NYSDEC Oversight

The NYSDEC provides oversight of activities conducted by the major responsible parties at various Greenpoint petroleum remediation sites in Brooklyn, New York. NYSDEC’s subcontractor (Ecology and Environment Engineering and Geology P.C. [E&E]) conducts monthly field oversight of PRP activities to assist NYSDEC in developing a better understanding of the day to day investigation and remedial activities that occur in the Greenpoint area and report any pertinent issues to NYSDEC’s project manager.

The following sections summarize recent activities observed at the various Greenpoint remediation sites in Brooklyn, New York.


Date of Oversight Observation: February 14, 2024

Former ExxonMobil Terminal

Description of Activities

  1. E&E/WSP observed the on-site treatment system in operation and recorded current operating parameters of the air strippers from the control screen.
  2. E&E/WSP observed routine treatment system maintenance.
  3. E&E/WSP collected a sample of the on-site effluent for visual observation and compared it to a previously collected sample taken from the Newtown Creek in the vicinity of the outfall.

 Planned Activities

  1. Routine treatment system maintenance.

ExxonMobil Off-Site Plume Area

Description of Activities

  1. E&E/WSP observed the off-site treatment system in operation and recorded current operating parameters of the air strippers from the control screen.
  2. E&E/WSP observed routine treatment system maintenance.
  3. E&E/WSP collected a sample of the off-site effluent for visual observation and compared it to a previously collected sample taken from the Newtown Creek in the vicinity of the outfall.

Planned Activities

  1. Routine treatment system maintenance.

KM Terminal (Former BP Terminal)

Description of Activities

  1. Antea walked E&E/WSP personnel though the groundwater treatment system control setup, how each well can be operated onsite or remotely, and how the system is set up to notify Antea by email if there is an alarm on one of the wells that prevents the pumps from running.
  2. Antea informed E&E/WSP that RW-5 is offline until the groundwater pump can be restarted.
  3. Antea and E&E/WSP did not observed a petroleum sheen within the bulkhead boom containment area or the creek outside the boom containment area.

 Planned Activities

  1. Routine treatment system maintenance
  2. Continued RW-5 diagnostic testing/troubleshooting.

Former Paragon Oil Terminal/Apollo Street Creek Parcels

Description of Activities

  1. Arcadis informed E&E/WSP that the February SPDES sampling was performed on 2/12/24.
  2. Arcadis informed E&E/WSP that they are continuing replace existing pumps in several recovery wells with new QED AP4+ ultra-aggressive pumps (same type of pump that is more corrosion resistant).
  3. Arcadis informed E&E/WSP that they are working on details for decommissioning the VPR system.

 Planned Activities

  1. Routine treatment system maintenance.
  2. Arcadis informed E&E/WSP that the 1st quarter 2024 site wide gauging event is scheduled for March 5

Newtown Creek Observations

Former Paragon Terminal Bulkhead
E&E observed conditions along the upper, middle, and lower bulkheads, within the containment areas, and in Newtown Creek in the vicinity of the bulkhead. No sheens or sediment plumes were observed.

Meeker Avenue Bulkhead
E&E observed the conditions of Newtown Creek at the end of Meeker Avenue in the vicinity of the ExxonMobil Off-site outfall and adjacent storm outfalls. Storm outfall D was observed to not be discharging water. No sheens or sediment plumes were observed in the vicinity or within visible distance upstream or downstream of the outfalls. This observation took place about 1 hours after the 6:32 AM 3-0.4’ AMSL low tide.


This page was last updated on Friday, February 16, 2024.