Kavanagh & Colleagues Work to Confirm Status of 250 Water St Remediation & Community Engagement

April 27, 2020

On April 27, Senator Kavanagh and his colleagues wrote to the Department of Environmental Conservation to confirm that in light of the COVID-19 crisis, the remedial investigative work at the BCP Site # C231127 had been deemed non-essential and that work would be postponed. Additionally, the letter sought to ensure that work would not proceed until in-person community meetings can be held, to provide an opportunity for community engagement. The text of the officials' letter is below.

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April 27, 2020

Rafi Alam
Division of Environmental Remediation
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233

Re: Postponement of Remedial Investigative Work at 250 Water Street, Brownfield Cleanup Program Site # C231127

Dear Mr. Alam:

As you are aware, 250 Water Street in Manhattan has been approved for remedial investigative work pursuant to the Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP Site # C231127). We have had extensive contact with you and your colleagues at the Department of Environmental Conservation regarding this site, which is bordered by the densely occupied Southbridge Towers, the Peck Slip School, and the Blue School.

Thank you for your responsiveness and for your dedication to the health and safety of our Lower Manhattan community. Your commitment to local engagement has been crucial to us and to the constituents we are privileged to represent.

We write now to confirm our understanding that the remedial investigative work at this site has been deemed to be non-essential under the State’s directives related to COVID-19 and that any work will therefore be postponed. Moreover, in response to concerns that parents and local residents have expressed, that it would be difficult at best to facilitate a proper community engagement process amidst a pandemic, we ask that you confirm that such work will not proceed until in-person community meetings are once again permitted and held, in order to ensure that there is a fair and equitable community engagement process.

With the push at all levels of government for New Yorkers to stay at home, it is vital that we assure our constituents that the State continues to support public engagement on this matter that is robust and that will not require anyone to risk their health and safety.

Once again, we thank you for your time, consideration, and responsiveness to our community’s concerns. We await your reply. Please feel free to reach out to any of us directly or via Laurence Hong in Assemblymember Niou’s office at hongl@nyassembly.gov or 212 312 1420.

Sincerely,

Yuh-Line Niou
Assemblymember, 65th AD

Scott Stringer
New York City Comptroller

Brian Kavanagh
State Senator, 26th AD

Gale Brewer
Manhattan Borough President

Margaret Chin
City Councilmember, 1st CD

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