Senator Murphy to tour Hunts Place remediation with New Castle Supervisor

Chappaqua, NY - On Tuesday, August 15, 2017, at 10:30am, New York State Senator Terrence Murphy (40th Senate District) will be joining New Castle Town officials on the Route 120 Bridge to witness firsthand the brownfield remediation taking place at 54 Hunts Place, Chappaqua.

Less than two weeks ago, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) directed the contractor who was excavating the contaminated soil at 54 Hunts Place to stop work due to the release of unacceptably strong chemical odors from the site. The developer of the project, Conifer Realty, is removing the contaminated soil and building a 28-unit affordable housing apartment building under approvals that were granted by a prior Town Board in 2013. NYSDEC directed the contractor to apply odor-suppressing foam and cover the excavation with non-contaminated material. The trucking of contaminated material from the site was also stopped.

"New Castle has been a leader across the state on environmental issues, and its residents are in good hands," Senator Murphy said. "I am committed to ensuring that the Town's officials and consultants have ready access to all available resources at the state level as we deal with the remediation of this site." Senator Murphy added that his office will be working with state agencies to ensure that the site is closely monitored for potential health hazards and off-site environmental impacts.

NYSDEC previously approved the remediation plan under its Brownfields Remediation Program and has jurisdiction to monitor and control the process. However, the Town of New Castle has retained WCD Group, LLC (http://www.wcdgroup.com), as its own environmental consultant to oversee the remediation. WCD will help the community fully understand the environmental risks associated with the remediation, and will work alongside NYSDEC to eliminate or mitigate those risks. WCD will also conduct independent air sampling and review all air sensor reports on a daily basis. The Town has also requested that the New York State Department of Health review the daily sensor reports as well.

NYSDEC has advised the Town that it will develop a revised odor control plan to address the unacceptable odors being caused by the remediation. NYSDEC agreed to provide WCD with an opportunity to review and comment on the entire remediation plan, as well as the revised odor plan. The contractor will not perform any additional excavation of contaminated soil until the revised odor control plan is reviewed and approved.

New Castle Supervisor Rob Greenstein stated, "It's been a long and contentious road with this project. At this point, we are focused on ensuring that the contractor does not cut any corners, and that we protect the health and quality of life for our residents. I'm pleased that we now have WCD serving as our environmental watchdog on the site."