Tunnel from WTC to Winter Garden progressing

January 16, 2012

The tunnel being constructed to go from the World Trade Center, under West Street, to the Brookfield Properties Winter Garden atrium is nearing completion. An inspector on the site said that the new glass structure overtop of the west end of the tunnel, to house new retail shops, will begin construction soon. The total renovation of Winter Garden, he said, will take 18 months, which is on schedule with Brookfield’s “Coming in 2013″ banners.

Of note, the inspector confirmed that construction of the Freedom Tower had slowed down considerably. Prior to the tenth anniversary 9/11 event, one new floor was being added per week. That is no longer the case. The inspector blamed “high winds”. However, other news reports have indicated that the 9/11 memorial construction has slowed down due to bureaucracies squabbling over the tab of the cost overruns.

(Double click on images to expand to HD full screen)

West side of tunnel from September 11 Memorial to Winter Garden

Winter Garden

9/11 Memorial Tour hosted by Sheldon Silver

October 2, 2011

(In full screen 1080iHD)

Why is Pier A delayed? Follow the money

January 5, 2012  By Steven Greer, MD

We had an interesting conversation with The New York Times reporter, Patrick McGeehan, who has covered Pier A and the Maritime Building for years. Unbeknownst to many, the BPCA is seeking a bizarre new source of additional funding for the stalled Pier A project.

A controversial federal plan allows foreigners with wealth to invest in developmental projects in exchange for green cards. According to the WSJ, “The so-called EB-5 visa is awarded to foreigners who invest $500,000 to $1 million in U.S. businesses; $500,000 is required if the investment is made in a high-unemployment or rural area. The investors must document that their investment created at least 10 jobs before they are granted green cards, which allow permanent residence in the U.S.”

The Maritime Building in the Battery Park and the Pier A, now under the BPCA jurisdiction, are both part of this new green-card-for-investing EB-5 visa program. Documents related to the proposed funding of the Roosevelt Island college campus also revealed other programs trying to capture funding, such as Pier A, according to testimony by Senator Schumer (courtesy of Mr. McGeehan of the NYT). The BPCA applied for the program in 2011. It is unknown whether any of these funding developments have led to the construction delays.

These latest financial developments are just part of a long convoluted and embarrassing history of this stalled project and eyesore to our community. In 2007, the BPCA assumed control after deputy Mayor Doctoroff brokered a deal to rid the city of the headache. A cap of $30 Million dollars was established for renovation, mostly funded by the city EDC.

It is unknown whether this $30 Million figure thrown about so often in reports is really in the bank accounts of the BPCA available for spending, whether it was delivered and squandered, or any of the details of how this amount was or was not spent. BPCA Chairman Bill Thompson and CEO Gayle Horwitz did not reply to our questions.

A source close to the BPCA told BatteryPark.TV, ” BPCA has gotten some of the money. What happened was that EDC authorized the $30 million, then reimburses BPCA on a periodic basis as the work is done. So BPCA has gotten some of the money, though I could not tell you how much. Nor do I know if EDC has officially raised the threshold to $36 million.”

Prior to the BPCA assuming control, decades of unsuccessful plans had come and gone. A Staten Island development firm called Wings Point had been in charge and failed miserably. Of note, the managing partner of Wings Point also created the BillyBey ferry company when it bought the New York Waterway routes.

Pier A

Exclusive: BPCA Pier A renovation delayed a year with cost overruns

January 4, 2012 by Steven Greer, MD

Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) CEO Gayle Horwitz made a surprise appearance at the Community Board 1 (CB1) last night to deliver an update on the various BPCA construction projects underway. Recall, CB1 member George Calderaro had informed the community that Pier A renovations seemed to be going slowly and that no updates had been delivered from the BPCA.

