REDUCTION OF
TOXICS LOADINGS TO
THE NIAGARA RIVER FROM
HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES
IN THE UNITED STATES:
OCTOBER 1999
A Report by the United States Environmental Protection Agency
and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
October 1999
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary
Introduction 1
Summary of Remediation Progress 7
Overview of Remediation Status 7
Highlights of Recent Actions 7
Estimated Remediation Costs 14
Acronyms 16
Glossary 17
References 22
Appendix: Priority Niagara River Hazardous Waste Sites
Occidental Chemical — Buffalo A venue A-1
Niagara County Refuse Disposal A-6
DuPontNeccoPark A-9
CECOSInternational A-13
Occidental Chemical—Hyde Park A-17
102ndStreet A-23
Bell Aerospace Textron A-26
Occidental Chemical — Durez Division, Niagara Falls (formerly BTL Specialty) A-29
Occidental Chemical, S-Area A-32
Stauffer Chemical A-3 7
Solvent Chemical A-3 9
Vanadium Corporation of America (formerly SKW Alloys) A-41
Olin Corporation A-43
DuPont—Buffalo Avenue A-47
Buffalo Color Corporation A-49
Buffalo Color —AreaD A-52
Bethlehem Steel Corporation A-54
River Road (INS Equipment) A-57
Niagara Mohawk— Cherry Farm A-59
Frontier Chemical, Pendleton A-61
Frontier Chemical, Royal Avenue A-63
Occidental Chemical — Durez Division, North Tonawanda A-66
Gratwick River side Park A-69
Mobil Oil A-71
Iroquois Gas-WestwoodPharmaceutical A-74
Booth Oil A-77
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Since 1987, the Niagara River has been the focus of attention for four environmental agencies in the
United States and Canada ("The Four Parties"). In a Declaration of Intent, the Four Parties
committed to reducing toxic chemical inputs to the Niagara River. Hazardous waste sites were
considered the most significant non-point source of toxics to the river. Therefore, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation (DEC) identified 26 U.S. sites responsible for over 99% of the estimated input from
all such sites on the U.S. side of the basin, and put them on ambitious remediation schedules.
Remediation of the sites is intended to virtually eliminate the migration of toxic pollutants from the
sites.
All remedial construction has been completed at
13 of the sites. The remedial technology will be
operated and monitored for effectiveness for
years to come at those sites. Remedial actions
are underway at 10 sites. Four of these are
interim remedies, including 3 sites under interim
remediation while final remedies are being
designed or investigated, and one site where an
interim remedial action was completed and an
effort to identify potentially responsible parties is
underway. At 7 of the 10 sites where remedial
actions are underway, significant remedial
controls are already operating. For many of these
sites, the load reductions are substantial. The
remaining sites are under design or study.
Based on various simplifying assumptions, EPA
estimates that remediations to date have reduced
the potential inputs into the river by
approximately 80% This estimate is based
primarily on the sites where the final remedial
action is completed. It does not include the load
reductions at all the sites where remedial controls
are operating, though the reductions may be
substantial. Therefore, the actual reductions to
date probably exceed 80%. EPA also estimates
that remedial activities to be completed through 2000 will reduce the potential inputs into the river
by over 90% from the 1989 inputs. Current schedules call for all sites to be remediated by 2003.
Recent accomplishments in remediation of the priority waste sites include those summarized below.
Ri-:mi :i)iation or U.S. Ha/akix )i js Wasti¦: Siti :s
13 SITKS ARK COMPKKTKI):
( L( OS (\uiLiara kills)
licll Aerospace fcMron (Niagara kills)
Occidental Chan Dure/. (Niagara kills)
Sl;uifla' ( hailical (I ,c\\ islon)
DuPonl liuffalo A\c (\iayLira kills)
I'miilicr ( hcmical (IVndlclon)
Occidental Chan Dure/. (North Tonawanda)
()lin Corporal ion (Niagara kills)
liuffalo Color Aral I) (liuffalo)
OcaiJailal Chan liuffalo A\e (Niagara kills)
l"2ikl Suva (Niagara kills)
Ri\ cr Road ( I onawanda)
Niagara \loluiwk ClicriA farm (Tonawanda)
10 SITKS Will RI RKMKDIATION IS UNDKRWAY:
DuPonl \ecco Park (Niagara kills)
Occidental ( hem I lulc Park (Niagara kills)
Moliil Oil (liulValo)
Occklcnlal ( hem S-Arca (Niagara kills)
I'liinlicr ( hcmical Ro\al A\c (Niagara kills)
lrik|iinis (ias-W'cslwnm.1 Pharmac (Buffalo)
Niagara Cnunl\ Refuse Disposal (Whealllckl)
Vanadium ( oiporalion (Niagara)
SoKenl ( hemical (Niagara falls)
(iralwick Rixerside Park (\orlh fonawanda)
In the past year, remedial construction was completed at four sites:
l
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Occidental Chemical Corporation Buffalo Avenue - The groundwater stabilization programs
were completed in December 1998. Occidental enhanced its treatment plant for contaminated
bedrock groundwater, and then increased the groundwater extraction rates. The overburden
groundwater collection system was augmented by installation of a tile drain collection system. In
September 1999, New York State issued a draft permit that proposes to incorporate these and other
corrective measures currently in place as part of the Final Corrective Measures for the site.
102nd Street - Construction of remedial systems was completed in March 1999. A force main was
constructed to pump leachate to the Love Canal Treatment Plant. Optimization of the leachate
pump-and-treat system was also completed.
River Road and Niagara Mohawk Cherry Farm - Sediment removal and final capping of the
sediment disposal area was completed in July 1999. Recent diver inspection of the dredged areas
shows good revegetation and recolonization by fish. The remedial action also included fish and
wildlife habitat enhancements.
