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Officials say Canal Street needs new assessment; EPA grant deadline complicates residential reuse
Summary
Town officials reported EPA and consultants advised another assessment and an associated remediation plan for Canal Street; brownfields grant funds expire in September and contractors warned that residential use would substantially increase remediation costs compared with commercial/industrial reuse.
Treasurer reported on a multi-agency call with Southwest, EPA, DES and consultants about Canal Street, saying the EPA advised another environmental assessment and a remediation plan for the parcel. Treasurer said the brownfields grant funding runs out in September and Southwest has applied for an extension; the EPA has been "pretty strict" about that September deadline.
Officials said contractors should be pre-bid so bidders understand remediation responsibilities. The Treasurer and other participants told the board that residential uses would be "extremely costly" to remediate because houses mean day-to-day occupant exposure, while strictly commercial or industrial reuse would lower remediation hurdles and costs. The Treasurer said PFAS and arsenic remain present around and within the site and that contractors' remediation proposals will determine what uses are feasible and who bears incremental costs.
