Roosevelt Island residents are demanding the city halt its emergency demolition of the iconic but decrepit local industrial steam plant that has them holding their noses and concerned about toxins.
Activists have claimed the site is "very likely" filled with dangerous toxins that will be released into the air with the upcoming project -- but say they can't be certain because the city won't let them see related environmental records.
"It's for sure very contaminated because it was created in the 1930s, and that's when a lot of carcinogens were used," said a rep for the Architectural Community Alliance of Roosevelt Island, a nonprofit resident coalition that contends it is "statistically very likely" typical industrial toxins such as lead paint, asbestos, mercury and fuel oil No. 6 were used in its construction and would be released with demolition.
"All we're asking for is information," the representative said. "Keep us in the loop and follow the law."
The 87-year-old Roosevelt Island Steam Plant - which has been featured in ABC's TV show "Gotham" and Marvel's streaming series "The Punisher" and "Luke Cage" - is set to be razed this spring without a public environmental review, ArchRi said.
Such a study is needed to reveal whether any potential hazards that could released as it comes down, the group said.
But the site, which fell into disrepair under the purview of the city in the past decade, was issued an "emergency" demolition order in 2024 -- a designation that allows the city to bypass traditional environmental review procedures, ArchRI said.
Despite multiple requests for information, concerned residents' questions have been ignored by the city's Housing and Preservation Department, which also serves as the site's landlord, the group said.
"It's certainly alarming," Roosevelt Island resident Emanuella Grinberg told The Post of the situation.
"I live right across the street from the steam plant, my child is in the daycare [nearby]. I don't want to be downwind of a bunch of contaminated demolition dust.
"It's just a very basic matter of transparency and accountability, and what we expect of our city leaders," she said.
The city was already found to be removing roughly a dozen oil tanks at the site without proper permits in February, locals told The Post - and only began displaying work permits after it was caught by state authorities following an oil spill.
On-site soil was tested and found to show "heavy traces of petroleum and oils," affecting soil and groundwater, according to a state spill report obtained by The Post.
"It was smelling like oil and gas," a resident complained at the time.
Amy Namdar, who lives adjacent to the site, told the local community board in February that "fumes" from the excavation had been seeping into her apartment.
"It's gravely concerning to me, as the mother of two young children," she said.
Activists added that soil from the site was allegedly dumped on melting snow and said they are fearful that melting runoff flowing into the street may have been contaminated -- as well as any remnants from the "open-air" trucks carrying debris off the island.
"I'm questioning whether this is a safe place to continue living," Grinberg said.
"I'd love to stay, but health and safety has to come first."
An HPD rep told The Post that state and city agencies have "visited the site multiple times" and are monitoring it for "resident safety, including air quality" but would not confirm if an environmental review detailing the hazards is available.
The environmentalists' and residents' cause has since amassed hundreds of supporters in an online petition demanding the demolition work stop until documents revealing any environmental impacts to the public, as well as a structural report detailing the reason for the "emergency," are provided.
"This is a manufactured emergency for a demolition - bypassing the necessary due diligence when they say it's structurally unsafe," Grinberg said.
A town hall regarding the demo is now set for April 15 -- after months of locals' backlash.
The steam plant, which once generated power to nearby hospitals, was decommissioned in 2014 and quickly fell into disrepair under HPD, according to city records.
The city Department of Buildings issued 11 violations for necessary repairs in 2023, but those temporary fixes were never made, activists said - resulting in "deteriorated masonry along both smokestacks" and perimeter bearing walls, necessitating the "emergency" demolition order in July 2024.
"The emergency demolition ordered by the Department of Buildings is being completed as safely and efficiently as possible," an HPD rep told The Post.
"Residents can be confident that their safety is our top priority throughout this process."