In what was described as “overkill” by one CB1 member, the BPCA brought in a team of at least 12 people, comprised of architects and other officials involved in the Pier A project. What we learned was:

• The previous completion date estimates for Pier A were for “The season of 2012″. That has now been revised to “Late 2013″.
• The original $30 Million amount allotted to the project will be inadequate. The project is running over budget.
• The design team claimed that “natural drying” of the historic pier wooden architecture was the reason that the project was left windowless and to the elements.
• Despite the team of architects, no drawings of the proposed final project were presented. Recall, the project is supposed to have ample free access to the public and not be a space that requires fees or purchase of food to enjoy. In fact, John Fratta of the Seaport CB division wanted the location to entirely be an Italian heritage museum.
• CEO Horwitz claimed that not all of the architect and construction-experienced staff of the BPCA were fired when the 19 staff were abruptly fired late last year.
• The Poulakakos restaurant family and business partners claim that they now have an architect in place to design the proposed restaurant space of Pier A. However, as mentioned, no drawings were presented. There was a change in the design team.
• The stalled project of Harry’s Italian in the Conrad hotel/Goldman Sachs alley, another restaurant proposed by the Poulakakos group, was not discussed.

The Chairman of BPCA, Bill Thompson, was not present. Mr. Thompson is a 2013 New York City candidate for Mayor.

(Click images to expand)

Pier A

Polluting ferry boats to get new, less polluting, less noisy, engines

November 2, 2011

By Steven Greer, MD

The much anticipated BPC CB1 meeting to discuss the ongoing problem of noise and air pollution from the New York Waterway ferry boats yielded significant results for the first time in recent memory. The CEO of the BillyBey Ferry Company (DBA New York Waterway), Paul Goodman, announced that they will be using federal grants and “Nearly $1 Million of BillyBey money” to finally replace the outdated heavily-polluting diesel engines on nine of the worst offending vessels that dock often at WFC Vesey Street slip. The slip is controlled by the Port Authority.

The expected completion date will be mid-year 2012. That coincides with new regulations for marine vessels under the Clean Air Act.

Mr. Goodman elaborated, “Those 18 engines for 9 boats have been ordered. The program is fully funded…and installed over the first half of 2012.” He explained that the current engines, which so infamously now belch pure black diesel particulate smoke (see here) as they dock at the WFC Vesey Street slip fall under “Tier 0″ of the EPA classification of engines, according to Mr. Goodman. The new diesel engines with particulate filters will be “Tier 2″. (Note, our Google search of the EPA’s Tier system for engines revealed a system that did not coincide with what the BillyBey Ferry Company listed).

Given that no exhaust emission testings have ever been performed and made public, CB1 member Anthony Notaro tried to clarify whether BPC residents can expect to see, hear, and breath less pollution with the new engines promised. Goodman said, “You will see a significant reduction in pollution”. A spokesman for the DOT elaborated, “You can expect an 85% reduction in pollution (with the new engines).

Skeptics of these new promises from BillyBey Ferry Company have ample justification. The same NYSERD grant that will finally be used to convert the engines has been funded and made available to the company since at least 2006, and the only accomplishments to date from the grant money has been to install some exhaust particulate filters on a few boats and “perform tests”. Only now, after BatteryPark.TV coverage and the involvement of the NRDC, New York Times, EPA, and elected officials, is BillyBey promising to replace the outdated engines.

The Port Authority spokeswoman at the meeting said, “We were aware that the (NYSERD-funded emissions program) was ongoing, but it didn’t move as quickly as we would have liked.”

After more than 20 minutes of the BillyBey CEO and his entourage of supporting government officials speaking (i.e. NYSERD, DOT, consultant to NYSERD, and EPA), vocal residents spoke up requesting that the WFC Vesey Street slip be moved entirely away from the neighborhood. CB1 member Tom Goodkind echoed those views saying, “We should consider removing these boats (from the WFC Vesey Street slip) until these engine retrofits occur.” and received applause.

Recall, the BillyBey Ferry Company is a New Jersey company that exists almost exclusively to haul New Jersey residents to their Manhattan jobs. There is a reason one of the boats is named “U.S. Senate Frank R. Lautenberg“. For decades, this New Jersey-benefiting operation has polluted the air and disturbed the peace in Battery Park City. This might be the beginning of the beginning of a solution to this New Jersey-rooted problem. When new Caterpillar diesel engines are mounted in the boats, we will take our victory lap.

