North Brooklyn Neighbors mapped out reports of petroleum gas smells in Greenpoint. (North Brooklyn Neighbors)
May 23, 2019 By Laura Hanrahan
Local activist group North Brooklyn Neighbors will host a town hall event next month to address complaints from Greenpoint residents about the noxious petroleum smell that has been plaguing the neighborhood for months.
The smell, which has largely been localized to Freeman and Green Streets, between McGuinness Boulevard and Manhattan Avenue, was first noticed by residents in February. Residents have said the smell is strongest early in the morning and in the evening.
The town hall will take place on Wednesday, June 12 at 6:30 p.m. inside the Polish and Slavic Center at 176 Java St. North Brooklyn Neighbors have invited DEC, along with the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Health, and local elected officials to attend the meeting, but are awaiting confirmation from the various offices.
The upcoming event will be the second meeting to be held on this topic by North Brooklyn Neighbors.
On May 9, the group hosted a public discussion on the matter that was attended by representatives from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which has been working on the issue since early March. At the meeting, the DEC spokespeople said that the smell had been found to be emanating from the sewer system. To date, no specific cause had been determined.
“The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s investigation is still ongoing,” a spokesperson for DEC said. “DEC, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection and City Health Department continue to coordinate on the investigation, but no cause has yet been determined.”
North Brooklyn Neighbors is asking residents who continue to smell the petroleum vapors in the weeks leading up to the event to report each incident using the group’s online form so that the data can be presented at the town hall.
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3 Comments
The smell has been there for decades.Many years ago the fire dept would wash down the sewers down near the Greenpoint Ave bridge, because the underground oil spill would get into the sewers. Live with it for 30 or 40 years, you won’t even notice it anymore.
I thought those smells were just normal Greenpoint air I have been breathing/smelling since 1960.
What’s the big deal?
Very ignorant comment, there actually is more then you think going on, if you did your research living here since 1960 you would know due to the old factories there is toxic waste in that area and people are breathing this in, people like you make me sick, ignore problems and think its a fact of life