TASC Review of Gowanus Canal - Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Reports - Revised October 10, 2012

Sep 14, 2026

Uploaded by Connor

Technical Assistance Services for Communities (TASC) delivers a plain-language review of EPA’s draft Remedial Investigation (RI) and Feasibility Study (FS) reports for the Gowanus Canal Superfund site in Brooklyn, prepared between January 2011 and December 2011 and revised October 10, 2012. The review explains site history, the Superfund framework, combined sewer overflows and Superfund-related regulations, how hydrogeology influences contamination transport, and how ecological restoration can be integrated into cleanup planning.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Site Background

Introduction

The Superfund Process

Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Report Overview

Remedial Investigation (RI), January 2011

Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) and Superfund Regulations

How Water Movement Affects Contamination in the Gowanus Canal

Ecological Restoration and Site Cleanup

Technical Assistance Services for Communities Contract No.: EP-W-07-059 TASC WA No.: TASC-4-HQ-OSRTI Technical Directive No.: 2.02 TD \#4 Gowanus Canal Superfund Site TASC Review of Gowanus Canal Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Reports Revised October 10, 2012 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a draft Remedial Investigation (RI) Report for the Gowanus Canal Superfund site in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, in January 2011, with supplemental material published in February 2012. EPA published the draft Feasibility Study (FS) Report for the Gowanus Canal in December 2011. The Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group (CAG) requested technical assistance in the form of a technical document review of both reports. The CAG specifically requested a summary of the RI and FS reports that is easy to understand, with a particular focus on what the reports say about three topics: a. Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and their relation to Superfund regulations. b. How water movement affects contamination in the Gowanus Canal (hydrogeology) . c. How ecological restoration could be integrated into the cleanup of the canal. This report is provided by EPA’s Technical Assistance Services for Communities (TASC) program. Independent technical and environmental consultants implement the TASC program. The report’s contents do not necessarily reflect the policies, actions or positions of EPA. TASC has provided this report to the Gowanus Canal CAG and other community members affected by the Gowanus Canal Superfund site. This report includes five sections: I. Site Background II. Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Report Overview III. Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) and Superfund Regulations IV. How Water Movement Affects Contamination in the Gowanus Canal V. Ecological Restoration and Site Cleanup I. Site Background Introduction The Gowanus Canal is located in Brooklyn, New York. Completed in 1869, the canal was once a major local transportation route. Manufactured gas plants, mills, tanneries and chemical plants operated along the canal. Today, the Gowanus Canal is one of the nation’s most extensively contaminated water bodies. EPA added the canal to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) on March 2, 2010. The NPL is EPA’s list of the most contaminated hazardous wastes sites in the United States. Figure 1 shows the Gowanus Canal as seen from the Union Street Bridge during a walking tour with CAG members. Figure 1: Gowanus Canal from Union Street Bridge The Superfund Process Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) . The program’s name refers to the“super fund” of money that was set aside to cleanup hazardous waste sites when it was established in 1980. Figure 2 shows the Superfund process. It begins with a preliminary assessment and site inspection (PA/SI) and continues on to the NPL listing process. The RI/FS stage determines the nature and extent of contamination at a site and evaluates treatment technologies. EPA then selects a remedy for sites in a decision document called a Record of Decision (ROD) . Leading up to the ROD, EPA selects a preferred remedy and presents this remedy in a document called the Proposed Plan. Public comments are solicited on the Proposed Plan before the ROD is completed. After the ROD, detailed cleanup plans are developed and implemented during the remedial design/remedial action (RD/RA) stage, leading to the completion and monitoring of cleanups during the construction completion and post-construction completion stages. Once sites are fully protective of human health and the environment, EPA deletes them from the NPL. Figure 2: The Superfund process ([http://www.epa.gov/superfund/community/process.htm](http://www.epa.gov/superfund/community/process.htm)) As described above, EPA listed the Gowanus Canal on the NPL in March 2010 followin

FAQs

What is the purpose of the RI and what does it investigate for the Gowanus Canal site?

The RI focuses on collecting data to characterize site conditions, define the nature of contamination, assess risk to human health and the environment, and test potential treatment technologies. EPA then publishes RI findings in an RI Report.

How do combined sewer overflows (CSOs) relate to Superfund regulations in this review?

CSOs are explained as events where stormwater enters sewer systems, potentially exceeding capacity and discharging excess wastewater directly into waters like the Gowanus Canal. The document connects CSO impacts to the broader Superfund regulatory context.

Why is water movement (hydrogeology) important for contamination in the Gowanus Canal?

Water movement influences how contamination spreads and where risks develop across the canal system. The review highlights the role of hydrogeology in understanding contamination behavior and informing cleanup decisions.

Sep 14, 2026

Uploaded by Connor