And the full unedited video of all of the different boats polluting equally from EPA Tier-0 “worst  category” engines

CB1 says “Close Indian Point”: Steven Greer, MD interviews Julie Menin

Update: June 28, 2011

The New York Times is reporting that Governor Cuomo plans to close Indian Point nuclear power plant. The two nuclear pants in jeopardy on the flooding Missouri river likely played a role in the timing.

March 22, 2011

The Community Board 1 held a full meeting on March 22nd. One matter was the passage of a resolution demanding the closure of the nearby Indian Point three-nuclear-reactor power plant 30 miles north on the Hudson River. BatteryPark.TV’s Steven Greer, MD interviewed CB1 Chairperson Julie Menin.

Pier A plans are “A slap in the face to Italian Americans”

Update: June 25, 2011 The oyster bar wins

It appears as if the BPCA is not backing down on it’s subversive plans to turn Pier A into a for-profit bar (see below). John Fratta, leading opponent to the bar plan and champion of the idea to make Pier A an Italian Heritage museum, was rebuffed by the BPCA. His group had requested via Freedom of Information Act the details of how it came to be that the Poulakakos family was awarded the plan to make the pier a restaurant and bar. He organized a small press conference event today at the pier in protest. Based on our sources within the CB1, there seems to be little resistance to the oyster bar plan.

March 29, 2011

John Fratta, CB1 Chairman of the Seaport/Civic Center Committee explain why the CB1 opposes the current BPCA plans to turn over the Pier A to a private restaurant group led by the Poulakakos family. He is leading a drive to convert the Pier A into an Italian American heritage museum to compliment nearby Jewish and Irish museums. Mr. Fratta calls the current plans, “A slap in the face to Italian Americans”.

Niether the BPCA nor the Poulakakos family accepted our offer to be interviewed.

(The video can be viewed in 1080i HD by clicking the YouTube settings)

The Irish Hunger Memorial Mr. Fratta mentioned

Mayor Bloomberg admits the stimulus package was wasted

August 1, 2010

Mayor Bloomberg was on NBC’s Meet the Press today. He made some insightful comments about the ineffective ARRA stimulus package that not many in the press have made. As unemployment remains high, the debate has been whether the nearly $1 Trillion stimulus package worked. That is really a false debate. The money never actually made it to jobs creation programs. Instead, the states and municipalities gobbled up the money to pay off their budget deficits and maintain their bloated entitlement programs.

In the Mayor’s words

Gayle Horwitz hides under her desk as CB1 discusses her bizarre culling of the ranks

December 7, 2011

By Steven Greer, MD

The Community Board 1, BPC division, met last night and the main topic was the bizarre firings of 19 long-time BPCA employees, first reported by BatteryPark.TV. One of the fired employees, former media relations person Leticia Remauro, was invited to attend. The CEO of BPCA, Gayle Horwitz, did not attend the meeting, despite being the person responsible for the handling of the firings. She assigned her newly hired media relations person, Anne Fenton, to speak for the BPCA. Both Horwitz and Fenton served for BPCA Chairman Bill Thompson prior to him becoming the BPCA Chairman.

Gayle Horwitz

One member of the CB1 described the meeting as “Very awkward”. Three different members of the CB1 asked BPCA’s Fenton questions and she replied each time, “We do not discuss personnel maters.” Recall, this was the same reply that CEO Horwitz gave at the BPCA “Town Hall” last month.

BPCA’s Fenton explained that, “The reporting in the local papers was wrong.” When pressed to elaborate, she repeated, “We do not discuss personnel matters.”, further frustrating the board.

The one bit of clarity provided by Ms. Fenton was when she explained that severances were indeed provided to the fired employees, contrary to the “reporting in the papers”. At which time, fired Leticia Remauro replied, “I have a severance?”

The CB1 agreed to write letters of recommendations for the 19 fired employees. The BPCA has refused to do this for those employees.

