KINGSTON – The US Environmental Protection Agency has informed Ulster County that it is declaring the former IBM site, now know as Tech City under the ownership of Alan Ginsburg, a Superfund site because of the release of asbestos into the environment.
“This has been a long time in the making and will give us a lot of leverage to begin the work we need to do,” said Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan Thursday. “The EPA’s new action, and I believe our county’s successful foreclosure of several of the parcels including the former Bank of America parcel; these are pivotal steps to unlocking the potential future of the former IBM site,” he said. “Ginsburg, through his actions, has essentially held our county’s real economic development prospects hostage and that is going to end and this is a big step to ending that.”
The EPA was contacted by the Ulster County Health Department in 2017 addressing hazards of the asbestos abatement. During the abatement process, many piles of debris containing asbestos have been created outdoors. Ginsburg has until December 30 to respond to the EPA’s notice. “I think he is worse than a slumlord,” said Ryan.
Once cleaned up, Ryan said the former IBM site can be reopened to economic development to help the county.
“These are pivotal steps at unlocking the potential future of the former IBM site. (Ginsburg) has held our county’s real economic prospects hostage,” said Ryan. “And this is going to end.”
Ulster County and the Town of Ulster have long battled with Ginsburg over his ownership of the property and his lack of development to revitalize it. James Quigley, Town of Ulster supervisor, welcomes the EPA action at trying to force Ginsburg to clean it up.
“I look forward to the EPA to clean up those 92 acres,” he said. If Ginsburg responds to the EPA by Dec. 30, he must contain a statement demonstrating his ability to finance the clean up with a qualified contractor, and the name, address and phone number of a hired negotiator involved in the process. If he does not respond, the EPA will force Ginsburg to clean up the site or do it themselves and bill him for the work.
