Brooklyn in Brief

ExxonMobil restarted an oil pumping system Thursday in a move to speed up the extraction of millions of gallons of petroleum from a massive decades-old underground oil spill in Brooklyn. Exxon had shut down the pumping in March, causing oil to migrate into a Newton Creek, the waterway separating Brooklyn from Queens. More at Forbes.

Rumor: McDonald's could be bringing Big Macs to Smith Street. A tipster email Curbed that "I heard from a fairly reliable neighborhood source that the Army Navy and Realty shops on the North East corner of Wyckoff and Smith in Boerum Hill will be turned into a...wait for it...McDonalds!" More here.

The Brooklyn Cultural Circuit would like to transform Engine 204, the former firehouse at 299 DeGraw Street that was closed by the city in 2003,into a multi-arts center — the Brooklyn Center for the Arts. More at the Brooklyn Eagle.

Due to the scarcity of prime beef, Peter Luger's appears to have started a new policy, according to Vinoguy on Chowhound. For tables that have an actual reservation, they will serve the entire menu. For those walk ins who don't have a ressie, they WON'T serve the porterhouse -- they will offer some other cut of steak. Anyone eaten at Luger's lately? Chowhound here.