SCHUMER, RYAN ANNOUNCE REMOVAL OF “ASBESTOS MOUNTAIN”–THAT HAS PLAGUED ULSTER’S FORMER TECH CITY CAMPUS FOR THE PAST DECADE–IS COMPLETE, ACCELERATING THE SITE’S TRANSFORMATION
New York, NY – After years of advocating for the cleanup and transformation of Ulster County’s former Tech City campus, once the 30-year home of IBM, now known as iPark87, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Representative Patrick Ryan today released the following statements on the long awaited removal of the toxic piles of asbestos:
“After a long and arduous battle, the mountains of asbestos and debris are finally gone, and a once-contaminated dumping ground is now a foundation for the Hudson Valley’s economic future. This is a historic day for Ulster County and a major milestone as we revitalize the former Tech City site in Ulster County, transforming it to iPark87 and creating thousands of good-paying jobs,” said Senator Schumer. “I congratulate the work of the EPA, former county executive and now Congressman Pat Ryan in partnership with the county and town to bring this transformational moment to fruition.”
“This is a huge step for the Hudson Valley as we continue to make crucial investments to propel our region into the 21st century economy and create good-paying local jobs,” said Representative Pat Ryan. “I want to thank Senator Schumer, the EPA and our partners in county and town government for their work on this project, which I have helped champion since my time as County Executive. Due to their tireless work, iPark87 is poised to be a shining example of the Hudson Valley’s economic resurgence.”
"EPA has removed the last piles of asbestos-contaminated material from this site, reclaiming this area for new economic activity," said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. "This marks a milestone for the Town of Ulster, following a process that saw officials from New York State and Ulster County take a prominent role in working with EPA to find a solution that clears the way for businesses to move forward with new construction and renovation projects. This collaborative work is a model for future cleanups."
Background:
Schumer has fought for years to jumpstart the cleanup of iPark87. In July of 2021, Schumer personally visited the asbestos-contaminated TechCity site, calling on the EPA to fully clean up and restore Ulster County’s former economic engine. Following his visit, Natural Resources bought the property from the former owner. Earlier this summer, after Schumer’s advocacy, the firm reached an agreement with EPA to remove the asbestos piles.
In June 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached an agreement with iPark87, LLC, the current developer of the former Tech City facility, to remove asbestos present at the site. Under the terms of the agreement, the developer agreed to properly remove asbestos from the interior of Building 1 and remove three large debris piles containing asbestos which will be disposed of off-site at an EPA-approved landfill. With EPA oversight, iPark87 initiated the agreed upon asbestos abatement work in August 2022. Schumer personally visited to kicked off the cleanup in August while simultaneously announcing that following his direct appeal, Zinc8, a leader in cutting-edge battery and energy storage technology had officially signed a letter of intent to come to Ulster County potentially bringing up to 500 new, good-paying clean energy jobs to the Hudson Valley.
The abatement of asbestos in Building 1 is ongoing, and the off-site disposal of the three debris piles containing asbestos has been completed. Off-site disposal of the debris piles was initiated on August 29, 2022 and completed October 12, 2022. More than 7,000 tons of asbestos contaminated debris were transported for landfilling more than a month ahead of schedule, thereby ensuring that the ongoing threat of exposure to asbestos by the public has been eliminated.
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