Gowanus Canal garners Superfund status

The Environmental Protection Agency has named the Gowanus Canal a Superfund site, a move that places the polluted waterway among the agency’s top priorities and allows it access to federal funding. The designation is a hit to the Bloomberg administration’s agenda, according to the New York Times. Mayor Michael Bloomberg had raised concerns that a federal cleanup would raise legal problems between polluters and agency officials. Of concern, also, has been the negative connotation of a Superfund label – – city officials had complained that the Superfund status would put off potential area developers. The EPA’s most recent assessment puts the cleanup cost between $300 million and $500 million, and projects that the project could last upwards of a decade. [Pardon Me for Asking] and [NYT]