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Grand Island board approves Thermo Fisher wastewater upgrade, issues negative declaration
Summary
The board issued a SEQR negative declaration and approved site plan for a new on-site wastewater treatment plant at Thermo Fisher's Staley Road facility, citing DEC-mandated upgrades and a May 1, 2027 completion requirement.
The Town of Grand Island Town Board on March 3 issued a negative declaration under SEQR and approved site plan changes for a new wastewater treatment plant at Thermo Fisher Scientific's Sandy Road/Staley Road site after the planning board recommended approval.
A Thermo Fisher representative, with Gerald Boggan of Lando (the design firm), described the project as an environmentally mandated replacement. The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) imposed stricter permit conditions that the existing on-site plant cannot meet, the presenter said, and the new facility is required to comply with a DEC compliance schedule.
Key details presented by the company include: the new plant will be constructed adjacent to the existing plant so the old system can continue operating during construction; the new facility will be constructed of precast, post-tensioned concrete with partially covered treatment basins and an enclosed equipment area for blowers, filters and a UV disinfection system; treated effluent will discharge to the existing outfall to an unnamed tributary of Big Six Mile Creek; the DEC requires the company to achieve a certificate of completion by May 1, 2027. The presenter said the project does not add permanent staff and the old plant will be decommissioned and backfilled after the new plant is online.
Board members moved and seconded a motion to declare a negative declaration (no significant environmental impact). The motion passed on roll call. The board then voted to approve the project as submitted, based on the planning board recommendation; that motion also passed on a roll call vote.
Residents near Staley Road raised concerns during public comment about construction noise, increased cement truck traffic and an existing humming noise they attribute to operations on the industrial corridor. One resident said the noise has "become very challenging, very loud," and urged the board and company to limit impacts to neighbors.
Next steps: Thermo Fisher will proceed with final engineering and construction permitting. The DEC compliance schedule and the May 1, 2027 certificate deadline remain controlling milestones cited by the applicant.
