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1200 East Main Street Environmental Cleanup

Introduction 

1200 East Main Street Site consists of approximately 0.65 acres of vacant land in the City of Rochester. The City acquired the property through tax foreclosure in 1997. The property is a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Environmental Restoration Program (ERP) Cleanup Site. In February, 2019 the City’s Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) obtained a Certificate of Completion (COC) from the NYSDEC for the environmental cleanup. The Site is located in a Community Center District (C-2) zone which would be most suitable for redevelopment as a small commercial/ retail business, office or other commercial use.

Site Map

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1200 East Main Street Site Sketch

History

1200 East Main was formerly used as an automobile gasoline and service station from before 1928 to at least 1993 which resulted in soil and groundwater contamination from underground petroleum storage tank systems, floor drains, hydraulic lift systems and waste oil dumping onto the unpaved ground surfaces.

Demolition & Cleanup

Initial soil source removal was completed between 2010 and 2012. Additional soil source removal was completed in March 2016.  Groundwater contamination, attributed to Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (LNAPL) suspended in the fractured bedrock within the uppermost portion of the local aquifer, was addressed by utilizing Vacuum Enhanced Groundwater Extraction (VEGE), followed by direct Oxygen (O2) Injection into the aquifer. The VEGE and O2 Injection systems were installed in June 2014. Contaminant levels are currently in asymptotic decline and it is anticipated that the systems will be turned off and permanently decommissioned in April 2019.

The Final Engineering Report was approved by the NYSDEC in February 2019 and the City received a Certificate of Completion for the Cleanup of the Site.  A Site Management Plan (SMP) was developed in order to provide guidance to future site users with regard to management of soil and groundwater that may be impacted with residual contamination. An Environmental Easement now exists for the property and any future redevelopment plans will be subject to NYSDEC and City Division of Environmental Quality review.

Further Information  

For further detailed information, please refer to the following documents: 

If you have additional questions about the project contact the City’s project manager, Ms. Jane MH Forbes, MPA., Sr. Environmental Specialist, City of Rochester Division of Environmental Quality by phone at (585) 428-7892 or email her.