United States Environmental Protection Agency Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5502G) EPA520-F-92-009 Fall 1992 & EPA Su pertu nd At Work Hazardous Waste Cleanup Efforts Nationwide American Thermostat Site Description: Former thermostat assembly plant in South Cairo, New York Site Size: Approximately 8 acres Primary Contaminants: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), other organic compounds, arsenic, chromium, and lead Potential Range of Health Risks Without EPA Cleanup: Liver, kidney, circulatory system, central nervous system damage; direct contact with contaminated soil, or ingestion of contaminated ground water could cause cancer Nearby Population Affected: 5,000 within a 3-mile radius Ecological Concerns: Contamination of nearby Catskill Creek and a local pond Year Listed on NPL: 1983 EPA Region: II State: New York Congressional District: 2 Innovative Air Stripping Technique for Ground Water Pressurized air pumped through soil into ground water Volatile organic compounds and other contaminants trapped in air bubbles Success In Brief EPA Mobilizes to Safeguard Community and Eliminate Chemical Waste EPA's Superfund program decisively mitigated dangerously high levels of toxic chemicals at New York's American Thermostat Corporation (ATC) hazardous waste site. Superfund staff: • Quickly sampled area drinking wells and treated over 10 million gallons of contaminated ground water; • Used innovative technologies to reduce on-site soil and ground water contamination; • Secured a permanent alternate water supply for affected residents; and • Initiated a public outreach effort which gained support for cleanup activities. The American Thermostat site is a prime example of EPA's commitment to preserve the health and welfare of citizens and the environment. The Site Today Cleanup has reduced the threat of exposure to site contaminants. Monitoring wells, carbon treatment units, vapor extraction and air stripping systems have been installed. Over 10 million gallons of contaminated ground water have been treated. Volatile organic com- pound (VOC) levels have been reduced by over 80% in adjacent wells, and the ATC well shows a 90% decrease of VOCs. Cleanup construction is underway. Comple- tion of the alternate water supply is scheduled for December 1992. Cleanup plans for polluted soil and sediments are currently being final- ized, and should be officially re- leased by October 1992. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5, Library (PL-12J) 77 West Jackson Boulevard, 12th Floor Chicago, IL 60604-3590 Air bubbles carrying contaminants removed, decreasing ground water contamination ------- Superfund At Work American Thermostat, South Cairo, NY Fall 1992 A Site Snapshot The American Thermostat Corporation (ATC) hazardous waste site is located in South Cairo, New York. The site borders a popular tourist and light residential area. Private homes are located near the site's eastern and western boundaries, and approximately 5,000 people live within a three-mile radius of the site. Operations in the former as- sembly plant took place in one large building; machine oils, lubricants, and solvents were utilized in the assembly process. Pollution from plant operations has been found in the soil, ground water, and another plant building. -JS6C Waste chemical sludges con- taining volatile organic com- pounds (VOCs) were disposed of directly into abandoned septic systems and dumped on-site. Asa result, ground water and drinking water in the vicinity were contaminated. Catskill Creek, which is classi- fied as a trout stream and located less than one-quarter of a mile east of the site, was sampled in early 1980 but showed no evidence of contamination. Eating, drinking or coming into direct contact with ground water or soil contaminated with VOCs could adversely affect the liver, kidneys, or central nervous system, and increases the risk of cancer. The America] Corporate Ne Improper Dumping Practices Led to Extensive Contaminat Between 1954 and 1985, AT produced thermostats for sma appliances at the South Cairo site. In March 1981, two ATC employees were observed dui ing sludge and solvents onto t plant parking lot. This triggered immediate investigations into the company's waste handling practices by the New York Sta Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and American Thermostat Site Timeline • Site listed on National Priorities List • NYSDEC orders polluter to clean up site • Polluter installs new septic system and carbon filtration for discharges • ATC installs carbon filters on affected wells 4 • ATC discovered dumping wastes by NYSDEC • ATC provides bottled water to affected residents 1 Superfund legislation passed Improper disposal of hazardous wastes at tnermostat manufacturing facility 1954 1980 1981 1982 1983 Page 2 ------- Superfund At Work American Thermostat, South Cairo, NY Fall 1992 liermostat Story: igence Leads to Soil and Drinking Water Contamination MJOr New York State Attorney General's Office. Findings revealed a high level of VOC contamination over approxi- mately 16 million gallons of ground water on and near the site. Subsequently, water samples collected in ,, „", five privately-owned i r «Cs,,, wells in the ATC vicin- , ; r *. ity revealed high levels "",,. 