PRESS RELEASE

Media Contact:Matt Horn, City Manager

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FORMER FOUNDRY BROWNFIELD APPLICATION COMPLETE—CITY PREPARING TO SUPPORT REMEDIATION EFFORT

December 2, 2016

The City of Geneva has received confirmation from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) that the City’s application to enter into the Brownfield Cleanup Program has been deemed complete. Once approved after a thirty day public notice period, this application enables state regulators to access $16 million in state Superfund grant dollars to support clean-up activities in the neighborhoods surrounding the former Geneva Foundry.

This effort marks the next chapter in a nearly 20-year effort by the City to access state funds to address legacy environmental impacts from of the former foundry operation. In 1998, the City agreed to take title to the property in order to access state Environmental Restoration Program funding necessary to identify environmental impacts and develop a clean-up plan.

Once state funds were committed, the City immediately moved to demolish the abandonedformer foundry buildings, and started conducting on and off-site samples. The City’s first remediation plan proposal was provided to the DEC in 2005, in which experts concluded that off-site contamination patterns in the neighborhood could not be attributed to operations of the Geneva Foundry.

In ensuing years, State officials asked the City to conduct more off-site testing in the neighborhood, in order to get a better picture of potential relationship with foundry operationseffects. The City continued to provide samples, and consistently sought thea final declaration from the DEC as to the proposed remediation plan so the City could , and an approved plan to commence remediation efforts.

Given its access to newer technology, tThe StateDEC ultimately conducted its own tests in the neighborhood, and in 2016, made the determination that Foundry operations likely contributed to contaminants found elevated lead levels on properties surrounding the former Geneva Foundry property. The State also completed the most important step and issued the proposed remediation plan, as well as a mechanism to access State funds for the neighborhood remediation.

The state is in the process now of developing plans and a schedule for the neighborhoodoff-site remediation efforts. On Wednesday, City Council will take up a resolution urging a speedy completion and approval of the clean-up strategy, ready access to Superfund dollars necessary to complete the remediation, and offering the support of the Geneva Neighborhood Resource Center in logistical efforts associated with of the clean-up in the neighborhoods. City Council has already allocated $250,000 for clean-up of the former Foundry site, which will commence when clean-up plans are approved by the DEC.

“While this project has taken longer than anyone ever hoped, City Council’s persistent efforts at funding identification, research and analysis, and pressure on state regulatory agencies has resulted in a far more expansive clean-up scope than originally envisioned, as well as and a well-resourced plan, ready for execution,” said City Manager Matt Horn. “The City stands ready to serve as a conduit to assist the DEC in the necessary coordination with City residents to efficiently complete the remediation of for the affected properties, and serve resident concerns about the effort, and as a vehicle for residents to get information from the DEC. We will continue to pressure for a quick, complete, safe remediation effort until all properties have received due attention.”

The City’s Brownfield Clean-Up Program application is expected to be released by the state for public comment in the coming days, and will be ready for DEC approval in January. Residents with concerns about their specific property conditions should contact the DEC Region 8 offices at (585) 226-2466.

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