EPA

August 21, 2025

A new proposal may make the Gowanus Canal safe for swimming

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation is attempting to get the Gowanus Canal reclassified to a degree of quality that would compel the city to clean it up enough for swimming, according to Crain's. The Brooklyn Superfund site is currently classified as a Class SD waterway, which supports fishing; a proposal that includes raising the quality of 30 waterways would redesignate the waterway as Class SC, allowing for swimming and boating. But are we ready to leave the banks for a swim in the canal's fragrant waters?
Don't dive in just yet
July 17, 2015

Grim Map Shows the Relationship Between Poverty and Pollution

EJSCREEN is a new online mapping tool from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). What makes it different than other pollution maps, though, is that it also includes census data to show the relationship between negative environmental factors and demographic indicators like low-income and minority populations. As Gizmodo reports, "The maps are color-coded to show poverty, and pollution (as measured by fine particle density). Grey is in area that’s below the 50th percentile, with the colors going up to yellow then red as the poverty (and pollution) increases." And as is clear in the animated image above, high-poverty areas like East Harlem, Washington Heights, and much of the Bronx are among the most polluted in the city.
More on the map here