Newtown Creek Monitor Project
..Named "Maspeth" by the "Mespeatches," indigeneous peoples who lived along it. "Maspeth" means "at the bad water place." Polluting industry began as early as the Revolutionary War period, with companies such as Peter Cooper's Glue Factory, Cord Meyers' Animal Carbon Plant, Laurel Hill Chemical Works. The first industry of the 1800's was built by the Standard Oil Company to refine oil, and soon after all sorts of other chemical companies were established. Another generation later, in the 1890's, a series of chemical companies were founded along its shores with names such as Acme Fertilizer, Nichols Chemical Works, US and Canada Degrease Syndicate, and The Long Island Agricultural and Chemical Company. If this wasn't enough, it also had manure barges named Night Soil Boat and Dead Animal Wharf. During this period a community group was formed, " the smelling committee," to monitor the smell conditions of the creek.
Exxon Mobil: 30 yrs and on-going oil spill in the Newtown Creek
Exxon/Mobil and Texaco/Chevron contributed the largest oil spill in the country in the Newtown Creek. 17 million gallons of oil were spilled over 50 acres of land, a larger spill than the Exxon Valdeze in Alaska.. Though the oil companies were charged to clean-up, still today, on any given day, heavy black tar oil spillage can be seen seeping from the bulkheads into the creek. This has been occuring for more than 30 yrs. With the assistance of the RiverKeepers and a number of leading city officials, council members Eric Gioia and David Yasky, several lawsuits are currently being filed against the companies. To respond to the communities' complaints, the companies have simply placed a floating fender to retain the on-going oil seepage.
Texaco/Chevron 30 yr oil spill destroys villages and estuaries in the Amazon Rainforest of Ecuador.
Indigenous leaders of the Amazon Rainforest of Ecuador (Aguinda peoples) visit New York Harbor to find solidarity with local environmental organizations, raise public awareness and gain support from local officials, while in the courts in a lawsuit against oil moguls for the destruction of their rainforest and local estuaries. The Brooklyn Borough President welcomed the delegation at Borough Hall. The Urban Divers Estuary Conservancy's Environmental Program Director Ludger K. Balan led the delegation on a brief tour of our local waterways and shared concern with our issues of a more than 30 yr old oil spill here in the Newtown Creek caused by the same oil moguls. The Aguinda leaders asked, "Where does the dirty Newtown Creek water flow?" Ludger explained, "Iit flows into the East River and out to the Atlantic Ocean." After a brief reflection, one of the leaders replied bewildered, "... what about the fish?" Ludger later asked at the end of the journey, "So what do you think?" One replied, "Lots of water but no body can go fishing, no body can go swimming." Ludger asked what they thought of our big city. They both replied in unison, "We like our village.... many trees. We like fishing and swimming every day.... Please help us stop your oil company from destroying our village" The delegation was lead by Amazon Watch. At the height of its operations in Ecuador, Chevron/Texaco was dumping some 4.3 million gallons per day of toxic wastewater into open pits, estuaries, and rivers (This waste water contains 500 to 5000 parts per million of pure oil as well as cancer causing- heavy metals, and other toxins). The total amount of wastewater dumped into Ecuador's rainforest was 464, 766,540 barrels, or roughly 18.5 billion gallons (one barrel contains 40 gal). ChevronTexaco also left behind approximately 350 open waste pits contaminated with heavy metals and other carcinogenic compounds, some of which exist only a few feet away from the home of residents. Begun in October 2003, after Chevron Texaco was forced by a U.S court to accept jurisdiction in the Ecuadorian town of Lago Agrio, the trial is one of the most important legal cases in the world involving the impact of globalization on indgenous rights and the environment. Brought by five indigenous groups and 80 communities. The case. called Aguinda vs ChevronTexaco. has the potential to set a precedent that could benefit millions of persons by establishing a higher standard of oil development in fragile ecosystems. It also has the potential to change the dynamics of how justice systems are used by historically weak people against powerful multinational companies. The case is historic in that it represents the first time a multinational oil company has been forced to answer charges of this nature in the court of a developing nation with a decision enforceable in the United States.To learn more about the Aguinda vs Texaco. log on to www.amazonwatch.org . or attend UDEC's 3rd Annual Submerge Art And Environment Festival.
PLEASE DO NOT EAT THE FISH!

Unsuspecting of the heavily contaminated estuary, local and visiting anglers are commonly spotted fishing and crabbing on the Newtown Creek. The Newtown Creek is 3.5 miles long, 1.5 miles of the creek is anoxic during the summer (no dissolve oxygen- Dead Water!). This condition is prime for virus and disease causing bacteria. The Newtown Creek discharges into the East River. In other parts of the creek it is most hypoxic, averaging 2 to 3 mg/l of DO. Marine life requires 4-5ppm for survival. Several fish from the harbor migrate to the safer and calmer inlet to hatch,and often they meet their peril. Should they survive, they eventually return to the harbor to places where fishing is sanctioned. These contaminated fish may eventually end up on our dinner plates.
CSOs, Stormwater discharge and Run-off in the creek.
The creek is challenged by both permitted and illegal discharge. There are approximately 17 combine sewage outlfalls (CSOs) on the creek. These sanctioned drains discharge raw untreated sewage into the estuary after every heavy rainfall. As the waste treatment plants become overwhelmed by excess water from rainfall, they fill to capicity, and the excess sewage is discharged untreated directly into the water. Storm water and runoff from the streets are also discharged. The Newtown Creek hosts the largest waste treatment plant. though this waste treatment plant only provides primary treatment before its affluent is discharged into the creek. Construction to increase to a larger treatment plant is in progress but will not be completed for another decade.
Poor environmental remediation practices and lack of enforcement of environmental laws contribute to the on-going demise of the creek. As seen here, the 35 acres of the Phelps Dodge site are among the most polluted superfund sites of the creek. The company has been charged 18 million dollars to do a clean-up of the land by removing approximately 6100 cubic yards of contaminated soil, with the contaminated groundwater to be pumped out and a capping over the 35 acres of the impervious lot. As shown here, Phelps Dodge began its clean-up. Notice the mounds of contaminated soil left uncovered along the water's edge only to find its way into the estuary. The photograph was taken on Aug 21, 2004. Weather conditions were for thunderstorms with high gusts of winds, 40- 50 knots. Plumes of dust were blown all across adjacent communities. The heavy rain and wind thunderstorms hit the creek at approximately 3:30 pm on that day. The property of Phelps Dodge is heavily contaminated with several cancer-causing and liver-damaging toxins such as PCBs, heavy metals, and volatile inorganic contaminants such as Benzine.
Mounds of fine floatable debris, such as recyled shredded metals, plastics, and contaminated soil piles, along the creek remain unprotected from blowing into the air or into the water during heavy wind or rainfall. Such debris contains common contaminants such as lead, mercury, chromium, chemical dyes, and other contaminants harmful to aquatic life and humans. Residents in the Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Brooklyn area have the highest incidence of asthma and other respiratory disease in the region.
Eco-cruise with Members of CB#1 Rezoning Task Force, and community members, Aug 21st, 04
Since 2000, our FREE educational cruises aboard our monitoring vessel "CleanWater" provide an opportunity for every community member to receive the basic science and ecological vision that will assist them in becoming better informed and more active participants in the public policy decision making process, stewards of our local and regional environmental resources. (other eco-cruises)
UDEC members steward and field monitoring training on the Newtown Creek with member Micro-Biologist Nasreen Hacque, Phd, and Toxicologist Nulifar Hacque,Phd., April 04.