Dan's Papers - May 29, 2009 - Big Dig in Sag Harbor Finished. On Time.

The Sag Harbor National Grid "Big Dig" project has ended on Bridge Street, where the huge blue gas ball once stood. The adjacent former military barracks buildings, owned by George Schiavoni, have been taken down and the three enormous blue pumps that removed the toxic tar-like substance below the site are gone. The site is littered with heavy equipment being packed up and it's still fenced in, covered with gravel. The huge tent from which as many as 50 trucks a day carried Level 2 toxic waste out of Sag Harbor is gone. Disasters resulting from errors by the London-based National Grid, which was watched with a keen eye by Sag Harbor resident Julie Moses, did not occur. In a letter, Moses reiterated information, confirmed by a separate correspondence from State of New York Health Officials): At a similar dig in Queens, N.Y. (Sunnyside Yard-Amtrak site) there was a "One day exposure" to similar "Level #2 Hazard Waste."

However, this time around, Ed Deyermond, Village Board of Trustees member and town expert on the National Grid project, (liaison, in his words) proudly stated that nothing like that happened. Rather, the whole project, which started on September 22, 2008, ended on time - a fact Deyermond admitted astounded even him. He predicts that soon an agreement will be reached to make the site a location for town parking, with as many as 80 new spots available before the end of the summer.

As far as the Schiavoni property, Deyermond said the Schiavonis are now in the long process of getting myriad approvals to build on the site, where the contaminated soil was excavated and taken away to be burned. George Schiavoni told me he and his son plan to build something that fits in with the historic character of Sag Harbor in the most tasteful way.

The predicament at the site originated from a manufactured gas facility constructed on the location in 1859, that ran until 1931, at which time gas production ended. However the huge blue ball, called a Hortonsphere gas storage tank, remained on the site owned by Lilco as part of the Long Island gas delivery system until it was dismantled in 2006. Keyspan, a successor to Lilco, signed an agreement on ownership of the site around 1999. National Grid now owns Keyspan or, as they phrase it, Keyspan has become National Grid. The clean up plan was part of an agreement with the New York State Department of Conservation signed on March 31, 2006. (The Record on Decision Remedial Action Work Plan and other documents pertaining to the Sag Harbor site are still available at the John Jermain Public Library in Sag Harbor.)

The pipes that drained the millions of gallons used to dilute the contaminated tar-like substance have been removed. Deyermond said that the monitoring devices used by the pumps never showed any form of danger at any time. Some residents in North Haven are questioning that, but the New York State Health Department has certified that National Grid's claims are true.

National Grid contracted the project out to AE COM. It was run by Tom Shuck, who had experience on similar projects. National Grid had Ted Liessing on site, but it was Shuck's plan that was successful, save for one water main break early on that was repaired, as Deyermond said, at no cost to the taxpayers. A 32-year veteran in local politics (including a stint as mayor), Deyermond stated the job was done, "Professionally. It was well done, well managed. I was proud to be a part of it."

Deyermond, who has also been a department head for both towns of East Hampton and Southampton, spent the Memorial Day weekend personally supervising the paving and reopening of Bridge Street. He said he will not be a trustee this next election cycle but "After 32 years it's time for a new challenge!" He said the new challenge may still involve local politics, ruling nothing out.

So a project that I wrote might not finish on time, did. That might have posed a threat to local residents of Sag Harbor, didn't. That would create huge inconveniences, didn't. Before the work began, I firmly questioned Ed Deyermond and National Grid's promises to get the job done on time and safely. Well Ed, you were right and I was wrong.