We posted about all of tonight’s Carroll Gardens and Gowanus meetings a bit earlier, but we do want to focus a little on the one dealing with the site of the former Manufactured Gas Plant on Third Avenue under Thomas Greene Park and nearby blocks. It’s one of several toxic sites in Gowanus/Carroll Gardens that need to be cleaned up by National Grid/Keyspan. Per an information sheet from the Department of Environmental Conservation, the plant that was on the site “made combustible gas from coal and operated from approximately 1886 until 1933. The gas was provided to homes, businesses and industries in much the same way natural gas is used today.”

Per the DEC’s document:

Coal tar contamination was not observed at or near the surface of the ground, but was found in soil borings done as part of the Site Characterization in the
subsurface soils at depths below 7 feet. Soils less than 7 feet below ground were not found to contain tar contamination. Because of these depths, human exposure to coal tar contaminants by routine users of the park, workers involved in park operations, or people in the surrounding neighborhood is not
expected….Coal tar, which condensed from the hot gas produced by the plant, is a brownish to black
liquid with an odor similar to driveway sealer. It contains a variety of environmental contaminants including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX).

The meeting tonight is part of the start of the “remedial investigation.” There are two meetings: one is from 4:00 to 5:30 PM and another is from 5:30 to 7:00 PM. Both sessions take place at Public School 32, which is located at 317 Hoyt Street.