NEW ROCHELLE, NY –The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Environmental Remediation has agreed to extend the deadline for public comments about a draft work plan at the New Rochelle City Department of Public Works Yard located at 224 Main Street in New Rochelle, in response to a request from Talk of the Sound.
Talk of the Sound reported on Monday on a DEC Plan to investigate Site Contamination at the City Yard location in response to a request from Twinings Properties (TP Echo Bay LLC), the development company with the MOU with the City of New Rochelle to develop on the City Yard property. The DEC had scheduled a one month public comment period.
In reporting on the Site Investigation, Talk of the Sound learned that few municipal officials or residents were aware of the proposed study. Reached for comment, City Manager Charles B. Strome explained why.
“Twining Properties submitted the application to the state with a letter of support from the City,” said Strome. “They commissioned Langan Engineers with no financial contribution from the City.”
Strome went on to explain that since the City did not file the application and no City money was involved, no action by Council was required.
Related City documents are available for download here.
Few residents were aware of the study or the public comment period which was set to end on Sunday December 6th, 2015. The late notice left residents little time to review and comment on the report. Compounding matters, the only available copy of the report was at the New Rochelle Public Library.
In addition to requesting an extension of the deadline, Talk of the Sound requested, and today received, a digital copy of the report and has made it available for download.
[The file is large, clocking in at 170 MB so interested readers should right click this link and download the file rather than attempted to open the file in their browser]
“We will be announcing an extension to the public comment period shortly through a second fact sheet,” said said George Heitzman, Director of Remedial Bureau C of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Environmental Remediation. “”We are currently having the announcement translated to Spanish, and expect it to be issued tomorrow or Friday.”
Talk of the Sound will update this story with the new fact sheet and the deadline for public comment once that becomes available.
For those wishing to submit comments, those comments should be directed to Sarah Saucier Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Environmental Remediation 625 Broadway Albany, NY 12233-7014. She can be reached at 518-402-9675 or via email at sarah.saucier@dec.ny.gov.
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