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Officials outline cleanup plan, timeline for Hempstead Street brownfield site
Summary
Community and economic development staff described a remedial action plan for the long-vacant property at 43 Hempstead Street, saying EPA and state grants funded studies and that soil removal and groundwater monitoring are planned; estimated cleanup costs exceed available grants.
Tom Bambry, New London’s community and economic development project coordinator, told the City Council on Feb. 18 that the city is progressing toward turning the long-vacant, blighted parcel at 43 Hempstead Street into a public park.
Bambry said the city obtained an EPA Brownfields grant and additional state funding to hire a consultant, VHB, to produce an analysis of remedial alternatives and a remedial action plan. He said the city is in a public comment period on the remedial action plan and expects to start contracting for cleanup work in late April or May, with construction and soil removal beginning in May or June if funding and approvals align.
Why it matters: The site has decades of contamination and is next to residential areas. Bambry said the chosen remedial approach must balance safety, available funding and the goal of creating a safe, publicly accessible park with pavilions, play scapes and limited digging restrictions.
Bambry described the likely scope of work: at minimum removal of two feet of contaminated soil in targeted areas, placement of a demarcation/geotextile layer and clean fill, grading, fencing and installation of park amenities. He said deeper removal (up to four feet) is possible if funding allows.
“Right now we could remove at least two feet of soil; if market results and funding permit we could remove as much as four feet,” Bambry said. He added the remedial plan will include a demarcation layer so future digging can be done safely with state oversight.
Councilors asked technical and budget questions. Councilor Hart asked about test pits and monitoring wells; Bambry said there have been monitoring wells and soil sampling at tank locations and that tanks will be excavated and tested. When asked about the budget, Bambry said the city received a $615,000 EPA grant (the agency made an exception above its typical $500,000 cap), and the city has previously allocated some ARPA funds and state aid. He said contractor estimates for removing two feet of soil and replacing it with clean fill were “a little over $1,000,000,” and removing four feet and replacing it would be “a little over $2,000,000.”
Bambry said groundwater monitoring wells on site will be cut flush to grade and monitored for several years and that site restrictions and DEEP (Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection) oversight will govern future digging or installation of deep foundations.
The council did not take a vote on the project at the meeting. Bambry encouraged residents to review the remedial documents on the city website and at the community development office and to contact VHB or city staff with comments.
Ending: Bambry said the city hopes to advertise for a cleanup contractor in late spring and begin on-site remediation in May or June, subject to final approvals and available funds.
