Planning Project Highlighted at MVEDD Brownfields Summit
By DAN SULLIVAN
OTSEGO COUNTY
Most readers have heard of the term “brownfield.” It turns out that the Mohawk Valley, which at one time was one of the most heavily industrialized areas in the world, contains a large number of such sites.
Recognizing this, the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District has hosted a Brownfield Developer Summit for the past four years. Under the leadership of MVEDD Deputy Director Heather Devitt, the summit has grown into a regional event, attracting environmental and development companies from across the Northeast.
This year, more than 3,000 attendees and 40-plus companies took part in the event, which was held at Herkimer County Community College on April 29 and 30. One of the most popular presentations was given on day one, a panel discussion on the creation of a brownfield inventory, in which Trevor Fuller, assistant director of the Otsego County Planning Department, participated.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines a brownfield as “a property where expansion, development or reuse may be complicated by the presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.” Some months ago, Fuller conceived a plan to map Otsego County’s brownfield sites. He decided to focus first on a single community in order to create a working model for identification of brownfields, with possible remediation activities to follow using EPA or Department of Environmental Conservation funding. He chose the Town of Richfield and Village of Richfield Springs.
“Richfield was a logical place to start,” Fuller explained. “They are already engaged in revitalization, and there are some readily-identified sites of former industrial activity there.”
Two site visits were made. Accompanying Fuller were Karina Benninger, SUNY Cobleskill’s director of sustainability and compliance, Devitt, and a group of SUNY Cobleskill students. The team identified five brownfields in Richfield: a former gas station; a property once housing an auto scrap yard and garage, both of which are now pocket parks; the site of the former Richfield Springs train depot; and the ruins of a former fishing equipment factory.
In between visits, about a month apart, Fuller and Benninger conducted research into all five locations and created a spreadsheet detailing the available information. One site, the former fishing equipment factory, Shurkatch Fishing Tackle Company, is on the state Superfund list. Superfund is the name given to the environmental program established to address abandoned hazardous waste sites. In 2001, 2,000 pounds of hazardous materials—asbestos and corrosive wastes—and 20 cubic yards of contaminated soil were removed from that property at 50 Elm Street. Three dilapidated brick buildings still sit there on a bend of the Ocquionis Creek as it flows toward Canadarago Lake.
“This place has great potential for recreation,” observed Devitt. “It sits near lots of archeological sites, and would make a great trailhead.”
Looking forward, the Otsego County Planning Department will be developing a strategic vision for continuing to identify and research brownfield sites countywide, using the model developed for Richfield. Fuller will also work on a framework for outreach to other interested communities in Otsego County.
Grant funding for brownfields is available through New York State and the EPA. And, as the recent summit demonstrated, there is keen interest in remediating and redeveloping such properties.
