Law Island Reclamation
One of the dilapidated buildings contaminated with lead and asbestos that was removed from Law Island.
Law Island is an 8.5 acre island close to the breakwater in Malletts Bay. A site on the <link explore lake-champlain-paddlers-trail guidebook _blank external-link-new-window>Lake Champlain Paddlers’ Trail, it provides a secluded setting in a high traffic area of Lake Champlain with outstanding views of the lake and several islands. For years, five dilapidated buildings contaminated with lead and asbestos and several junk cars have marred its beauty and posed environmental and liability concerns.
The abandoned buildings and junk have now been removed and the island cleaned up thanks to collaborative efforts of LCC, the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, the Town of Colchester, the Lake Champlain Basin Program and others. LCC partnered with town and state officials to map out a plan, wrote seed grants to initiate project work, secured funding for the project assessment and historic review, and lobbied for the additional $100,000 necessary to complete the reclamation. Special thanks to the Alcoa Foundation for preliminary grant support and to Senator Patrick Leahy for arranging for the final funding necessary to finish the job. Stay tuned for a picnic at the site in 2013! Click here to view more photos of the Law Island Reclamation.
