Local group wages David-and-Goliath battle to build historic fort replica
The 26-acre site is heavily contaminated with petroleum products left behind by Exxon-Mobil, which merged in 1998 but whose predecessor companies operated a shipping terminal in Ogdensburg from the late 1880s until 1984.
Exxon-Mobil joined a consent order with state regulators in October 2003 to clean up the parcel. Company spokesman Brian Dunphy said Exxon-Mobil expects to begin excavating soil at the site this fall, although the technical details still need to be settled. He denied Exxon-Mobil has tried to thwart development of the replica fort.