Focus on Health Effects Measure Unanimously Passes, Is Ready for President’s Signature

*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ***

Contact: Basil Seggos, Chief Investigator, Riverkeeper 917-597-6883
Andrew Koneschusky (Weiner DC) 202-487-8470
Glen Caplin (Weiner NY) 917-865-7556
Kate Davis (Velasquez) 202-225-2361

(June 27, 2006) New York – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives, in a 413-0 vote, authorized the first ever independent public health and safety study of ExxonMobil’s Greenpoint Oil Spill in Brooklyn. Representatives Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn & Queens) and Nydia Velazquez (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn & Queens) authored and championed legislation requiring the study, which passed as part of the 2006 Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act Conference Report. With the final legislative hurdle cleared, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) is required to complete the Newtown Creek health and safety study within a year from the date that the President signs it into law.

“This is terrific news for the people that live and work near the Greenpoint Oil Spill,” said Riverkeeper President Alex Matthiessen. “We applaud Congressman Weiner and Congresswoman Velazquez for their stalwart defense of the health and safety of Newtown Creek communities.”

The Greenpoint Oil Spill, one of the world’s largest, was discovered spewing from the Brooklyn shoreline into Newtown Creek in 1978 by the Coast Guard. The spill dates back to the 1950s and originated at Rockefeller’s original Standard Oil Refinery. At 17 million gallons—6 million gallons more than the Exxon Valdez—the spill has spread under 55 acres of commercial and residential Greenpoint. It has been seeping into Newtown Creek for decades, has destroyed the local aquifer, and produces dangerous underground vapors. Hundreds of homes and dozens of businesses sit atop the huge plume of oil. ExxonMobil’s basic oil recovery system fails to address these impacts. Despite this, there has never been an assessment of health and safety impacts of the Greenpoint Oil Spill.

“While the oil companies lag in their cleanup responsibilities, the health and safety of Newtown Creek’s residents hang in the balance,” said Rep. Weiner. “Thousands of homes and businesses are affected by this terrible oil spill. The public has the right to know what effects this oil spill is having on our community and local environment.”

“With record profits and surging gas prices, Exxon Mobil is more than capable of expediting the remediation process, thereby reducing further risk to residents in my Congressional district,” said Rep. Nydia Velázquez. “Not only should the spill be cleaned up, but residents must be fully informed of any environmental and health risks this oil spill might have caused through time.”

The EPA study will examine any public health and safety issues raised by the spill and the current remediation efforts, the extent to which contaminants from the Creek have dispersed into New York Harbor, the effects on soil and groundwater in the surrounding area, and the effectiveness of current remediation efforts.

Riverkeeper has been working with Representatives Weiner and Velazquez to bring federal attention to this environmental disaster.

Under federal law, the study of Newtown Creek will be paid for by the big oil companies, who make contributions to the Oil Pollution Compensation Fund for every barrel of oil sold in the United States.

In July 2005, Rep. Weiner offered, and the House Transportation Committee unanimously adopted, an amendment to the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act Of 2005 which requires the federal study. Last September, the full House of Representatives approved the study by a 415-0 vote and, in April 2006, Senate lawmakers accepted the study in conference.

Riverkeeper has been leading the charge to force ExxonMobil to aggressively remediate the spill. Riverkeeper filed a federal Clean Water Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act lawsuit against the company in 2004. The case is now in the discovery phase and is being handled by the law students of the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic. Six concerned citizens have joined Riverkeeper as co-plaintiffs: Mike and Laura Hoffman, Teresa Toro, Rolf Carle, Deborah Masters, and Bill Schuck. The case also has as co-plaintiffs Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Councilmembers David Yassky and Eric Gioia. Riverkeeper’s case seeks remediation and extensive penalties.

Last summer, Riverkeeper’s discovered threatening underground benzene and methane gases migrating from the spill, through the soil, and towards the community. These findings led to the filing of private homeowners’ lawsuits against ExxonMobil and other parties by the renowned California firm Girardi & Keese with consultant Erin Brockovich. A separate class action case was recently filed.

Last week, Attorney General Elliott Spitzer assumed the reins of the state’s investigation of ExxonMobil. His office was asked by the Department of Environmental Conservation to bring aggressive legal action against the oil giant to speed up remediation efforts.

In May 8, 2006, NYS Comptroller Alan Hevesi issued a strongly worded missive to the Department that ExxonMobil should not be allowed to negotiate a clean up agreement until the full scope of the spill’s damage has been clearly defined through independent environmental studies and more information has been shared with the public. The Comptroller offered to pay for these environmental studies through the State Oil Spill Fund.

Riverkeeper is a non-profit environmental group dedicated to protecting and restoring the Hudson River, its communities, and New York City’s upstate drinking water reservoirs.
For more information on Riverkeeper and its Newtown Creek campaign,
visit www.riverkeeper.org.

# # #