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East Longmeadow holds public hearing on $4 million EPA Brownfields cleanup grant for Carlin Combustion site
Summary
At a Jan. 20 public hearing the town reviewed a draft EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant application seeking $4 million to remediate contamination at the former Carlin Combustion site at 70 Maple St.; consultants outlined contaminants, cleanup alternatives, monitoring needs and cost estimates, and the board closed the hearing 5-0.
East Longmeadow officials on Jan. 20 held a public hearing to review the town's draft application for an EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant to address contamination at the former Carlin Combustion facility at 70 Maple St.
Town Manager Tom Christensen said the hearing is a required step in applying for the grant, which seeks up to $4 million to support cleanup and redevelopment of the roughly 4-acre site. Consultant Lee Rosberg of Weston & Sampson told the board the site's industrial history includes manufacturing of small-engine ignition systems and later Carlin Combustion, and that historical use involved chlorinated solvents and materials that may contain PCBs.
Rosberg identified two primary contaminant concerns: impacted soil and groundwater. He described four considered groundwater remediation alternatives and two soil-options included in the Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) attached to the application. Rosberg said the project could take about five years to complete plus an additional five years of monitoring; an existing network of about 65 monitoring wells is already in place. He estimated about $3 million would be required for the alternative that includes long-term monitoring and noted a 25% contingency and an inflation factor were included in cost estimates.
Deputy Town Manager Rebecca Lisi said the EPA recognizes 'smart growth' reuse and that demonstrating economic and residential benefit in reuse plans strengthens an application; she also said documentation indicates the town may be considered a rural community for EPA purposes. In response to questions from Town Councilor Page, Rosberg confirmed groundwater migration off site beneath neighboring properties and that redevelopment could proceed before regulatory site closure provided monitoring continues.
A resident asked whether the town could sell the property after cleanup; Lisi said the property is town-owned and the town could choose to develop or sell it, and that the town council had appropriated $250,000 toward the project. Rosberg said cleanup work typically is put out to bid to contractors and overseen by a licensed site professional.
After public comment and questions the Planning Board voted 5-0 to close the public hearing. The application is scheduled to be submitted Jan. 28, 2026; the minutes do not record a subsequent board vote to authorize submission at this meeting.