4,. ofVOCs. —w***^** The primary threat to area residents was in the water supply. Therefore, the local health department immediately advised affected residents not to drink or cook with their well water. As a result, ATC began supplying bottled water to local residents in April 1981. By late 1982, ATC had installed carbon filters on its own well and the af- fected residential wells. The polluters, ^^^^^^^ ATCandAMRO Realty Corporation, agreed under state orders to clean up the site and its surroundings, supply bottled water for cooking and drink- ,1", I ai ion ing purposes, and install, monitoi and maintain carbon filter system for the five affected homes. In Jut 1983, ATC installed a new on-site 4,500 gallon septic system and, in September 1983, the company provided carbon filtration for sep system discharges to lower VOC levels. However, when ATC ceas operations and filed involuntary bankruptcy in May 1985, they als< stopped providing bottled water and maintaining the carbon filter systems in the affected homes. Polluter files bankruptcy, ceases cleanup efforts EPA samples area wells, installs new and maintains existing carbon filtration units Soil cleanup design completed Plan issued to address all contamination Alternate water supply design completed Ground water design begins Site cleanup complete (planned) Actions begin to connect alternate water supply Soil and sediment treatment begins On-going ground water monitoring 1985 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 Page 3 ------- Superfund At Work American Thermostat, South Cairo, NY Fall 1992 EPA Protects Citizens and the Environment at American Thermostat Site The site was listed on the National Priorities List (NPL) in September 1983. The NPL is EPA's list of the nation's worst abandoned hazardous waste sites eligible for cleanup under the Superfund program. At the request of New York state, EPA took charge of the situation in June 1985 and to began sampling private wells on an ongoing basis. To reduce contamination levels in tiie water, EPA installed two new carbon filtration units on private wells, and began main- tenance on previously installed units. Operation of the carbon units has reduced the potential for exposure to high concentra- tions of contaminants in resi- dent wells. EPA also installed an air stripping system on two highly contaminated wells. (See diagram on page 1.) The innovative air stripping units were developed by an EPA specialist, and have been extremely success- ful in reducing the level of contami- nants in the ground water. While cleaning the ground water, the air stripping system creates a barrier to prevent further migration of con- taminants, and EPA continuously monitors these systems. Despite these effective, short- term measures, it was evident that local residents required a perma- nent alternative drinking water source. Recognizing this, EPA formalized their plan in 1988 to permanently provide drinking water after receiving comments from local residents. The plan called for an extension of the Village of Catskill's water district to approximately 43 af- fected properties. The Village owned the water supply and initially refused to supply the water, claiming the extra 43 resi- dences would strain the water capacity. The Search for Alternate Water Locating a permanent drinking water source for South Cairo was difficult. Nearby Catskill was selected, and following negotiations, an agreement was reached. The water system construction is underway; completion is set for December 1992. In October 1991, following three years of complex negotia- tions with the Village of Catskill, interested local citizen groups and the New York state government, EPA and the Village finally signed an agreement for the extension of water lines. Design of the alternate water supply plan was completed in September 1991, and construction is scheduled for completion in December 1992. Page 4 ------- Superfund At Work American Thermostat, South Cairo, NY Fall 1992 EPA Solicits Community Support In light of the initial skepti- cism residents expressed over the feasibility of connecting to the new water supply, EPA undertook a public outreach effort through letters, tele- phone calls, and public meetings to reflect public concerns and suggestions in the water extension plan. As a result, over 90% of the