Exxon once again using pumping system in Greenpoint

ExxonMobil is once again using a pumping system to remove oil from a massive petroleum spill that has sat underneath Greenpoint for decades. The company stopped using the pumping system in March after environmental groups said the cleanup method was causing oil to migrate to the Newtown Creek. The oil spill, which is believed to have been caused by an accident at an Exxon refinery in 1979, dumped at least 17 million gallons of oil underneath the Brooklyn neighborhood. Exxon signed an agreement to begin cleaning up the spill in 1990, but an estimated 7 to 8 million gallons of oil remain below Greenpoint. more [AP via AMNY]