DEC Wants ExxonMobil to Clean Up Petroleum Contamination
August 23, 2006The 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.
"In New York State, it is our policy that the polluter pays to clean up the contamination it caused," Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan said. "DEC has been conducting extensive negotiations with ExxonMobil, but the company's offers did not meet the state's level of satisfaction that the Greenpoint community would be fully protected by the cleanup and appropriately compensated for the impacts the spill has caused. We have approached the Attorney General's office to begin litigation to ultimately obtain a court decision that successfully holds ExxonMobil accountable."
Full Accountability Sought
DEC is seeking the enforcement of numerous provisions of the state's Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), as well as multiple violations of the New York State Navigation Law, public nuisance law and other relevant and appropriate state and federal environmental laws. In addition, DEC is seeking full statutory penalties associated with the violations, the assessment and collection of natural resource damages, comprehensive remediation of the area, and complete recovery of past and future costs related to agency oversight of the remediation activities.
Soil and Water Contamination
The Greenpoint spill consists of trapped petroleum products in the area between Monitor Street and Kingsland Avenue, just south of Greenpoint Avenue and extending southeast to the vicinity of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. The area also has residual petroleum contamination in soil and groundwater. DEC is currently monitoring petroleum product recovery operations as part of a 1990 consent order with ExxonMobil. To date, more than 9 million gallons of oil have been recovered in the plume area, with progress ongoing.