Contaminated debris from demolished Stonington mill to be removed
Stonington — The town announced Tuesday that work is beginning to remove contaminated debris from the former Connecticut Casting mill site in Pawcatuck.
Town Engineer Scot Deledda said that he expects the majority of the debris, some of which contains lead, PCB and a small amount of asbestos, to be removed within 15 days.
While the town has appropriated $600,000 for the demolition and cleanup of the property, Deledda said the actual cost is still to be determined because the debris has to be sorted and separated and then hauled to landfills as far away as Michigan and Idaho. Each landfill only accepts a certain type of contaminated debris.
Deledda said the town has hired two environmental firms to oversee the sorting of the debris to make sure it goes to the correct landfill, depending on the type of contamination and material. He said this will save the town money, as landfills that accept more hazardous materials and are further away are more costly. For example, he said just sending all the debris to the Idaho landfill would be very expensive.
He said the town will track the costs so there are no surprises at the end.
Deledda said he is happy to see the removal starting. “I know we’re on the right path and we’ll do our best to keep the cost as low as possible,” he said.
He added he also is excited to see what will come of the site once the cleanup is complete.
The abandoned and dilapidated mill began to collapse into the Pawcatuck River after a lightning strike and heavy rain on April 15. That forced the town to quickly hire a firm to tear down the mill before more of it could tumble into the river, which could have created a flooding threat and sent contaminated dust into nearby neighborhoods in Pawcatuck and across the river in Westerly.
The Pawcatuck Fire Department has been spraying water on the pile to keep the dust from spreading since the building was demolished and will continue to do so until the debris is removed, according to Deledda.
The owners of the mill property have refused to address problems on the site and essentially abandoned it, according to town officials. The town already has placed $147,000 in liens on the property and will add the cost of the demolition and cleanup to that. First Selectman Rob Simmons has said the town also will look for reimbursement from its insurance company, as well as state and federal grants, to offset the cost of the work. It is likely the town will end up owning the property.
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