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Mamaroneck trustees authorize up to $40,000 for Washingtonville environmental testing
Summary
The Board of Trustees authorized the village manager to execute a contract for environmental testing in Washingtonville with a budget cap of $40,000, after residents raised concerns about a possible cancer cluster and urged groundwater, soil and air sampling.
The Village of Mamaroneck Board of Trustees on Jan. 12 authorized the village manager to contract for environmental testing in the Washingtonville neighborhood with a not‑to‑exceed budget of $40,000.
The action followed multiple public comments calling for testing of groundwater and soil after residents reported clusters of cancer cases. "There is, another resident that has cancer now," Bonnie Castorola, who identified herself as the village court clerk, told trustees during the public‑comment period. Tim O'Connor, a Washington Street resident and member of the Washington Neighborhood Association, urged the board to add soil and water testing and offered to present the documents he has compiled.
Trustees said the resolution gives staff authority to finalize scope and contract terms with a consultant. Village staff indicated the contract language is broad enough to include soil sampling and related work; the manager and staff will work with the consultant to define final deliverables.
Residents who have pushed for testing said they have collected DEC documents, case lists and community data. "I spent 3 years on this—over 1,000 hours," Tim O'Connor told the board, asking the village to act. Trustees thanked O'Connor and other volunteers for helping locate a consultant able to perform the work.
The resolution does not specify the consultant by name; trustees said staff will complete the procurement steps and report back to the board. The vote authorizes the manager to execute the agreement and directs staff to proceed with testing work up to the authorized amount.
The contract's scope, sampling plan, timeline and reporting requirements will be finalized between staff and the consultant. According to staff remarks during the meeting, the village intends to include any necessary soil sampling and to design a sampling program responsive to residents' concerns. The board did not set a public deadline for completion, but the vote was framed as a near‑term step to get sampling underway.
