EPA Superfund site
GOWANUS CANAL
Human exposure is NOT currently under control
Data limitations: Proximity to a Superfund site boundary does not mean your property is contaminated. EPA site boundaries show the area designated for cleanup, not the full extent of contamination. Groundwater plumes can extend beyond site boundaries. This tool shows publicly available EPA federal data. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by EPA, and is not a substitute for a professional environmental assessment.
About this site's exposure pathways
As of May 2026, the Gowanus Canal Superfund site is considered “Current Human Exposure Not Under Control” (HENC). Residents and recreational and subsistence anglers are known or reasonably anticipated to be exposed by eating fish and shellfish from the canal and Upper New York Bay and by direct contact with contaminated canal sediments and surface water. The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) has issued fish and shellfish consumption advisories for these waters based on contamination with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins. Currently, the planned activities to address this pathway include:
- Continuing implementation of the site remedy for canal sediments. Dredging, capping, and in situ stabilization in the Upper Canal (by the potentially responsible party (PRP) group) began in 2020 and were completed in July 2024. Access dredging in the Middle Canal began in June 2024. Approximately seven to eight additional years of in canal work remain in the Middle and Lower Canal segments.
- Constructing two combined sewer overflow (CSO) retention tanks under EPA orders to capture overflows from the two largest CSOs and protect the sediment remedy from recontamination; both tanks are currently scheduled for completion in 2030.
- Advancing cleanup of former industrial properties along the canal’s banks to control ongoing sources where applicable.
- Working with New York State and local partners to maintain and post fish consumption advisory signage at access points and to conduct long term fish tissue and sediment monitoring.
If you may be affected, you can reduce your exposure by not eating fish or shellfish from the Gowanus Canal, practicing catch and release, avoiding contact with canal water and sediments, and following posted signs and NYSDOH advisories. For assistance, contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator Natalie Loney via the site webpage or at (212) 637-3639 or [email protected].
EPA currently anticipates that human exposure will be under control by September 2046 because the canal wide sediment remedy will be constructed across all segments, the CSO retention tanks will be completed and operating to prevent recontamination, source control measures along canal banks will be in place, institutional controls and advisories will be maintained, and long term monitoring is expected to demonstrate that risk based cleanup goals have been achieved, culminating in the Final Closeout Report (FCOR), as reflected in the Superfund Enterprise Management System (SEMS).