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: November 9, 2022

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. Roux informed E&E/WSP that performance testing of the onsite treatment system was completed.  Roux collected samples on the influent and effluent of multiple components of the treatment system to check each piece of equipment’s performance.
  3. Roux informed E&E/WSP that Recovery Well 22 decommission work was started last week and the recovery well is expected to be fully abandoned by the end of next week.
  4. 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.
  2. Continued decommissioning of recovery well 22 (RW22)

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. Roux informed E&E/WSP that the off-site treatment system was shut down on 11/1/22 so the effluent line could be jetted/cleaned out.  The treatment system was back in operation by end of the day 11/3/22.
  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 conducted a site tour with E&E/WSP personnel.
  2. Antea informed E&E/WSP on November 8 that the groundwater treatment system on-line and operating properly; however, the treatment system was offline when they arrived onsite today due to an issue with the air compressor for the LNAPL pumps.  Antea identified the issue was related to the pressure switch on the compressor which was replace and the treatment system was brought back online on 11/10/22.
  3. Antea informed E&E/WSP that RW-9 remains offline, and they are continuing to troubleshoot a bad transducer.
  4. 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-9 diagnostic testing/troubleshooting.

Former Paragon Oil Terminal/Apollo Street Creek Parcels

Description of Activities

  1. Arcadis informed E&E/WSP that the November SPDES sampling was performed on 11/9/22.
  2. Arcadis informed E&E/WSP that they are looking into purchasing a new effluent backwash pump for the treatment system.  This pump transfers dirty backwash water from the effluent backwash tank back through the system.
  3. Arcadis informed E&E/WSP that the 4th quarter 2022 site wide gauging event was performed on 10/11/22.

 Planned Activities

  1. Routine treatment system maintenance.

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 2 hours before the 9:46 AM 3.9’ AMSL high tide.


This page was last updated on Tuesday, November 15, 2022.