Doesn’t This Mean You’re Basically Living On Top Of Fresh Kills?

The giant oil spill circulating underneath Greenpoint is leaking methane gas:

High levels of explosive methane vapors in shallow soil near the massive Greenpoint oil spill have forced alarmed state officials to do emergency gas testing in nearby homes, the Daily News has learned.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation is pushing local residents to sign up to have their homes checked for the potentially combustible vapors.

“They should have come years ago,” said disgusted homeowner Dorothy Swick, who lives on Hausman St. “Nobody ever told me how dangerous it was.”

The gases are believed to be bubbling up from a 17 million gallon underground oil spill discovered in 1978.

. . .

The elevated gas levels, released last week, were found in tests done by ExxonMobil contractor Roux Associates under orders from the DEC.

It was the first time the state or the oil giant have acknowledged gas from the Newtown Creek oil spill could be hazardous to residents.

The testing also found elevated readings of benzene, which can cause cancer.

The potentially lethal vapors were found in a commercial and industrial area — but there are some homes across the street from at least one testing site.

The vapors were found in soil samples along Bridgewater St., at the intersections of Apollo St., Norman Ave., and at Nassau Ave. and Hausman St.

And not to sound like too much of a wuss, but it makes the idea of kayaking and — ew! — crabbing in Newtown Creek seem a little premature . . .

See also: Better Late Than Never.