For Release: Tuesday, September 11, 2007
DEC Announces Brownfields Grants For Monroe And Oswego Counties
City of Rochester and City of Oswego receive a total of more than $3,560,000 for Environmental Cleanup Projects
A combined total of $3,565,767 in Environmental Restoration Program (ERP) grants for the investigation and remediation at sites in the City of Rochester and the City of Oswego was announced today by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis. The grants are funded through the 1996 Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act.
"New York State is committed to seeing brownfields cleaned-up and reestablished as economic and environmental assets to their communities," said Commissioner Grannis. "Today's grants demonstrate steps toward the restoration of these Rochester and Oswego sites from neglected and underutilized properties, to community assets where new businesses and opportunities can be established."
The City of Rochester and City of Oswego are eligible for state assistance through the ERP since they are not responsible for having caused the contamination. The grant provides up to 90 percent of eligible costs for on-site and up to 100 percent of eligible costs for off-site remedial activities. No off-site issues have been identified. The City of Rochester and the USEPA will fund the balance of the costs for their project, and the City of Oswego will fund the remainder their project costs.
The Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act 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. To date, more than $159.7 million in Bond Act funding has been committed for 244 investigation and cleanup projects at brownfield sites throughout New York State. This funding includes 200 investigation projects totaling more than $76.6 million and 44 remediation projects totaling more than $83.1 million.
Other applications are under review by DEC and additional grants are anticipated in the near future. Brownfields are abandoned or underused properties where real or perceived environmental contamination hinders the potential for redevelopment.
ERP grants announced today include:
$3,396,567 to the City of Rochester: For the remediation of environmental contamination at the Former Photech Imaging Systems Inc. Site in the City of Rochester, Monroe County.
The City of Rochester will remediate the property located at 1000 Driving Park Avenue in Rochester, consisting of 12.5 acres of land with a total of 15 buildings. The site was originally developed in 1948 for manufacturing photographic film and paper. Several different companies have owned and operated the facility for photographic paper and film production through 1991. The most recent owner, Photech Imaging Systems, Inc., ceased operations and abandoned the facility in 1991. Large amounts of chemicals, wastes, and various supplies and materials were left "as-is" on-site when the facility was abandoned. In 1994, the DEC and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) performed a bulk waste and chemical removal action at the site. Under tax foreclosure proceedings, the City of Rochester obtained the property in August 1997. A Site Investigation/Remedial Alternatives (SI/RAR) report was prepared in January 2006. The report identified contamination with metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in on-site soils and groundwater. Additionally, low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in on-site groundwater. The predominant metals detected at the site were silver and cadmium. Based upon existing data, contaminants do not appear to be migrating off-site.
The remediation will include asbestos abatement, building and equipment decontamination, building demolition, contaminated soil removal. Upon completion of the activities, institutional controls will be placed on the property limiting its use to commercial and/or industrial uses and a long-term groundwater monitoring plan will be implemented.
$169,200 to the City of Oswego: For the investigation of environmental contamination at the 68 West First Street site in City of Oswego, Oswego County.
The City of Oswego will investigate the property consisting of a light industrial building located on 1.65 acres, currently being used as a maintenance, storage and repair facility by the City of Oswego Department of Public Works. Oswego County acquired the property in June of 1990, and has since preformed a preliminary review of environmental concerns thought to exist on the property. This grant will be used to more fully identify the possibility of environmental problems and their solutions.
The investigation will include soil and groundwater sampling and evaluation of the results of analysis of these samples.
