Gas used for cooking, lighting, heating and commercial purposes was manufactured at the Clifton Manufactured Gas Plant between approximately 1857 and the mid 1950’s. This plant used coal and petroleum products to create a flammable gas which was piped into the surrounding neighborhoods. The manufacturing facilities were located at what is now 25 Willow Avenue while the main gas holder for storage was located at 40 Willow Avenue. The production and storage facilities were decommissioned and demolished by 1959. The by-products of gas production and storage that resulted from site operations are now being addressed through Remedial Action Plans for each parcel approved and being implemented by National Grid under the oversight of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The site is owned by National Grid, which is responsible for the investigation and remediation of the site because it was operated by a predecessor company at the time the contamination occurred.
This website provides information on Clifton former MGP Site, the remediation projects and opportunities for public participation. National Grid is committed to the protection and enhancement of the environment, always seeking ways to minimize the environmental impacts of our past, present and future activities. We hope this website, a part of our public participation and outreach efforts, is helpful and informative. If you need additional information or have suggestions to make our website better, please contact the individuals listed under Contacts.
For more information about the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Manufactured Gas Plant program please go to http://www.dec.ny.gov/
chemical/8430.html.
Clifton, Staten Island Manufactured Gas Plant (MGP) Site
Update August 2023
National Grid is committed to keeping the community informed of any activities at the site. Periodically, National Grid will provide activity updates for the neighbors of the Former Clifton MGP Site. These updates will primarily consist of the addition of new Operations, Maintenance, and Monitoring (OM&M) Reports to this website. The updates will describe work that has been done since the completion of the remediation work. The Key Documents section of this website will include the past website Weekly Updates and the reports related to the remediation work.
In addition, any questions pertaining to the site can be posed by calling the project Hotline at (718) 982-7349.
Remediation Work Completion
National Grid completed the remediation work at the former Clifton MGP site in July 2015. The NYSDEC and the NYSDOH have approved the Construction Completion Report for the 25 Willow Avenue, 40 Willow Avenue, and 89 Willow Avenue properties. National Grid has submitted a Draft Final Engineering Report for the former Clifton MGP Site to the NYSDEC. The Site Management Plan (SMP) is approved by the NYSDEC and the NYSDOH and being implemented on the National Grid properties and off-site areas as called for within the document.
On-going Operation, Maintenance & Monitoring Activities
Post-remediation work includes establishing and conducting Operation, Maintenance & Monitoring (OM&M) programs per the Site Management Plan. The OM&M programs at the Former Clifton MGP Site include:
- Recovery of Dense Non-aqueous Phase Liquid (DNAPL);
- Groundwater Pumping and Treatment at 40 Willow Avenue;
- Groundwater Sampling; and
- Inspections.
An Automated Recovery System was installed at a high-yield DNAPL recovery well in November 2018. The system allows for reduced field worker site visits for OM&M recovery by removing DNAPL on a scheduled rate. System operation information and DNAPL recovery data is included in the groundwater monitoring reports.
OM&M activities are required by the NYSDEC and the NYSDOH as documented in the Site Management Plan. You may see work being conducted at the former Clifton MGP site in order to implement and maintain these OM&M programs. National Grid will implement the OM&M programs until otherwise directed by the NYSDEC and the NYSDOH.