Waterbury faces expensive clean-up after mill fire

Waterbury, Conn. (WTNH) -- Firefighters in Waterbury are still keeping an eye on hot spots from a huge mill fire that raged over the weekend.

On Wednesday, Senator Richard Blumenthal, along with state and Waterbury officials put on hard hats to get a good look at the expensive mess left behind, and the question now is who's going to pay to clean it up.

Fire roared from the old Nova Print and Dye factory, an 86,000 square foot building that was once a clothing mill.

It had been sitting empty, rotting for some time.

There have been a number of fires there in the last year and fire officials say the fire that finished the building off looks suspicious .

Waterbury says the owner skipped out on a $2 million tax bill and abandoned the place. Now the city is left with no tax money and an expensive mess.

"We are looking at any legal remedy we can to go after these folks," said Waterbury Mayor Neil O'Leary, "because as you can see, this is going to be a very long, arduous, expensive process."

Senator Blumenthal says he's going to push the EPA for emergency money to clean up the rubble. And he says what seems like a daunting task now could turn into good news for the brass city.

"Problems and challenges are sometimes opportunities, and this one could be a real opportunity to do some economic development," Blumenthal said.

The mayor says the bind they are in, left holding the bag, should give birth to some new tougher laws for building owners who shirk their responsibilities.

"Maybe, just maybe, we can form some legislation that can help the cities in the future, that can help with these concerns and these issues," said Mayor O'Leary, "and put some teeth in some legislation that will allow us to hold these folks responsible and accountable, quite frankly."

State environmental officials say there doesn't appear to be any environmental contamination from the fire, but there could be things like asbestos lurking when they tear down what is left of the old building.