Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce officials areawaiting word from state and federal environmental officialsregarding how to address some contamination on an industrialspeculative building site.

“The speculative building situation is being addressed the bestit can be,” said Chandler Russ, the chamber’s executive vicepresident.

Russ said recently that results from 31 of 36 sites tested inJune came back as “not good news” on the speculative buildingproperty on West Manufacturer’s Boulevard.

The state so far has spent approximately $62,000 assessing whatcontamination is in the ground at the site, Russ said. A finalreport on that assessment is expected in about two weeks.

Then, state Department of Environmental Quality and federalEnvironmental Protection Agency officials are expected to discusswhat course of action to take on the property. Russ said thatprocess would take about two months and would include an estimatedcost for rehabilitating the site.

“Once they give us a cost of remediation, we’ll know more aboutwhat we can and can’t do with that property,” Russ said.

A warehouse distribution company has expressed interest inleasing the speculative building site.

Brookhaven officials recently asked the chamber to determine theamount of remaining available land in the industrial park,environmental clean up costs on other property, and to considerpurchasing some nearby land for park expansion.

Russ said chamber officials would be contacting engineersregarding the available land and environmental clean-up.

There is currently less than 10 acres of available land in theexisting park and the city has an option on an additional 40acres.

Aldermen have voted to support development of a new industrialpark. The board and Mayor Bill Godbold have asked the chamber tolook into the possible purchase of a 33-acre site that was onceused as a brick yard.

Russ said he needed to meet with the Industrial DevelopmentFoundation and chamber’s board of directors to determine how toaddress the city’s property purchase request.