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Largest Oil Spill in US Seeps Under Brooklyn
Exxon owns up to a century of leaks and dumping over 55 acres
By Dustin Lushing
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Posted Jun 4, 07 5:54 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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Underneath the ground of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, is a dark blob of gasoline, solvents, and associated poisons that composes the biggest oil spill in US history. It's accumulated from a century's worth of smaller leaks and waste dumping, reports New York magazine, and ExxonMobil has quietly accepted the blame, but done little to clean it up.
Now, after years of fervent lobbying, the residents of Greenpoint and the State of New York are forcing a clean-up. The hydrocarbon ooze has contaminated at least 55 acres of Northern Brooklyn, beginning during the 1890's industrial boom when factories and refineries spilled chemicals into nearby Newtown Creek. Greenpoint residents are blaming the giant puddle for higher instances of cancer and declining property values.