The Hydeville Mill has seen better days. Once the site of woolen mills, today it's on Stafford's list of brownfield sites. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a brownfield site is “real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contamination.” And while Amber Wakley-Whaley, Director of Grants and Community Development, has been pursuing grant funds to help redevelop other brownfield sites in town (like the Witt School), she said at the September 6, 2023, Board of Selectmen's meeting that Hydeville Mill is too far gone to save.
Asbestos, PCBs, and other common contaminants have been found at the mill. But it's also so structurally unsound that many of the normal assessments for brownfields simply could not be completed. And with that knowledge in hand, the EPA has recommended it for emergency response demolition and further testing.
"It's a big win!" Wakley-Whaley said. The purpose of demolishing the building and getting clean-up started is to get the property back on the tax rolls.
The Selectmen had some logistical questions. For instance, there are vehicles parked on the property, and owners have not, in the past, responded to requests to remove them. Obviously, they need to go in advance of demolition and it's not clear who has the ability to enforce it. Attorney Wendell Avery has been the acting conservator, of sorts, since the mill's actual owner died, and it ended up in the town's hands. There is, however, time to figure these logistical questions out. The Federal government tends to move slowly, so work isn't likely to get underway until Spring.
In the meantime, Wakley-Whaley said she's working with the Technical Assistance for Brownfields (TAB) program at UCONN to figure out what comes after the demo. "Supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Technical Assistance for Brownfields Program, the UConn TAB supports New England communities to advance investigation, cleanup and redevelopment of abandoned, potentially contaminated sites, protect public health and promote environmental justice," according to the program's site.
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