[12/21/03]City officials say that state money is needed to move forward with a deal to reopen an idle chemical plant off Rifle Range Road and develop a golf course overlooking the Mississippi River.

The deal would also include the construction of about 232 homes on vacant land previously owned by Vicksburg Chemical. The company shut down last year, laying off about 100 workers and leaving 40 acres of chemically contaminated land that requires constant monitoring by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.

Mayor Laurence Leyens said the city will ask the state to put up between $3.5 million and $4 million to help with the estimated $8 million clean-up.

“It’ll create jobs, industry, redevelop that property and it’ll clean up that mess once and for all,” Leyens said.

MDEQ, which was given control of Vicksburg Chemical’s 540 acres in southern Vicksburg, has been negotiating with Harcros Chemicals Inc. of Kansas City, Kan., in partnership with Arcadis, a Dutch multinational corporation with U.S. headquarters near Denver, to take over the site and reopen the chemical plant.

City officials who are interested in acquiring 220 acres of that land to develop a golf course off Warrenton Road met with Harcros and Arcadis last week to discuss the project. Leyens said the companies had asked the city for money to help pay for the cleanup, but that the city instead offered to seek funding from the state.

The carrot for the state is that MDEQ could save $50,000 a month now being spent to monitor the site and prevent more contamination, Leyens said.

“Everybody either wins or loses here,” Leyens said. “This is the last chance.”

Jimmy Heidel, executive director of the Warren County Economic Development Foundation, said the funding being sought would primarily be for infrastructure improvements associated with the cleanup efforts. He said Harcros could be eligible for Community Development Block Grant funding from the state or tax increment financing with the city.

“There are several options out there,” Heidel said.

Sen. Mike Chaney, R-Vicksburg, said he was contacted by Heidel about the proposal, but would not definitively say if he will support state funding for it.

“As elected officials we’ll certainly explore any options to help our local officials,” Chaney said.

Vicksburg Chemical and its predecessors have operated at that site for 50 years producing pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Contamination at the site is believed to go as deep as 40 feet underground.

The property includes 500 acres adjacent to the plant that had served as a buffers while it was in operation. That land is reportedly not contaminated.