Norwich – A new environmental assessment report for the Terminal Way property, where the city hopes to develop a new boat launch, shows only the types of contamination expected at a former industrial site, project officials told the City Council Monday.

“There isn't anything there you wouldn't expect to find at an old industrial site,” city Director of Planning and Development Peter Davis said.

Davis and environmental specialist James Olsen of the environmental engineering firm Tighe & Bond gave a status report on the environmental cleanup process at 1 Terminal Way – where a new boat launch is proposed – and 26 Shipping St., a parcel across the street.

Davis said the draft environmental report cannot be released until the property owner, Castle Family Realty, receives the report. Davis said if all parties agree with the findings, the city would negotiate to purchase the 8.5-acre property and move ahead with the project.

The city has received three environmental assessment and remediation grants over the past several years for both properties, starting with a $150,000 federal Environmental Protection Agency grant to assess the former buildings and a second grant to demolish the buildings.

In spring 2014, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy visited the site as a backdrop to announce a $200,000 brownfields assessment grant that yielded the draft report presented Monday. The city recently received a $230,000 grant to do further assessment and cleanup of 26 Shipping St.

The city will apply to the state Department of Economic and Community Development in November for a new brownfields cleanup grant for 1 Terminal Way.

Olsen said city officials would meet with state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection officials to discuss the environmental report and plans to build the boat launch. Olsen said it could be possible to use the pavement needed for the boat launch as a cap over contaminated soil.

The plan calls for relocating the city's boat launch out of the Howard T. Brown Memorial Park to the new site on Terminal Way. The current boat launch is considered a safety hazard, as vehicles with boat trailers turn into the popular harbor park, take a sharp turn and then back trailers to the water's edge. The ramp also has to be closed several times during the summer for weekend festivals at the park, including the city's July 4th fireworks display, Juneteenth and A Taste of Italy.

If the new boat ramp is built, the Brown Park ramp would be limited to canoes and kayaks, so-called car-top vessels, Davis said.

c.bessette@theday.com

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