The Occidental Chemical Buffalo Avenue site and the 102 Street site were among the most significant
of the 26 priority sites in terms of the estimated toxic chemical input to the Niagara River.
Highlights of recent remedial work at other priority waste sites include:
Gratwick Riverside Park - Remedial construction began in June 1999. The action involves a cap
over the site, a slurry wall barrier between site and river, collection of contaminated groundwater, and
shoreline stabilization with enhancements for improved habitat value.
Niagara County Refuse Disposal - Installation of the leachate collection system and its tie-in to the
municipal sanitary sewer system has been completed and the system is operational. Construction of
the landfill cap is underway. The Remedial Action should be completed by September 2000.
Occidental Chemical Corp. S-Area - The overburden drain collection system for the old Niagara
Falls Drinking Water Treatment Plant property was completed, and the cap is now being installed.
Part of the drain collection system for the landfill portion of the S-area site where the drain pipe
collapsed is being replaced. The Remedial Action is expected to be completed in 2000.
Occidental Chemical Corp. Hyde Park - Three additional extraction wells were connected by force
mains to the on-site treatment facility, and more extraction wells are being installed, to ensure
effective hydraulic containment.
Iroquois Gas-Westwood Pharmaceutical - Remediation of Scajaquada Creek sediments was
completed in March 1999. One system to extract NAPL from beneath the creek bed is complete and
operational, and completion of the second and final NAPL extraction system is scheduled for
December 1999.
11
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Vanadium - An interim remedial action to cover portions of the site and control storm water runoff
was completed by one of the potentially responsible parties, and another PRP is proposing an interim
remedial action to cap their portion of the site.
Estimates of the cost of remediation are available for most of the 26 priority hazardous waste sites.
Based on these estimates, the costs incurred to date are at least $ 336,900,000. Additional costs
expected in the future are estimated at $ 289,300,000.
in
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INTRODUCTION
Since 1987, the Niagara River has been the
focus of attention for four environmental
agencies in the U.S. and Canada, called
"The Four Parties". The Four Parties
signed a Niagara River Declaration of
Intent, pledging cooperation to achieve
significant reductions of toxic chemical
pollutants in the Niagara River. The
Declaration of Intent and a work plan form the Niagara River Toxics Management Plan (NRTMP).
Under the NRTMP, the Four Parties identified 18 persistent toxic chemicals as "priority toxics". Actions to
reduce the inputs of these priority toxics to the Niagara River have been aimed at point sources and non-point
sources. Significant point sources on both sides of the
River have been identified and are being addressed in
U.S. and Canadian point source plans. The Four Parties
summarize progress in controlling point sources in an
annual report, last issued in May 1999 (Niagara River
Secretariat, 1999).
Non-point sources of toxic chemicals to the River (e.g.,
leachate from hazardous waste sites, storm water runoff,
atmospheric deposition) are more difficult to quantify
and control. Given the limited information available
about non-point sources, the U.S. has proceeded with its
actions based on the assumption that hazardous waste
sites are the most significant non-point sources of toxic
In 1988, an EPA study estimated potential toxic pollutant loadings to the River from U.S. hazardous waste
sites (Gradient Corp/Geotrans Inc 1988). All known U.S. waste sites in the Niagara River area were
considered. To help EPA/DEC focus actions on the sites that have the most significant potential for polluting
the River, the report produced a list of 70 most-significant U.S. sites. The agencies treated the 70 sites as 33
site clusters, largely based on the manner in which data have historically been collected. Figure 1 shows the
locations of these 33 clusters, and several additional hazardous waste sites.
The study showed that an estimated 694 lbs (315 kg)/day of toxic chemicals have the potential of migrating
from the sites to the Niagara River. Because collection of site-specific transport data is ongoing, estimates
were made based on certain assumptions ~ for instance, that groundwater flow is horizontal, and that pollutants
behave in a conservative manner. These assumptions yielded conservative estimates (i.e., estimates of toxic
loadings that are expected to be higher than the actual loadings).
The Four Parties
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Environment Canada (EC)
NY State Dept of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Ontario Ministry of Environment (MOE)
NRTMP Priority Toxic Chemicals
Benz(a)anthracene Mirex
Benzo(a)pyrene Octachlorostyrene
Benzo(b)fluoranthene PCBs
Benzo(k)fluoranthene DDTs
Chlordane Dioxins
Chrysene Tetrachloroethylene
Dieldrin Arsenic
Hexachlorobenzene Lead
Mercury Toxaphene
chemicals to the River.
Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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Niagara River
Grand
Island
Lake Ontario
APPF QYI MATE SCALE
n 3 4 Q MILES-
NOTE: First number only I5 given for site anea
w Ih mull pilw &ilft r urntidrfi.
Frontier Chernical-
Royal Ave
o
38 c-'
31
i 63 • Booth Oil
Lake Erie
Site
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Figure 1: LEGEND - LOCATION OF SIGNIFICANT NIAGARA RIVER HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES
USGS SITE NUMBERS
SITE NAME
41 b-49
Occidental Chemical (OCC) - Buffalo Avenue
81
Niagara County Refuse Disposal
14
DuPont Necco Park
78a,b
CECOS international/Niagara Recycling
39
Occidental Chemical (OCC) - Hyde Park
40,56,85,94*
102nd Street
5
Bell Aerospace Textron
66
OCC - Durez, Niagara Falls (formerly BTL)
41a
Occidental Chemical (OCC), S-Area
255
Stauffer Plant (PASNY)
251
Solvent Chemical
1
Vanadium Corp. (formerly SKW Alloys)
58,59,248
Olin - Buffalo Avenue
15-19,250
DuPont - Buffalo Avenue Plant
254
Buffalo Harbor Containment
120-122
Buffalo Color, including Area D
118
Bethlehem Steel
136
River Road (INS Equipment)
67
Frontier Chemical - Pendleton
24-37
OCC - Durez, North Tonawanda
253
Small Boat Harbor Containment
68
Gratwick Riverside Park
141
Mobil Oil
162
Alltift Realty
242
Charles Gibson
22
Great Lakes Carbon
182
Niagara Mohawk Cherry Farm
241
Times Beach Containment
108
Tonawanda Coke
107
Allied Chemical
207
Tonawanda Landfill
125-127
Dunlop Tire and Rubber
123
Columbus-McKinnon
38
Love Canal
9-15-141
Iroquois Gas/Westwood Pharmaceutical
Occidental 102nd Street site (#40), Olin 102nd Street site (#56), Griffon Park (#85), and
Niagara River Belden site (#94)
3 Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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EPA and DEC issued a report in November 1989 prioritizing the 33 site clusters in order of their potential for
polluting the River (EPA/DEC 1989). Table 1 presents the 33 site clusters divided into three categories, based
on Gradient/Geotrans estimates of their potential toxic loads to the Niagara River:
Category I: Sites with greater than 50 lb/day loads
Category II: Sites with 1 to 50 lb/day loads
Category III: Sites with less than 1 lb/day loads
Sites from Category I and II collectively represented 99.9% of the total estimated loadings.