Related to this scandal that is plaguing CEO Gayle Horwitz, BatteryPark.TV has learned that there are rumors of Ms. Horwitz being replaced. The incident has turned into a political liability for

BPCA Chairman Bill Thompson

Chairman William Thompson who is running for New York City Mayor. BatteryPark.TV is also aware of increases in Google searches for terms such as “Gayle Horwitz fired”. A member of the CB1 told us, “This story is not going away for her (Horwitz)”.

Related stories found here

Tour bus finally ticketed

July 27, 2011

The NYPD (not the PEP, managed by Gayle Horwitz and Tess Huxley, who are refusing to enforce illegal parking) finally began ticketing illegally parked behemoth tour buses dropping off people to visit the 9/11 Memorial. This photo was taken on West Thames Street in a city bus stop “no parking” zone.

As most BPC residents know, these privately operated tour realized long ago that thy can park anywhere in South BPC, even in bus stops, and not be ticketed. BatteryPark.TV has a requested an interview with the Joe Daniels, CEO of the 9/11 Memorial, but has so far been stonewalled.

Ed Koch: Indian Point nuclear plant should be closed

July 9, 2011

We interviewed former Mayor Ed Koch. In Part 2, we discuss Governor Cuomo’s plans to shut down the Indian Point nuclear power plant.

Port authority and City Spar Over Escalating World Trade Center Expenses

The planned 2012 opening of the Sept. 11 museum at the World Trade Center is in jeopardy amid a dispute over hundreds of millions of dollars in unexpected costs related to redeveloping the site, people familiar with the matter said.

Construction on the sprawling museum has slowed considerably since September, when the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey stopped approving new contracts and extensions of existing contracts, people familiar with the matter said. Its planned September 2012 opening will likely be pushed back, the people said.

Rob Bennett for The Wall Street Journal

The $800-million-plus project is the latest pressure point in a series of funding disputes at the World Trade Center site, where the redevelopment tab has reached more than $11 billion.

The fight puts the Port Authority—controlled jointly by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie—at odds with the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the chairman of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum foundation.

Fueling the battle is $156 million that the Port Authority—which is building the museum—says the foundation owes for construction costs. Port Authority officials have said privately they are concerned about the museum having enough money to finish the job, people familiar with the dispute said.

The foundation denies it is responsible for the cost overruns, and for its part believes it is owed more than $100 million on account of delays, a person familiar with the matter said.

The two sides are negotiating a set of conditions for arbitrating the dispute outside of court.

Representatives for all sides on Sunday said the issues would ultimately be resolved.

“The Port Authority, the city and the museum are working collaboratively to resolve these matters,” said Patrick Foye, the Port Authority’s executive director.

Julie Wood, a spokeswoman for Mr. Bloomberg, said in a statement that funding disputes have been overcome before. “We’re confident we will work them out again,” she said.

The World Trade Center redevelopment has been plagued by near-constant disputes among public agencies as well as with private developer Larry Silverstein, who has the rights to develop three towers.

Most of the billions in added costs over the years have been absorbed by the Port Authority, which owns the site and is in charge of the rebuilding.

The overruns at the museum have been in dispute for months, but those and other problems were left unresolved until now, in part because officials wanted to avoid a public fight before the 10th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks, people familiar with the discussions said.

The city and the Port Authority also have recently been fighting over who will pay for up to $300 million in security costs related to the site, people familiar with the discussions said.

Mr. Cuomo has begun to take a more active approach with the Port Authority, a typically cash-rich agency that has been weighed down by the costs of rebuilding. He recently installed Mr. Foye, a former economic development aide, as its new executive director, and put four new appointees on the agency’s board.

The agency appears to have taken a more aggressive approach with funding issues lately, and it has added pressure on the memorial foundation by not approving the contracts for the museum.

The dispute is partially over whether the $156 million in overruns are the responsibility of the museum, or whether they are broader infrastructure that the Port Authority should pay for. Generally, the foundation is responsible for the museum’s cost. The Port Authority is paying for site-wide infrastructure.

