The Former CP Rail Maintenance Yard
site, located at 215 Broadway, Whitehall, New York is the location of a former CP
Rail automotive repair and maintenance yard built around 1890. The site
consists of three buildings in various states of disrepair. Over the years, the
property has had numerous owners and the buildings at the site were not
properly maintained and have deteriorated.
The Village of Whitehall referred the
site to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2018 to assess the
abandoned property which they thought could potentially pose a threat to
people’s health or the environment. In June 2018, the property owner removed 40
gallons of ethylene glycol and 245 gallons of waste oil. At that time, the EPA
identified asbestos contaminated material within the buildings. The EPA boarded
up the buildings to prevent people from entering and installed signs nearby to
warn people about the presence of asbestos within the buildings.
The EPA finished its assessment of
the site in 2022 which confirmed the presence of asbestos-contaminated
materials, which included roofing material and pipe wrap. The EPA also found
lead contamination in the ash at the base of a chimney stack.
The EPA is scheduled to begin to demolish
buildings and dispose of asbestos and asbestos-containing debris at the site in fall 2025.
During the on-site work, the EPA will monitor the air and evaluate and
properly dispose of hazardous materials found at the site.
The work is expected to be completed
in 2025.
For more information: November 2025 Community Update - The EPA will Address Asbestos at the Former CP Rail Maintenance Yard Site