Contaminated soil will be removed at 34 properties in Middleport
MIDDLEPORT – Up to 34 properties, contaminated with arsenic by operations at FMC Corporation, will have soil removed in May, pending property owner agreements.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation urged property owners to grant permission for the DEC to see the sites and develop cleanup plans.
The work won’t occur at a property unless a homeowner gives written permission. During construction, contaminated soils will be excavated and transported off‐site for disposal at a permitted facility.
Specific excavation depths will be identified during the remedial design. Clean fill material will be brought in to restore the areas that are disturbed during the clean‐up process to pre‐remediation conditions, the DEC said.
Landscaping and other restoration activities will be completed at properties where remediation was completed during 2016, but final restoration could not be completed before winter. Residential cleanup activities will occur in the area of Alfred Street and Freeman Avenue west of the Roy‐Hart Schools, and along South Vernon Street between the railroad tracks and Route 31.
All areas that are disturbed during the cleanup will be restored to pre‐existing conditions, in consultation with each property owner. Prior to being brought to the site, all backfill materials will be tested to demonstrate that they meet DEC soil cleanup requirements, the DEC said.
Restoration activities will also be completed at St. Stephen’s Church at 21 Vernon Street. Remediation of the church grounds was completed during 2016 but final restoration could not be completed before winter.
Mobilization is anticipated to begin in April. Work and equipment operation will typically take place five days per week (Monday through Friday), generally between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. A Property‐Specific Safety Plan and a Community Air Monitoring Plan will continue to be implemented to provide protection for site workers, property owners, residents, and the nearby community during remediation and restoration activities.
FMC Corporation currently owns and operates a facility in the village. As a result of historic air emissions, the company contaminated a significant number of nearby residential and other properties, predominantly with arsenic, the DEC said. In May 2013, a final remedy was selected to clean up a portion of those areas. A phased approach is being implemented in an effort to minimize disruption to the community, with a limited area closest to the FMC facility initially targeted for cleanup and restoration.
For more information on the cleanup plan, click here.
