Oil Spill in East River Near Brooklyn Bridge Park

​http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Con-Edison-Oil-Spill-East-River-Substation--421784904.html

As if the East River is not polluted enough, an oil spill occurs near the beautiful Brooklyn Bridge Park! Aging pipelines and few inspections often contribute to failures and many oil spills in the United States. We can do better - Go Solar! 

Huge Dumbo Oil Spill Leaves Heavy Smell of Petroleum in Air
​May 9, 2017
by Seán Devlin
Brownstoner

The East River was never known as the cleanest body of water in the world, but an oil spill at the ConEd plant at the base of John Street in Dumbo — right next to Brooklyn Bridge Park and some of the most expensive real estate in Brooklyn — is alarming.

The area smelled heavily of oil (a bit like a mixture of gasoline and motor oil) when we checked out the scene Tuesday afternoon. There was an oily sheen on the banks of the river near the Jay Street entrance to Brooklyn Bridge Park, causing a multicolored discoloration on the sand.
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On Sunday, the failure of a transformer at the ConEd substation containing 37,000 gallons of oil released an unknown amount into the East River Sunday. ConEd immediately began cleanup of the substance, known as dielectric fluid, a type of mineral oil, according to the Coast Guard and Con Ed, Gothamist reported.

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