PORT CHESTER, NY (April 23, 2025) — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is inviting public comment on a proposed cleanup plan to address contamination at the Broad Street Irving Ave Cleaners site, located at 131 Irving Avenue in Port Chester, Westchester County. The site, identified as C360213 under New York’s Brownfield Cleanup Program, has a 45-day public comment period from April 23, 2025, to June 7, 2025.
The 0.8-acre site, bordered by North Pearl Street, Broad Street, and Irving Avenue, contains twelve buildings and asphalt parking areas. Historical uses from the late 1800s to 1950 included a paint storage facility, print shop, electrician shop, upholsterer, jeweler, hand laundry, automobile repair shop, and garage. The DEC, in consultation with the New York State Department of Health, determined the site poses a significant threat to public health and the environment due to petroleum-related volatile organic compounds, chlorinated volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and heavy metals in soil, as well as low-level groundwater contamination.
The proposed Remedial Action Work Plan, developed by Broad Street Owner LLC and Broad PC Owner LLC, aims for an Unrestricted Use cleanup. It includes removing underground storage tanks, fuel dispensers, and piping; excavating and disposing of contaminated soil to depths of 15-25 feet; dewatering and treating groundwater; and implementing health and safety and community air monitoring plans. If Unrestricted Use is not achieved, a Site Management Plan and Environmental Easement may be required.
Project documents, including the Remedial Action Work Plan and Remedial Investigation Report, are available online via the DECinfo Locator at https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/data/DecDocs/C360213/ and at the Port Chester-Rye Brook Public Library, 1 Haseco Avenue, Port Chester. Comments can be submitted to Ryan Richard, DEC Project Manager, at (845) 256-3118 or ryan.richard@dec.ny.gov. For health-related questions, contact Ryan Minzloff at the New York State Department of Health at (518) 408-5146 or beei@health.ny.gov.
The site is planned for redevelopment into a mixed-use high-rise with retail on the ground floor, residential apartments above, and an affordable housing component. For more information, visit https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/site-cleanup/brownfield-and-state-superfund-programs/brownfield.
This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.