For Release: Tuesday, September 16, 2008
DEC Commissioner Joins Utica Mayor Roefaro in Declaring Bossert Site Available for Redevelopment
Formerly Contaminated Property in Utica to be Put Back into Productive Use
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis today joined Utica Mayor David R. Roefaro to mark the official completion of the extensive and complicated cleanup of the former Bossert Manufacturing facility in West Utica. With data showing that the site meets state health and environmental guidelines, DEC has removed the Bossert site from the Superfund Registry.
"The cleanup of the former Bossert Manufacturing site will serve as an important revitalization tool for Central New York, with the potential to chip away at the economic barriers that Utica and many of our Upstate communities face," said Governor David A. Paterson. "As evidenced with the historic brownfields agreement signed into law earlier this year, New York is on a path to restore former industrial sites for beneficial uses, and this is just one example of how the economic landscape of Upstate will begin to change. I applaud the Department of Environmental Conservation and the City of Utica for working together to restore this formerly toxic site."
"Utica residents and leaders have waited to hear these words for a long time: Bossert is no longer a toxic site," Commissioner Grannis said. "The site has undergone a great transformation through a cleanup that not only has addressed the contamination, but has also restored the potential for attracting new businesses to West Utica. DEC looks forward to continuing to work with Mayor Roefaro and other partners across the state to clean up contaminated sites and return them to productive use."
"This news is the result of our good working relationship with the DEC and other partners," Mayor Roefaro said. "This is the type of cooperation that builds community. With this delisting, the City of Utica can begin a new chapter of development and progress, touting a prime seven-acre, rail-access parcel, ready to be developed into retail or commercial use."
The former Bossert Manufacturing site is located at 1002 Oswego Street in Utica, Oneida County. This site is located in a mixed industrial, commercial, and residential area known as West Utica. It is currently vacant and Utica will be seeking to redevelop the site.
State Senator Joseph A. Griffo said: "As the former Mayor of Rome, a city with federally-designated Superfund sites, I'm acutely aware of the need to resolve and rehabilitate the contamination issues surrounding such properties. New York has one of the most ambitious brownfields remediation programs in the country. Today is the result of an effective partnership between federal, state and municipal leaders to see that these sites are made fit again. I commend the Commissioner, the Mayor and their agency directors, for seeing this through to its positive conclusion."
Assemblywoman RoAnn M. Destito said: "This is tremendous news for the City of Utica, which for years has had a shortage of available parcels for development for light industrial uses. A number of area companies are seeking to expand, and this site is now available for redevelopment with all the necessary infrastructure - roads, rail, sewer, and water."
Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr., said: "Developing this very attractive, prominent location offers us the opportunity to take a major step forward in our efforts to create a new image and new opportunities for West Utica. Getting this prime parcel available for development is a major step for all of our efforts to revitalize the community. County Government looks forward to continued partnerships with the City of Utica and with the State of New York so that we can use this site to enhance Utica's future."
U.S. Representative Michael A. Arcuri said: "This is a testament to federal, state and local leaders' commitment to clean up areas in our community and create new space for business
development and growth. I strongly supported increased funding for the Superfund program, over $9 million more than the administration's request last year, and have cosponsored legislation to establish a new program to provide funds to assess and cleanup waterfront brownfields. Cleaning up brownfields is good for our environment and critical for our economy."
Bossert Manufacturing ceased operations in 1985. Prior to demolition, Bossert consisted of an abandoned 210,000-square-foot production facility located on a 6.9-acre parcel. The multi-story complex of connected buildings had been a metal stamping, welding and fabricating assembly factory from approximately 1896 to 1985. Past investigations had found that a number of hazardous materials including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mercury, petroleum products and contaminated waste, were improperly disposed of at the site.
It was placed on the Superfund list in 1986. The City of Utica acquired the property in 1987.
Complicating the cleanup, PCBs were again discovered on the site after demolition was completed in 2002, as were the remnants of a number of previously unreported petroleum spills, and an underground fuel storage tank. DEC, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the City of Utica removed the tank and offending materials and, to date, the agencies have spent over $10 million to clean up the Bossert site.
Work at the site included the removal of 28 PCB-contaminated metal presses, the removal of several underground petroleum storage tanks, demolition of all the buildings and the excavation and disposal of more than 16,000 tons of PCB-contaminated soil and debris.
The City has placed a mulch cover over the soils at the site to prevent any dust migration. The site will continue to have controls in place to prevent any potential future health or environmental effects at the site: deed restrictions regardless of property ownership include limits on groundwater use, an approved "Soil Management Plan," maintenance of a protective cover, and a restriction of use of the site to industrial/commercial purposes.
Following extensive reviews of data collected from the cleanup activities, DEC and the New York State Department of Health agreed that the site no longer presents a threat to public health or the environment and completely removed the site from the Superfund Registry this month.
