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Frink America, Inc. Project

Missed the Public Meeting on the Proposed Hotel at the Frink Property?  Catch up by watching the video!  Just click here.

Send us your questions and comments on the proposed hotel at the former Frink America site by using the link below.  Please note, these questions and comments will be compiled and we will attempt to address each of them at our upcoming Public Meeting at the Clayton Opera House.

Go to the Questions & Comments Form by clicking here

Most Recent Renderings of the Proposed Hotel: October 2011

 

DEC Finishes Cleanup at Frink America in Clayton
Comprehensive Cleanup Turns Polluted Site into Community Asset

Media Release via Newzjunky.com

CLAYTON, N.Y., Feb. 5, 2010 — New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis today announced that the cleanup of the former Frink America snowplow manufacturing site in Clayton (Jefferson County) is complete, clearing the way for the 8-acre parcel along the St. Lawrence River to return to productive use.

The cleanup of the site was made possible by $1.5 million in grants from the Environmental Restoration Program (ERP). The DEC-run program helps municipalities stuck with cleaning up abandoned industrial sites when the former site owner or other responsible party cannot be forced to pay for remediation, and developers willing to take over the cleanup cannot be found.
“The contamination of this site took decades. But by working in close collaboration with local officials, we completed a comprehensive cleanup in a few short years,” Commissioner Grannis said. “The former Frink America site – attractive because of its location on the St. Lawrence River, near the town docks and with beautiful views of the islands – can now return to productive use. That’s good news for the environment, public health and the local economy.”

Local officials have proposed mixed-use development for the site. This may include park areas, green space and light commercial development.

“Any time a small local government like the Town of Clayton takes on a major project like this, collaboration is essential,” said Clayton Supervisor Justin A. Taylor. “We've benefited from the help of many partners, including the Clayton Local Development Corporation, the Village of Clayton, Jefferson County, the Development Authority of the North Country, the state Department of Health and the DEC on this project. All of those involved were positive and pro-active and that has brought the task at hand to a successful completion. The Clayton community and the region will benefit from this for decades to come.”

“This project provides a great example of how we can work together at the state and local level to ensure contaminated properties are made safe and productive once again,” said Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine. “This cleanup project has created the conditions needed for private investment on this site to create jobs and contribute to the local tax base for generations. As a cornerstone in this village, a redeveloped Frink site will be a welcome addition here, where town and village officials have done a great job fostering development along the beautiful St. Lawrence River. I want to thank the DEC for its role in the process and Commissioner Grannis for recognizing the significance of this project.”

“The return of this site to productive use will greatly benefit the local economy,” said Assemblywoman Addie Russell. “Our river frontage is one of our best assets and the proposed mixed use will provide wonderful opportunities for everyone while preserving the viewshed. I commend all of the local officials who worked so hard to complete the site cleanup in such a relatively short period of time, and to Commissioner Grannis and the DEC for understanding the importance of this project for Clayton and the surrounding communities.”

The site, located at the intersection of Webb Street and Riverside Drive, historically had been used as a rail yard and an ice house, and at times served as a storage area for lumber and coal, among other uses. It became the home to Frink America in the 1920s when Carl A. Frink moved his burgeoning snowplow business to the property. Previously a local tire shop owner, Frink launched his new company after he successfully constructed a steel snowplow to clear a bus route from Clayton to Watertown. Frink America operated at the site until 2000.

The snowplow fabrication process involved the cutting, welding, rolling and painting of raw steel. Unfortunately, the process resulted in soil and groundwater contamination that included metals, non-chlorinated solvents (toluene and xylene) and petroleum (releases from on-site fuel tanks and a petroleum bulk storage operation). While DEC was negotiating the remediation of these issues, the facility was sold to a Quebec company that abruptly closed the factory. The town later acquired the site through foreclosure and applied for ERP assistance in 2005.

The comprehensive cleanup included demolishing structures that contained paint waste and asbestos, digging out petroleum tanks and waste-storage tanks and removing contaminated soils – approximately 20,000 tons of soil were excavated at depths ranging from two to eight feet below the surface.

Following the completion of these actions, the town conducted a follow-up investigation of soils, surface water and groundwater, and soil vapors. Based on the results, DEC, in consultation with the state Department of Health, determined that the site no longer poses a threat to human health or the environment.

Official: Senator Aubertine
 
 

 

History of the Project

The former Frink America, Inc. site, located at 205 Webb Street, Clayton, New York consists of roughly 8.3 acres of land, including 1,500 feet of frontage on the St. Lawrence River.  This site is currently going through a remediation effort through the Environmental Protection Agency in an attempt to clean up contaminated soil related to its historic industrial operations.

Frink America, Inc. shut its doors on May 31, 2000.  Since the 1920’s the company had manufactured the Frink snowplow.  Acting on a dare from a friend, bus line owner Fred Daily, Carl Frink, a tire shop owner, invented and constructed the first steel snowplow in order to clear the bus route from Clayton to Watertown, New York.  This plow was created to fasten to the undercarriage of a car or truck.  It was a hit.  By the 1930’s the Frink snowplow was being manufactured for local orders and orders around the state, the country, and the world.  As time went on the company remained the “premier manufacturer of heavy duty highway, airport, and commercial snowplows.”

The company operated at the same location, at 205 Webb Street, Clayton, since 1929—although the original building burnt in 1960. 

Once the clean up of the former Frink America, Inc. site is completed, mixed-use development is planned.  This may include new park areas, green-space, and room for some commercial development. 

 

The History of the Frink America Site Timeline

Site Maps

Site Location Map

Site Representation Prior to any Remediation

Locations that were Excavated to Remove Contaminated Soils

Frink Remediation DEC Documentation

Documentation Available Here:

Proposed Remedial Action Plan (PRAP): click here

Fact Sheet: click here

Final Engineering Report: click here

(this is a large file, so expect delay in downloading)

 

Frink America, Inc. Project Photographs

Community Frink Cleanup Day: August 5, 2009

Aerial Photos Courtesy of Doug Johnston & Christiana Langer

September 8, 2009

More Remediation Photos

June 25, 2008

 

November 2, 2007

 

The Frink America, Inc. Site Early 2007

 

The Former Frink America, Inc. Site

 

Historic Frink Snowplow Pictures

 

 
 

Town of Clayton

405 Riverside Drive | Clayton, NY 13624 | Phone: (315) 686-3512 | Fax: (315) 686-2651

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