By ANDY GARDNER
North Country Now

MASSENA -- Remediation is underway at a contaminated former businesses in the village, and the state may remove the vacant structures if the soil beneath them is contaminated.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation is using NRC Environmental Services to clean contamination at a former gas station at 31 Water St., along with the former Gardner's Garage and Cornell's Dry Cleaning further down Water Street. The county owns the properties, and they are being cleaned through a deal they struck with the state.

"There was discussion with the DEC that they'd like authority to remove the building, the Gardner's building, because there are soils beneath that building that are pretty contaminated," DPW Superintendent Hassan Fayad told the village board on Tuesday.

He said he's asking them to also examine the soil beneath the old gas station and remove the building, but the structure will stay if it isn't polluted.

"If not, they're just going to remediate the soils and we'll be left with the building in the condition that's in," he said.

Fayad said there is also a concern for asbestos contamination inside all three buildings. If the soil beneath is contaminated, the asbestos will be taken care of when the structure is removed. If the soil underneath is clean, the buildings will remain. Since they are county owned, the village would have to strike some sort of deal to have them removed.

Mayor Tim Currier said he wants the buildings gone to make public parking space for developments in the area. The former Slavin's at the corner of Main and Water streets is being turned into a mixed-use residential commercial building. The old mill at 38 Water St. is being turned into a brewpub with two apartments upstairs.

Currier said they would keep an eye on the cleanup projects and decide what to do at a later meeting, if they get to a point where they are stuck with the empty buildings.

"We'll see what comes of it," he said. "Any actions would be required to be done at a public meeting."