Gowanus residents criticize lack of transparency about toxic vapors in shuffleboard club
NEW YORK -- Residents of Gowanus, Brooklyn, are angry at the state for what they're calling a lack of transparency after toxic vapors were discovered inside a popular local business.
CBS2's Hannah Kliger spoke exclusively to the shuffleboard club owner, who says government agencies told him it was safe to stay open.
Jonathan Schnapp has owned the Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club for ten years.
"We're not scientists, but we trusted the DEC. We still trust the DEC," he said.
Recently, a group called Voice of Gowanus, along with an environmental data firm, highlighted public information that showed, because of historic pollution, the amount of toxic vapors in the building detected were more than 20 times the allowable limit.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the industrial solvent known as trichloroethylene is carcinogenic and long-term exposure can cause a variety of health issues.
"I feel bad for the people that have worked there for years," said Seth Hillinger, with Voice of Gowanus.
An engineering firm hired by a developer found high levels of several toxic chemicals in the soil, groundwater and indoor air under the building and adjoining lot. The site is being considered for future development after an environmental cleanup, but concerned residents say the state isn't doing enough in enforcing a full cleanup.
"The law says that the lands have to be restored to pre-disposal conditions," Gowanus resident Katia Kelly said.
The building owner installed a mitigation system to address the problem, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Most recent air samples, collected in November 2022, show that fume levels are under control.
"They put in place the appropriate pipes and tubing to capture the air underneath the building and then vent it out through the roof of the building, and that way you prevent it from going inside," said Sean Mahar, executive deputy commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
"There has to be additional testing because during the dead of winter, when the heating systems are going, it can suck the contamination inside the building, and this venting system has been proven not to be 100 percent effective," said Walter Hang, with Toxics Targeting.
Members of the group say the community was never explicitly told about the hazard. The DEC says the agency mentioned the findings in its public memos but concedes more could have been done.
"Our goal is really to keep the community informed more clearly moving forward, and what we are seeing and hearing now is that maybe our materials weren't as clear as they could be," Mahar said.
The Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club hosts over 100 teams in its league -- more than 1,000 players.
When the vapors were discovered, Schnapp was told he could remain open and that there was no hazard to the public.
"All we were doing was following the guidance of the DEC and the DOH, who were on top of this the whole time. I mean, DOH will shut you down if you have a piece of chicken on a cutting board, you know what I mean?" Schnapp said.
The state says while pollutants remain underground, right now there is no risk of exposure to the public. But there's also no immediate plan to get it all out.
We have reached out to Avery Hall Investments, the developer which owns the site, for comment but have not heard back.