A former former industrial print shop in Duryea that has been tax-delinquent for more than a decade was removed from a recent Luzerne County tax sale at the state’s request, officials said.
The state Department of Environmental Protection sought the delay because it is close to wrapping up contamination remediation at the site and would like that project to be completed before a new owner takes possession, said department spokeswoman Colleen Connolly.
Dalton-based T. P. Corporation, the property owner, stopped paying taxes in 2006, causing the delinquency to balloon to $515,000.
That lien would be cleared if the property sells to the high bidder at the next free-and-clear auction in April. Bids for the property were set to start at $9,478 if the property had remained in the recent sale.
Properties must be auctioned if taxes have gone unpaid for two years unless the owner is complying with a repayment plan, is involved in an active bankruptcy proceeding or obtains a court order.
T. P. filed a bankruptcy in 2008. After unsuccessfully trying to sell the property through a Realtor that year, the bankruptcy trustee filed a notice to abandon the property in November 2010 because the outstanding taxes and other debt exceeded the parcel’s value. The property is assessed at $1.1 million, a court filing said.
According to Connolly:
A large industrial building at the site was used to coat and print on various fabric materials and had contained many abandoned chemical containers holding chemicals, solvents and hazardous waste.
The building has been unoccupied since the owner filed for bankruptcy, and there are no utilities connected. Most of the equipment was sold in a bankruptcy/liquidation sale, but the containers were left.
After performing a site assessment and removal of the drums in 2012, the state environmental department started working with contractor AECOM in Mechanicsburg to test for contaminants.
The testing identified four areas behind the building with soil containing contaminants above state health standard levels. In 2014, AECOM recommended a combination of soil removal and the use of natural microorganisms to break down pollutants.
Michael Baker International and O’Brien & Gere were hired in January to remove contaminated soil and close the wells and boreholes at the site.
Work began in September, with approximately 900 tons removed to date. The soil is being taken to the Alliance Landfill in Taylor.
The clean-up costs have not yet been determined. Department officials have said at least some of the expense would be covered by waste permit fees and fines and penalties paid by violators of environmental laws.
