General Chemical.. here we go again
FRAMINGHAM — For sale: a package of properties on Leland
Street, offering a mix of industrial and residential space at bargain
prices.
The catch? They’re likely contaminated.
The former General Chemical Corp. facility at 133 Leland St. and five surrounding parcels were listed for sale Tuesday, alarming city officials who fear the company is attempting to skirt responsibility for the lingering pollution at its former hazardous waste storage site.
The land was used previously as a bulk fuel terminal by Gulf Oil. General Chemical then began using it in the 1960s for treatment and storage of hazardous waste and recycling of used solvents. A toxic plume of chemicals has since spread through the groundwater, contaminating the surrounding area.
General Chemical previously agreed to clean up the site, but abandoned its plans in March 2017, notifying the state it had run out of money for the work. Officials from Attorney General Maura Healey’s office have since launched an investigation into the company’s claims.
With no resolution in sight, the properties have remained dormant, though activity picked up again Wednesday after a series of real estate listings hit the market.
“My phone has not stopped ringing,” said Joe Azzolino, of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services in Maynard. Azzolino said he listed the properties for sale Tuesday after being authorized by representatives of General Chemical to sell the company’s remaining land in Framingham.
Azzolino said his client is seeking a buyer willing to purchase all six properties and fund necessary clean-up work.
The collection includes General Chemical’s former industrial building at 133 Leland St. — a 1-acre parcel being offered at $399,900 — and several former residential sites at 91, 119 and 125 Leland St., some of which hold condemned buildings.
Azzolino said he and the company’s representatives have been
forthright about the contamination on the property, disclosing it to all
potential buyers.
“They’re at rock bottom prices for that reason,” he said. “We know that it’s going to take some cash to clean it up and redevelop the site. The houses are teardowns. There’s no way you’re going to redevelop the houses.”
Facing pressure from the town, General Chemical was forced to shutter its operations in spring 2012. Testing showed chemicals had seeped into the ground underneath the facility, spreading a plume of toxins into the area, including PCE and TCE, lead and 1, 4 Dioxane.
While testing showed the chemicals don’t pose an immediate risk of harm, General Chemical agreed to participate in a five-phase cleanup mandated by the state. The company submitted a draft document to MassDEP outlining its plan to remove the contamination, pegging the cost of the cleanup at $1.8 million — an amount it was required to put in escrow. The company has since increased its estimate by more than $1 million, far exceeding the amount now available for the project.
The catch? They’re likely contaminated.
The former General Chemical Corp. facility at 133 Leland St. and five surrounding parcels were listed for sale Tuesday, alarming city officials who fear the company is attempting to skirt responsibility for the lingering pollution at its former hazardous waste storage site.
The land was used previously as a bulk fuel terminal by Gulf Oil. General Chemical then began using it in the 1960s for treatment and storage of hazardous waste and recycling of used solvents. A toxic plume of chemicals has since spread through the groundwater, contaminating the surrounding area.
General Chemical previously agreed to clean up the site, but abandoned its plans in March 2017, notifying the state it had run out of money for the work. Officials from Attorney General Maura Healey’s office have since launched an investigation into the company’s claims.
With no resolution in sight, the properties have remained dormant, though activity picked up again Wednesday after a series of real estate listings hit the market.
“My phone has not stopped ringing,” said Joe Azzolino, of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services in Maynard. Azzolino said he listed the properties for sale Tuesday after being authorized by representatives of General Chemical to sell the company’s remaining land in Framingham.
Azzolino said his client is seeking a buyer willing to purchase all six properties and fund necessary clean-up work.
The collection includes General Chemical’s former industrial building at 133 Leland St. — a 1-acre parcel being offered at $399,900 — and several former residential sites at 91, 119 and 125 Leland St., some of which hold condemned buildings.
“They’re at rock bottom prices for that reason,” he said. “We know that it’s going to take some cash to clean it up and redevelop the site. The houses are teardowns. There’s no way you’re going to redevelop the houses.”
Facing pressure from the town, General Chemical was forced to shutter its operations in spring 2012. Testing showed chemicals had seeped into the ground underneath the facility, spreading a plume of toxins into the area, including PCE and TCE, lead and 1, 4 Dioxane.
While testing showed the chemicals don’t pose an immediate risk of harm, General Chemical agreed to participate in a five-phase cleanup mandated by the state. The company submitted a draft document to MassDEP outlining its plan to remove the contamination, pegging the cost of the cleanup at $1.8 million — an amount it was required to put in escrow. The company has since increased its estimate by more than $1 million, far exceeding the amount now available for the project.
posted by Jim Pillsbury @ 5:06 PM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
Can general chemical really just walk away from cleaning this up with no repurcussions? Can't the city force them to clean up their mess?
If the General Chemical dosen't have the money or assets to fund such clean-up it will fall to the State and City to deal with it. As I've written, the Ag's office is on it and we'll just have to wait and see what the outcome is. If someone wants to assume the liability of the clean-up, I say let them. Why should the City have to pay? The Feds won't take this on I believe. But look at Naynza, capped and will be used as a solar farm I think I heard.
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