Initial construction of the first Whole Foods supermarket in Brooklyn
— slowed since underground gasoline storage tanks were found this
fall — will be delayed even longer, state officials said.
The toxic barrels were supposed to be removed in two weeks, but now the
project’s supervisor says the work won’t be done until at least
March.
Whole Foods engineers had found two such tanks when they began initial
work on the state brownfield site in June. The remaining four were found
this fall.
Whole Foods is envisioning a glistening store at the Third Avenue and
Third Street site — a marked departure for the two-acre lot, hard
by the Gowanus Canal. Going back to the 19th century, the land had hosted
a lake, a coal yard, an oil-processing company and a radiator manufacturer.
Oh, and it was also a junkyard at one point.
Since excavation began in the fall, a lake of green water has overtaken
the site, a consequence of digging below the water table.
“They found a few things they didn’t expect and now they have
to eliminate the contaminants,” said Javier Peres, the engineer for
the state Department of Environmental Conservation, who is overseeing
the work.
“It’s not routine, but sometime this happens.”
Before other cleanup measures can begin, Whole Foods must complete a full
investigation of all damage to the site and solicit public comments.
And boy are local activists ready.
“If you look out there, you see a day-glow green pond of sludge,”
said Marlene Donnelly, a member of the environmentalist group, FROGG.
“We need to make sure that Whole Foods finds out [what’s down
there] — and does everything it can to clean it, before they build.”
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