About the Dangman former Manufactured Gas Plant Site

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Gas used for cooking, lighting, heating and commercial purposes was manufactured and distributed at the former Dangman Park Manufactured Gas Plant (MGP) site (“the Site”). A predecessor to the Brooklyn Union Gas Company (Brooklyn Union) began operating the MGP prior to 1895. The Site operated as a gas production facility until sometime between 1906 and 1930.  During this period, gas was manufactured from coal and petroleum products, purified and stored, and then distributed through a network of pipes.  The manufactured gas was provided to homes, businesses and industries in the Coney Island neighborhood and used in much the same way as natural gas is used today. Additional information on manufactured gas plants and their legacy can be found at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (NYSDEC’s) website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/
chemical/8430.html
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The above-ground MGP structures at the Site were removed sometime between 1906 and 1930. The Site has since been redeveloped, and is currently occupied by a shopping center and its parking lot, and a parking lot for an apartment building.  It is possible that some below-ground MGP structures such as building foundations may remain below the ground surface.

National Grid, the successor company to Brooklyn Union, entered into an Order on Consent with the NYSDEC in 2007 to begin the process of investigating and remediating the Site.  The former MGP investigation activities included a Site Characterization (SC) and a Remedial Investigation (RI), which have determined the extent of impacts from the former MGP operations.  The NYSDEC- and the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH)-approved July 31, 2014 RI Report summarizes the results of all the investigation activities. The investigations determined the extent of the MGP-related constituents of concern (COCs), and determined that there are no complete exposure pathways to the COCs for commercial workers, patrons, or residents based on the current land use.

This website provides information on the Site, the SC and RI, and opportunities for public participation. National Grid is committed to the protection and enhancement of the environment, always seeking ways to minimize the environmental impacts of our past, present and future activities. We hope this website, a part of our public participation and outreach efforts, is helpful and informative. If you need additional information or have suggestions to make our website better, please contact the individuals listed under Contacts.

For more information about the NYSDEC’s Manufactured Gas Plant Site program go to: http://www.dec.ny.gov/
chemical/8430.html

March 2023

In October 2021, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) held a virtual public meeting for the K-Dangman Park MGP Site.  NYSDEC proposed a no further action remedy for the OU-1 section of the site, based on the results of the site investigation and two Interim Remedial Measures (IRMs) that were conducted.  During the meeting the proposed remedy components for OU-1 were discussed and are summarized below.

  • A first IRM (April 3 to June 15, 2017) in which gypsum was injected into the subsurface to treat coal tar and petroleum contamination by means of anaerobic oxidation; gypsum stimulates the existing bacteria to accelerate the degradation of the contaminants.
  • A second IRM (August 21 to December 29, 2017) which consisted of targeted soil removal across OU-1 of the site to address shallow contamination; excavation was completed in four areas to depths of approximately fifteen feet below ground surface.
  • A proposal of a site cover, an environmental easement and site management plan to be put in place to allow OU-1 to be used for restricted residential, commercial, or industrial use, as permitted by local zoning.

Details of the proposed OU-1 remedy are provided in NYSDEC’s Proposed Remedial Action Plan (February 2020). NYSDEC is finalizing the OU-1 remedy that will be described in a document called a “Record of Decision” that will explain why the remedy was selected and will respond to public comments.

Related documents can be found in the Key Documents tab.

Contact Information

National Grid will provide updated information about this project. For more information, please leave a message on our hotline at (718) 982-7349 or email us at info@dangmanparkmgpsite.com

Website Update Information

National Grid will provide updates for neighbors of the former Dangman Park MGP site with any new information or reports related to the investigation and remediation of the Site. During the remedial construction phase, National Grid provided weekly updates on field activities related to the remediation of the Site. All updates are archived under the Key Documents tab of this website.