The Port Authority claims the foundation is responsible for such unexpected costs. But the foundation denies it is responsible and is preparing a claim of more than $100 million against the Port Authority, for additional costs caused by construction delays and the operational complications of opening the memorial when the surrounding streets and sidewalks weren’t yet open, one person familiar with the situation said. Talks have been active. Mr. Foye met Friday with city officials including Deputy Mayor Robert Steel.

The Port Authority has raised broader concerns about the foundation’s ability to pay for the full cost of the museum. Mr. Foye told members of the agency’s board earlier this month that Joseph Daniels, the foundation president, said he expected a “cash squeeze” early next year, a person familiar with the board meeting said.

Michael Frazier, a foundation spokesman, said it “has reached its funding commitments and will continue to do so.”

The death trap at Murray and West Streets

August 31, 2011

By Steven Greer, MD

The local community, backed by Goldman Sachs, is trying to petition the DOT to open a Vesey Street crossing of the West Side Highway. However, less appreciated is the extreme danger at the Murray Street crossing. The interchange allows cars to heading north to make U-turns, and most pedestrians are unaware of this so they jaywalk when it looks safe, only to be dodging U-turning cars. In addition, cars, heading west are allowed to turn left (south) into the crossing pedestrians, and many drivers are running red lights turning east onto Murray greatly jeopardize pedestrians.

The crossing guards that both the city and the BPCA have posted are woefully unskilled and un-empowered to ticket moving violations. They do nothing to stop cars running red lights in front of their eyes.

Multiple people have been killed or harmed just a few blocks south at the Albany Street crossing. Will a future fatality occur at Murray Street as some banker walking while texting with iPod earphones in is mowed down?

September 22, 2011

BatteryPark.TV has also alerted local police and officials about the dangerous pedestrian crossing on South Albany. On September 14, according to a local blog, a pedestrian was struck by a car as she crossed South End by Rector Place. The problem on South End is caused by distracted drivers searching for parking spots and ignoring the road. The crossing guards, like the Murray Street problem, are also very ineffective. The solution is to have full NYPD officers with ticketing power stationed at the intersections. Automated red-light cameras might help as well.

Should New York Waterway be evicted?

A community board member suggested at the most recent meeting that the polluting New York Waterway ferry boats should the  be evicted from the WFC Vesey Street slip until they replace the engines? Do you agree?

Please take our two-question, 20-second, survey by clicking here

Exclusive: The missing Goldman Sachs ferry boats are found

November 2, 2011

By Steven Greer, MD

The New York Times first reported in March that Goldman Sachs had purchased two new luxurious state-of-the-art ferry boats to carry employees across the Hudson River and doc at the WFC Vesey Street slip. The boats were supposed to go into commission in April but never did. In fact, the boats seem to have mysteriously disappeared.

We previously reported that neither Goldman Sachs nor the CEO of the BillyBey Ferry Company would comment on the fate of the boats. Last night, all of the parties who would know were present at the CB1 meeting. We asked the Port Authority, DOT, and BillyBey CEO Paul Goodman what became of the Goldman Sachs ferry boats and they all refused to comment (see video). The Port Authority spokeswoman said nervously, “I do not have privy to that information.” The BillyBey CEO essentially filibustered and changes the topic.

We spoke with the New York Times reporter who first covered this story, Pat McGeehan. A credible rumor circulating to explain this hush-hush over the Goldman Sachs boats is that the vessels were purchased somehow using federal bank stimulus or bailout monies, then the Goldman executives realized that buying catamaran river yachts might give a bad appearance to the press so the boats were sold or returned.

We then spoke directly with the boat manufacturer. All American Marine, in Bellingham, Washington, to ask whether they knew the fate of the Goldman Sachs boats. The marketing account manager who “handled that deal from start to finish” and has “been to New York for this many time”, told us that he “…had no idea why Goldman Sachs is not using those boats. They are still tied up to the pier in the Hudson River. They are perfectly fine, accepted, and ready to use. They just tell us that “the timing is not right” to put them into commission.”

