Gowansus Canal Superfund

The survey of major lending institutions—including Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Citibank and HSBC—reveals that individuals or families applying for mortgages to purchase, refinance or renovate homes in much of Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill and Park Slope will find it nearly impossible to obtain approval on FHA-insured loans if the Gowanus is designated a Superfund site. This is a direct result of a new federal rule adopted by the FHA in June 2009 that sets forth a requirement that could preclude the FHA from insuring any mortgages on residential units within 3,000 feet of a Superfund site.

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2010/02/26/group_unleashes_red_cloud_of_mortgage_death_on_brooklyn.php#more

just google map whatever location your interested in and measure if 3000 ft and more or less to the sludge

I believe the Superfund designation applies only to the actual canal itself, not the land abutting it.