NEW YORK (AP) -- New York City is proposing an alternative cleanup plan that could prevent the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn from being designated a federal Superfund site.
City officials say their plan would take about half the time a Superfund project would require.
The alternative would allow polluters to voluntarily pay for the cleanup under binding agreements.
The city says a Superfund designation could set off legal battles and stall the cleanup. They also say the label could scare away developers.
A Superfund designation is reserved for the country's most hazardous sites. It allows the government to pursue polluters and require them to pay for the cleanup.
The 1.8-mile canal was once dubbed "Lavender Lake'' for its purplish chemical hue.
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