Work to remediate a decades-old superfund site along Freemans Bridge Road is officially underway — the latest development along a major gateway into the town of Glenville that is poised to become a thriving economic corridor.
The state’s Department of Environmental Conservation is leading the cleanup effort of the former Kenco Chemical Co. site at 107 Freemans Bridge Road that sits between Lowe’s and the railroad tracks, directly across the street from Freemans Bridge Wine & Liquor.
The approximately 1-acre site has sat vacant for years after a plume of tetrachloroethene contaminants was discovered in groundwater emanating from that site in the early 2000s. The property was once home to the Kenco Chemical Co., which stored the chemicals commonly used in dry cleaning and degreasers in a building at the site from the mid-1960s until the 1990s, which has since been demolished.
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It is estimated that more than 9,000 gallons of the chemicals were released at the site over the years, according to DEC, which declared the property a superfund in 2008.
Work to remediate the site is expected to last three years, according to Elyse DuBois, a project manager with DEC overseeing the cleanup. DuBois updated lawmakers on the project during a town board meeting this past week.
The agency, she said, will be using a process known as in-situ thermal, which essentially involves plunging long metal rods into the earth to heat the soil and groundwater and vaporize any contaminants.
A thermal layer will be installed throughout the site, which will be capped off with a layer of concrete to prevent the vapors from escaping. A community air monitor system will also be installed at the site, which will be closed off with a chain-link fence throughout the process, according to DuBois.
“It’s kind of a unique remedy and one that we don’t see too often,” she said.
In recent weeks, crews have been clearing the property ahead of the cleanup effort, which is expected to be completed in 2027.
DuBois said that increased truck traffic and noise emanating from the site are likely, but noted crews will be working during business hours and accessing the property through the Lowe’s driveway. There may be time, however, when flaggers are in place along Freemans Bridge Road to facilitate excavation of the site.
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“We do expect some increased truck traffic down Freemans Bridge Road and on Lowe’s drive, but [for] most of our site access, we’re planning on coming off of Lowe’s drive,” DuBois said.
Developing Freemans Bridge Road for the future
Work to remediate the superfund site is not the only development happening along the Freemans Bridge Road corridor, which has been a key focus area for local officials in recent years.
Work on a Taco Bell across from Dutch Meadows Lane is expected to commence later this year. The town is also expected to break ground on a major sidewalk project that will run from Dutch Meadows north to state Route 50.
On Wednesday, lawmakers also took preliminary steps to construct a multi-use trail that will run from the Schenectady border to Dutch Meadows Lane, a frequent path used by individuals traveling to major businesses like Walmart.
Plans are also in place to turn the former Sky Port Diner at 35 Freemans Bridge Road into a bakery after the restaurant closed last year.
Cleanup at former Kenco Chemical site in Glenville to begin in spring
Across the street, plans to construct a 125-room hotel at 34 Freemans Bridge Road between Maple Avenue and the Schenectady border, are expected to move forward in the near future after lawmakers on Wednesday lifted a moratorium enacted last year barring the construction of new hotels and motels throughout town.
The proposed hotel would sit on an 8-acre parcel that was previously a brownfield before being remediated years ago. The project includes plans to construct three other commercial buildings in front of the hotel.
Matrix Hotels is proposing the project. The Clifton Park-based company owns the nearby Homewood Suites by Hilton and Max410 at Waters Edge restaurant at 2-4 Freemans Bridge Road.
A timeline for when the project will move forward is still unclear, but local tourism and economic development officials say there is a need for additional hotel rooms locally and the proposed project represents a positive sign for the local economy.
Images: Freemans Bridge Road EPA Superfund clean up site (5 photos)
