The Newtown Creek, a channel-like body of water located near the center of New York City, became in the 19th century one of the most important petroleum refining and chemical production sites in the US.  In this talk, we employ period maps, photographs, and accounts of then-current technical and business practices to inform descriptions of the chemical technologies practiced along the Newtown Creek and the technical and environmental impact of these practices. In September 2010, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added Newtown Creek to its Superfund National Priorities List of the country's most hazardous waste sites. This talk will focus on several significant technologies practiced at the Newtown Creek from 1870 through the mid-20th century and emphasize the technical and commercial interactions between industrial entities along the Creek.  These technical and commercial realities provide background for understanding the recent EPA NPL designation.

Chemical and petroleum industries of the Newtown Creek of the late 19<sup>th</sup> and early 20<sup>th</sup> centuries

241st National Meeting (2011)

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Chemical and petroleum industries of the Newtown Creek of the late 19th and early 20th centuries

Chemical and petroleum industries of the Newtown Creek of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries