Newtown Creek

The Newtown Creek site is a 3.8-mile waterway between Brooklyn and Queens in New York City. In the mid-1800s, the area adjacent to Newtown Creek was one of the busiest hubs of industrial activity in New York City. More than 50 industrial facilities were located along its banks, including oil refineries, petrochemical plants, fertilizer and glue factories, sawmills, and lumber and coal yards. The creek was crowded with commercial vessels, including large boats bringing in raw materials and fuel and taking out oil, chemicals and metals. In addition to the industrial pollution that resulted from all of this activity, the city began dumping raw sewage directly into the water in 1856. During World War II, the creek was one of the busiest ports in the nation.

Currently, factories and commercial facilities still operate along the creek. Various contaminated sites along the creek have contributed to the contamination of Newtown Creek. Today, as a result of its industrial history, including numerous spills, Newtown Creek is reported by US Environmental Protection Agency to be one of the nation's most polluted waterways. The agencies have information that some city residents use Newtown Creek for recreation, such as boating tours, canoeing, kayaking, and scuba diving, and that some people catch and eat fish and crabs from the creek. There are small boat access points and places where people have been observed fishing and catching crabs on Newtown Creek.

Public Health Assessment

The New York State Department of Health and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry complete a Public Health Assessment for every site in New York that is proposed to the US Environmental Protection Agency National Priority List, also known as the federal Superfund list. In a Public Health Assessment, the health agencies review information about hazardous substances at a site and evaluate whether exposure to those substances might cause harm to human health.

For the Newtown Creek Public Health Assessment, we evaluated existing environmental data for chemicals in bottom sediments and biological contaminants in surface water. Based on this information and reports that people use Newtown Creek for fishing, scuba diving and boating, the New York State Department of Health and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry have the following health advice:

  • Eating fish and crabs taken from Newtown Creek could harm people's health, due to the chemical contaminants. Women under 50 years old and children under 15 years old should not eat any fish or crabs from these waters. Others should follow the State Health Department advisories for eating fish and crabs taken from this and other waterways. There is currently a fish consumption advisory for Newtown Creek.
  • Swimming, scuba diving and wind surfing (with full body immersion) could harm people's health, due to biological contaminants and physical hazards (underwater debris, commercial boat traffic).
  • Canoeing, kayaking, boat touring and catch-and-release fishing are not expected to harm people's health, if people use precautions (properly washing their hands) to avoid swallowing biological contaminants from surface water.

The following health documents have been prepared for this site:

The public comment period has been extended. Comments on the draft Public Health Assessment are encouraged and should be sent to the Department of Health by June 15, 2012.

Please return your completed comment form to:

Center for Environmental Health
Bureau of Environmental Exposure Investigation
Empire State Plaza-Corning Tower, Room 1717
Albany, New York 12237
Fax: (518) 402-7859

To obtain copies of any of these documents, either email us at documentcomments@health.state.ny.us or call us at 518-402-7880.

Public Meeting Announcement

There are two public meetings scheduled:

  • Monday, May 14, 2012, 7-9 p.m.

    LaGuardia Community College
    31-10 Thomson Ave, Conference Room E-242
    Long Island City 11101

  • Thursday, May 24, 2012, 7-9 p.m.

    Polish National Home-Warsaw
    261 Driggs Avenue
    Brooklyn 11222

Please Note

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