U.S. Army Corps, P'burgh town staff review old U.S. Air Force base infrastructure

PLATTSBURGH | The Town of Plattsburgh met with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to discuss former U.S. Air Force base infrastructure. Failing water systems and underground pipe structures have caused major sinkholes in recent years, creating problems beyond capacity for town repair. Last summer, Supervisor Michael Cashman outlined the challenge, suggesting remediation could top $12 million. The base officially closed Sept. 30, 1995, and though some underground infrastructure has been upgraded, what's left dates to the 1950s and 60's. Existing paper maps are fragile and limit engineering assessment. Sinkholes above ground are linked to failed couplings on pipes that are six feet in diameter and buried 26 feet underground. Cashman called for federal assistance after another sinkhole appeared in June this year. And last month, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) garnered response from federal engineers. The Town of Plattsburgh and Army Corps representatives conducted a joint tabletop review and on-site tour this week, Cashman said on Sept. 4. "Unlike traditional municipal systems, the former base's infrastructure was constructed at a military scale; it's oversized and far more complex than what a community is typically tasked with maintaining. Discussions centered on critical water, wastewater, and storm water systems, supported by site visits to areas where integrity concerns have emerged," the supervisor relayed. The initial review team included representative Steve Mann, deputy state director for Sen. Schumer; Senior Town of Plattsburgh Planners Trevor Cole and Jess Kogut; town Director of Water and Wastewater Scott Stoddard, Deputy Supervisor Chuck Kostyk, and Cashman alongside Army Corps staff. "Town officials expressed gratitude to all participants for their time and attention to the challenges faced on site," Cashman said. "Over the past nine years, the Town of Plattsburgh has invested more than $6.3 million in emergency repairs and stabilization efforts involving water lines, wastewater systems, manholes, and related infrastructure. Town officials stressed that these actions demonstrate the community has not abdicated its responsibility," he summed. "However, challenges at the former base far exceed those of routine municipal maintenance. "Issues such as sinkholes forming more than 20 feet below the surface are not the result of deferred maintenance, but rather the scale and cold war era legacy infrastructure built for a military installation. "This is not simply a local infrastructure issue. We are facing compounded effects of oversized, aging systems that were never designed to be maintained by a municipality. The town has worked diligently with the resources we have, but moving forward requires federal recognition and partnership." Army Corps staff acknowledged the complexity of the systems inherited from the U.S. Air Force, the supervisor said of their meeting and site visits. "This week's joint review marked a constructive first step toward a shared understanding of the challenges. Both parties agreed the immediate goal is to continue assessing the state of the base's infrastructure, deepen the study of its conditions, and develop a plan for solutions appropriate to its scale." Town officials emphasized that collaboration is essential to advancing progress. "At this stage, the meeting was investigatory in nature; they were on site for over four hours, helping us better understand the conditions and challenges," Cashman told The Sun. "While future involvement would depend on a range of factors, their presence helped lay important groundwork for any potential next steps." The town leadership team anticipates follow-up conversations in the coming weeks, now that Army Corps and federal representatives have had an opportunity to see the problems. "We will also continue to engage with other partners and stakeholders," Cashman said. "Without federal partnership, local resources alone will be insufficient to sustain the infrastructure that underpins residents, businesses, and regional economic development." Plattsburgh has always stepped up when called upon, first as a military community, and now as a regional hub for growth and opportunity, the supervisor said. "With the Army Corps of Engineers, Sen. Schumer's office and our local team at the table, we are taking important steps forward. The path ahead will take continued study, planning, and partnership."

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U.S. Army Corps, P'burgh town staff review old U.S. Air Force base infrastructure

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