New Albany Redevelopment Commission order new tests on site, by Grace Schneider (Courier-Journal).
New Albany's plan to buy an old industrial woodworking site as a possible "brownfields" reclamation project has raised concerns because of a recent environmental report that found heavy metals in groundwater there.
The findings of the study prompted the New Albany Redevelopment Commission to order additional tests for the former Hoosier Panel site at 2045 Silver St. to determine whether the contamination has spread beyond the property. The 15-acre site borders a residential area.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Open thread: Brownfields clean-up at old Hoosier Panel site?
Here's the scoop from the morning C-J.
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In the short term, I'm more than a little annoyed that this subject was introduced at an executive session of the city council. Though it is perhaps delicate, the open meetings law is pretty clear about when the council can declare an executive session and what they can address outside the view of the public.
Just because some parties want to keep the matter secret (and that's a whole 'nother discussion), that does not mean the council can meet together to receive information while barring the public from attendance.
What's new? Apparently, over the years there have been a number of behind closed doors conversations concerning the use and continual use of this property.
Okay, so at least there IS the chance something will finally be done.
Gross violations for almost a decade, ignoring cease and desist orders, disregard of public safety, due process, littering, violating EPA guidelines, local zoning laws....
Yet in the last decade CCE has been given city contract after city contract, dumping of scrap from demolishing condemned houses on the lot, dumping trash left over from harvest homecomings on the lot, dumping an amount of tires, shedded and not that exceeds the state permit, and outside of zoning codes...
Pending Lawsuit from the city...
So lets show this guy we mean business, lets buy the property from him, give him a profit, and then make ax payers pay for the clean up...
Well, if nothing else, the rest of the city will get to be hosed along with the residents of the area.
By the way, why is it NOW, that the city wants to buy the property is it that the levels of Arsenic, mercury, chromium, asbestos, etc such a concern when we BEGGED for years to have the place checked out with no action at all....
I hope they get it cleaned up, I pray they get it cleaned up, but not in any way shape or form when this nearly criminal property owner will make a profit...
Or you could charge him the exact same amount of profit he makes from the sale to clean up the illegal tire dumps CCE has on Corydon Pike, and Emery Lane....
Who is the owner?
Per the C-J:
The site is owned by Jeff Eastridge, who operates a tire-recycling and shredding business, CCE Inc.
Thanks, Bookseller. I read the article in the morning, asked the question in the afternoon, and didn't even sleep in between.
Eastridge was proposing a large apartment development for the site last year. I wonder how that ties in.
See what sleeping on the couch has done to you!!
Here how it's done in the first world: The residents organize and hire a lawyer and sue the pants off CCE. That way, the people who caused the pollution pay to clean it up. It also acts as a deterrent and warning to other polluters.
Again, why do people waste energy and money using city government, which can't pick up it's own trash?
I know 80% of the attorneys here just extract money from insurance companies, but there must be someone who can read EPA statues, look at the 30 years of Federal Precedence and simply enforce long-existing LAW.
RULE-OF-LAW
The site now goes by the name of Silver Street Properties,LLC as Eastridge stated under oath at the violation hearing before the Dept. of Homeland Security, although he would not divulge the other members of the LLC other than himself.
The PUDD for the site was removed from the Plan Commission docket because of his continual postponement for hearing. But it can return in the same form, which was appox. twice the size allowed for the acreage, because it was never voted on in its form.
These folks might be worth speaking with, if anyone is interested in taking things further - they are an Indiana non-profit environmental law practice:
Legal Environmental Aid Foundation
I wonder if environmental testing was done before CCE's occupancy.
B.W.Smith - thank you, now somewhat heartened by civil discourse...
the guy has ignored court ordered cease and desist orders, he has ignored DHS, EPA, IDEM, permits, investigations, lawsuits.
He has slandered good people protecting there rights and properties, lied about people, set people up.
What good will another lawyer, or another piece of paper do for this guy.
He did the same thing on 4th street, he fleeced this place, and now he has started on Corydon Pike and Emery lane.
Its not a matter of legalities, legalities only work for law abiding businesses, this is not one of them.
If the 2009 Plat Book is correct Eastridge LLC also owns 83 acres adjacent to Seven Mile Lane in Floyd County, also. God only knows what his plans are for that piece of property.
I don't know anything about the legal proceedings against the company, but if the company has outstanding judgments against it then those judgments may be enforced. Having the sheriff seize property and sell it usually gets someone's attention.
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