December 24 2011

Avoid Parks Next to Abandoned Factories (*update)

So anyway, last week I was driving around with the dogs in Red Hook (semi-industrial area in Brooklyn) and I passed by this park with two ballfields on it. It’s a pretty active public park in the summertime. Looming over this park is this giant old factory. Old school style from the 70’s…

I’m a big fan of old abandoned stuff. I like abandoned schools and hospitals. Abandoned mental hospitals are my fave. I do like a good old car factory falling apart and all that. And this factory is pretty impressive looking. Check it out…

It was cold out and nobody was around and the place is pretty fenced in– so I decided to park and let the dogs go for a run. It turned out to be a great place to let the dogs go nuts running full speed back and forth and chasing balls and stuff. I’ve been back a few more times to pay catch with them and whatever. It’s huge and they like their freedoms.

Anyway, the other day I mention to a friend of mine who also has a dog about this ‘secret Red Hook park’ where you can take the dogs running (it’s not easy to find places to let dogs run free in the city besides dog parks) so I’m always looking for alternatives. And he said, ‘Isn’t that the park where they found all that PCB contamination?’ I was like, ‘Huh?’

I headed home and googled– and found tons of articles about this friggin park! How they found way high levels of PCBs! 100x the acceptable amount! Some garbage company called Chemtura never cleaned up after it closed a while ago. I was like, ‘What the hell!?’ Tons of articles that said the place is like super toxic!

Here’s one article from the WSJ!

I was like, ‘My dogs have been playing in that park?! Chasing balls and snurfing around in that?! And tracking PCB paws into my house?!’ I immediately vacuumed and gave their paws silkwood style hosedowns etc. But the damage (hopefully none) has been done.

So I continued my googling and after seeing tons of reports about this park being way contaminated– (GOOD NEWS!) it seems the city re-tested the soil and claimed it was 100% safe or whatever(??) Yeah right, that seems pretty 100% sketchy.

Obviously, I’m sickened by the idea that I may have put my dogs at risk (and me too I guess). The idea of Roscoe or Lola getting sick down the road from playing in that gross dirt makes me mental. I’ve been obsessing for days. The gf is like, ‘Calm down…’ I’m like, ‘I can’t calm down!’ Yes, I feel super stupid for seeing an old abandoned factory and my first reaction is, ‘Oooh! I want to see what that looks like up close! And play with the dogs!!’ Rather than alarm bells going off in my head.

In any case, I’m pissed. Not only because my dogs play in that– but because families picnic in there — kids play baseball– and all that. It can’t be right. It seems after the city declared it ‘safe’– the story went away. Park remains free and clear (You know if this park was in a wealthy area they’d friggin turn it upsidedown– but this area is remote and poor.)

So I’d like to test the soil myself to see whats what. If anyone out there has access to a lab (or knows someone) that can test soil samples for PCB’s– please let me know. I’ll send you some. At the very least, I’ll hopefully feel better about the soil being okay– but if it’s bad and everyone is whatevering this park… I’d like to blow a whistle and throw a flag on this field.

ok bye!
tOdd

PS. Someone wrote in who can test the soil. I’ll be sending in a sample…

38

Angry Man says:

Wow tOdd your dumb

You make me angry, man. says:

Why, because he cares about his dogs and doesn’t blindly trust the government? Troll.

Guest says:

His dumb? His dumb what?

Todds dumb says:

i am sure if they tested the earth and it was still poison they would close the park that factory closed so long ago it is unlikely the pollution is still there because of the rain and if it is it is underground now

Buzzyed says:

Is their poop glowing green??? No??? Then they’re fine!!

Private says:

Another good reason Rick Perry should close the EPA! They obviously do NOTHING!!

the REAL weeze says:

FIRRRSTTTT BITCHHESSS!!!!HATE CEMICALS BUT YOU CANTTTT HATEEE THE WINNNERRR WEEEZEEEE FIRSTTT ALWAYSSSS CORRUDEDDDD BITCHESS!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

You wanna says:

Suck ma pee pee weeze???

joe says:

you should smoke the soil

Triumph the comic dog says:

“I’m a big fan of old abandoned stuff.”

That explains this website! I Kid! I Kid. I love this place. It is just like that polluted park. It is a wonderful place….for me to poop on!

My Butt Here says:

Keep going and it won’t seem bad. That’s how the toxins work, they trick you into thinking they aren’t harming you. Perfect balance. I’ve been out of the Northeast for over two decades now and when I go back It all looks so crappy, warped, twisted and fucked up. But my friends don’t see it that way since they’ve been contaminated for so long. Ignorance and environmental toxins are pure bliss.

Nicol says:

I’m sorry, but I had to laugh at Triumph. LOLOLOL!!!!

Crumbles says:

I’ve been picnicking and playing soccer in that park for years. No problWHAM

Nobama 2012 says:

You trusted something “the City” or a “government agency” said? No offence but haha you’re an idiot. You can’t trust anything these scumbags say, such as to believe in “Hope and Change” or that unemployment wouldn’t go above 8% ever or that you can believe in a “Birth Certificate” posted on the Internet.

Anonymous says:

Oh STFU. This is about a dog park. Not your political bullshit. Keep your problems to yourself asshole.

