Honeywell Will Pay Added Sewer Project Costs
$475,000 Lump Sum Payment Is Agreed Upon
By Doug La Rocque
Following a series of rebids and the purchase and demolition of a residential structure, work to replace the Lyman Street Sewer Station, with portions of the project also affecting the Water, John and Superior Street areas, finally began in 2018, only to have the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) step in to say, not so fast. DEC was concerned about any digging that went below the water table in the area, specifically, the management of any PFOA contaminated materials. It stated concern based on the proximity of the project to the John Street Superfund Site. DEC ordered the Village to contain and treat any water they may find on the site, before disposal or release into the Hoosic River. Any soil dug up from below the waterline would also have to be tested for contamination, and if found, treated before disposal. DEC also ordered air monitoring around the site.
The Village was forced to hire an outside contractor, separate from those chosen for the sewer work itself, to satisfy DEC’s order. That, of course, resulted in the project costs being significantly increased. The village opened talks with Honeywell International, the identified source of the PFOA contamination in that area, to recoup these monies. Those negotiations have been ongoing for several months. At a special Village Board meeting on Wednesday, the trustees approved the agreement. It says in part, the Village accepts the payment of $475,000 “in full and adequate satisfaction of the costs the Village…incurred or will incur relative to the costs relative to the cost of the management containment materials.” In return, the Village agrees not to assert any claim against Honeywell for costs including, but not limited to, personnel, attorney’s fees, engineering and consulting, management, transportation or GAC related treatments.
After looking over the document, Deputy Mayor Bob Ryan tells The Eastwick Press “It’s fair and does not preclude us from seeking relief from Honeywell for any other developments that may arise as a result of the contamination, and that was one of my biggest concerns.”