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From the September 2007 issue
Agreement Signed to Clean Up MPG Sites in Brooklyn and Nassau Counties
An expanded consent order has been signed by New York State and KeySpan Energy Delivery that will require the cleanup of contamination at five manufactured gas plant (MGP) sites and seven gas storage sites in Brooklyn and Nassau counties. The agreement broadens a February 2007 consent order signed between DEC and KeySpan and brings the total number of sites covered under this agreement to 26. An implementation schedule for the order will be developed within the next month. The agreement will be binding on KeySpan and any successor companies.
Although mostly contaminating soils, liquid waste, or coal tar, from MGP sites has been a persistent contaminant in NYS
From the early 1800s to the mid 1900s, hundreds of manufactured gas plants operated throughout New York State and other states, converting coal to a gas that was used for cooking and heating in much the same way that natural gas is used today. Prior to the widespread use of electricity, the gas also was extensively used for lighting streets and homes. When natural gas became widely available through the nationwide pipeline network, local gas manufacturing facilities were closed down. The last MGP in New York State closed in 1972.
The legacy of contamination left behind by the principal gas manufacturing processes continues today. Large amounts of liquid waste, known as coal tar, often leaked into soils beneath manufacturing sites. Lesser amounts of tar sometimes escaped from facilities, or gas holders, where gas was stored for local distribution. The tar has proven to be a persistent environmental contaminant. In response, DEC has developed one of the most aggressive MGP cleanup programs in the country, with more than 200 sites across the state covered by consent orders reached with utilities.