Nobama 2012 says:

Obviously the concept of thinking “Big Picture” eludes you. Everything’s all connected somehow; I with you, us to this site, the epic failure of this dog park with the even more epic failure of the Obama “Presidency”- I’d go on but you either get it or you don’t. All signs point to the latter.

I guess your libtarded head is so far up your libtarded ass that you’re starting to see daylight. Pull it out occasionally, smell the coffee like Dear Abby used to say, and TRY to think of something else besides your own little world inside your own little colon occasionally. Don’t you guys put on a big show about being caring and tolerant of all people- as long as they agree 100% with you at all times?

Anonymous says:

Again, STFU you stupid little asshole and go put your tinfoil hat on. Your mental problems have nothing to do with the dog park.

I realize to your pea-sized brain, anyone that doesn’t embrace your lunacy is a “lib-tard” but suprise! I am not a liberal. Not even close. I just know a loud-mouthed dipshit with a short-circuited brain spouting off nonsense when I hear one. You do not know a single thing about anything and you are more than willing to prove it anywhere you can. Then you cry like a little bitch when you are told to STFU because nobody cares. It’s time for you to log off the computer and keep watch for the silent black helicopters that follow you everywhere.

Nobama 2012 says:

Were you saying something? Your lips were moving but all we heard was buzzes, clicks and strangely muted whimpering.

Anonymous says:

“Were you saying something? Your lips were moving but all we heard was buzzes, clicks and strangely muted whimpering.”

No. I type with my fingers and that wouldn’t be something you could hear from there. The sounds you were hearing are typically what happens while your brain attempts unsuccessfully to form a rational thought. It’s usually followed up with a little bit of steam out the ear, a faint burnt smell, and a bit of urine down your leg.

Your comment says:

Was too long to care about. Please try again.

Anonymous says:

No. I don’t placate the stupid. Just because you don’t know most of the words doesn’t mean you can’t open up a dictionary and look them up.

Little Piggies says:

Take 3 parcels each of 4 acres. In each parcel put out and equal amount of food and water. Then in each parcel place goats, sheep and pigs. Leave them to their nature and you will see just how each makes thier world. Pigs will be pigs, sheep will be sheep and goats will be goats. Which one are you?

Big Bad Wolf says:

I’m the one that eats the pigs. But I like to fuck them up bad first.

Ginger Campaign says:

Vote for me, and I will make sure that companies follow proper environmental procedures when disposing of waste. The citizens of New York City deserve more. As President, I will make sure this will never happen in our country again.

VOTE GINGER IN 2012

🙂

Charlie Pettis says:

I have access to a laboratory at my school where I can test the levels of PCB for you. Contact me anytime.

Jeneva says:

Just the type of insight we need to fire up the dbaete.

oddtodd7 says:

Thanks Charlie! I’ll send you an email…

Much appreciated

jiggy says:

Todd, there are test kits available for PCBs. We use one call Chlor-N-oil which is designed for oil but you can get a soil test kit too. No lab needed.
The kits we use are not qualitative, meaning they test for chlorine, not specifically PCB but, if there’s no chlorine, there’s no PCBs. If the test is positive, however, it does not mean PCB is present necessarily, it could be salt or a chlorinated solvent of some sort. That’s when you would need a lab analysis.
Don’t freak too much about it being in the soil. The biggest danger with PCB is if there is a fire. They create dioxin when they decompose and dioxin is carcinogenic.

Pantomime Horse says:

Libtard. I love it. Will use with full discretion. Funnier thing about libtards is when you say you don’t support the republicans eighter they get all confused. They surely have fucked themselves.

Rusty Trombone says:

You are interesting. Really. Do you have a blog where I can read more? I find you fascinating

Crunchy Bill says:

Todd, be chill. Even if the concentration of PCB in the soil exceeds. EPA etc. limits, the amount Roscoe and Lola could have absorbed through their paws in the course of an afternoon of romping in the park involves an exceedingly low risk of injury. Don’t sweat it. I agree that the situation seems hunky in the extreme . . . And it is very easy to question the integrity and reliability of the agencies responsible for monitoring the scene.

That being said, I probablly would be reluctant to return to this otherwise incredible site with my hounds. What a shame. Places like this are, uh, well, theory term that comes to mind is precious.

Crunchy Bill says:

And I cannot comprehend the level of assitude that permits someone to respond to your genuine concern with political polemic idiocy.

Squeek Pak says:

OMFG you mean people actually have the Freedom of speech and expression in this country. Holy Shit. You mean we don’t have to do anything that a Libtard thinks is ok. No fucking kidding. BTW most peeps already know this. Go fuck yourself. Which you are doing a pretty good job of lately.

Anonymous says:

Retarded people using keyboards are funny!

Concerned says:

Wow Odd Todd – I like your website and I loved this article (for the environmental activist-feeling to it!) But why on earth do you allow pointless comments? Half the people who’ve commented are so STUPID and off-topic – it seems like they’ve not even read what you pointed out and sought to address…

Concerned Pervert says:

Like you said, ” Half the people who’ve commented are so STUPID and off-topic”.

Thank you for clarifying which half you identify with.

Not so Concerned says:

Haha. You must be new here. Go draw a penis and maybe you will feel better.

Marlie says:

Weeeee, what a quick and easy sloution.

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