An automobile junkyard on 151 Woodward Ave. might become the future site for a full-scale animal shelter in Ridgewood. The location is currently being reviewed by New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to see whether the site qualifies for a public cleanup program to remove dangerous toxins from its location. The future shelter will be operated under Animal Care and Control of NYC (ACC), a non-profit city contractor, and will be the first full-service animal shelter in the area.
The Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) was launched in 2003, and meant as an incentive for community redevelopment. The program is designed to specifically target contaminated sites or “brownfields,” so that these sites can be revitalized and reused to boost a neighborhood’s economic development. According to the DEC website, more than 300 formerly contaminated sites have been revitalized under the initiative.
In January, the ACC submitted an application for the junkyard to be cleaned up under the BCP. An environmental assessment of the lot has found traces of toxic compounds, including petroleum-related volatile organic compounds (VOCs), poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) and metals—unsurprising, given the site’s current use as a car maintenance and wrecking facility. Toxic compounds can have harmful effects, which is why it’s important to have the site properly assessed for cleanup. For instance, health effects associated with exposure to PCBs in humans include development of acne skin conditions in adults and neurobehavioral changes in children. For animals, exposure to PCBs can even cause cancer.
