How Long Before All Of New York City Is Declared A Superfund Site?

The most radioactive place in the entire city has just been declared an EPA Superfund site, joining two other recently honored features: The Gowanus Canal and Newtown Creek. The first of NYC’s toxic trio was designated worthy of federal intervention in early 2010. That’s three new sites since early 2010. NYC is on a roll! But where will this roll take us? Data can provide answers.

Two of these Superfund sites are large waterways; one is basically a city block. This, along with the fact that 2+1=3, means that our data is useless. Anyway: Based on rough Google Maps measurements these sites average out to approximately 70.6 acres apiece. At a rate of one new Superfund site every 1.4 years, and assuming a total five-borough acreage of 205,000, New York will be Superfund City by the year 6079. July, roughly.