NORWICH – Work is expected to begin next week at the former NYSEG Manufactured Gas Plant site, located at 24 Birdsall St. in Norwich.

Last week, notification was sent out to local officials that New York State Electric and Gas and its consultant, AECOM Environmental will begin sampling field work at the former MGP site in order to begin remediation work.

According to information on file at Guernsey Memorial Library, the MGP site was first used for manufacturing gas sometime between 1863 and 1887. During that time, oil, coal and coke were used at various times as feed fuels for the coal gasification. By 1953, gas was no longer produced at the site, however soil tests have shown evidence of coal tar or NAPL at the site and on off-site property to the south.