Long-suffering southern Brooklyn residents may finally get a breath of fresh air after officials found the suspected cause of a gas odor that has plagued the area for months.
After a lengthy investigation, the Department of Environmental Conservation found and repaired a leaky tank at a Mobil gas station at the corner of Coney Island and Guider avenues, Council Member Inna Vernikov announced last week.
Locals have been complaining of a persistent gas smell since late August, and Vernikov said some residents have reported headaches, dizziness and respiratory irritation caused by the funk. City data shows dozens of 311 reports about odor were filed in Vernikov’s district between Aug. 29 and Nov. 9, and a community odor tracker created by a local resident has documented at least 227 complaints in the last month.
The stench seemed most concentrated in Sheepshead Bay, though some residents have caught a whiff as far south as Manhattan Beach and Coney Island.
The community-created map of gas odors across southern Brooklyn. Image courtesy of South Brooklyn Gasoline Odor Tracker
As reports kept rolling in, officials launched an inter-agency investigation spearheaded by the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation with assistance from the FDNY, and the city’s Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Late last month, DEC requested inventory records from several local gas stations as part of the investigation, said agency spokesperson Adanna Roberts, including the Mobil at 3003 Coney Island Ave., which is owned by Bolla EM Realty LLC. Inventory monitoring is used to detect leaks, and is required for most gas stations, she explained.
Several days after the request was made, Bolla EM Realty’s environmental consultant reported a leak to DEC. The agency confirmed evidence of a leak on the property on Oct. 19 and ensured it was stopped, Roberts said. It is not clear how long the leak had been active, or how much gas had leaked out of the faulty tank.
Bolla did not respond to request for comment.
Officials believe the malodorous fumes from the faulty tank were entering the sewer system and traveling through the area, Vernikov said in an Oct. 22 update, though it’s possible there are multiple sources of the stink.
“At this time, DEC cannot conclusively determine whether this leak was the main cause or contributed to the cause of the odors reported and will continue to investigate other facilities and businesses in the impacted area,” Roberts said.
On Oct. 30, DEC hit Bolla EM Realty with several violations, including failure to report and investigate suspected leak, failure to empty the tank system, and failure to report and contain the spill. The agency “will continue to closely oversee the facility to make sure that they are in compliance with State Environmental Conservation Law and regulations,” Roberts said.
Council Member Inna Vernikov has spearheaded the response to the odor.Photo courtesy of Emil Cohen/NYC Council Media Unit
Vernikov, who organized an interagency meeting with DEC, DEP, the federal Environmental Protection Agency and other city agencies last month, said the discovery was “just the type of breakthrough we were hoping for.”
“I’m glad that my constituents finally have some answers, but the job is not done. My office will not stop until the problem is fully resolved and the odor fully removed from our neighborhood,” she said in a statement.
The smell may persist while the larger investigation continues, the council member said, though reports have decreased since the Mobil leak was addressed. Approximately 42 complaints were sent to the community tracker between Oct. 19-26, while just 12 were made between Nov. 3-10. FDNY has been monitoring gas levels and is not concerned about fire or explosions, she told CBS New York.
Vernikov and DEC encouraged Brooklynites who smell gas to call 911, and report spills to DEC’s 24-hour hotline at 1-800-457-7362.