Date: Fri 08-May-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

selectmen-Batchelder-Bogen

Full Text:

Rosenthal Wants Consultant To Review Options For Batchelder

BY STEVE BIGHAM

The former Charles Batchelder Co site along Swamp Road has been vacant for

more than 10 years. Environmental contamination and bankruptcy has rendered

the property finacially barren for the town.

According to town officials, the ten-acre site could be bringing in as much as

a million dollars in taxes annually. Instead, it has been costing the town

money since Batchelder closed its doors and filed for bankruptcy in 1987.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal wants to hire an expert to help the town

determine if the site can ever become usable for business again.

"There are no guarantees we'll be able to do this, but it's worth the effort,"

he said Monday night.

According to environmental consultant, Arthur Bogen, two important questions

must be answered before an environmental cleanup of the Batchelder site can

begin: What are the environmental problems at the Swamp Road site? Who will

pay for the cleanup?

The town is expected to hire Mr Bogen of Down-to-Earth, LLC, of Milford to

help answer these questions. Mr Bogen proposed his study to the Board of

Selectmen Monday night, pointing out that a plan of action needs to formed

before tackling the problem.

"This car has rattling everywhere. We need to know which to fix first," he

told the selectmen Monday night. The consultant would be paid $9,400 for 157

hours of work. The Legislative Council must first approve the hiring at its

meeting later this month.

Mr Bogen is familiar with the site, having visited on several occasions within

the past four months. He called it one of the most difficult sites he has ever

dealt with because of its size, the materials on it, and the tie-up in

bankruptcy court.

"Batchelder is an extremely difficult site with lots of complexities," he

said.

The former aluminum-smelting company is not listed as a super-fund site,

although its problems have been addressed by both the state and federal

governments, Mr Bogen said. Last year, the US Environmental Protection Agency

converged on the site to remove most of the hazardous material.

However, there is still ground water contamination and waste metals on site,

according to the Mark Cooper, the town's Health District director. But Health

District Board Chairman Jim Smith said there are no hazardous materials

currently on the site.

Mr Bogen said testing wells have been set up around the site to determine the

extent of the damage to both the ground water and soil. There also needs to be

tests done on the building to determine asbestos and lead levels.

Once the extent of the environmental damage is established, Mr Bogen's company

would step in to come up with a re-use and implementation strategy. Most

importantly, an experienced developer needs to be found to take over the

property -- someone, according to the consultant, who is willing to work hard

to see this enormous project through. What are the chances of finding someone

willing to take on such a monumental task? It's hard to say, Mr Bogen said.

Nevertheless, the environmental consultant said the property is extremely

marketable with its access to the railroad and close proximity to I-84, not to

mention its location in Newtown.

Also, the consultant would be responsible for making sure the town does not

fall victim to any liability issues related to the site's bankruptcy

proceedings.

Lastly, a method of funding for the cleanup would need to be found. There are

many state and federal programs out there that the town may be able to tap, Mr

Bogen said. One of them is the state's recently created Special Contaminated

Properties Remediation and Insurance Fund (SCPRIF), which is designed to help

municipalities and businesses address site contamination problems and to

assist in the reuse of "Brownsfield" sites.

Mr Cooper said his agency has been working to improve conditions at the site

for several years.

"We've chipped away at it. Now we need more funding from the town in order to

move it forward," he said. "It's certainly not going to go anywhere."

Mr Bogen called the contaminated, now fenced-in property a "legacy."

"We didn't create the problem, but we have to live with it," he said.

Down-to-Earth, LLC, which acts as a facilitator, not a tester, is also

involved in several other environmental cleanups, including O'Sullivan's

Island in Derby.