Redevelopment of the J&L Site

For those who missed it, the Watertown Daily Times reported in early October that St. Lawrence County had given permission for redevelopment of 31.5 "minimally contaminated" acres of the 54-acre Benson Mines site. Remediation of the remaining 22.5 acres had long kept the entire acreage off limits to reuse. Even funds for assessing the problem had been difficult to obtain. There had been talk of a possible wood chipping operation locating there. Any new economic activity would seem to be a plus for the hard-pressed community.

Ruins of the sinter plant in 2008

(The remaining part of the sinter plant shown in the photo is no more than one-quarter of the structure that existed when I worked there for all or parts of the summers of 1962-1965. My experiences in the plant were important in my decision to write Gem of the Adirondacks.)