Advocates hope newly secured federal funds go towards cleaning up Newtown Creek
Sen. Chuck Schumer secured $3.5 billion from the infrastructure deal that will give the Environmental Protection Agency the resources to hold polluters accountable and start cleaning up superfund sites like Newtown Creek in Greenpoint.
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Feb 26, 2022, 12:58 AM
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Updated 882 days ago
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11ds agoAdvocates who have been fighting for more than 12 years to clean up Newtown Creek are hopeful that newly secured federal funds will help in that effort.
Sen. Chuck Schumer secured $3.5 billion from the infrastructure deal that will give the Environmental Protection Agency the resources to hold polluters accountable and start cleaning up superfund sites like Newtown Creek in Greenpoint.
"The law says the polluter pays, you pollute, you clean up," says Schumer.
Willis Elkins has been advocating for Newtown Creek for years through the Newtown Creek Alliance.
"The creek can be a real resource for the community," says Elkins. "It's been fenced off and inaccessible for many years."
Advocates say garbage, oil and industrial gunk, which is referred to as black mayonnaise, are just some of the pollutants causing problems in Newtown Creek.
Members of the Newtown Creek Alliance say they hope the money will allow the EPA to move quicker with cleaning up the site. The group is also demanding a timeline of when everything will be done.
