As we worry about the oil spill and contamination of the Gulf of Mexico, an eco-bomb is ticking right in front of our noses right here in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, as mentioned in the New York Times.
Everyday, 200,000 gallons of oil spew from the undersea well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico and spread, contaminating the gulf's waters. So far, 3.3 million gallons have gushed out, leading the media to declare it the biggest ecological catastrophe in history. Meanwhile, in our own backyard, in the Polish neighborhood of Greenpoint in Brooklyn, 55 acres of land remains polluted, with close to 30 million gallons of oil and other chemicals.
Eco bomb
Where does all this oil in Greenpoint come from? Newton Creek – an estuary that separates Brooklyn and Queens that used to serve as a peaceful oasis and popular fishing spot. That all changed in the 1870s, when oil refineries started appearing along the creek's banks. Back then, without much worry about the ecological consequences, all the liquid industrial waste created from the production of naphtha and gasoline were dumped into Newton Creek, slowly contaminating the soil and destroying the ecosystem. Soon enough, no one had to wonder why laundry put out to dry would turn gray and smell of chemical fumes.
Enough toxic chemicals accumulated to the point that, in the 1950s, it resulted in an underground explosion.
In 1978, a Coast Guard helicopter spotted a huge oil plume spewing from the side of Newton Creek and going in the direction of the East River and New York Harbor. Rescue workers eventually gathered 200,000 gallons of oil and chemicals. Once testing began, scientists discovered the grave truth. Because the chemicals were soaked 25 feet deep into the soil, they estimated that recovering the entire contaminated area would take decades.
Cancer scare
The eco-bomb also looms on the health of Greenpoint residents. Scientists point out that while the number of cancer patients in the Polish neighborhood remains lower than the city average, there are more cases of leukemia in children and stomach cancer in adults than in most other places.
