QUESTION
What are the impacts of the barge removal on the surrounding communities in Jamaica Bay?
3:57:48
·
149 sec
Council Member Selvena N. Brooks-Powers expresses concern about the potential impacts of the barge removal process on the predominantly Black and Brown environmental justice communities surrounding Jamaica Bay.
- She highlights the lack of a cost estimate for the removal after 3 years, suggesting it is not a priority for the Parks Department.
- She mentions the diminishing quality of life for residents near the barge's location due to its shifting during weather events.
- She emphasizes the need to treat the situation with severity and prioritize it in the budget to ensure resolution within the fiscal year.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
3:57:48
And and I could appreciate that I would I would be curious to know if any plays as huge as of a safety dynamic as this one again considering the oil and the Jamaica Bay.
3:58:02
And how how the Jamaica Bay in itself and the water streams and what those impacts the local community can be, especially predominantly a black and brown community and environmental justice community.
3:58:14
So you know, it's really hard to hear than 3 years.
3:58:19
We don't even have a cost for it to say, well, let's go half on it or what have you.
3:58:24
So making it make me feel like it's not a priority, unfortunately, for the parks department.
3:58:30
We've had significant calls led by at some time, Senator Sanders' office, sometimes congress and meek's office.
3:58:39
We've had meetings at Nausea and with all levels of government hurt a lot of finger pointing, but I haven't seen anything tangible.
3:58:46
And then when we move this bill forward is with the hopes that we can finally get something resolved here and I still don't hear the the will to get it done.
3:58:57
But what it is doing is continuing to diminish the quality of Jamaica Bay.
3:59:04
It's also diminishing the quality of life of the residents that live in the surrounding blocks.
3:59:10
Where this barge is located.
3:59:13
And when we have weather events, it shifts and moves, as you know, to different properties.
3:59:18
And we don't know how that could down the line impact someone.
3:59:21
Because if it was to hurt someone, we we are on record a few years now on this barge.
3:59:27
So I think it needs to be treated with the the the severity that it presents to us.
3:59:33
And I think that it needs to be prioritize more within this budget to make sure that it gets resolved in this fiscal year.
Sue Donoghue
3:59:43
Thank you, council member, and we absolutely agree with you in terms of the importance and then severity of the situation.
3:59:49
For us, it was a huge step forward to get the office set up and to hire the folks that are needed to get this in place.
3:59:56
We're thrilled that we now have that and we now have a team that can be dedicated to it.
4:00:00
And that, you know, we just launched the creation of that office a couple months ago with you, and that's an important step forward.
4:00:07
And we'll continue to work with Army Corps, work with requisite other entities in order to be able to speed this.
4:00:16
We know it's an important priority.