Greenpoint residents and environmentalists have been saying for decades that there is some truly nasty stuff underground thanks to the huge Greenpoint oil spill. I have examined the intense fumes rising from Newton creek during a boat ride and also noticed oil gurgling from the contaminated creek. Thirty years after the spill was discovered, environmental studies are finding the locals aren't paranoid. Tests forced as part of Riverkeeper's lawsuit to speed a cleanup of the 17 million gallon spill (way more than the Exxon Valdez dumped) have found a toxic stew underground, including benzene, which is a carcinogen, and explosive methane gas. The "product plume" is still spreading underground, but the epicenter of the "potential hazard" is around Bridgewater Street and Norman Avenue (the orange color on the map above). The Department of Environmental Conservation asked for the tests, which were done for ExxonMobil, after Riverkeeper's own tests found vapors.

Bloomberg Article