Environment DEC
From the October 2005 issue
Brownfield Grant Announced for Chautauqua County
Governor George E. Pataki announced a grant of more than $1.9 million to Chautauqua County for the cleanup of environmental contamination at the former Roblin Steel site in the City of Dunkirk. The funding is provided under the 1996 Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act, Environmental Restoration Program (ERP).
The North Tonawanda Roblin
Steel site is also undergoing a
redevelopment plan as part of the
Governor's brownfields initiative
"The cleanup and redevelopment of this brownfield site has the potential to transform the entire area and create new opportunities for economic development," Governor Pataki said. "This brownfield project will help turn an unused, contaminated area into a location for new industry and jobs, benefiting the residents of Chautauqua County."
DEC Acting Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan said, "This grant to the county for its redevelopment of the Roblin Steel site displays the state's commitment to assisting local communities in efforts to improve their surrounding environment. This is just another successful example among hundreds of brownfield projects that Governor Pataki has championed over the past decade."
Grant Scope
Using the grant, Chautauqua County will clean up approximately 12 acres of an inactive industrial park at 320 South Roberts Road in Dunkirk. The project includes: the excavation and off-site disposal of debris and contaminated surface and subsurface soils; placement of an asphalt pavement cover over a portion of the site; concrete or clean soil cover over additional portions of the site; removal of asbestos from within the building; removal of contaminated sediment from interior building sumps, catch basins and a Hyde Creek outfall; installation of a sub-slab ventilation system for the existing building, combined with treatment of groundwater to remove contamination, and the establishment of an environmental easement to protect the integrity of the remedy.
In addition to remediation activities, the grant will fund development of a long-term site management plan, addressing soil management, groundwater monitoring and site use restrictions. The plan also will require the property owner to routinely certify to DEC that all controls implemented under the plan remain in place, and are being maintained to protect public health and the environment. After completion of the cleanup, Chautauqua County plans to make the site available for commercial or industrial redevelopment.
Site History
Roblin Steel was once a major
employer in Western New York,
but abandoned its contaminated
properties in the late 1980s
The abandoned Roblin Steel site was most recently occupied by a metal reclamation mill that was closed, dismantled and partially demolished in the late 1980s. One building remains on the site. In 1994, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) removed more than 700 drums of hazardous waste and other wastes that had been abandoned on the property.
This is the second grant that has been awarded to Chautauqua County for brownfield redevelopment work at the former Roblin Steel site. The county acquired the property through tax foreclosure in December 2001 and, using a $238,500 State ERP grant, conducted a full investigation of the site. The results of the investigation revealed that the steel-making operations at the site had caused contamination of soil, sediment and groundwater, with solvents, metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and semi-volatile organic compounds from the burning of fossil fuels.
The EPA performed limited cleanup measures at the site during the summer of 2004 to address several areas of contamination identified during the environmental investigation. These actions included the removal of surface-soil metals in two areas of the site, PCB-contaminated concrete, a small amount of the asbestos found in the building, and light fixtures containing mercury and PCBs. The EPA also removed the majority of remaining piles of miscellaneous debris remaining on the site, which consisted of steel, brick, concrete and vegetation.
Superfund Reform
In October 2003, Governor Pataki signed historic legislation to refinance and reform the state's Superfund and brownfield programs. The grant announced today provides up to 90 percent of eligible costs for on-site remediation and up to 100 percent of eligible costs for off-site remedial activities. Chautauqua County is eligible for state assistance through the ERP because it is not responsible for having caused the contamination.
The Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act, proposed by Governor Pataki and approved by voters in November 1996, authorizes $1.75 billion for important environmental programs. The bond act included $200 million for ERP grants to municipalities for costs associated with the investigation and cleanup of brownfields. Brownfields are abandoned or underused properties where real or perceived environmental contamination hinders the potential for redevelopment.
Since 1995 more than $71 million in bond act funding has been committed for 174 investigation and cleanup projects at brownfield sites throughout New York State. Total bond act funding includes 143 investigation projects, totaling $30.5 million, and 31 remediation projects, totaling $40.8 million. Other grant applications are under review by DEC and additional grants are anticipated in the near future. For more information about brownfields and brownfield programs, please use the related link below.
