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Herkimer County LDC hears remediation options for contaminated “Charles Town” parcel; EPA funding possible
Summary
The Herkimer County Local Development Corporation discussed high levels of chlorinated solvents at a parcel referred to as “Charles Town,” estimating cleanup costs from about $2–3 million up to $15 million and exploring EPA grant support and DEC cleanup programs before committing to redevelopment.
Presenter told the Herkimer County Local Development Corporation that recent testing at the parcel the board referred to as “Charles Town” found concentrated, high levels of chlorinated solvents and that the LDC is coordinating with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on next steps.
The presenter said the contamination appears localized but warned that the site sits on bedrock and has the potential for migration toward groundwater. “A quick cleanup could be $2 million to $3 million. A longer cleanup could be $15 million,” the presenter said, and added that the LDC would not plan to shoulder the entire remediation cost alone.
Why it matters: board members said the contamination could foreclose near‑term redevelopment without grant funding or a clear liability strategy. The presenter said the LDC is examining options including volunteer entry into state cleanup programs, applying for EPA grants, and obtaining additional site characterization prior to any acquisition or redevelopment commitments.
Details: the presenter said the LDC has invited DEC staff and EPA technical personnel to the site, and that Patrick Foster, identified in the discussion as a DEC deputy director who handles site data, has been involved in reviews. The presenter noted prior removals and investments in the area and said an EPA grant award of roughly $500,000 was expected to be announced to a regional economic development corporation; the presenter said additional EPA study funds in the $100,000–$200,000 range might be available for more sampling and analysis.
Board members and staff discussed possible responsible parties named during the update. The presenter indicated a “very good chance” the contamination originated with Savage Arms (now owned by Vista) and Sperry Univac (referenced as owned by Unicus in the discussion), but no responsible‑party assignment was formalized during the meeting.
Questions and technical constraints: participants raised concerns about remedies because the contamination is described as a thin, mobile solvent that could migrate. Staff discussed remedial approaches such as targeted injections and extraction wells and contrasted DEC program timelines (which the presenter said could take many years) with EPA Superfund removal funding schedules.
Next steps: the board did not vote on cleanup spending. The presenter said the LDC will pursue grant opportunities, continue DEC and EPA coordination, and further characterize liability and cleanup estimates before presenting any acquisition or redevelopment recommendation to the board.
The meeting then moved on to other business and closed without a formal cleanup decision.
