Plans to sample mercury levels at Fort Totten

The Army Corps of Engineers plans to continue to sample mercury levels in the Fort Totten Coast Guard Station.
According to Helen Kim, project manager of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers N.Y. District Environmental Programs & Project Management, the mercury levels at Fort Totten were at acceptable levels for commercial land use prior to the change in regulations by the New York State Department of Environment (NYSDEC).
Following the change in regulations, the soil in the area around the drain outside Building 615 no longer met NYSDEC commercial use levels for mercury and the entire upland area now exceeds commercial levels for lead too.
New York State has requested that there be a continued testing of the soil and excavation extending for two feet around the drain outside Building 615. If this does not solve the problem the soil in the area will need to be removed and replaced with clean soil.
Although the mercury levels are considered low at this time, the Army Corps of Engineers intends to release a proposed clean-up plan to further enhance the almost ten acres that abut Little Bay, and restore the soil to acceptable lead and mercury levels for commercial use.
“We never intended to meet residential levels as this is not a residential area,” Kim said.
Once the proposal has been released, there will be an opportunity for the public to offer their input.