How the Meeker Plume CAG guards community safety
If you live in the area that is contained by Morgan Avenue, Kingsland Avenue, and Monitor Street to the west; Norman Avenue, Bridgewater Street, and Meeker Avenue to the north; Vandervoort Avenue, Porter Avenue, and the Newtown Creek to the east; and Lombardy Street, Withers Street, and Division Place to the south; you live on a Superfund Site, known as the Meeker Plume.
The Meeker Plume was designated a Superfund site in March 2022. Shortly after, the Meeker Avenue Plume Community Advisory Group (MAPCAG) formed ensure community voices shape decisions made by the EPA concerning study and mitigation of this site. This coalition consists of neighbors, local businesses, service providers, and advocates.
MAPCAG meets several times a year to communicate updates on testing results and for the community to ask questions. They also provide outreach and information on how to get your property tested for vapors so if found can be addressed.
The vapors composed of: chlorinated volatile organic compounds and contain PCE and TCE. These may increase the risk of cancer and can harm the liver and kidneys.
Testing is relatively non-invasive and takes only a few hours total over the course of three days. However, it is only conducted during winter months.
An obstacle has been that many building owners with property within the plume are reluctant to test. It’s been reported that some reasons for this resistance are that they fear property values may depreciate if vapors are detected. A counter to that is that most buyers would learn the area is a Superfund site, and therefore hope the property had been tested.
MAPCAG recently launched a website: www.mapcag.org that answers many questions.
The next Meeker CAG meeting will be held April 8 at the Swinging Sixties Older Adult Center located at 211 Ainslie St at 6 pm.
The Greenline 