EPA wants Great Falls expansion shuttered over "risk"

Nearby industrial ruins contain toxic materials

By: Joe Malinconico
Paterson Press

PATERSON - Federal environmental officials have advised Mayor Andre Sayegh that the expanded portion of the Great Falls National Histrionic Park should not open until something is done about asbestos and other hazardous substances in nearby industrial ruins.
..... A high-ranking official at the United States Environmental Protection Agency sent Sayegh a letter dated November 30 [2023] warning that the expanded section would allow park visitors to go within 100 feet of the contaminated structures, posing an "unacceptable risk."
..... "As the buildings continue to deteriorate over time, the release and migrations of the asbestos will also increase," said the letter from the EPA's Superfund and Emergency Management Division director, Pat Evangelista. "A partial, or total collapse of the structure, should that occur, would cause a catastrophic release and an increased continual release of asbestos."
..... The EPA wants to demolish the ruins in question before the $7.9 million "Quarry Lawn and River-walk: section of the park opens, which city officials have said is scheduled for June. [2024] The mayor has touted the Great falls park - including pending plans for a $24 million visitor center and $14 million parking garage - as the centerpiece of his vision for revitalizing Paterson.
..... But federal follicles said it may take as long as two years to demolish and clean up the contamination from the industrial ruins in an area commonly called the ATP (Allied Textile Printing) site, where in the 19th century, the Colt gun mill was located.
..... Local supporters of the national park and EPA officials have been at odds for more than six years about whether the buildings in question need to be demolished.
..... The site's legacy as the birthplace of America's industrial revolution was part of the reason the Great Falls gained its national park designation. Some history buffs have touted a scenario under which the industrial ruins would be used as park exhibits.
..... In 2018, Paterson told the EPA that the city would seek "an alternative strategy for the site, one that would not endanger the historic structures."
..... The contaminated ruins stand a few hundred years from the currently open Overlook section of the park, just across the river form Hinchliffe Stadium and near several mill buildings that were converted to apartments. The EPA letter doesn't talk about risks involving those locations, focusing instead on th expanded part of the park.
..... The EPA said Sayegh has not responded to the November 30 [2023] letter. when asked about the lack of a response, Sayegh said his office was trying to set up a meeting with the EPA's regional administrator for the area that includes New Jersey.
..... Paterson Press asked the mayor for his comment about the warning from federal environmental officials. Sayegh did not respond, but his chief of staff sent a four-sentence statement.
..... "The public health of Patrsonians and visitors is a top priority for Mayor Andre Sayegh, said chief of staff Habib Kader. "He is collaborating with the EPA to determine the best course of action in response to the concrete raised in the letter.
.... "As we await the EPA's guidance and approval for the most appropriate measure too address this issue the mayor is commuted to ensuring that any steps taken align with the highest standards of public health and safety," Kader wrote. "We will provide updates as we work with the EPA to resolvable the issue raised in the letter."
..... Representative Bill Pascrell Jr., who was pivotal in getting the federal government to care the national park at the Great Falls, concurs with the city;s reluctance to demolish the industrial ruins. The congressman said he trusts the experts of the EPA and said he is awaiting more information about the situation form the agency.
..... "There is no question toxins like asbestos pose a threat and must be addressed, but full demolition could irreparably damage this incredibly important historical site," Pascrell said. "I will err strongly on the side of preservation and against complete demolition absent very compelling reasons form the EPA. There must be a solution here that protects public health and preserves centuries of history."

Who owns the property?

..... The 2.5 acres include in the quarry lawn and riverwalk national park expansion are owned by the city of Paterson and within the boundaries of the National park and a national historic landmark (NHL) district.
..... Paterson Press asked the national Park Service (NPS) about the controversy over the contaminated buildings.
..... "The EPA is the lead federal agency for the project to remediate any potential contaminants at the site," said a statement issued by the federal park agency. "the NPS remains commuted to robust consultation on the effect of this project on the park and NHL district."
..... The contamination is contained in three buildings at the ATP site that "share common walls as one contiguous structure," said the EPA letter. The cleanup work is complicated by the presence of a tall smokestack that officials say would need to be at least partly demolished to prevent it from collapsing on workers, officials said.
..... For many years, the buildings had been sued as shelters by drug users. In 2021, officials erected security fences to keep people away from the ruins.
..... Evangelista's letter said the EPA asked Paterson last February [2023] "to reevaluate its construction activity" involving the park expansion. In July, [2023] the city told the EPA it was going to continue the construction.
..... The city in October [2023] sent the EPA its strategy for addressing the contamination. Evangelista's letter said the city's plan focused on the historical significance of the buildings but provided "few details" on how to address the threat form asbestos and other substances.
..... The city wants to hire a contractor to conduct air sample testing for asbestos. But the EPA said there's "no validated technique" for evaluating the release of asbestos fibers, adding that "the planned sampling event would do little to ensure public safety moving forward."
..... Paterson Press asked the EPA if it would take legal action to present the expanded portion of the park from opening before the contamination is removed, but federal officials declined to comment on that possibility.

.... Joe Malinconico is editor of Paterson Press Email: editor@patersonpress.com.

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