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026 PAGGI & MARTIN Consulting Engineers & Land Surveyors 09(1; ~(B 54-56 Main Street Poughkeepsie, New York 12601 914-471-7898 914-471-0905 (FAX) March 27, 1997 Town Board Town of Wappinger P.O. Box 324 Wappingers Falls, New York 12590 Attention: Hon. Constance O. Smith, Supervisor Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act of 1996 Solid Waster Municipal Landfill Closure Project Castlepoint Landfill Dear Supervisor Smith: Reference: As you are aware, this office has been working diligently for some time to accomplish the closure of the Castlepoint Landfill. Part of our work has been to actively pursue all available means of State financial assistance. To that end, our office on December 12, 1995 submitted an application on behalf of the Town to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (N.Y.S.D.E.C.) for an EQBA 50% matching grant. On December 21, 1995, the Town was notified that available funds were not currently sufficient to provide State assistance for their application. With the passage of the Environmental Bond Act last fall, and with the knowledge that a portion of this bond was for assistance in landfill closures, we again pursued the potential of obtaining financial assistance for the closure of the Castle Point Landfill. In our follO\,^J-up work, our office had a telephone conversation v'.'ith Mr. Dave Blackman of the N.Y.S.D.E.C. pursuant to the above referenced matter. His comments can be summarized as follows: 1. Our previous application for State assistance submitted on December 12, 1995 was "tabled" due to insufficient funds. Since that time, additional monies have become available for the program via the Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act of 1996, and United States Environmental Protection Agency funds. Joseph E. Paggi, Jr., RE. Ernst Marrin, Jr., RE., L.S. @ p"nted on '~cyc/ed paper Constance O. Smith Re: Castlepoint Landfill - 2 - March 27, 1997 2. Since the Town has already submitted an application package no further action by the Town is required at this time. The previously submitted package will be processed, along with other municipalities requests, on a first come first served basis. 3. The newly devised program w'ill require some regu!atOi'Y changes to existing statutes. The N.Y.S.D.E.C. is currently in the process of enacting said statutory amendments. No state assistance contracts can be processed until such time as the amendments are finalized. Mr. Blackman estimated that this process will continue through the Spring and Summer of 1997, and that State assistance Contracts could begin being processed in the Fall of 1997. 4., I explained that the Castlepoint Landfill project will begin construction this year and will be completed by the Fall of 1997. Mr. Blackman stated that our schedule would not pose any undue problems, because the Department Grant Program operates on a reimbursement type basis (i.e. the State reimburses the municipality after the work is complete). 5. The existing application estimated the total project cost (hard and soft costs) to be $550,000.00, with 50%, or $275,000 being reimbursed to the Town by the State. I explained to Mr. Blackman that due to the expected increase in construction costs from the date of application (12/95) to the actual construction date (05/97), as well as the addition of certain previously.. unexpected construction operations mandated under our N.Y.S.D.E.C. approval, the total project cost could increase accordingly. He stated that the Town is "locked in" to its previously submitted figure at this point, but that additional costs, if incurred, could be covered under an additional application for aid if and when it proves necessary. Constance O. Smith Re: Castlepoint Landfill - 3 - March 27, 1997 6. Mr. Blackman stated that with the addition of the new funding sources, there is every reason to believe that the Town will be eligible to receive State reimbursement for the Cast/epoint Landfill Closure Project. 7. Mr. Blackman stated that the Town will be notified of their assistance contract status as soon as that information becomes available, hopefully by the Fall of 1997. We will continue to monitor the State's progress in this matter and keep the Board informed of our findings. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact this office. Thank you for your consideration in this matter. Very truly yours, ~ cC /2,AYii Joseph E. Paggi, ~r,~ PJP/JEP:law cc: Hon. June A. Visconti Hon. Vincent Bettina Hon. Joseph Ruggiero Hon. Robert L. Valdati Albert P. Roberts, Esq. Elaine Snowden