Riverbank State Park Is Over An Open Sewer

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/harbor_water/northri.shtml

One of the reasons I did not return to Harlem in '98 was after walking under Riverbank State Park for the second time, I was clear that I did not want to live breathing in sewer air.

Those in charge were content to keep the conversation on odor and flow rather than the germs and toxins from the open sewer, North River.

I heard the smell problem is gone, which got me worried. I hope they did not just add more chemicals to the process, which the people will be breathing.

So I went to the City's page on North River.

Here's how they solved the problem, by putting sodium hydrochloride and sodium hydroxide (lye).

"Odor control

To improve the control of odors from the plant, New York City has recently spent an additional $55 million beyond the cost of construction of the original odor control facilities. North River’s odor control facilities are among the most elaborate in the country.

During the odor control process, plant air is pumped into a large tank and scrubbed clean with a mixture of two chemicals, sodium hydrochloride and sodium hydroxide (lye). The air is then funneled through activated carbon filters, which absorb odors and chemicals and remove the remaining odor-producing particles. The air is then released through 100-foot ventilation stacks on the plant roof."

If you're still in Harlem, check to see if the filters are working properly.