In keeping with the strategy to reduce inputs from the sites with the potential for contributing the largest
amounts of pollutants to the River, the EPA/DEC report presented ambitious remediation schedules for the
Category I and II sites. The report's best estimates indicated that the potential inputs of all toxic chemicals
from these sites to the River would be reduced by 99% by 1996, if remediation schedules were met. However,
the 1989 schedules were estimates based on limited knowledge of site conditions and average negotiation
periods with Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs). Delays in the schedules have occurred, because of lengthy
legal proceedings with PRPs or complex site conditions that were unanticipated. Thus, many of the sites have
exceeded their original 1996 targeted completion date. In each progress update, EPA and DEC explain the
circumstances surrounding the slippages in the site-specific reports in the Appendix.
Since 1989, EPA and DEC have also reevaluated the hazardous waste sites to identify those that new
information shows are significant sources of toxic chemicals to Niagara River. Two sites have been removed
as insignificant sources of toxics, and four sites have been added as significant sources. This October 1999
update reports on remediation progress at the resulting 26 significant hazardous waste sites.
EPA estimates that a reduction of approximately 80% in potential toxic chemical inputs from all sites to the
River has been achieved by the site remediations to date. The estimate is based on the percentage of remedial
actions in place at some of the 23 sites with completed or on-going remedial actions (Table 2). A 100%
reduction was assumed for the 13 sites with all remedial actions in place, and a percentage reduction was
estimated for two other sites with partial implementation of remedial actions. Since estimates could not be
made for most of the sites with on-going remediation, actual reductions to date are probably greater than the
estimated 80%. Remedial systems are functioning at 7 of the 10 sites where remediation is underway, and these
systems are expected to have already substantially reduced the off-site loadings. For example, groundwater
pump-and-treat systems are operational at several sites, thus substantially reducing potential loadings to the
river. Table 2 identifies the sites where remediation is not yet completed, but which have operational remedial
systems that are expected to have reduced contaminant loads to the river.
Completion of final remedial actions are expected at the Niagara County Refuse Disposal Site and Occidental
Chemical Corporation S-Area site in 2000. Based on the expected implementation of the final remedial actions
at these and other sites through 2000, EPA's best estimates are that, by 2001, the estimated toxic chemical
inputs from all sites will be reduced by over 90% from the 1989 inputs. Current schedules call for all sites to
be remediated by 2003.
Efforts by EPA and DEC to improve estimates of the chemical loadings to the Niagara River from the 26 waste
sites are nearing completion. The focus of the efforts is to develop loading estimates for the 18 NRTMP
priority toxic chemicals. The estimates will incorporate information that was not available at the time the
Gradient/Geotrans estimates were developed, for example, information on chemical concentrations in
4
Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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groundwater and groundwater flow. At EPA's request, several site PRPs agreed to use existing information
collected under EPA and DEC approved programs to develop loading estimates for ten of the sites. EPA and
DEC completed a review of a 1998 report by the PRPs. DEC has completed data collection addressing the
remaining sixteen sites, and will report results shortly. The effort will be completed in 1999. EPA and DEC
expect that the results will corroborate the significant progress in reduction of toxic chemical loadings.
In addition to remediation efforts at the waste sites themselves, it is also important to recognize the role of the
Niagara Falls Waste Water Treatment Plant in reducing toxic inputs from a number of waste sites to the River.
Based on information available in 1987, the U. S. identified the Falls Street Tunnel as the largest source of toxic
pollutants from any of its point sources. The Tunnel was once a major unlined industrial sewer cut into the
bedrock under the City of Niagara Falls. By the mid-1980s, it only received overflows of wastewater from the
sewers of a Niagara Falls industrial area and contaminated groundwater from major waste sites infiltrating
through cracks in the bedrock. Unlike flows from other point sources, flows from the Falls Street Tunnel
entered the Niagara River untreated. In 1993, EPA and DEC required the City of Niagara Falls to treat the
contaminated water flowing in the Falls Street Tunnel during dry weather at the Niagara Falls treatment plant.
The data gathered by the U. S. show that this action has reduced, through wastewater treatment, the input from
the Falls Street Tunnel into the River of mercury by 70%, tetrachloroethylene by 85% and four other priority
toxic chemicals by almost 100%, relative to the 1980s inputs.
Since the Falls Street Tunnel captures portions of the upper Lockport bedrock groundwater flow from seven
hazardous waste sites, the actions taken to control discharge from the Tunnel reduce the inputs from the
following sites to the River:
DuPont - Buffalo Avenue Solvent Chemical
Occidental Chemical - Buffalo Avenue CECOS International
Frontier Chemical - Royal Avenue DuPont Necco Park
Occidental Chemical - Durez, Niagara Falls
For this report, reductions in toxic chemical inputs to the River due to the treatment of Falls Street Tunnel flow
are not included in the estimate of the reduction in toxic inputs.
