Greenpoint Newtown Creek Oil Spill e-Resource

Explosive Methane Vapors Found In Greenpoint

According to the Daily News, elevated levels of methane have been found in Greenpoint soil near the spill. Residents need to sign up to have their homes checked:

Emergency testing for dangerous gases will be conducted by the DEC for homes south of Nassau Ave. and Hausman St. and will begin as soon as residents ask for it, officials said.

"The plan was created in the past couple of weeks in response to the data," said DEC spokeswoman Maureen Wren.

DEC Wants ExxonMobil to Clean Up Petroleum Contamination

The cleanup area covers 52 acres in Greenpoint area of Brooklyn

The New York State Attorney General's office has agreed to initiate legal action against ExxonMobil Corporation to ensure that the company fulfills its obligation to clean up petroleum contamination in the Greenpoint, Brooklyn community. The contamination was caused by a number of oil spills and illegal discharges, including a 17 million gallon oil spill first detected in September 1978 that extended 52 acres under the Greenpoint area.

DEC Seeks Legal Action to Require Exxon Mobil to Clean up Petroleum Contamination in Greenpoint Area of Brooklyn

Attorney General to Enforce Violations Against Polluters For Damages to Greenpoint and Newtown Creek Due to Oil Spills

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan today announced that the State Attorney General's office has agreed to initiate legal action against ExxonMobil Corporation to ensure that the company fulfills its obligation to clean up petroleum contamination in the Greenpoint, Brooklyn community. The contamination was caused by a number of oil spills and illegal discharges, including a 17 million gallon oil spill first detected in September 1978 that extended 52 acres under the Greenpoint area.

Bombshell oil spill study

Daily News
State officials and ExxonMobil executives have known for as long as 10 years that potentially toxic gases escaped from a massive Greenpoint oil spill, court papers show.

Environmentalists Urge Action On Toxic Creek

Queens Chronicle"
A study should be conducted to determine if contaminants beneath the soil in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, may pose hazards to workers or residents nearby in Queens West, according to the chief investigator for an environmental watchdog group.

Hevesi To DEC: Don't Settle Yet With ExxonMobil On Greenpoint

North Country Gazette
NEW YORK---ExxonMobil should not be allowed to negotiate a clean up agreement with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) until the full scope of the damage has been clearly defined through independent studies and more information has been shared with the public, State Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi said Monday.

Hevesi targets Exxon oil spill

Dail News
State Controller Alan Hevesi called for an independent study of the size and impact of the Greenpoint oil spill to make sure ExxonMobil doesn't get away with a cheapo cleanup.

State Comptroller Puts Halt To Cleanup Of Brooklyn Oil Spill

Brooklyn News
Nearly 30 years after a giant oil spill in Brooklyn, environmental officials are poised to negotiate a cleanup agreement with ExxonMobil, but the state comptroller is asking them to hold off.

Slick Move: Hevesi Can't Give Consent to Exxon Deal

Dateline

State Comptroller Alan Hevesi is trying to kill a deal between ExxonMobil and the state agency charged with holding the oil giant accountable for their role in the massive oil spill under North Brooklyn, arguing that a fair deal can't be struck until the full size of the spill is determined.

$58B B'KLYN SUIT OVER BITTER SPILL

New York Post

More than a dozen Greenpoint, Brooklyn, residents are taking on Big Oil with a $58 billion lawsuit, claiming a gigantic spill in the 1950s is still wreaking havoc on their neighborhood and threatening their health.

Greenpoint Oil Spill History

Riverkeeper.org has a great section on their site that provides extensive coverage of the Greenpoint oil spill in Brooklyn. The site provides history, press releases, maps and other resources about the pollution from the spill.

20 Years To Clean Remainder of Greenpoint Spill?

The Seattle Times has an Associated Press article which provides a classic quote from a plaintiff in the Greenpoint oil spill class action lawsuit. When told the cleanup could take 20 years:

"Twenty years! Are they kidding?" said one plaintiff, Robert McErlean, 58. "If they wanted to come in and drill for oil for profit, you know they'd have that oil out in 20 days!"

Residents File Greenpoint Class Action Lawsuit

The Brooklyn Rail chronicles the story of Dorothy Swick one of 23 Greenpoint neighborhood residents who filed a Greenpoint oil spill lawsuit in December. The lawsuit names Exxon Mobile, BP and Chevron Texaco as defendants.