NEW YORK — Experts say dangerous vapors could be seeping into over 1,000 Brooklyn buildings from an underground plume.
The EPA has added the area to its national priority list due to the potential harm.
Where are the poisonous vapors in Brooklyn?
EPA
The plume, according to the EPA, spans approximately 45 city blocks along Meeker Avenue, where East Williamsburg and Greenpoint meet.
Industrial companies and residential homes have been sharing the area for decades, but experts say the mix could be problematic since poisonous vapors may be affecting more than 1,000 buildings in the area.
“That plume has come from, primarily, historic industrial usage,” said Natalie Vichnevsky, with the Meeker Avenue Plume Community Advisory Group.
The problem was discovered back in 2005 after an oil spill.
While investigations lasted nearly two decades, residents became so concerned, they started an advisory group to work with the EPA to fix it.
“It is an issue, but it is something that… there exists mitigation measures,” Vichnevsky said.
The EPA turned the area into a federal superfund site in 2022, pumping $1 million into remedies that could take years.
What are the health risks associated with the underground plume in Brooklyn?
Environmental officials say there are serious health risks if people are exposed to the chemicals.
“Can effect the liver and kidneys, TCE in particular. It can have developmental effects with children,” said John Brennan, remedial project manager for EPA Region 2.
Experts say they’re most concerned about first-floor units and basements because vapors rise from right below. Â
They say higher floors and outdoors don’t see as many issues.
How do you know if you’re affected by the poisonous vapors in Brooklyn?
The first step, experts say, is landlords must get their buildings tested for free. Roughly 80% of buildings are still untested.
“There’s hundreds more we would like to sample, and that’s really been our primary goal,” Brennan said.
Experts says the EPA does have the legal authority to force homeowners to get the test, but they don’t want it to get to that.