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Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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TABLE 1: Gradient/Geotrans Prioritization of Waste Sites According to
Potential Toxic Loadings to Niagara River in 1988
Category I: greater than 50 Ib/dav
Occidental Chemical - Buffalo Avenue
Niagara County Refuse Disposal
DuPont Necco Park
CECOS International
Occidental Chemical - Hyde Park
Category II: between 1 - 50 Ib/dav
Occidental Chemical - 102nd Street
Bell Aerospace Textron
Occidental Chemical - Durez, Niagara Falls {formerly known as BTL Specialty Resins)
Occidental Chemical - S-Area
Stauffer Plant (PASNY)
Solvent Chemical
Vanadium Corporation (formerly SKWAlloys)
Olin - Buffalo Avenue Plant
DuPont - Buffalo Avenue Plant
Buffalo Harbor Containment
Buffalo Color, including Area D
Bethlehem Steel
River Road (INS Equipment)
Frontier Chemical - Pendleton
Occidental Chemical - Durez, North Tonawanda
Small Boat Harbor Containment
Gratwick Riverside Park
Mobil Oil
Category III: less than 1 Ib/dav
Alltift Realty
Charles Gibson
Great Lakes Carbon
Huntley Power Station
Times Beach Containment
Tonawanda Coke
Allied Chemical
Tonawanda Landfill
Dunlop Tire and Rubber
Columbus-McKinnon
Love Canal
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Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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SUMMARY OF REMEDIATION PROGRESS
Overview of Remediation Status
Table 2 and Figure 2 give overviews of remediation status at the 26 waste sites. In summary:
All remediation is in place at 13 of the sites. Thus, 4 sites have been completed since the
last EPA/DEC progress report in November 1998. The remedial technology installed at
the 13 sites will be operated and monitored for effectiveness for years to come.
Remedial actions are underway at 10 sites.
4 of these are interim remedies, including 3 sites under interim remediation while
final remedies are being investigated or designed, and one site where an interim
remedial action was completed and PRP search efforts are underway.
Construction of the final remedy is underway at 6 sites.
Remedial actions are under design or investigation at 6 sites (including 3 of the sites under
interim remediation).
Remedial systems are functioning at 7 of the 10 sites where remediation is underway, and these
systems are expected to have already substantially reduced the off-site loadings.
Highlights of Recent Actions
For each site, a detailed description of progress is presented in the Appendix. The highlights of
progress made, with emphasis on accomplishments since the last progress report in November
1998, are summarized below.
Occidental Chemical -- Buffalo Ave
! Final completion of the groundwater stabilization programs in December 1998 effectively
eliminates future off-site contaminant loadings.
! A recently constructed plant to treat contaminated groundwater has been enhanced by
increasing plant capacity and adding additional treatment measures. The extraction rates
of the bedrock groundwater recovery system have been increased to 1000 gallons per
minute.
! Conversion of abandoned sewer line to an overburden groundwater collection system, and
a groundwater collection trench to expand the capture zone, was completed and began
operation December 1997. In 1998, the system was augmented by installation of a tile
drain system to further enhance groundwater capture.
! New York State has issued a draft permit that includes comprehensive, site-wide, final
Corrective Measures for the facility, and for the off-site area affected by the site. The draft
permit proposes to incorporate the Interim Corrective Measures currently in place as part
of the Final Corrective Measures for the site.
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Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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Figure 2
Status of Site Remediations
Construction of Final Remedy (6)
Interim Remedy (4) ||
Remedial Design (3)
Site Investigation (3)
Final Remedy In Place (13)
PRP Search (1)
(Number of sites in parentheses)
The four sites under Interim Remedy are also under investigation, design,
or PRP Search, and thus are counted twice
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TABLE 2: STATUS OF SITE REMEDIATIONS
Investigation and Design:
PRP Search
Frontier Chemical, Royal Avenue1
Site Investigation Underway
MOBIL OIL
Bethlehem Steel
VANADIUM CORPORATION2
Remedial Design Underway
DUPONT NECCO PARK
Booth Oil
Buffalo Color
Remediation:
Remediation Underway:
Interim Remedy In Place or Under Construction:
MOBIL OIL
Frontier Chemical, Royal Avenue1
DUPONT NECCO PARK
VANADIUM CORPORATION2
Construction of Final Remedy Underway
OCC, S-AREA
OCC, HYDE PARK
IROQUOIS GAS-WESTWOOD PHARMAC.
NIAGARA COUNTY REFUSE DISPOSAL
Solvent Chemical
Gratwick Riverside Park
Remediation Completed (O&M Underway)
Stauffer Chemical
Frontier Chemical, Pendleton
Bell Aerospace Textron
CECOS International
OCC - Durez, Niagara Falls
OCC - Durez, North Tonawanda
DuPont Buffalo Avenue
Olin Plant Site
Buffalo Color - Area D
OCC, Buffalo Avenue
102 Street (Olin/OCC)
River Road
Niagara Mohawk - Cherry Farm
The sites in interim remediation are also under investigation or design, and therefore are listed twice.
Sites in bold have achieved progress since the November 1998 report.
These sites, though not completed, have operational remedial systems that are
expected to have reduced contaminant loadings to the Niagara River.
1 A major Super fund Response Action, including tank and drum removal, was completed in 1995. A PRP search
is underway to be followed by negotiation of an RI/FS order.
2 Preliminary investigations were completed. Interim Remedial Action was completed by one PRP; IRM proposal
under negotiation with another PRP.
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Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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Niagara County Refuse Disposal
! Remedial construction began in November 1998. The remedy includes a
perimeter clay barrier wall, leachate collection with off-site treatment and
disposal, removal of field tile drains to the west of the landfill, a final landfill cap,
and other actions.
