Over 6,000 Tons Of Contaminated Soil Removed From Huntington Site

HUNTINGTON, NY — Contamination at 30 Stewart Ave., Huntington, has been cleaned up as part of New York State's Brownfield Cleanup Program. Cleanup activities were performed by Stewart Avenue Ventures, LLC, and were overseen by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The applicant submitted a draft Final Engineering Report (FER) for NYSDEC review which states that cleanup requirements have been or will be achieved to fully protect public health and the environment for the proposed site use.

Here are the highlights of the site cleanup, according to the NYSDEC:

• Removal of an Underground Storage Tank (UST).
• Excavation and off-site disposal of all contaminated soil exceeding unrestricted use soil cleanup objectives. About 6,076 tons were removed.
• Collection of end point soil samples to evaluate the effectiveness of the remedy.
• An evaluation of potential indoor air impacts to the building occupants due to soil vapor intrusion.

When the NYSDEC approves the report, it will be made public. A Certificate of Completion will then be issued, which would allow Stewart Avenue Ventures, LLC, to redevelop the site. In addition, the applicant would have no liability to the State for contamination at or coming from the site, subject to certain conditions, and be eligible for tax credits to offset a portion of the costs of performing cleanup activities and for redevelopment of the site.

A certificate could be modified or revoked if, for example, an applicant does not comply with the terms of its Brownfield Cleanup Agreement with NYSDEC.

The Stewart Avenue site covers 0.37 acres. Two buildings formerly occupying the site were demolished during the redevelopment process. The site is currently occupied by a newly-constructed three-story, mixed-use building with 5,321 square feet of proposed retail space on the first floor and 14,856 square feet split equally between the second and third floors intended as residential space.

The building includes a 2,200 square-foot partial basement located in the southeast corner. The remaining areas are covered by asphalt parking lots, and a stormwater recharge system is installed under the parking area. The site property is located within an active commercially-zoned area.

The newly-constructed building is not yet occupied. The surrounding area is currently used for a combination of commercial, light industrial, office and residential.

The property was initially developed sometime between 1902 and 1908 with a residence in the southern part of the site, and a Consolidated Ice Company facility in the northern section. By 1914, the ice facility was expanded to the central portion of the site and is referred to as the Consolidated Ice Company of Huntington. The ice business shut down sometime between 1930 and 1946 and was demolished in 1946. By 1968, the site was occupied by a private garage facility and a vehicle maintenance shop. Between 1982 and to at least 1991, the site was used for cabinet making and auto repair. More recently, the site housed a drapery/upholstery business, an apartment and a lobster wholesale and distribution facility.

New York's Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) encourages the voluntary cleanup of
contaminated properties known as "brownfields" so that they can be reused and redeveloped. These uses may include recreation, housing, business or other uses. A brownfield site is any real property where a contaminant is present at levels above the soil cleanup objectives or other health-based or environmental standards, criteria or guidance adopted by DEC that are applicable based on the reasonably anticipated use of the property, in accordance with applicable regulations.

Below is a map of the site location: