United States                Office of Emergency 81
                   Environmental Protection         Remedial Response
                   Agency                    Washington, DC 20460
                                                                      August 1989
                            BACK3WJND DJFORMATTON:
                  NATIONAL PRIORITIES  LIST, SPECIAL PROPOSED UPDATE

     The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  is proposing two sites to
the National Priorities List  (NPL) .  This brings the number of proposed sites
to 337, including 74 in the Federal  facility  section.

     Final sites now total 889,  including 41  in the Federal facility section.
Final and proposed site total  1,226.   New Jersey has the largest number of
final and proposed sites  (109),  followed by California  (98)  and Pennsylvania
(96).

     The proposed sites are subject  to public comment for 30 days following
publication of the proposal in the Federal Register in mid-August.   Based on
these comments and further review  by EPA, the sites will be placed on the final
NPL if they still meet the listing requirements.

The two proposed sites are in  New  York:

o    Forest Glen Mobile Home Subdivision, Niagara Falls
o    Radium Chemical Co.,  Inc.,  New  York City

     The sites are being proposed  on the basis of Section 300. 66 (b) (4)  of the
National Contingency Plan, the Federal regulation by which CERdA is
implemented.  Under this section,  a  site can  be placed on the  NPL if (1)  the
Agency for Toxic Substances and  Disease Registry  (ATSDR)  of the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services has issued a public health  advisory recommending
that people be removed from the  site,  (2) EPA determines that  the site  poses a
significant threat to public health, and  (3)  EPA anticipates that it will be
more cost-effective to use its remedial authority  (available only at NPL
sites) than its emergency  removal  authority to respond to the  site.

     On February 10, 1989, ATSDR issued a health advisory warning that  the
Radium Chemical site poses a significant threat to  public health because of the
possible release of radium-226.

     On July 31, 1989 ATSDR issued a health advisory warning that residents of
the Forest Glen Mobile Home Subdivision may be at risk because of the potential
for exposure through direct contact  to, or ingestion of,  contaminants found in
soil at the site.

     The NPL identifies abandoned  or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites that
warrant further investigation  to determine if long-term  "remedial action" is
necessary.  Sites on the NPL are eligible for such  action under the Compre-
hensive Environmental Response,  Compensation,  and Liability Act (CERCIA) ,
enacted on December 11, 1980,  as amended by the Superfund Amendments and
Reauthorization Act (SARA) , enacted  on October 17,  1986.   SARA authorizes a
"Hazardous Substances Superfund" totaling $8.5 billion over 5  years to  pay
costs for overseeing work  by those responsible for  cleaning up waste sites,
and to pay costs not assumed by  responsible parties.  EPA has  the primary
responsibility for managing cleanup  and enforcement activities under
Superfund.

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ADDENDUM

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National Priorities List
Superfund hazardous waste site listed under the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended in 1986

                       FOREST GLEN  MOBILE HOME SUBDIVISION
                             Niagara Falls,  New York

     The Forest Glen Mobile Home Subdivision is located on Lisa Lane, Carrie
 Drive, T Mark Drive,  and Edgewood Drive in Niagara Falls, Niagara County,  New
 York.  The 21-acre site,  now  comprised of 52 mobile homes and 2 permanent
 residents, is between the Conrail Foote Railroad Yard to the west and
 Interstate 190 to  the east.  An estimated 150 people occupy the site.
 Adjacent to  the railroad yard is  the New Road Landfill.  A residential area
 is to  the  east of  Interstate  190,  and another is to the south of the site.

     Prior  to the 1960s,  the site  was a wooded swampland.  Aerial photographs
 taken  during the mid-1960s reveal that the area was cleared.  During the
 early  1970s,  low-lying areas  of the site were filled with unknown materials.
 Soil sampling in 1980 by the  Niagara County Health Department detected
 phenolic resins, polyvinyl chloride resins,  rubber by-products, and ash.
 Concrete refuse and industrial machinery were scattered throughout the 21
 acres, with  concentrated areas in the Carrie Drive and Lisa Lane cul-de-sac.
 In 1980, the Niagara  County Health Department excavated 10 to 12 cubic yards
 of soil contaminated  with phenolic resins from a resident's yard and
 transported  it to  a landfill  regulated under Subtitle C of the Resource
 Conservation and Recovery Act.

     Prior  to 1973,  portions of the site were owned by Michigan-Mayne Realty
 Co. and three individuals; the northern undeveloped portion was owned by the
 Power  Authority of the State  of New York.   The site was then purchased by
 Niagara Falls USA  Campsite Corp.,  which divided the property and sold trailer
 home lots  to approximately 50 families between 1979 and the present.

