Christopher Swain's Gowanus Canal Swim Spurs National Conversations on Toxic Superfund Sites

This past wednesday, as part of an Earth Day awareness campaign, swimmer and environmentalist Christopher Swain swam across the nearly two-mile-long, heavily polluted Gowanus Canal.

Swain commented that "it tasted like mud, poop, ground up grass and gasoline" in a post-swim interview. The story went national and spurred conversations about the numerous EPA-designated Superfund sites such as the Gowanus Canal.

Superfund is the federal government's program to clean up the nation's uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. We're committed to ensuring that remaining National Priorities List hazardous waste sites are cleaned up to protect the environment and the health of all Americans.

The Superfund has been around since the 1970's but has struggled to get any cleanup done in recent years due to budgetary cuts slamming the EPA.

If you would like to see sites like the Gowanus Canal cleaned up, contact your Congressional representative and ask them to increase funding to the E.P.A.

Gowanus Canal
Matt Coneybeare

Matt Coneybeare

Editor in Chief

Matt enjoys exploring the City's with his partner and son. He is an avid marathon runner, and spends most of his time eating, running, and working on cool stuff.

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