Background on Columbia Waterfront Neighborhood and Related Port Issues

August, 2009

• The Columbia Waterfront Neighborhood, which has seen substantial population growth in recent
years, is triangulated by the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, the Gowanus Expressway, and Piers 7 -
12, all of which heavily contribute to emissions. Conventional ships and trucks are both heavy
polluters, releasing airborne missions that have been found to have a significant impact on asthma
rates, respiratory infections, brain development, and other illnesses.

• Community members, through Community Board 6, the Columbia Waterfront Neighborhood

Association (CoWNA), and other community groups in Red Hook, were substantially involved in
planning processes for Piers 7 – 12 over the past several years. Residents are committed to
maintaining shipping and water-dependent uses, recognizing that it makes both economic and
environmental sense to bring in goods by ship, rather than long-haul trucks. But residents have also
made clear that they want a port that is a good neighbor, and that works aggressively with the
community to address the adverse impacts of ship and truck emissions, and increased traffic. In
addition, residents want to achieve meaningful public access through the Brooklyn Waterfront
Greenway, PortSideNY, and ferries/water taxis, and to make sure that jobs on the waterfront go to
Brooklyn residents who need them.

• In 2006, the City opened the Brooklyn Cruise Ship Terminal at Pier 12. While welcomed by residents
and community leaders, the new cruise ship terminal has contributed relatively to local businesses or
the community, since tourists travel through a gauntlet of roads inside the port, and therefore do not
have the opportunity to connect to local businesses. Few new full-time jobs have been created.
Residents are particularly concerned about the emissions released by cruise ships. According to the
Bluewater Network, a cruise ship in port for one day, running on its own generators, is the equivalent
of 12,400 cars. The community has therefore been advocating for ships to run on “shore power,”
which the EPA says is a crucial step to clean our air. A Port Authority study shows that use of shore
power at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal would annually eliminated 100 tons of NOx, 100 tons of Sox,
and 6 tons of particulates.

• Earlier this year, the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, the NYC Economic Development
Corporation, American Stevedoring Inc (ASI), and Phoenix Beverage reached a deal to extend ASI’s
lease for Piers 7 – 10, and to extend the operation to Pier 11 and the Atlantic Basin, with Phoenix
Beverage as the business importing beverages using Piers 7, 10, and 11. Under the deal, EDC has
indicated that PortSideNY – a nonprofit organization committed to helping New Yorkers connect to
the working waterfront – will have part of Pier 11 and be able to tie up the Mary Whalen and other
ships. They have also promised a Governor’s Island ferry and visitors center, and space for a
ferry/water taxi launch. They indicated at community meetings that Phoenix will convert its truck fleet
to CNG vehicles in 7 years, trucks will move internally to the port, and local hiring will be emphasized.
However, the lease between EDC and Phoenix is weak on these issues.

• In July, the Port Authority announced federal grants for their Comprehensive Clean Air Strategy.
Federal grants will help establish a program that in turn will enable truck owners to replace pre-1994
vehicles, which contribute 33% of the fine particulate matter emissions. They also announced $270
million in federal, state, and city funds to the “Sunset Park Waterfront Vision Plan,” but did not
indicated whether Red Hook/Columbia Waterfront will be included in this effort.