     In August 1987, EPA inspected the site and collected soil samples.
 Analysis of  these  and subsequent  soil samples indicate that high
 concentrations of  aniline, phenothiazine,  benzothiazole, 2-mercapto-
 benzothiazole, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons were present.  The majority of
 the compounds identified are  used in manufacturing rubber additives.

     In May 1989, EPA used CERCLA emergency funds to remove the crushed
 remnants of  108 rusted barrels from a vacant area north and east of the
 subdivision.   The  materials have been secured and sampled while disposal is
 being  arranged.

     On August 3, 1989, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
  (ATSDR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued an
 advisory warning that the site poses a significant threat to public health
 because of possible contact with contaminated soils and wastes.  Under
 Section 300.66(b)(4)  of the National Contingency Plan, the Federal
 regulation by which CERCLA is implemented, a site can be placed on the NPL  if
  (1) a  public health advisory  has been issued recommending that people be
 removed from the site, (2) EPA determines that the site poses a significant
 threat to  public health, and  (3)  EPA anticipates that it will be more cost-
 effective  to use  its remedial authority(available only at NPL sites) than its
 emergency  removal  authority to respond to the site.
 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/Remedial Response Program

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 National Priorities List
 Superfund hazardous waste site listed under the
 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended in 1986

                          RADIUM CHEMICAL 00., INC.
                           New  York  City, New York

   The Radium Chemical Co., Inc.  (RCC) Site consists of a one-story brick
building at 60-06  27th Avenue in a densely populated residential  and
commercial area in Woodside, Queens  Borough,  New York  City, New York.
Established in Manhattan in 1913,  RCC transferred  operations  to Woodside in
the late 1950s.  An unrelated firm occupies part of  the building, sharing a
common wall with RCC.

   Initially, RCC  produced luminous  paint for watch  dials and instruments.
Later it manufactured radium-containing needles  and  other sealed medical
devices  (largely for cancer therapy) for  lease or  sale to hospitals, medical
centers, and research laboratories.  Over the past 20  years,  safer  techniques
involving cobalt and cesium have been developed, significantly reducing the
use of radium devices.   When RCC abandoned the site  in 1987,  a large number
of sealed containers remained at the site, some  of which  appeared to be
leaking radium and radon gas.   The amount of  radium-226 present was estimated
to be 110 curies.  Also  on the  site  were  hundreds  of containers of  laboratory
chemicals, many reactive, corrosive, flammable,  and  potentially shock
sensitive.

   In 1983, the New York State  Department of  Labor suspended  RCC's  operating
license because of various disposal  and safety infractions, and in  1986, the
company was denied permission to resume operations.  In 1987,  the State
ordered RCC to remove the radium and decontaminate the building.  The  owner
said he could not  afford the cleanup and  abandoned the operation.

   Elevated levels of radiation have been measured inside certain areas of
the building.  On  February 10,  1989  the Agency for Toxic  Substances and
Disease Registry of the  U.S. Department of Health  and  Human Services issued
an advisory warning that the RCC site poses a significant threat  to public
health because of  the possible  release of radium-226.  Under Section
300.66(b)(4) of the National Contingency  Plan, the Federal regulation  by
which CERCIA is implemented, a  site  can be placed  on the  NPL  if (1)  a  public
health advisory has been issued recommending  that  people  be removed from the
site, (2) EPA determines that the  site poses  a significant threat to public
health, and (3) EPA anticipates that it will  be  more cost effective to use
its remedial authority (available  only at NPL sites) than its emergency
removal authority  to respond to the  site.

   The advisory discusses two concerns.   One  is  that an intruder  might enter
the RCC site from  the adjacent  firm  (as has happened in the past) and  remove
radioactive materials.   The second concern is a  serious accident.   The U.S.
Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore Laboratory modelled scenarios
involving a gasoline tanker accident on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, a
major regional artery that is 15 feet east of the  RCC  site.   An estimated
27,000 people live within 1 mile of  the site  and could be exposed to
radiation released in an accident.

   In July 1988, at the  request of the State,  EPA  undertook a limited  removal
action using CERCIA emergency funds.  EPA provided 24-hour security and took
measures to stabilize the site.  In  April 1989,  EPA  started to transport the
radioactive and hazardous materials  to approved  disposal  facilities.

 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/Remedial Response  Program

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