HOOKER CHEMICAL/ CONGRESSIONAL DIST. 03 RUCO POLYMER NEW YORK EPA ID# NYD002920312 Nassau County Hicksville Other Names: Ruco Polymer Corp. Site Description The Hooker Chemical/Ruco Polymer site, located in an industrial park area of Hicksville on Long Island, has been used to manufacture plastics, latex, and esters since 1945. Liquid process wastes were discharged into sand sumps from 1951 to 1975. The sand sumps for Plant 2, which manufactured polyvinyl chloride (PVCs) and latex, received approximately 2 million gallons of process wastewater per year from 1956 to 1975. In addition, unknown amounts of styrene and butadiene were discharged from the latex processing. Reportedly, the dry well for Plant 1, used for the manufacture of esters, received wastewater containing mixed glycols and alcohols. Currently, only cooling water is disposed of on site, while other wastes are sent off site for disposal. Some glycol wastes are incinerated on site. Numerous leaks and spills of chemicals, including poly chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), have occurred, and solidified latex materials are buried on site. Waste disposal and chemical spillage also have occurred at the adjacent Grumman Aerospace Corporation Plant that is being addressed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the U.S. Navy. The 14-acre Ruco Polymer plant site is fenced, and contaminated areas are accessible to only a few of the 90 employees at the facility. Approximately 20,000 people live within a mile of the site. There are four public water supply wells within a mile of the site and 24 wells within 3 miles. Site Responsibility: This site is being addressed through Federal, State and potentially responsible parties' actions. NPL LISTING HISTORY Proposed Date: 10/01/84 Final Date: 06/01/86 HOOKER CHEMICAL/RUCO POLYMER 1 March 2002 ------- Threats and Contaminants m. Groundwater underlying the site is contaminated with organic compounds such as vinyl chloride, trichloroethylene (TCE) perchloroethylene (PCE) and tentatively identified compounds (TICs). Several industrial wells located downgradient from the site are contaminated with vinyl chloride. On-site soils contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). The greatest potential health risk is to people who eat, drink, inhale, or come into direct contact with contaminants during domestic use of groundwater. Cleanup Approach EPA has designated three operable units for the Site. Operable Unit 1 (OU-1) addresses contaminated soils at the Hooker/Ruco Facility. Operable Unit 2 (OU-2) addresses polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contaminated surface soils. Operable Unit 3 (OU-3), addresses the downgradient commingled contaminated groundwater plume beyond the Hooker/Ruco Facility and also the contaminated groundwater beneath the Hooker/Ruco Facility. Response Action Status PCB-Contaminated Soils: Based on a potentially responsible party's (PRP's) study i to address the PCB-contaminated soils, in 1990 EPA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) 1 to excavate and remove all PCB-contaminated soils OU-2. This action was conducted by the potentially responsible parties under an Administrative Order issued by EPA and was completed in 1992. Ruco Facility: In 1988, the EPA signed a Consent Order with the PRPs to conduct a ' study to determine the nature and extent of site contamination and to evaluate alternatives for final cleanup. In January 1994, based on the results of this study, EPA issued a Record of Decision for OU-1 for the Ruco facility which includes additional soil sampling, possible excavation of shallow soils in limited areas, soil flushing in one and possibly two sumps, and control of contaminated groundwater beneath the Ruco facility. In June 1994, EPA issued a Unilateral Administrative Order directing the PRPs to perform the Remedial Design and Remedial Action (RD/RA). Actions on this site are being coordinated with the actions taken on the adjoining Northrop/Grumman (Northrop) and Naval Weapons Industrial Weapons Reserve Plant (NWIRP) sites. The groundwater beneath the Hooker/Ruco Site is commingled with the downgradient contaminated groundwater beneath the Northrop and NWIRP sites. Although groundwater contamination was included under the 1994 ROD, due to the commingling of groundwater with groundwater contamination from Northrop and NWIRP, the groundwater contamination for the Hooker Ruco Site is being addressed under OU-3 (downgradient commingled contaminated groundwater plume beyond the Hooker/Ruco Facility and also the contaminated groundwater beneath the Hooker/Ruco Facility). The remedial actions performed for the unsaturated soil component of OU-1 consisted of: the excavation and off-site disposal of 310 tons of PCB contaminated soil; removal and off- site disposal of the concrete tank in Sump 1 and the installation of a soil flushing system on sump one to HOOKER CHEMICAL/RUCO POLYMER 2 March 2002 ------- enhance the migration of the remaining minimal chemical presence from the unsaturated soils to the groundwater. The soil flushing system is expected to be operational by the end of 2002. The groundwater will be addressed in turn by the OU-3 remedy. r*v Downgradient Groundwater: In September 2000 based on the RI/FS, EPA issued an OU-3 ROD for the site that includes the remediation of a distinct plume of groundwater contaminated with vinyl chloride, the primary contaminant at the site, using an innovative treatment system called "biosparging". Biosparging is a form of bioremediation that involves the introduction of air/oxygen into the aquifer to enhance the natural breakdown of the vinyl chloride in the groundwater. This treatment system will operate in addition to the groundwater treatment systems that are already operating under NYSDEC authority to effectively remove a mix of VOCs emanating from the sites. In April 2001, EPA issued an Administrative Order directing the PRPs for the Hooker Chemical/Ruco Polymer Site to perform the Remedial Design and Remedial Action for the September 2000 ROD. In May 2001, the PRPs for the Hooker Ruco Site responded with their intent to comply with the terms of the Administrative Order. The PRPs are currently performing predesign investigative field activities in support of the selected remedy (i.e., biosparging.) Cleanup Progress After listing the Hooker Chemical/Ruco site on the NPL, the EPA determined that no immediate actions were required to reduce threats to the public or the environment. An early action, taken to address the PCB contaminated soil, has eliminated the potential for exposure. 3,230 tons (1,957 yd3) of soils with PCB concentrations from 10-500 ppm were sent to an off-site landfill. 85.2 tons (52 yd3) of soils with PCB concentrations greater than 500 ppm were sent to an off-site incinerator. Site Repository Hicksville Public Library, 169 Jerusalem Avenue, Hicksville, NY 11801 HOOKER CHEMICAL/RUCO POLYMER 3 March 2002 ------- |