Negative Consequences to Superfund Designation?

Cleaning the canal is not without some casualties. The first of many to surely come is Quadrozzi Concrete. From Concrete Products:

"Quadrozzi Concrete President John Quadrozzi, Jr., has rallied against EPA involvement as a nearby resident, longtime supporter of the community, and Gowanus Canal Community Development Corp. and Southwest Brooklyn Development Corp. board member. The groups question the cleanup timeline and prospects for equitable cost-sharing among parties deemed responsible for the pollution--some of it predating the Clean Water Act of 1972.

The Superfund designation and longer-term prospects for the gentrifying Carrol Gardens neighborhood around the canal have prompted Quadrozzi Concrete to look downstream to Gowanus Bay. The producer is planning an advanced ready-mixed operation with abundant environmental and green building features at an affiliated company’s Gowanus Bay Terminal, comprising 13 upland and 33 marine acres."

One wonders why Quadrozzi is choosing now as a time to leave the area. The environmental damage done by Quadrozzi and other heavy industrial operations will be discovered and they will be forced to pay for it, whether or not they continue to occupy the site.

Just a guess, but it seems that this could have been a long time coming, and the Superfund designation is a convenient excuse. Their newer site is closer to Hamilton Avenue and the waterfront, allowing for shorter operational spans for their mixing vehicles (quick travel times to Manhattan are critical to the concrete business).

Also, once the sites are mitigated, Quadrozzi stands to make a pretty penny on their land. Not a bad outcome for them at all.