Ottawa seeks grant for Peltier factory clean up

Ottawa is looking to take the next step in tidying the former Peltier glass factory, by applying for federal grant money.

The factory, located at 518 through 524 Deleon St., closed in May 2010. The building has been used for the city to store seasonal equipment. It is currently boarded up with sheet metal over the windows.

The property, however, has lead and arsenic left over from glass manufacturing, and the city hired Fehr Graham Engineering and Environmental to prepare an application for EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant Funding. The city will pay Fehr Graham between $4,500 and $6,000 to prepare the application.

The grant would be for up to $500,000, with a 20% local match of up to $100,000 should the city receive approval, but the final grant request amount and associated match will be determined during the application process, Fehr Graham said.

Fehr Graham said the city’s vision is to demolish the older portions of the building and to possibly add parking, or to regrade the site, once the building and the floor have been removed.

There is a known area under the building characteristically hazardous, which needs to be remediated and will require exposure of the soil for pre-treatment and disposal, the engineering company said.

It is possible more grant funding will be available than in the past few years so chances of an award could be higher, despite the grant being a competitive one nationally.

Joann Jones, who has lived on nearby Walnut Street for 47 years, attended a council meeting in April, saying she was hopeful the city would keep ownership of the property and continue to maintain it. She complimented the city for its upkeep.