Coal tar project delayed two years

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By Dan King

The coal tar in the Mettowee River isn’t going anywhere for another two years.

When the original plans were laid out in 2014, it was expected that the removal of coal tar from the river would take place this year. However, Mayor Brian LaRose reported last week that he had a meeting with Hank Williams of the state Department of Environmental Conservation and learned the process has been delayed.

“The coal tar removal project is in a little delay,” he said. “The expectation is that it won’t begin until 2018.”

He said the “excavation process” will take place from January to June of that year and the process will require less removal of the product from the river than originally anticipated.

“Originally it was going to require quite a bit of movement from the river, 80-100 truckloads per day,” LaRose said. “That number is down to about 40 now. The trucks will be exiting and entering through North Street, not bringing that product through the village.”

In the late 1940s, a manufactured gas plant closed and was torn down in the village of Granville. Since then coal tar, a byproduct of the plant, has been seeping through the soil and groundwater under the former plant. Officials said some remnants of the product are found in the water and subsoil.

DEC, which ordered Granville to clean up the site, said there are no health issues related to the contaminants under the current conditions.

“… if there are wastes on the surface, or if people dig into waste or contaminated soil and bring it to the surface, exposure through dermal (skin) contact and accidental ingestion can occur. Also, if vegetables are grown in contaminated soil, people may ingest contaminants when they eat the vegetables,” reads the DEC website.

The goal of the cleanup project is to prevent future issues and the spread of the contamination.

Initial plans for the project said it will require some rerouting of the river near the Little League ball fields. So, with the delay, baseball will not be impacted by this project for another two years.
LaRose said there will be some, “upgrades made to the landscape near the river to minimize the effects of erosion.”

He said he believes in the long run the removal will be conducted in a more beneficial manner than it would have been if it were done this year.