Contamination Cleanup Recommended At Former Kent Supply Site

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — An environmental study is recommending that contamination cleanup steps be taken at a former auto repair shop in downtown New Rochelle, according to the The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC).

The report concluded that the contamination found at the location at Centre Avenue and Westchester Place "does not pose a significant threat to public health or the environment" — in part because of containment efforts expected to be put in place at the designated Brownfield site.

The remedial investigation report commissioned by the NYDEC discovered polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) related to historic petroleum contamination. High concentrations of metals were also found in subsurface soils at the site in the heart of the New Rochelle business district.

High VOC levels related to petroleum products and pesticides were found in groundwater at the location. Elevated VOC levels related to petroleum products and chlorinated solvents were also found in the soil vapor beneath the now vacant site that previously housed a number of auto shops and a warehouse.

All of the buildings at the site were demolished in 2019 as part of initial remediation efforts.

Developers can now submit a cleanup plan for the half-acre patch of prime real estate in the city. Any proposed remediation plans would need to be approved by the NYSDEC after a period of public comment.

The New York Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) encourages voluntary cleanup of contaminated properties known as "brownfields" so that they can be reused and redeveloped. According to the agency, a brownfield site is any property where a contaminant is present at levels exceeding 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.