Pollution has accumulated in Newtown Creek since its use as an industrial center in the early 19th century, but its listing as a Superfund site was accelerated in 2007 by an EPA report estimating oil leakage into the waterway at between 17 million and 30 million gallons -- larger than the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill.

The EPA is in talks with six responsible parties about monetary aid for cleanup efforts at the site, including BP PLC, Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. Among the toxics detected at higher levels in creek sediment are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/newtowncreek/
www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/nar1813.htm
Google Earth aerial view of the Newtown Creek site: http://www.epa.gov/region2/kml/newtown_creek.kml