While chamber officials can boast of a number of successes in2003, contamination at the industrial speculative building siteremains a gray cloud over economic development efforts.

In the summer, the Department of Environmental Qualityauthorized an evaluation of the site to determine the extent of theproblem. Chamber of commerce officials are considering how torespond to DEQ’s suggestions.

“We’re in the process of examining options for remediation,”said Chandler Russ, executive vice-president.

The building site has been entered into the DEQ’s Brownfieldprogram. DEQ has spent over $70,000 determining the source of thecontamination and steps for remediation.

The study found the contamination was dioxin, a toxic chemical,and came from the now-defunct Escambia wood preserving operationthat borders the building site on the west, Russ said. He said theDEQ had advised that six inches of concrete or asphalt would beneeded to address the contamination.

“It would be across all five acres (of the building site),” Russsaid.

Russ added that a back portion of the building site, toward theEscambia property, could be fenced off to prevent access. He saidthat section was less than one acre.

Chamber officials are evaluating how to proceed with DEQrecommendations while also following Occupational Health and SafetyAdministration (OSHA) guidelines.

“There’s a big cost factor involved in it,” Russ said.

It has yet to be determined whether the concrete or asphalt workwould need to be done by workers wearing respirator suits. If not,Russ said there would be some savings, but an estimate of costs hasnot been made.

“Until we determine whether they’ll have to wear those, wehaven’t gotten any bids with or without,” Russ said, adding thatofficials did not have a timetable for when the work could bedone.

The speculative building was constructed almost six years ago.Despite the contamination, Russ maintained the building was a goodproject for the community to pursue.

“With a clean bill of health, I am absolutely positive we wouldhave sold that building at least five times,” Russ said.

For now, though, the contamination remains a “great hindrance”in the chamber and Industrial Development Foundation’s efforts todevelop the property, Russ said. A warehouse distribution operationthat was considering using the building is now pursuing anothersite in the Industrial Park.

“It’s something we’re working to resolve and surely notsomething we’re overjoyed about,” Russ said regarding the buildingsituation. “We’ve got to get it resolved and hopefully, wewill.”