Is the air in your home safe to breathe? It may not have been something that had crossed your mind before, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is asking that very same question.
The EPA is calling all East Williamsburg and Greenpoint property owners on or near the Meeker Plume site who are willing to have their space tested for Soil Vapor Intrusion (SVI) at no cost.
These property owners may be at risk for having SVI which happens when vapor-forming chemicals migrate from the soil below a home into the air inside. If this happens, it can cause acute health concerns and/or safety hazards such as explosions.
“The best way to know is to have your building tested,” John Brennan, the EPA’s Remedial Project Manager, said.
The Meeker Plume Site has been a part of the Superfund program’s National Priority List (NPL) since March 2022. The site is between Norman Avenue and Bridgewater Street to the north, Newton Creek to the east, Kingsland Avenue to the west, and Lombardy and Withers Streets to the south.
Meeker Plume site was discovered to be contaminated with the chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), cis-1, 2-dichloroethylene (DCE) and vinyl chloride by The NY State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
Brennan said that after the site was discovered between 2005 to 2006, the State of New York conducted 160 air samples in residences before handing the project over to the EPA in March of 2022.
Beginning August 14 of this year, the EPA has been sampling groundwater from 300 monitoring wells in the areas in and surrounding the Meeker Plume site. The EPA said the study is expected to release most results in early 2024.
The EPA has already tested some buildings on the site including the P.S. 110. The school had previously been tested in 2008 and again in February this year. Both times the building was deemed safe by EPA standards.
Additionally, the EPA tested the Cooper Park Houses in March of this year. They shared the test results with residents in August but are still compiling results before sharing these findings officially.
There will be an opportunity to hear these findings at the Meeker Community Advisory Group meeting at the Greenpoint Public Library on September 19 at 5:30 p.m.
For community members that are concerned about the air in their buildings, Brennan said that getting more fresh air into your home by opening windows, using fans, and setting your HVAC systems to have an increased air exchange will help.
Additionally, they suggest sealing cracks or holes in your basement floor as this is how the vapor enters the home.
Anna Drabek, the Community Involvement Coordinator, said that they have been trying various methods to reach the community including reaching out directly, door-to-door surveys, attending community advisory meetings, and more. Drabek said they can arrange to speak with folks in any language necessary.
“We want this to be a collaborative process,” Drabek said.
If you would like your property to be sampled, you can contact one of the Remedial Project Managers, John Brennan or Rupika Ketu, via phone or email, to discuss sampling logistics, ask questions, and schedule a time for sampling. The next round of sampling will be around November or December, followed by another round in February or March.
John Brennan – brennan.john.f@epa.gov – 212-637-3881
Rupika Ketu – ketu.rupika@epa.gov – 212-637-3258
The Greenline 