Posted on May 11, 2017
A multipurpose facility is under construction here to support the estimated $243 million cleanup of the Grasse River Superfund Site.
It will be used as a staging area to support dredging and capping operations, said a press release from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
That entity will hold public meetings today and Wednesday, May 10, to discuss the details of the staging area construction work.
Today’s session is set for 6 to 8 p.m. at the Massena Town Hall, 60 Main St, in Board Room #30.
The session in Akwesasne takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 10, in the dining hall at the Office for Aging Seniors, 29 Business Park Road.
IMPORTANT STEP
The work underway now is part of a cleanup plan developed to address river sediment contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as a result of past industrial activities, the release said.
PCBs potentially cause cancer in humans and build up in the fat of fish and animals. Arconic Inc. (formerly Alcoa) is performing the remediation. The EPA, State Department of Environmental Conservation and the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe are working together on the oversight and coordination of the various components of the cleanup project.
“The construction of the on-land support facility is an important step that brings us closer to a cleaner and healthier river,” said Acting Deputy Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan in the release.
DREDGING
Cleanup of the Grasse River will be done through dredging and capping of contaminated sediment in a 7.2-mile stretch of river.
Approximately 109,000 cubic yards of sediment will be dredged from near-shore areas of the river, while in the main channel, approximately 59 acres will be covered with an armored cap, and another 225 or so acres of contaminated sediment will be capped with a mix of clean sand and topsoil to isolate the contamination from the surrounding environment, the release explained.
The staging area is located near the intersection of routes 42 and 131 in Massena, where it will accept loads of sediment dredged from areas near the shore. And clean materials will be staged there that will be used to backfill dredged areas and to cap the river bottom during the in-river cleanup, the EPA said.
Completion of the staging area is expected by November.
LANDFILL EXPANSION
The engineering plans and other design work for the dredging and capping work are under development.
The schedule for the start of in-river cleanup work has not yet been determined, the release said.
This year’s work includes clearing and grading of the staging area, installation of a water transfer line, construction of a docking facility along the riverfront and removal of a small amount of sediment along the shoreline next to the staging area.
Construction work this spring also includes expansion of the permitted, licensed onsite Arconic Massena West landfill so that it can store dredged sediment and other materials generated this year and when the river cleanup work is performed.
Plans to protect the health and safety of the workers and area communities are in place, the release said, and the air and river water will be monitored during the work.
A traffic management plan will minimize increased truck traffic at and near the staging area, it added, but motorists should take care when driving in the area.
With the exception of collecting water samples, the release said, all work this year will be performed by land and is not expected to impact recreational boating on the Grasse River.
Source: Press Republican
