Brownfields
Sewall's Island Site
NYSDEC Environmental Restoration Program
Location: Watertown, NY
Owner: City of Watertown
Lu Engineers provided the City of Watertown with a remedial investigation for a site on Sewall’s Island in the City of Watertown, New York. Lu Engineers wrote a successful NYSDEC Environmental Restoration Project (ERP) Grant Application for the City. The site consists of 11 parcels representing a total of 15.18 acres. There are two adjacent parcels on the island that are currently owned by Erie Blvd Hydropower LP for hydro electric purposes. Adjacent properties off the island include residential, commercial, and vacant lands. The site was previously used as industrial lands from 1823 until 1990; including paper mills, machine shops, foundries, a carriage company, and a paper making machine manufacturer. Some of the tasks completed on this project included:
- Review of available historical information.
- Completion of a NYSDEC Environmental Assessment.
- Completion of a geophysical survey to identify potential buried metallic objects.
- Identification of asbestos containing materials in on-site debris.
- Interim Remedial Measures (IRM) as necessary.
- Remedial investigation implementation (includes, soil borings, risk assessment and groundwater quality investigation).
- Completion of an instrument survey to show sampling locations and former building features.
- Completion of a Remedial Investigation/Alternatives Analysis Report.
- Conducted public meetings.
As part of this project, specialists from Lu Engineers also assisted the City Planning Office with zoning issues and development considerations. The project is located within a NYS Brownfield Opportunity Area and received a Brownfield Pilot Grant from the USEPA. The Pilot Grant helps the City identify Brownfield sites and prioritize them for development.
