While patrolling Newtown Creek, Riverkeeper found that Allocco – a soil and stone recycling facility – had been piling soil below the high-tide line, allowing soil to cascade over their bulkhead into the creek, and allowing process water and stormwater to run off the piles through fissures into the creek.
Riverkeeper filed a notice of intent to sue in order to enjoin these actions, and Allocco responded immediately. The company now has installed a conveyor system to load barges, with a screen to intercept incidental cascading into the creek, and blocked runoff using large concrete blocks at the bulkhead. Allocco has also made verbal commitments to re-grade the site away from the creek and renovate the bulkhead.