Environmental Reviews

Gowanus Canal Combined Sewer Overflow Facilities Project

CEQR No. 17DEP040K

Project Description

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), as lead agency, has prepared an environmental review to disclose potential adverse significant environmental impacts from the construction and operation of two combined sewer overflow (CSO) tank facilities to inform City of New York (City) decision makers on the siting of two tanks that are the subject of land use approvals under ULURP. This Project is required by the EPA to support the remediation of the Gowanus Canal (the Canal) under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA or Superfund). The Project has been reviewed in accordance with the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR), and the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP). Following the designation of the Canal as a Superfund site by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in 2010, USEPA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) in September 2013 that described the USEPA-selected remedy to meet preliminary remediation goals (PRGs) for the Canal. These included remediation of industrial contamination within the Canal and control of CSO solids from discharges in order to protect the remedy when completed.

Final Environmental Impact Statement

DEP issued a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Project in February 2018. A public hearing on the DEIS was held January 17, 2018. The hearing began at 10am and was located at Spector Hall, 22 Reade Street, New York, NY 10007; the public comment period remained open until January 29^th, 2018. The Statement of Findings, FEIS, Notice of Completion, and DEIS, is available below.

Technical Memoranda

DEP published a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Gowanus Canal Combined Sewer Overflow Facilities Project on February 22, 2018. DEP has issued two Technical Memoranda since the FEIS, as described below.

DEP issued a Technical Memorandum on April 23, 2021 to review and refresh critical environmental impact areas for the ULURP applications focused primarily on the Owls Head Facility. No substantive changes were made to the proposed Owls Head Facility since the FEIS. It was concluded that the significant adverse environmental impact findings remain unchanged from those previously identified in the FIES. Please download the Technical Memorandum 1.

DEP issued a Technical Memorandum on December 23, 2022 to review the potential impacts from evening construction work for the Support of Excavation work at the Head End Facility. It was found that the predicted construction noise levels, with the expected change in duration, would not change the conclusions of the FEIS construction noise analysis for any analysis receptors. Please download the Technical Memorandum 2.

Contact

Terrell Estesen, Director Wastewater Review and Special Projects
Bureau of Environmental Planning and Analysis,
New York City Department of Environmental Protection
59-17 Junction Blvd,
11^th Floor
Flushing, NY 11373-5108
terrelle@dep.nyc.gov