! Installation of the leachate collection system and its tie-in to the City of North
Tonawanda sanitary sewer has been completed. The leachate collection has
been operational since the summer of 1999, thus eliminating any potential
pathway for leachate to migrate off-site.
! Construction of the landfill cap is underway.
! Completion of the Remedial Action is expected by September 2000.
DuPont Necco Park
! A Record of Decision was issued in September 1998. The following are among the
measures included in the Final Remedy:
Upgrading the existing cap;
- Containment of the overburden source area using hydraulic measures or a
physical barrier;
- Containment of the bedrock source area using hydraulic measures;
- Treatment of the extracted groundwater on-site or off-site;
- Collection and off-site disposal of DNAPL;
- Comprehensive monitoring and additional site characterization.
! Remedial Design began in October 1998.
! Remedial construction is expected to begin June 2000. Remedial Action
completion is expected by March 2003. The completion date will allow sufficient
time to address any complications that may arise in achieving effective hydraulic
containment in the fractured bedrock beneath the site, and to allow the remedial
systems to be tested and optimized.
Occidental Chemical -- Hyde Park
! Though the RA is not completed, the remedial systems are already containing most
of the contaminated groundwater on site, thus greatly reducing the potential
contaminant loading to the Niagara River. All of the overburden groundwater is
being contained. In the three bedrock groundwater zones, at least 80% of
contaminated groundwater is being contained. Remedial work to achieve full
containment is continuing.
! Phase III of the bedrock groundwater treatment system was installed (pumping and
monitoring wells, and force mains connecting the wells to the treatment plant), in
mid-1997.
10
Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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! However, complex site conditions and difficulties in pumping NAPL continue to
result in the need to install additional wells. Three pumping wells were installed
and connected by force mains to the on-site treatment facility in 1998. Three
additional wells are being installed in 1999 and the force mains will be completed
by December 1999. Completion of all remedial systems, including optimization, is
expected by December 2000.
! Sampling of fenced groundwater seeps in the Niagara River Gorge Face was
conducted in 1997 and 1998. Results continue to indicate no need for additional
control or remediation of the seep areas.
102nd Street
! The Remedial Action has been completed.
! The potential for contaminants to enter the River from this site was eliminated with
the completion of the leachate pump-and-treat system in December 1998.
! The remedial design was modified to take advantage of excess capacity at the Love
Canal Treatment Plant. Instead of on-site leachate treatment, a force main was
constructed to pump leachate from the 102nd Street Site to the Love Canal
Treatment Plant.
! Landscaping and optimization of the pump-and-treat system was completed March
1999.
Bell Aerospace Textron
! CMI start-up was in 1995. An additional groundwater extraction well was installed
in July 1998. However, the groundwater capture zone was not consistently
continuous. A higher capacity pump was installed on the new well and began
operation in August 1999. Data are being collected to demonstrate that the
enhanced system is meeting its design goals.
Occidental Chemical. S-Area
! The new Niagara Falls Drinking Water Treatment Plant (DWTP) was completed and
fully operational in March 1997.
! This allowed construction of the remedy for the old DWTP property to begin.
Decommission and demolition of the old plant, and the perimeter barrierwall for the
S-Area site were completed in 1998.
! The overburden drain collection system for the old DWTP property was completed
in 1999, and the cap is now being installed. Completion is expected by the end of
1999.
! Operation of the drain collection system for the landfill portion of the site began in
1996. Additional wells were installed in 1997 to improve the performance of the
system in collecting NAPL. However, a portion of the system did not function as
designed due to collapse of the drain pipe in several areas. The system is being
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Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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replaced in 1999. This is delaying completion of the Remedial Action by
approximately one year, until 2000.
! Construction of the final landfill cap is being delayed so that the landfill drain
collection system can be replaced. Construction is scheduled for 2000.
! Securement of the raw water intake structures from the old DWTP is scheduled for
completion in 2000.
Solvent Chemical
! DEC completed the RI/FS and ROD in 1996, and subsequently negotiated a
settlement with the PRP requiring ROD implementation. The U.S. District Court
approved the settlement in October 1997.
! Construction began in early 1998, but is being delayed by lack of access
agreements with adjacent property owners. Construction of the groundwater
remedial systems is expected to begin in fall 1999 and Remedial Action completion
is expected May 2001.
Vanadium Corporation
! In 1997, DEC completed a study to further define the nature and extent of
contamination on the properties of two of the PRPs (Niagara Mohawk and NYPA).
! In November 1998, one of the site PRPs (SKW Alloys) completed an Interim
Remedial Measure to cover portions of their parcel and control site storm water
runoff.
! Negotiations with the PRPs have not resulted in an Order on Consent requiring that
a site-wide RI/FS be undertaken.
! Another PRP (Airco) is proposing an Interim Remedial Measure to cap the landfill
on their portion of the site.
! The need to negotiate with the PRPs individually has contributed to delays in the
completion of remediation, expected in 2003.
Olin Corporation Plant Site
! The remedial system was constructed and began operation in October 1997. The
remedy includes five groundwater recovery wells and on-site treatment of the
recovered groundwater, and paving of all unpaved surfaces on the site.
! The remedial system is close to meeting its performance objectives. Actions taken
by Olin to address problems due to incrustation associated with high pH (>10)
groundwater have improved system performance, but more actions may be
necessary.
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Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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Buffalo Color
! The site RFI has been completed. A supplemental investigation was conducted
during summer 1998. A revised RFI report was submitted in December 1998 and
approved in April 1999.
! A Corrective Measures Work Plan was submitted in May 1999 and approved in July
1999.
! During July 1999, a pump test was performed to aid in the design of an Interim
Corrective Measure for Plant Area A, to prevent the discharge of contaminated
groundwater to the Buffalo River.
! CMS completion is expected May 2000.
