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National Grid has filed a federal lawsuit against 40 defendants, including the City of New York and Con Edison, claiming the energy company has borne more than its share of the costs for the Gowanus Canal Superfund cleanup. The utility giant argues that it has spent billions cleaning up the heavily polluted canal while other responsible parties have failed to contribute their portion. National Grid, which inherited responsibility through the Brooklyn Union Gas Company, seeks to compel the defendants to cover their share of expenses. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had previously identified several key polluters responsible for the contamination, including industrial firms and public agencies. The EPAโs project to tackle the most contaminated section of the canal, with an estimated cost of $369 million, is already underway. Still, National Grid insists that additional financial support is essential to maintain progress and to avoid passing on the costs to utility customers.
However, Voice of Gowanus issued a statement on Thursday, Oct. 17, calling โNational Grid the largest responsible polluter in the Gowanus Canal federal Superfundโ and asserting that the energy companyโs litigation will instead have the โpractical effectโ of endangering and delaying the cleanup.
