Poughkeepsie - DeLaval site cleanup won’t be too bad

Poughkeepsie - Tuesday, March 18, 2008


But pending work to correct environmental problems at the former DeLaval site along the Hudson River in the City of Poughkeepsie will be worth any temporary inconvenience to nearby residents.

That was the word Monday night at city hall from state officials and private engineers during a public forum on the $9 million cleanup project — needed to prepare the 13-acre site for construction of offices, restaurants, a marina and a public walkway.

“Nearby residents may note an occasional odor,” said Scott Smith, project manager for engineers Clough Harbour & Associates, of work that will soon begin to remove contaminated soil from the site. He said noise from trucks and construction equipment could also affect neighbors, but every effort will be made to lessen such effects.

In the end, Clough Harbour principal Frank LaVardera said the redeveloped former industrial site “is going to be a great project for the city.”

Officials said construction trucks will be banned from nearby Pine Street during the cleanup, which could be completed before the end of the year. Monitoring of air quality and noise will also occur.

The Common Council hosted an informational session on the cleanup with the engineers and a state environmental official. The cleanup is needed to make way for the second phase of waterfront development from the Bonura family, which opened a catering facility and restaurant off Rinaldi Boulevard in 2006. The DeLaval site is also off Rinaldi, near Pine.

Rinaldi resident Frank Clark wondered about noise from trucks removing contaminated soil, asking “wouldn’t it be better to put it on barges and then remove it?”

Officials said how materials are removed is up to the project contractor, adding trucks are the method it plans to use.

State will help with tab

Stamford Wrecking Co. of Connecticut will perform the cleanup. Most of the remediation will be paid for by the state.

Officials said the project will include adding bulkheads along the river, excavation of some soil to be disposed off-site and removal of an old pipeline and storage tank.
The history of heavy industry at DeLaval, a former milk machinery company, left contamination there. Officials said petroleum is the likely problem