Bethlehem Steel Corporation
! BSC has completed the field work for the site investigation, and is preparing RFI
and human health risk assessment reports. These have been delayed due to
negotiations over the scope. Approval is anticipated by April 2001.
! BSC completed limited remedial technology studies for two areas that appear to be
the primary sources of groundwater contamination at the facility (the Acid Tar Pits
and Coke Oven Areas). EPA and DEC found the studies to be technically flawed
and of limited value.
! BSC has submitted a Pre-design Investigation Report for the remediation of the
Benzol Plant Area (i.e., coke oven area), which is currently under agency review
! Any future CMS or CM I activities will require a new order, permit or other
agreement.
River Road (INS Equipment) and Niagara Mohawk - Cherry Farm
! These two sites were combined for joint remediation.
! A Consent Order for remediation of the site includes: Capping the site with clean
soil; pulling back, grading, and stabilizing the shore line; removing some river
sediments; and installing groundwater collection trench and recovery wells.
Groundwater is collected, treated at an on-site treatment facility, and discharged to
the local POTW.
! The remedial action also includes fish and wildlife habitat enhancements through
the construction of shoreline wetland embayments along the Niagara River.
! All remedial work is complete. Sediment removal and final capping of the sediment
disposal area was completed in July 1999. Recent diver inspection of the dredged
areas shows good revegetation and recolonization by fish.
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Frontier Chemical. Royal Avenue
! The company that owned the facility went bankrupt in 1992, and failed to implement
a DEC Order for waste removal. The site was referred to Federal Superfund for a
Response Action including the removal of thousands of drums, removal of wastes
from 45 tanks on the site, and other actions. The action was completed in 1995.
! EPA ruled not to include the site on the National Priorities List.
! DEC has initiated PRP search efforts to be followed by negotiations of an RI/FS
Order to address soil and groundwater contamination. Notice letters to PRPs are
expected by December 1999.
Gratwick Riverside Park
! Remedial Design (RD) started in early 1996. The design includes shoreline
protection, hydraulic (slurry wall) barrier between site and river, a cap over the site
to allow it to be used as a park, and collection of contaminated groundwater.
! During design, some site-related contamination was found in river sediments. It
was also determined that steps should be taken to improve the habitat value of the
shoreline area.
! Design changes to address these issues were addressed as a ROD amendment
issued in January 1999. Remedial construction started in June 1999.
Mobil Oil
! Following site investigations in the 1980s, DEC re-classified a 3-acre area of
concern on the site as Class 3 (does not present significant threat to public health
or the environment; action may be deferred).
! In 1994, the entire Mobil facility was selected for DEC'S Multi-Media Pollution
Prevention (M2P2) program.
! A multi-media inspection was conducted, leading to the signing of a Consent Order
in May 1997, to undertake further site investigation and remediation. The results
of the site investigation were submitted in November 1998.
! Three areas of the site were identified as requiring further investigation to
determine the extent of contamination. The results of the further site facility
investigation are to be submitted in November 1999.
! Remedial systems are operating at the Mobil Oil facility. A well point system was
installed in the early 1970s to prevent petroleum seepage to the Buffalo River. In
1993, six dual-pump recovery wells were activated to recover petroleum product
and groundwater. Five of the six recovery wells are presently being operated in
conjunction with the well point system.
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Iroquois Gas-Westwood Pharmaceutical
! All remedial construction at the plant site was completed September 1997, including
sheet piling barrier wall, groundwater extraction wells, groundwater and NAPL
treatment, and a clay cap.
! Remediation of Scajaquada Creek sediments commenced in July 1998 was
completed in March 1999.
! Extraction of NAPL from beneath the creek bed has begun at the downstream
portion of the site. The second extraction system, at the upstream portion of the
site, is scheduled for completion by December 1999.
The RI/FS was performed under State Superfund, and a ROD was issued for the
site in 1992 and for the adjacent Little Niagara River in 1993.
There were many PRPs, so lengthy negotiations followed. A PRP proposal for an
alternate remedy was accepted in June 1998.
The remedy consists of the excavation of contaminated on-site soils, sewer
sediments and a limited area of sediment in the Little River, with off-site disposal.
Contaminated ground water will also be extracted and treated.
Negotiations on a legal agreement for performance of the Remedial
Design/Remedial Action are continuing. The Remedial Design is expected to be
complete by April 2000.
Estimated Remediation Costs
Where available, estimated remediation costs incurred to date and expected in the future
are provided in each site description (Appendix). Federal, State, and Potentially
Responsible Party (PRP) contributions were estimated, where possible. Remediation
costs were unavailable for Federal/State RCRA sites, because reporting cost information
is not a requirement of the RCRA corrective action program, and facilities have generally
been reluctant to provide it. The remediation costs that are provided are estimates that
may change as remediation progress is made at each site. The estimates will be updated
as new information becomes available.
Based on available estimates for 19 sites, following is the total amount incurred to date
(costs for the remaining 7 sites are unavailable):
Booth Oil
Federal
State
PRPs
$ 33.6 million
$ 5.2 million
$ 298.0 million
Total
$ 336.9 million
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Based on available estimates for 16 sites, the total additional costs expected in the future
are as follows (costs for the remaining 10 sites are unavailable):
Federal
State
PRPs
$ 4.3 million
$ 2.3 million
$ 282.7 million
Total
$ 289.3 million
The estimated costs to date cannot be compared to the estimated costs expected in the
future, because different sites are included in the estimates. It is also difficult to compare
the relative contributions of federal, state, and PRP expenditures, because cost
information for some sites was incomplete (e.g., some sites may have been able to provide
federal or state costs but not PRP costs, and so on). However, the cost information does
provide a sense of the magnitude of U.S. expenditures for hazardous waste site
remediation in the Niagara River basin.
