Demolition near for contaminated North St. Louis factory

Contractors have nearly finished removing asbestos from the contaminated Carter Carburetor factory in North St. Louis, and demolition of the 480,000-square-foot building should begin by the summer.

Once a booming factory that employed 3,000 people, the four-story structure next to the site of the old Sportsmans Park, has been vacant for more than 30 years. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is overseeing demolition and cleanup of the site at North Grand Boulevard and Dodier Street, which is contaminated with cancer-causing toxins left over from the carburetor manufacturing process.

Asbestos removal, the first step in the cleanup process, began last spring and is more than 85 percent complete, said EPA Region 7 spokesman Chris Whitley.

We think its reasonable to assume that the demolition and excavation could get underway this summer and be wrapped up by next spring, he said.

St. Charles-based ACF Industries LLC, a railcar component manufacturer that used to own Carter Carburetor, is responsible for much of the $27 million cleanup project.

Following the demolition, the companies will complete removal of carcinogenic polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, from the site. Also present are toxic solvents known as trichloroethylene, or TCE. If demolition is complete by spring 2016, cleanup of the chemicals could be finished by the fall of 2017, Whitley said.

Nobodys anticipating any big hurdles right now, he said. Weve been very pleased with the quality and execution of work theyve performed thus far and theres no indication thats going to change.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public meeting this evening to update nearby residents of the Jeff Vander-Lou neighborhood on the projects progress. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at the next-door Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club, 2901 North Grand Blvd.

Jacob Barker 314-340-8291

@jacobbarker on Twitter

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Demolition near for contaminated North St. Louis factory