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: July 17, 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.
  4. ExxonMobil informed E&E/WSP that Brookside Environmental on site today to replacing packs and welding seems within the oil water separator (OWS).

 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 informed E&E/WSP that the groundwater treatment system is currently not running due to leak in the oil/water separator (OWS) tank identified on June 28.  An epoxy seal is in the process of being applied as a temporary patch while a new OWS tank is identified.  The product recovery pumps are still active although the treatment system is offline.
  2. E&E/WSP personnel observed four new monitor wells that were installed along the bulkhead in June.
  3. Antea onsite staff is not aware of the date when the bulkhead repair work is expected to start, but expected the work will occur sometime in August.
  4. Antea and E&E/WSP observed a small amount of petroleum sheen within the bulkhead boom containment area, but no sheen was observed outside the boom containment area.

 Planned Activities

  1. Continued repair of the OWS tank.
  2. Routine product recovery pump maintenance.

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 7/8/24.
  2. Arcadis informed E&E/WSP that the annual July shutdown event is scheduled for this week.  The shutdown activities being performed this week include annual groundwater sampling of warehouse and outdoor monitoring wells, product recovery from warehouse and outdoor monitoring wells, PID survey inside the buildings, and warehouse slab maintenance.
  3. Arcadis informed E&E/WSP that Atlantic Response is performing the next bulkhead inspection today (July 17th).
  4. Arcadis informed E&E/WSP that total fluids treatment system cleaning and treatment media change-out of organoclay and carbon is being performed.

 Planned Activities

  1. Continue the annual July shutdown activities.
  2. Complete the treatment system cleaning and media change-out.

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 6:47 AM 3.3’ AMSL high tide.


This page was last updated on Tuesday, September 3, 2024.