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Questions and Answers March 2001 |
| 2) Will there be any restrictions on the type of development once
the Eastland Woolen Mill site is cleaned up?
Much of the contamination at the Eastland site and surrounding area is trapped in the soil. A large amount of this soil was excavated in 2000, and EPA plans to remove the remaining contaminated soil down to the bedrock during 2001. This contaminated soil will be replaced with clean fill. When EPA is finished, contaminated soil will not remain that could affect redevelopment in downtown Corinna. Ground water deep below the site is also contaminated. EPA is currently evaluating how to address this contamination. One option is to pump this water out of the ground and treat it to remove the contaminants. However, this method could take many years to be effective. Because there is not quick way to clean up the water, EPA will make sure that all existing development near the Eastland site is connected to the Corinna Water District supply. In-town land that becomes available for development after the EPA cleanup will also need to be connected to the public water supply. EPA and the Maine DEP are working with the water district to make sure that the supply is adequate for the future development that will occur in downtown Corinna. Since the Superfund cleanup will allow most types of development, it will be up to the Town to decide on how the newly available land will be used. The Town also received a Superfund Redevelopment Grant that is being used to fund a team of land use planning consultants. As described in more detail in a later posting, these consultants will complete a full assessment of development options and present them to the public.
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