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ACRONYMS
APL
Aqueous phase liquids
CERCLA
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1
CMI
Corrective Measure Implementation
CMS
Corrective Measure Study
DDT
Primarily 1,1 '-(2,2,2-trichloroethylidene)-bis/4 chlorobenzene
DEC
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DNAPL
Dense non-aqueous phase liquids
EC
Environment Canada
EPA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
HSWA
Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments
ICM
Interim Corrective Measure
IIWA
Immediately Implementable Work Assignment
IRM
Interim Remedial Measure
MOE
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
NAPL
Non-aqueous phase liquids
NRTMP
Niagara River Toxics Management Plan
OCC
Occidental Chemical Corporation
PCBs
Polychlorinated biphenyls
PRP
Potentially Responsible Party
PSA
Preliminary Site Assessment
PVC
Polyvinyl chloride
RA
Remedial Action
RCRA
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
RFA
RCRA Facility Assessment
RFI
RCRA Facility Investigation
RI/FS
Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study
ROD
Record of Decision
RRT
Requisite Remedial Technology
SPDES
New York State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
TCDD
Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin
TCP
Trichlorophenol
VOC
Volatile organic compounds
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GLOSSARY
A
Ambient
A surrounding medium, such as water or
air. Used in contrast to a specific source.
Aquatic
Growing in, living in, or dependent upon
water.
Atmospheric deposition
Pollution from the atmosphere associated
with dry deposition in the form of dust, wet
deposition in the form of rain and snow, or
as a result of vapor exchanges.
B
Barrier wall
A wall constructed underground in a
hazardous waste site or landfill to stop the
flow of contaminated groundwater.
Basin
The land that drains into a waterbody.
Bedrock groundwater
Water flowing through a rock layer
underground, under a top layer of mixed
soil and loose rock called the overburden.
Benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P]
A PAH that is formed by the incomplete
combustion of fossil fuels, wood, and
tobacco; the incineration of garbage; and in
steel production.
Bioaccumulation
The process by which chemical substances
accumulate in the tissues of an organism
that drinks contaminated water or eats
contaminated food.
c
Cap
A cover over hazardous waste sites,
usually made of clean soils or clay, that
prevents rainwater from seeping through
soil and causing the contaminants in the
soil to flow into the groundwater.
Capture Zone
Area in which groundwater is flowing
towards a pumping well; used as
remediation technique for hazardous waste
sites, to "capture" contaminated
groundwater and treat it.
Chlordane
A persistent toxic chemical that was used to
control ants, grasshoppers, and other
insects on certain crops.
Collection drain
System of pipes around a hazardous waste
site or landfill that collects surface or
groundwater and directs it toward a
treatment plant.
Combined sewer overflow (CSO)
Water discharged into a waterbody from a
sewer system that carries both sewage and
storm water runoff. Normally, all of the
sewer system's flow goes to a treatment
plant, but during a heavy storm, there may
be so much storm water as to cause
overflows. When this happens, mixtures of
storm water and sewage may flow into a
waterbody untreated.
Consent decree
A legal document, approved by a judge,
which puts into effect a remedy (i.e.,
actions to correct an environmental
problem).
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Contaminant
A substance that is not naturally present in
the environment or is present in amounts
that can adversely affect the environment.
D
DDT
Dichloro-diphynyl-trichloroethane. A
persistent toxic chemical that was used as
a pesticide, particularly for mosquito
control. DDT is banned in U.S. and
Canada. DDE and DDD are metabolites of
DDT.
Dieldrin
A persistent toxic chemical that was used
mainly as a soil insecticide.
Dioxins/furans
Dioxin: A family of persistent toxic
chemicals known as dibenzo-p-dioxins.
Dioxins can enter the environment as the
by-products of industrial processes or as a
result of combustion processes in
incinerators and motor vehicles using
leaded fuel. The compound called "2,3,7,8-
TCDD" is the most toxic member of the
dioxin family.
Fur an: A class of chemicals similar to
dioxins, which are created at high
temperatures, such as incineration of PCBs
and other organic wastes containing
chlorine.
DNAPL(Dense Non-Aqueous Phase
Liquid)
An oily, sludge-like mixture of chemicals
that is denser than water. DNAPL flows
with gravity or along geological formations,
not always in the same direction as
groundwater.
Downstream
In the direction with the flow of a stream or
river; down river. For Niagara River,
downstream is towards Niagara-on-the-
Lake and Lake Ontario.
Dredging
Removal of sediment from the bottom of a
waterbody.
E
Embayment
A bay. A part of a waterbody (such as a
river or lake) that makes an indentation into
the adjacent land.
F
Force main
A pipe that carries contaminated
groundwater drawn out of hazardous waste
sites by pumping wells to a treatment plant.
Four Parties
The four agencies who implement the
Niagara River Toxics Management Plan:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Environment Canada, New York State
Department of Environmental Protection,
and Ontario Ministry of Environment and
Energy.
G
Groundwater
The fresh or saline waters found beneath
the Earth's surface that often supply wells
and springs. Contrast to "Surface water".
H
Habitat
Place where a particular type of plant or
animal lives. An organism's habitat must
provide all of the basic requirements for its
life.
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L
Hazardous waste
Any substance that is a by-product of
society and is classified under U.S. or
Canadian law as potentially harmful to
human health or the environment.
Hazardous wastes are subject to special
handling, shipping, storage, and disposal
requirements under the law.
Hazardous waste site
Land disposal site for hazardous wastes.
Heavy metals
Metallic elements with high atomic weights
that tend to be toxic and bioaccumulate.
Examples are mercury, arsenic, lead, etc.
Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)
A persistent toxic chemical that was
originally manufactured as a fungicide for
cereal crops. It is also generated as a by-
product in the manufacture of pesticides
and can be formed during the combustion
of substances containing chlorine.
I
Infiltration
Passing through or filtering through, as in
rain water that filters through soil to join
groundwater.
Inorganic substance
A chemical compound that does not
contain carbon. Inorganic substances are
often derived from minerals.
