Sackets Harbor set to clean site

SACKETS HARBOR — The village and Sackets Harbor Local Development Corp. are poised to start the final cleanup of the Augsbury Oil terminal brownfield and are starting to put together a redevelopment plan for the property.

Excavation of the contaminated land on the south side of Ambrose Street near Bolton's farm is to begin in late spring, Local Development Corp. President Donald L. DiMonda said.

Soil from about 70 acres must be removed before the site, once used for oil transportation and storage, meets state Department of Environmental Conservation standards, Mr. DiMonda said.

In 2006, the LDC sold 40 acres of cleaned land to the state for $789,000; the land was added to the Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site.

The sale price was enough to fund cleanup of the remaining property.

"When we sold it, we got all the capital we needed to do the rest of the cleanup," Mr. DiMonda said.

The village, co-owner of the property, agrees that the site should be cleaned to the point where it meets DEC's standards.

"The goal is to have it clean to the extent that it can be used for any purpose whatsoever," Mr. DiMonda said. "The highest state of cleanliness is to have the land be allowed to be used for residential development."

No specific development is set, but the LDC has taken ideas from residents and planning is under way.

"There are lots of ideas out there," Mr. DiMonda said. "We expect to follow through with the wishes of the community."

After the LDC has completed the cleanup, DEC will inspect the site and present a certificate stating the site has been cleaned and meets its standards.

"It's been a long process, a lot of years," Mr. DiMonda said. "With a little bit of luck, the south side will be done early this summer."