Conservation Commission backs initial $375,000 environmental review for transfer-station incinerator

Town operations staff updated the New Canaan Conservation Commission on Feb. 12 about plans to study and potentially remove two former incinerator buildings on the transfer-station parcel.

Tiger (operations staff) said the draft capital budget includes $375,000 for a Phase 1 environmental review of the buildings, one dating to about 1950 and the other built around 1970 and decommissioned in 1998. "It's 375,000 for the initial review," Tiger said. He added that both buildings are expected to have asbestos and that the cost of actual demolition could be substantially higher.

Members discussed grant options. Tiger said Brownfield funding appears unlikely because the town owned the incinerator and therefore "created the problem," a condition he said could make the town ineligible for that specific grant. Commissioners asked staff to continue searching for private grants and for recycling or master-planning grants that could defray costs.

Selectmen have approved a contract for a base parcel survey of the transfer-station property; staff plan to perform the survey after the snow melts so master-planning and environmental-review work can proceed from an accurate site inventory.

Why it matters: A Phase 1 environmental review is a preliminary step that identifies potential contamination and sets the scope and cost range for remediation or demolition. The budget line signals the town is moving from concept to planning, but no demolition or expenditure beyond the proposed review was authorized at the meeting.

Next steps: Staff will complete the parcel survey after thaw, update charts for the commission at the next meeting, continue seeking grant funding, and report back with more detailed cost estimates and environmental findings.