residents affected by the ground water contamination now support EPA's plan and have signed letters requesting that their homes be connected to the new water supply. The extension of the water lines will provide a perma- nent and reliable source of water to residents, and pre- vent exposure to contami- nated ground water. EPA Makes Commitment to Long-Term Cleanup In June 1990, a separate plan 1991; initial work began at that was formally released to the public that involved the cleanup of all remaining contamination at the site. Specifically, the plan called for cleanup of the affected soil, ground water and pollution inside the assembly plant build- ing. The most contaminated solid and waste materials were exca- vated and treated by heating them at low temperatures (400° C) until the wastes evaporated into gases. A vapor extraction system then collected the gases. The on-site building is sched- uled for decontamination via vacuuming and dusting of con- taminated surfaces. Eighteen waste-oil drums stored in the building and contaminated with hazardous waste materials will receive off-site treatment and be disposed at an EPA-approved facility, along with sludge wastes from drain pits inside the build- ing. The building cleanup plans were completed in September Soil Decontamination At American Thermostat Excavated soil moved to treatment facility Vapor extraction system collects n contaminants from gases Contaminated soil heated to 400°C until volatile contaminants evaporate Decontaminated soil returned to excavated area As knowledge about hazardous wastes has grown, the EPA has developed several methods for soil decontamination. Based on the type of contamination at the American Thermostat site, the soil was treated with a low-temperature heat to evaporate the volatile organic compounds. time. Treatment of the ground water, however, will require a compre- hensive management and mainte- nance program to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment system. The ground water will be treated using filtration, air strip- ping, and carbon absorption. Afterwards, the treated water will be re-injected on-site. Ground water cleanup will begin in the summer of 1993. The scheduled ground water treat- ment period is estimated to last approximately 30 years. Ground water cleanup is estimated at $26 million, including an annual operations and maintenance cost of $1.3 million for 30 years. Contaminated sediments from a residential pond adjacent to the site are scheduled to be excavated and treated concurrently with the soil. The treated soil and sedi- ments will then be returned to the excavated areas, and the surface will be covered with clean soil. Any remaining contaminated soil or sediments that pose health risks will be disposed off-site at an EPA-approved facility. Source control cleanup designs have been completed and imple- mentation will begin by the end of 1992. Only treated soils and sediments with contaminants continued on back page Page 5 ------- Superfund At Work American Thermostat, South Cairo, NY Fall 1992 Commitment to Long-Term Cleanup continued from page 5 well below established safety levels will be re-deposited. After the soil and sediments are treated, extensive long-term management and monitoring will not be required. The total soil cleanup cost is $3 million, with operations and mainte- nance costs of $100,000 per year. If you wish to be added to our mailing list or to comment on this bulletin's content, length or format, please call (703) 603-8984 or send a letter to Superfund At Work (5502G), 401 M Street SW, Washington, DC 20460. Success at American Thermostat By promptly addressing the immediate threats to the public from contaminated drinking water, the Super- fund program gained the confidence of citizens ad- versely affected by contami- nation at the hazardous waste site. EPA was quick to re- spond to environmental concerns, and conducted comprehensive cleanup actions to mitigate imminent and potential threats. Public participation in selecting cleanup remedies was encouraged, and over 90% of the community is satisfied with the new water supply plan. EPA's efforts have been successful in decreasing the risk of soil and ground water contamination from volatile organic compounds. Although cleanup activities will continue until 1994, the potential for exposure to site contaminants for area residents has been largely eliminated. For additional copies of this or other Superfund At Work updates, contact the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161, telephone (703) 487-4650. 5-EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency 5502G Washington, D.C. 20460 Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 First Class Mail Postage and Fees Paid EPA Permit No. G-35 $» Printed on recycled paper ------- |