Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Wawarsing acquisition project press release

ULSTER COUNTY DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT & EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PROVIDES UPDATE: WAWARSING ACQUISITIONS CONTINUE


Wawarsing, NY - The acquisition of homes damaged by the leaking New York City aqueduct continues in the Town of Wawarsing. Ulster County has stepped in to administer a Flood Buy-Out Program in Wawarsing to assist residents out of harm’s way when no others would administer the Program. To date, Ulster County has assisted 20 homeowners and appraisals, title searches and environmental reviews are in progress on 16 additional homes. The County will continue to administer this Program until it has exhausted all funding provided by both New York State through the Greater Catskills Flood Remediation Program and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.

Residents in the Wawarsing area will soon see additional work as the County complies with asbestos survey requirements on demolished houses. Ulster County Director of Emergency Management & Emergency Communications Art Snyder wants to assure residents that all appropriate precautions are being taken during this process. Although asbestos is harmful in a friable state, pre-demolition work performed on the homes eliminates this hazard. He stated, “In addition to the Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments done on each property, State and Federal regulations require asbestos surveys to be completed on homes slated for demolition. Ulster County puts the health and safety of our residents first and will perform the additional testing to conclusively eliminate any and all hazards.”

All waste removed from the demolition sites is being taken to a certified recycling facility owned by the County’s contractor. Any waste containing asbestos, or potentially containing asbestos, will be taken to an approved, lined landfill. Once the demolition is complete, properties are leveled and seeded, allowing for a return to their natural state. Amanda LaValle, Coordinator for the Ulster County Department of the Environment, indicated that once a site is remediated and the debris removed, there are no on-going health concerns associated with the property.