All American Marine explained that the state-of-the-art boats made for Goldman Sachs have the least polluting engines available now which fall into the EPA’s Tier-2 category. They use Caterpillar diesel engines with exhaust particulate filters. He said, “We in the marine industry are now being pressured to clean up our act (with regards to exhaust emissions). The particulate filters are an experiment on process. The downside to strong filters are that they can back up the exhaust and hurt the engines.” He said that each boat cost Goldman Sachs approximately $2.75 Million per boat.

The Goldman Sachs mystery ferries have now been located. Why they are out of commission is still a mystery.

New York Times

Big meeting tonight to discuss the fate of the polluting NY Waterway boats

November 1, 2011

By Steven Greer, MD

The CB1 Battery Park City subcommittee will meet tonight to discuss the fate of the BillyBey Ferry Company’s air and noise polluting ferry boats (6:00 PM, 1 World Financial Center, 24th floor). After several meetings leading up to this one, scheduled to be in attendance tonight are the CEO of BillyBey, representatives from Senator Gillibrand and Rep. Nadler’s offices, the EPA, the DOT, the non-profit environmental watchdog group the NRDC, and The New York Times.

Key issues to be determined will be:

• What did BillyBey do with the more than $7 Million in grants provided by an arcane grant from the State and City specifically meant for cleaning up ferry boat exhaust? “The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), in partnership with the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), announces the Deployment Phase of the New York City Private Ferry Emission Reduction Program.”
• BillyBey claims that several of their boats have already been retrofitted with diesel particulate filters. However, per our filming and reporting, not a single New York Waterway ferry that docks at the Vesey Street slip seems to have any such filter.
• BillyBey also claims to be completely replacing older diesel engines with more modern “clean diesel”. When will this take place?
• What happened to the brand new super-clean and quiet Goldman Sachs ferry boats, seen briefly in April and reported by the New York Times? They seem to have disappeared and never made it into service. BillyBey CEO Goodman refused to answer that question in our previous call with him.
• What powers does the federal Clean Air Act give our local EPA to enforce pollution violations that appear to be committed by the BillyBey New York Waterway ferries? The well-funded non-profit environmental watchdog group, the NRDC, and the EPA, will shed some light onto that.
• What role will the Port Authority, operator of the Vesey Street slip and contractor with BillyBey, play in resolving this public health problem?
• What role will the city play now that the city is in contract with BillyBey for the East River new ferry services?

After decades of being subjected to noise and air pollution from the BillyBey New York Waterway ferries, our community seems to the most support ever for resolving this problem. Please attend the meeting tonight.

(unedited filming of ferry boat pollution)

Exclusive: Did Goldman Sachs buy ferry boats on TARP money and return them?

One of the ferry boats purchased by Goldman Sachs to provide less noisy less polluting service to Battery Park City, by The NY Times

October 18, 2011

By Steven Greer, MD

BatteryPark.TV received call today from a reporter at a national newspaper asking whether we knew the fate of the two new Goldman Sachs ferry boats purchased to carry employees between the Vesey Street slip in Manhattan, owned by the Port Authority, and other slips in New Jersey. Recall, after the new Goldman Sachs headquarters opened on West Street and Vesey Street, BillyBey Ferry Company, owner of the New York Waterway ferry boats, began new routes crossing from Jersey City at earlier times in the morning, and the noise was a source of complaints. For decades, noise and pollution from the boats have angered BPC residents on the Hudson River.

The New York Times reported in March that two new boats had arrived from a shipyard in Washington State, and were rumored to cost $5 Million dollars. They were supposed to have gone into commission in April, but never did.

Goldman Sachs, in customary fashion, will not comment on the fate of the new boats. We called Paul Goodman, the CEO of BillyBey Ferry Company, operator of the New York Waterway branded boats and the yet-to-be commissioned Goldman Sachs boats. He said, “I have no comment one way or the other…I will see you at the November 1st Community Board meeting.”

Given the lack of clarity provided by Goldman Sachs and BillyBey Ferry, we are forced to speculate on rumor. One leading theory on the fate of the Goldman Sachs luxury ferry boats is that they were purchased with TARP funds or other federal stimulus money and have now been sold or returned in order to avoid a scandal. We will learn more at the next CB1 meeting.

