By Mike Rosato and Dorothy Chanin
State Parks held a meeting at 1:30 PM on Thursday, June 14th to brief community leaders about the impending demolition of 19 buildings/structures and associated tunnels at the Nissequogue River State Park. We were told that the work will commence at the end of July and last approximately 8 months.
The $6.4 million contract was awarded to a Bloomington, Indiana company called National Salvage and Service Corporation, which presented the lowest bid on the project. The work is expected to be completed by April or May, 2013. Air monitoring stations will be setup around each demolition site by D&B Engineers and Architects. The monitoring process, part of the community monitoring program, will help ensure our residents safety.
The only change to the original demolition plan is a decision to implode, instead of dismantle, the smoke stack at the former power station. State Parks will establish a 1,000 foot perimeter around the stack before the implosion takes place. They will also setup a viewing station for anyone who wants to watch the action from a safe distance. The community will be notified in advance of the demolition of this specific structure.
Each demolition site will be contained and will have a large buffer zone. Access to each site will be restricted. The park will remain open and operate as normally as possible. The Boulevard will remain open unless it is necessary to close it for safety reasons. Trucks leaving the work area will depart from 25A and Indian Head Road.
We hope Senator Flanagan will encourage State Parks to facilitate the complete remediation of the park in the near future. “The fact that the accepted bid was significantly lower than originally anticipated is an encouraging sign and I look forward to working with State Parks to use the remaining funds in the most effective and efficient way possible,” said Flanagan.
State Parks is in the process of constructing a new website that will update the community on the demolition’s progress. The web address will be www.kppccleanup.com.
If you have any questions or concerns, contact: State Parks Police - 631-321-3700 Director Ron Foley - 631-321-3402