by Doug La Rocque
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that Oak-Mitsui Technologies LLC (Oak), the owner of the property, will be executing the environmental cleanup work at the 80 First Street Site in the Village of Hoosick Falls. Their press release says the environmental cleanup action will be performed as an Interim Remedial Measure (IRM) under NY’s State Superfund Program and the provisions of an Order on Consent established between Oak and DEC. An IRM is a cleanup activity that may be implemented when the source of contamination or exposure pathway can be effectively addressed in the short term. The objective of this IRM is to prevent contact with residual levels of contamination in the soil.
Highlights and Key Components of the IRM:
• Installation of a 2 foot thick cover system that consists of a 6 inch gravel underdrain placed directly over existing asphalt or concrete foundations and 18 inches of soil cover over the gravel underdrain.
• Installation of a new storm sewer to convey storm water from the end of First Street out to the Hoosic River.
• Creation of a sloped area covering a retaining wall and former coal chutes on the east side of the site.
• Replacement of site fencing in specific locations that are currently damaged.
• Repaving the former employee parking lot on the south side of First Street.
• Abandonment of specific groundwater monitoring wells and retrofitting other wells for future use.
• A mixture of evergreen and deciduous trees will be planted, for aesthetic reasons only, along the southeast border of the project site to serve as a transition between the site and the adjacent neighborhood.
• The implementation of the IRM will allow for restricted-residential, commercial or industrial use, including use for active recreational activities.
To this end, the Village of Hoosick Falls has from time to time discussed taking possession of the site, although not so much recently. Speaking with The Eastwick Press, Village Mayor Rob Allen says those discussions will probably continue but with all that is facing the Village Board at this time it is simply “on the back burner for now.”
According to DEC, the work on the site may begin as early as this month.
