Mayor Adams, EPA Break Ground on $1.6 Billion Project to Protect Gowanus Canal From Sewage Overflow, Add 3.6 Acres of Public Waterfront Space

March 15, 2023

Video available at: https://youtu.be/98WIbnJ480U

When Completed, Underground Storage Tanks Will Dramatically Reduce Pollution into the Gowanus Canal

3.6 Acres of Public Waterfront Space to Include Waterfront Esplanades; Spaces for Community Gathering, Performances, and Environmental Education; a Kayak Launch; and Ecosystem Restoration

NEW YORK - New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Chief Climate Officer and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 Administrator Lisa F. Garcia today broke ground on the first of two underground storage tanks that will have the combined capacity to prevent up to 12 million gallons of sewer overflow during rainstorms, stopping it from polluting the Gowanus Canal. This groundbreaking marks an important alignment among city leadership and the EPA to get these projects on track after Gowanus was categorized as a Superfund site in 2010. These two major infrastructure projects will make an estimated $1.6 billion investment in Brooklyn's waterways and public spaces, significantly improve the health of the canal, and create 3.6 acres of new public waterfront open space and amenities for the Gowanus community.

Read the full Mayoral Press Release.