Remediation of former Allied Tannery in Boscawen to start in July, contractor says

The Brownfields Advisory Committee in Boscawen on June 29 reviewed plans to begin remediation work at the former Allied Tannery on Commercial Street and confirmed contractor selection and a short construction window.

Scott Nerney of Sanborn, Head & Associates presented the project history and cleanup plan, saying the site consists of three parcels with remnant foundations from buildings constructed between the 1820s and 1860s. Allied Leather began operations in 1953; the town acquired the property in 2009. Nerney noted that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency conducted a removal action in 2023 to take down river-front structures that had fallen into the Merrimack River, leaving foundations and walls remaining on site.

Nerney described the planned remediation scope: removal and off-site disposal of contaminated soil from four defined excavation areas and six smaller spot excavations. Building foundations will largely remain in place; select river-retaining walls will be removed. Floor drains in the former Soap Building will be emptied and decommissioned and the burned building area will be regraded in place. Soil alongside the railroad corridor will remain in place and be managed as part of any future redevelopment.

Committee members heard that Green Site Services Group, Inc. has been selected as the remedial contractor and that Kyle Carleton will serve as the project manager. Surveying is planned to begin July 6, 2026, with active construction hours Monday–Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Construction is anticipated to run roughly two to three weeks, with substantial completion listed in contract documents as approximately August 12, 2026. The town noted the grant funding deadline is September 30, 2026.

Committee review of site controls emphasized community protections. Nerney said perimeter air monitors will be established upwind and downwind of excavation areas and checked multiple times daily; Green Site Services will use water misting for dust suppression before and during excavation activities. Site access will be limited to trained personnel wearing appropriate safety gear, and a decontamination pad will be used for trucks and equipment before they leave the site. Access will be maintained via Commercial Street.

Carleton confirmed that if visible dust is observed work will stop for assessment and that operations will be paused during excessively windy conditions; heat-related safety decisions will be made by field staff on site. Tim Kenney requested emergency contact numbers for the fire and police departments for incidents outside working hours; Carleton said he will serve as the primary emergency contact and offered to provide the on-site supervisor’s phone number.

A mid-construction public meeting is planned for late July under the Community Relations Plan. The committee also agreed to a UConn site assessment (see separate article) and scheduled a site walk for July 2, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Public works was asked to clear vegetation ahead of the site walk.

The committee approved the draft minutes from March 23, 2026 earlier in the meeting and adjourned at 5:15 p.m.