U.S. Reps. Nydia M. Velázquez and Anthony D. Weiner announced the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to develop a sampling plan that may designate Newtown Creek as a federal Superfund site. The designation could help speed efforts to clean the oil-tainted waterway that separates Brooklyn and Queens.

Newtown CreekIn a letter to the two legislators, Regional Administrator Alan Steinberg said the EPA would examine existing data and perform additional studies needed to determine if Newtown Creek could qualify for the program, according to the New York Times.

ExxonMobil has cleaned up approximately half of the 17 million gallons of oil detected near the creek. But many -- including Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who filed suit against the company last year -- believe the cleanup has lagged.