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Slow Progress at Village Industrial Sites
BALLSTON SPA — Homeowners near the abandoned Rickett’s dry-cleaning business on Route 50 can rest a little easier knowing that federal test results showed no serious contamination of their properties.
Closer to Village Hall, according to officials, a second industrial site on Bath Street that has been vacant for years is now wrapped up in a bankruptcy court proceeding.
At the May 8 Village Board meeting, Ballston Spa Mayor John Romano reported that the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released results of “vapor intrusion” tests that were initiated in February at 50 homes near the Rickett’s building on Doubleday Avenue.
Officials at the EPA were studying whether various chemicals that reportedly leached into local ground water from the Rickett’s property were also venting through cracks in the foundations of homes.
“Based on EPA’s assessment... no corrective actions for vapor intrusion are required at any of the properties sampled,” reads a statement provided this week by EPA spokeswoman Larisa Romanowski.
“The concentrations of chemicals detected at the sample properties,” the statement continues, “were significantly below EPA’s established target levels which were developed to be protective of human health.”
The EPA further stated that the agency “does not see a need for any restrictions to be placed on the normal use of any of the properties sampled; does not plan on expanding the vapor intrusion investigation area at the present time; but does not rule out the possibility that additional vapor intrusion sampling may be conducted in the future.”
Mayor Romano explained that a $2,500 expenditure approved on May 8 by the village board would cover engineering costs for additional “PFOA” testing that took place at the Rickett’s site, as well as the cost of a water-quality report that will be mailed to village residents soon.
In other business, Trustee Noah Shaw indicated that he is following the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case involving a large property down the hill from Village Hall. The six-acre site, used for a number of years by the hospital linen company Angelica, spans several village blocks.
Romano said his own efforts to achieve progress on both the Rickett’s and Angelica properties, including letters to New York’s federal lawmakers, are “moving forward.”
Linda Shaw, an environmental attorney in Rochester who represented Angelica until last year, suggested that officials in Ballston Spa should pursue full ownership.
She said Angelica, as the property owner, had successfully remediated previous chemical and petroleum contamination at the site. The pollution was mostly the result of tannery operations that had occurred decades ago.
When reached this week for comment, Shaw said, “the property is really not that terrible.”
Shaw added that village officials “should think about taking title to it through the bankruptcy.”
Voter’s Guide-County Supervisor Races - Galway
Candidates from Galway answered the following questions:
Q1: What are the three most critical issues facing Saratoga County today and in the near future?
Q3: Given the growth in population and economic development in Saratoga County, what is your vision for the next ten years?
Q3:What is your motivation for running for this office ? What special skills, knowledge, experience or training do you bring to this position?
Regina Doi
Q1: Saratoga was the fastest growing county in the Capital Region and eight of our towns were among the top 100 fastest growing towns in the state. Considering such rapid growth, the three critical issues facing the county are: Affordable Housing and Social Services, Sustainable Development, Cost/care for Aging Infrastructure Regardless of issues facing the County, it's my goal to have Galway folk know the county issues and encourage them to voice their opinions so that I may act on their behalf.
Q2: For Galway I envision agriculture, small businesses and workforce commuters choosing a well-planned rural quality of life over that of unplanned housing sprawl. I’ll encourage young families to invest by strengthening Galway's economy through the creation of a chamber of commerce, service business districts (ie. pharmacy), a farmers and artists network that caters to tourism, and work with the county for the establishment of a daily work bus run to reduce the amount of commuter traffic.
Q3: For 5 years as the Galway Library director, I’ve listened to folks wish that our Town Government was more transparent, responsive and reachable. It's time to give voice to our Town Tax Payers and act on their concerns. My leadership has proven to our tax payers that: I am accessible, my management skills are fiscally sound, I communicate the library’s services, and actions on a weekly basis to the public, I use current web technology for outreach, I diligently pursue grant funds, and I care”.
Paul E. Lent
Q1: The county must rebuild its fund balance to provide for a good financial foundation. We must find a way to manage ever increasing state mandates that strain county resources. Saratoga County has a large infrastructure of highways, bridges, buildings and other systems all of which require monitoring and good management to keep costs in check and yet keep this infrastructure up-to-date so it is efficient and effective.
Q2: Over the next 10 years the county must develop cost effective ways to deal with managing the growing demands on our county infrastructure and our public safety services due to increased population. I see the county taking well-thought out and methodical steps to meet those demands while keeping costs in check. I see building on the achievements it has made such as the development of the Zim Smith trail system for all residents to enjoy
and balance green space needs with growth.
Q3: My motivation to run for the position of Supervisor is to continue to serve the residents of Galway as I have as a member of the Town Board, as Deputy Supervisor and past Chairman and member of the Galway Planning Board. My blend of private sector senior management experience combined with my many years of service in county government as Director of Emergency Services for Saratoga County has provide me with the required experience, knowledge and training to be an effective Town Supervisor.
Terrorist Plot Foiled: Galway Man Plans a Weapon of Mass Destruction
GALWAY — For over a year, a Galway man has plotted and built a device that could successfully turn on a weapon of mass destruction remotely which would then emit lethal doses of radiation to kill people he termed as “enemies of Israel.”
A Legacy of Love
GALWAY — If you ask any of the children of Beulah Klemontowski, growing up in her tiny home in Galway was nothing short of a paradise for a child, even if there were a total of seven children and 63 foster children over the years.
