Town Meeting preview: Newport to tackle wool mill cleanup funding
Published: 4/28/2021 8:44:05 PM
Modified: 4/28/2021 8:44:03 PM
Hot topic: Voters in Newport, N.H., will be asked to continue efforts to clean up the former Hartford Woolen Mill during Town Meeting voting next month.
An article on Newport’s annual warrant requests $500,000 to help remediate the nearly 4-acre property on the Sugar River. Newport Town Manager Hunter Rieseberg said officials want to one day see the site used for passive recreation, such as fishing.
The mill, which dates back to the 19th century, was purchased by Christi Ambargis in 1960 and was most recently used to collect oil for a fuel-blending project. When Ambargis died in 1996, the property was transferred to his widow, who relinquished it to the town for back taxes. An effort funded through federal grants between 1998 and 2003 saw storage tanks and hazardous waste removed. However, Rieseberg said, the site still has contaminated soils.