Nepera's ‘future looks grim'

HARRIMAN-While Nepera officials continue to insist they have made no plans to permanently shut down operations, it's become increasingly evident that the plant might soon be easing its way out of the neighborhood. At last week's Woodbury CAP (Community Advisory Panel) meeting, Charles Decker, Nepera's director of environmental, health and safety, said: "The future looks grim." Another round of layoffs earlier this month further reduced the plant's workforce. Nepera spokeswomen Iris Sandow wouldn't say how many workers were let go, but many people say the company has few workers remaining. Concerned with the future of the site, members of the surrounding community have raised questions concerning how Nepera will handle tear down and clean up of the facility if it is closed. "Since there has been no decision to permanently close the Harriman facility," Sandow said in an interview, " that it would be premature to speculate on what course of action might be taken." At the Woodbury CAP meeting, however, Decker said that if the plant is shut down there will be intense material and chemical cleanup at the site until the =end of this year, at which point the cleaning will slow down but will be far from finished. Decker also explained what options the company has for its machinery and material that would be left behind - some would be sold as used while others would be cleaned and scrapped. He also told the panel that even if Nepera is permanently shut down, Rutherford Chemicals, Nepera's parent company, might hold onto the factory for future endeavors. He also said that as long as Rutherford Chemical owns the site, the factory may be left standing there as long as the property is cleaned of all chemical residue. One plan Sandow said the company does have is to sell 95 acres of land attached to the site. While it's unlikely any home developers will be buying the land to build gated communities, Sandow said there are potential buyers. She added that there are no contaminants present in the land the company is tying to sell; Decker said it might be possible that there are traces of mercury.