The next CB1 is schedule to have speakers including the CEO of BillyBey Ferry and representatives from the EPA, Senator Gillibrand, and Rep. Nadler. For all of our previous coverage of this topic, click here.

Speaker Sheldon Silver and Inspector Winski discuss Night Out

August 2, 2011

(viewable in 1080iHD)

New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and First Precinct Commanding Officer Inspector Winski discuss Night Out: The annual community outreach event of the NYPD. This year, Battery Park resident Anthony Notaro received a community achievement award. Speaker Silver also discussed the soon to open September 11th Memorial and Freedom Tower nearby.

Update: EPA’s response to our letter on NY Waterway ferry pollution

August 31, 2011

By Steven Greer, MD

CB1 Battery Park City committee Chairwoman Linda Belfer requested that BatteryPark.TV present our video of the NY Waterway ferries billowing black diesel particulate pollution at the Vesey Street slip on Tuesday, September 6th.

Updating our open-letter to the EPA, BatteryPark.TV spoke with a member of the enforcement staff of the EPA’s region 2. This person works for Kenneth Eng in the Clean Air division. He said, “Boy, you really caused a lot of fuss around here …numerous emails have been going back and forth…(based on your video and story)”.

This EPA official said that his office investigated the matter and concluded it was not enforceable by their offices because the pollution source is “Not stationary for more than six minutes”. This is an assertion that is disputable since, during rush hour, multiple ferries are docked, revving engines and stationary, for periods of time. longer than six minutes

The EPA official went on to say that this specific problem of ferry boat pollution was of great interest to more senior ranks within the EPA. It has been investigated in the past after complaints.

A second EPA official, also of the Region 2 enforcement office, explained that an update to the Clean Air Act, to start in June of 2012, would possibly govern marine vessels with diesel engines, possibly like the NY Waterway ferries in question. He referred us to this EPA document. He said that in June of 2012, the vehicles deemed to be regulated by this law will have to use cleaner diesel fuel and add diesel particulate filters.

The EPA also referred us to a different enforcement office run by the State of New York, the DEC and the staff of Mr. Sam Lieblich. The DEC did not return our messages, but the EPA and local CB1 members have told us that the DEC previously investigated various complaints about the boats (noise and pollution) several times but declined to enforce any law.

BatteryPark.TV reached out to the press offices of Governor Cuomo, Manhattan Borough President Stringer, Mayor Bloomberg, Assembly Speaker Silver, and U.S. Rep. Adler, but the Labor Day holiday has caused delays in responses.

To learn more about the health consequences of combustion engine pollution, and how the Clean Air Act has worked to reduce pollution, we refer you to this excellent discussion.

A letter to the EPA about the NY Waterway ferries polluting the children’s playgrounds

Kenneth Eng

Chief, Air Compliance Branch

US EPA, Region 2

Mr. Eng

I am a medical doctor and am reporting a serious air quality health hazard at the west end of Vesey Street where the New York Waterway ferries dock. They have old, unclean diesel engines in all of the boats. When they dock, the boats rev the engines and dark black exhaust spews out (see video). This happens every day.

The direct and acute health hazard comes from the fact that 60 yards away, on land, is a well-kept and popular series of children’s playgrounds. At certain times of the day when multiple ferries are docked at once, the fumes are so powerful that they burn the eyes and throat. These fumes contain benzene, ozone, and many other toxic compounds that the Clean Air Act would never find permissible.

Since these boats fall under interstate commerce, no single city or state seems able to do anything about this problem. I believe that your “Mobile source unit”, led by Mr. Michael Moltzen, might be able to deal with this and use new clean diesel regulations to deal with the problem.

We contacted the CEO of New York Waterway, Mr. Paul Goodman, and he refused to comment.

The EPA would certainly make thousands of friends down here if you can be the agency to finally solve this health hazard.

We filed a report at the EPA, # 987024

Steven Greer, MD

BatteryPark.TV