22 THE QUEENS COURIER • DECEMBER 12, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
EPA Extends the Public Comment period on Proposed
Cleanup Plan for the Newtown Creek Superfund Site
On November 21, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Proposed Plan for
addressing Operable Unit 2 of the Newtown Creek Superfund site (site). A 30-day public comment period
on the Proposed Plan, which identifi es the EPA’s preferred cleanup plan and other cleanup options that
were considered by the EPA, which began on November 21, 2019 has been extended an additional 30-days
and will now end on January 27, 2020.
Overall, the Newtown Creek site is addressed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, also known as the Superfund Law). In addition, as per the
requirements of the Clean Water Act, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection is
under order of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to implement
a Combined Sewer Overfl ow (CSO) Long Term Control Plan for Newtown Creek (LTCP). Th e LTCP was
approved by NYSDEC and includes construction of a storage tunnel that would reduce the volume of CSO
discharges to Newtown Creek to achieve waterbody-specifi c water quality standards consistent with the
Federal CSO Control Policy and related guidance. Operable Unit 2 of the site evaluates whether the volume
control measures prescribed by the LTCP, pursuant to the Clean Water Act order referenced above, are
suffi cient to meet the needs of an eventual Superfund cleanup of the site.
Th e EPA’s preferred cleanup plan for this discrete aspect of the site consists of No Further Action, where,
in this case, no further action means no action beyond the anticipated implementation of the LTCP, pursuant
to the above-referenced Clean Water Act order.
Th e Proposed Plan is available electronically at https://www.epa.gov/superfund/newtown-creek or by calling
Natalie Loney, EPA’s community Involvement Coordinator, at (212) 637-3639 and requesting a copy by
mail.
Written comments on the Proposed Plan, postmarked no later than close of business January 27, 2020,
may be emailed to schmidt.mark@epa.gov or mailed to Mark Schmidt, US EPA, 290 Broadway, 18th Floor,
New York, NY 10007-1866. Th e Administrative Record fi le containing the documents used or relied on
in developing the alternatives and preferred cleanup plan is available for public review at www.epa.gov/
superfund/newtown-creek or at the following information repository: EPA - Region 2, Superfund Records
Center, 290 Broadway, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10007-1866.
For more information, please contact Natalie Loney at (212) 637-3639 or loney.natalie@epa.gov.
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