Photo: Jeff Riedel

No one knows exactly how much oil was spilled at Newtown Creek, an industrial canal between the boroughs of  Brooklyn and Queens in New York harbor, but the best estimates are between between 17 million and 30 million gallons, which is more oil than was spilled by the  Deepwater Horizon blowout and three times larger than the Exxon Valdez spill.   Oil refineries, storage and transfer facilities along the creek  are believed to have leaked the oil into the  ground over many decades, polluting the soil, groundwater and sending oil seeping into Newtown Creek.   Last Wednesday, Exxon agreed to a settlement to clean up the spill.   Video of a cruise up Newtown Creek, after the jump.

Exxon Reaches Settlement Over Newtown Creek Oil Spill

Exxon will be responsible for cleaning up the spill, estimated to be about 30 million gallons of oil. In addition to the cleanup money, Exxon will also have to pay $25 million in penalties and $19.5 million for environmental projects in the area.

Two years ago the New York PBS station took a cruise up Newtown Creek in its series, The City Concealed.

Up The Creek: “The City Concealed” Sets Sail on Newtown Creek

The City Concealed: Newtown Creek from Thirteen.org on Vimeo.