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Who Will Be Liable?

The Unilever site in Clinton is appraised at more than $4 million. So why did Unilever sell it for $100,000? I believe it’s because it’s contaminated. Apparently, the buyers must have convinced Unilever that it would no longer have any liability for the contamination it created if it sold them the property for $100,000. How did they do that? And who will now be liable for the contamination?

The buyers haven’t presented any plan for dealing with the contamination, nor has any final septic plan been filed with the land use office. I don’t believe it’s appropriate for Planning & Zoning Commission to grant any approval that doesn’t include a detailed plan for dealing with the contamination on the site. The recent application to allow commercial indoor recreation doesn’t even include a site plan! It’s as if the buyers want you to forget about the contamination that caused Unilever to practically forfeit a $4 million asset. How is that possible?

What’s going on here, you ask? Stay tuned.

Vincent Cimino

Clinton