EPA Superfund site
NEWTOWN CREEK
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 Newtown Creek Superfund site is considered “Current Human Exposure Not Under Control” (HENC). Residents and recreational anglers are known or reasonably anticipated to be exposed by eating fish and shellfish from Newtown Creek and its tributaries. Sampling has documented metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments and surface water. The baseline human health risk assessment found unacceptable risks from fish and shellfish consumption, and New York State has issued a fish consumption advisory for Newtown Creek. The baseline ecological risk assessment also found sediments toxic to benthic macroinvertebrates in the Turning Basin and tributaries.
Currently, the planned activities to address this pathway include:
- Implementing the early, interim action selected for the East Branch (Record of Decision signed January 16, 2025)
- Advancing the sitewide feasibility study for the entire creek to identify and select a comprehensive remedy that addresses contaminated sediments and ongoing sources.
- Working with New York State and local partners to maintain and post fish consumption advisory signage at access points, conduct long‑term fish tissue and sediment monitoring, and implement institutional controls.
- Developing remedial alternatives for the remaining portions of the creek.
If you may be affected, you can reduce your exposure by not eating fish or shellfish from Newtown Creek, practicing catch‑and‑release, and following posted signs and New York State 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 2079 because early actions will be completed, a sitewide remedy will be selected and constructed, institutional controls and advisories will be fully implemented and maintained, and long‑term monitoring is expected to demonstrate that fish tissue concentrations meet risk‑based cleanup goals by that time, culminating in the Final Closeout Report (FCOR), as reflected in the Superfund Enterprise Management System (SEMS).