Greenpoint is an ecologically iffy part of Brooklyn, to say the least — all those various oil spills and old-school-company toxic-waste dumpings, you know. Now environmentalists are trying to gauge just how many homes are contaminated. But guess what? Some Greenpoint householders don’t want to know! Earlier this year, the state wanted to inspect 58 homes but they got access to only twelve, because many are afraid that the findings will make their home values plummet, while “others may mistrust the government, be illegal residents or … be in denial.” Which is hard to argue with, but still, what about the children? [NYT]
