WILTON — A final report on cleanup recommendations for the Forster Manufacturing mill site will be discussed during a second public hearing Tuesday prior to the town’s submission of grant applications.

A hearing will be held at the start of the Board of Selectpersons regular meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, at the Town Office.

The public has another chance to weigh in with comments or questions about the future cleanup of the site before three applications for Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield grants are submitted on Dec. 18, Town Manager Rhonda Irish said.

Public comments about the mill and cleanup must be included in the town’s applications for a total of $600,000 through 3 grants of $200,000 each. A town match of $40,000 is needed for each grant.

A phase 2 assessment report is being completed and is expected to be ready by Tuesday, she said. Recommendations for the cleanup and remediation were not ready, as expected, for a previous public hearing held on Dec. 1.

Tracy Kelly from the Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection will attend to discuss the hazardous materials cleanup report.

Kelly has been in charge of the Brownfield assessment testing at the site since the town took over the property in March, Irish said. Testing was started in April. It has been a long process, but the recommendations will be discussed Tuesday. 

The town is accepting public comments until Tuesday evening, she said. These can be submitted to the Town Office or voiced at the hearing.

The town should know by April whether any grants will be received.  

The board will discuss alternatives if grant funding is not available this year. They plan to take action and move forward, she said.

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