Newtown Creek is a 3.8-mile tidal waterway forming the border between Brooklyn and Queens in New York City. It was added to the EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) in 2010 after decades of industrial pollution. Over 50 refineries and petrochemical plants operated along its banks starting in the 1800s, and raw sewage was discharged directly into the creek beginning in 1856. The site is still in active investigation and cleanup, with no construction of final remedies yet complete.
Contamination affects sediment, surface water, and shallow groundwater. The confirmed contaminants of concern in the Upper River Early Action area include C19-C36 aliphatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated dioxins and furans, copper, lead, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). A 2018 ecological risk assessment found sediments are toxic to bottom-dwelling invertebrates, and PCBs accumulate in fish and bird tissue. Dioxins, pesticides, and PCBs in fish and shellfish pose unacceptable health risks to people who eat them. Full body immersion in the creek, such as swimming, also poses health risks from biological contaminants and physical hazards.
Cleanup is organized into multiple operable units (OUs). For the East Branch (OU4), EPA issued a Record of Decision on January 16, 2025, selecting dredging, capping, and solidification of contaminated sediment, along with habitat restoration and monitoring. For CSO (combined sewer overflow) discharges (OU2), EPA issued a No Further Action decision in April 2021, requiring only continued monitoring. For the main creek (OU1), a Remedial Investigation was approved in March 2023, and a groundwater study completed in late 2024 is being compiled into a final report. For the lower two miles (OU3), remedy selection is deferred until OU1 studies are finished. Remedial design for OU4 is estimated to begin between March and May 2026. Twenty-one Potentially Responsible Parties have been identified, including the City of New York, major oil and chemical companies, utilities, and railroads.
New York State has issued a fish consumption advisory for the creek, available in English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Polish, Russian, and Traditional Chinese. Kayaking and catch-and-release fishing are not expected to harm health if people wash hands thoroughly and avoid swallowing surface water. Community members can follow cleanup progress and participate in discussions through the Community Advisory Group (CAG) at newtowncreekcag.org. Site records are available at the EPA Region 2 Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway in New York City, and at the Greenpoint Public Library in Brooklyn and Long Island City Public Library in Queens.
