector General raising concerns over the federal-led canal cleanup efforts.

The letter, addressed to U.S. EPA Inspector General Sean O’Donnell and signed by Voices of Gowanus leaders, argues that the city and other regulators didn't enforce federal environmental laws mandated by the multi-million Gowanus Canal cleanup process beginning in 2010.

Specifically, the letter says that these groups failed to build sufficient sewer tanks, curtailed National Grid's cleanup requirements and didn't fully investigate soil and water cleanliness at certain sites now designated for residential use — all issues that could worsen with the addition of thousands of new residents under the Gowanus Rezoning Plan, according to the letter.

"It's really pretty simple in the end: Do we want massive amounts of human waste in our waterways? Do we want toxic chemicals in our groundwater and soil? Do we want people to continue to live at risk in Gowanus? Our answer to all of those is a great big HELL NO!" said Linda LaViolette, co-chair of Voices of Gowanus' Outreach Committee who signed the letter alongside Jack Riccobono.

The letter also argues that state staff and officials have retaliated against U.S. EPA staff for sharing information about project issues and shortcomings. "Adverse personnel actions appear to be ongoing," the letter claims.

The U.S. EPA Inspector General did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment.

Many of the letter's claims echo issues Voices of Gowanus raised in its lawsuit against the city earlier this year, which specifically argues that the Department of City Planning violated laws during its environmental review of the Gowanus Rezoning plan.

A Law Department spokesperson, however, rejected the entire premise of the suit.

"This suit is meritless. The approval process and environmental review were thorough and reflect years of deep community engagement around a vision and plan to make Gowanus a more sustainable and thriving neighborhood," the spokesperson told Patch at the time when the suit was filed.

The suit, which is still tied up in court, is not the first legal effort in opposition to the rezoning.

Voices of Gowanus, in fact, is among the groups that have staunchly opposed the decade-long rezoning effort, culminating in a months-long court battle surrounding meetings held in the city's review process last year.

The rezoning, though, was passed by the City Council last year. As passed, it is estimated to bring 8,000 units of housing, 3,000 of which will be designated as affordable, to the 80 blocks surrounding the Gowanus Canal.

Supporters have heralded the rezoning as the "opposite of gentrification" given it is the first undertaken in a majority-white, wealthy neighborhood.

Related Article: Gowanus Rezoning Faces Court Challenge Months After Approval