City hopes EPA will soon assess waterfront

OGDENSBURG — City officials are hoping to meet soon with officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to discuss the polluted waterfront properties around the city.

City Manager Arthur J. Sciorra and city Planning and Economic Development Director J. Justin Woods recently attended the Brownfields 2009 conference in New Orleans, La., and met with officials from around the country to discuss redeveloping polluted properties.

"There was a lot of networking and meeting up with governmental people for funding and they got to know more about us and what we're doing," Mr. Sciorra said. "We seem to be doing some things that really interested people and there is a possibility we might be asked to come again and to be a presenter."

The conference was sponsored by the EPA and the International City/County Management Association.

Mr. Sciorra said he is working to set up a time between December and February to have EPA officials tour the 70 acres of local brownfield properties, including Lighthouse Point and the site of the former Fort La Presentation.

The city has $1.2 million in grant requests pending with the EPA's Brownfield Grant program.

A $200,000 cleanup grant is aimed at removing 1,100 tons of contaminated soil from the former Shade Roller property, and a $1 million grant would create a revolving loan fund to help private owners clean their own polluted properties.

"When people like the EPA see these brownfields on an international waterway, it raises interest in helping the city," Mr. Sciorra said.

Although Mr. Woods said the visit may not affect the city's chances for the pending grants, the visit will be helpful for future grant applications.

"So they can get a feel for the number of projects we're dealing with," he said.