Insecticide
A chemical used to kill or control the growth
of insects.
Landfill
Land disposal site for hazardous (or non-
hazardous) wastes.
Leachate
Liquid derived from rain or snow melt that
percolates through a hazardous waste site.
Load or Loading
The amount of a material entering a system
over a given time interval.
M
Medium (plural: Media)
A surrounding substance in the
environment: water, air, or sediment.
Metabolite
A substance that is the product of biological
changes to a chemical.
Mirex
A persistent toxic substance that was used
as an insecticide and a fire retardant.
Multi-media
Involving multiple media, such as water and
air, or air and sediment, or all three.
N
National Priorities List (NPL)
An EPA list of the most serious
uncontrolled or abandoned U.S. hazardous
waste sites identified for long-term remedial
action under Superfund.
Non-point source
Pollution entering the environment over a
widespread area, where the sources
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cannot be traced to a single, identifiable
point. Contrast to "Point source".
o
Octachlorostyrene (OCS)
A persistent toxic chemical that was
released as a by-product when chlorine
was
manufactured using certain processes that
are no longer used.
Organic substance
A chemical compound that contains
carbon.
Overburden groundwater
Water flowing through a layer of mixed soil
and loose rock that lies over the rock layer
called bedrock.
P
PAHs
Polycyclic or polynuclear aromatic
hydrocarbons. A class of persistent toxic
compounds that are formed from the
combustion of organic material, such as
forest fires or gasoline in cars.
PCBs
Polychlorinated biphenyls. A group of
persistent toxic chemicals used in electrical
and hydraulic equipment for insulating or
lubricating purposes.
Persistent toxic chemical
Any toxic chemical that is difficult to destroy
or that breaks down slowly in the
environment (i.e., with a half-life in water
greater than eight weeks).
Pesticide
A chemical used for preventing, destroying,
or repelling any pest.
Point source
Source of pollution that is distinct and
identifiable, such as a pipe from a sewage
treatment plant.
Pollution prevention
Any action that reduces or eliminates
pollutants before they are created.
Potentially Responsible Party (PRP)
Any individual or company potentially
responsible for, or contributing to, the
contamination problems at U.S. hazardous
waste sites.
Pretreatment
Processes used to reduce, eliminate, or
alter pollutants from industrial sources
before they are discharged into publicly-
owned sewage treatment systems.
Priority toxic chemicals
Under the NRTMP, 18 toxic chemicals that
exceeded water quality or fish tissue
standards in the Niagara River or Lake
Ontario.
R
RCRA
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
A U.S. program to remediate active
hazardous waste sites. Sites are
remediated by potentially responsible
parties whenever this can be arranged.
Record of Decision (ROD)
A public document that explains what
actions will be taken to remediate a U.S.
hazardous waste site.
Remedial Investigation/Feasibility
Study (RI/FS)
The Rl defines the areal and vertical extent
of the hazardous waste problem at a
Superfund site through numerous sampling
wells, an extended environmental sampling
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program and a full geophysical survey.
Based on the Rl, the FS develops and
evaluates alternative solutions to the
problem.
Requisite Remedial Technology
(RRT)
An RRT is the equivalent of an FS (see
RI/FS above) for a pre-CERCLA
agreement.
Runoff
Water that flows over the land surface into
a waterbody.
s
Slurry wall
Barrier made of a thin, watery mixture of
fine, insoluble material (clay, cement, soil,
etc...).
Solid Waste Management Units
(SWMUs)
Areas within a hazardous waste site where
hazardous materials are stored or
managed. SWMUs are generally storage
areas, treatment systems, disposal areas,
spill areas, or containment cells.
Superfund
A U.S. program to remediate inactive or
abandoned hazardous waste sites in an
emergency or for the long-term. Sites are
remediated by potentially responsible
parties whenever this can be arranged.
Surface water
All water open to the atmosphere (e.g.,
rivers, lakes, reservoirs, seas,
etc.).Contrast to "Groundwater".
T
Toxaphene
A persistent toxic chemical that was used
as an insecticide.
Toxic substance
Any substance that adversely affects the
health or well-being of a living organism.
OR
A substance that can cause death,
disease, birth defects, behavioral
abnormalities, cancer, genetic mutations,
physiological/reproductive malfunctions, or
physical deformities in any organism.
Upstream
In the direction against the flow of a stream
or river; upriver. For Niagara River,
upstream is towards Fort Erie and Lake
Erie.
Volatile substance
A substance that evaporates readily.
Wetland
An area that is saturated with water or has
a water level at or near the surface. A
wetland has organic soils and plant/animal
species that are adapted to a wet
environment.
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REFERENCES
Gradient Corp./Geotrans Inc. 1988. Potential Contaminant Loadings to the Niagara River from
U.S. Hazardous Waste Sites.
Niagara River Secretariat. 1999. Niagara River Toxics Management Plan: Progress Report
and Work Plan, May 1999.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/New York Department of Environmental Conservation
(EPA/DEC). 1989. Reduction of Toxics Loadings to the Niagara River from Hazardous Waste
Sites in the United States.
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APPENDIX
PRIORITY NIAGARA RIVER HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES:
Site Descriptions & Remediation Schedules
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A-l
OCCIDENTAL CHEMICAL -- BUFFALO AVENUE
Site #4lb -49
Site Program: RCRA (State and Federal)
Summary Prepared by: EPA and DEC
Site Description
Occidental Chemical Corporation's (OCC) Buffalo Avenue Plant is a major manufacturing facility in central
Niagara Falls adjacent to the Robert Moses Parkway, along the Niagara River.
Starting with seven acres in 1911, the facility has grown to approximately 130 acres, with hundreds of
buildings. During its history, the facility has manufactured over 250 different chemical products, including
halogenated benzenes, toluenes, phenols, and aliphatics. Chemical raw materials, products and wastes have
been buried or spilled at numerous locations on the plant site. Estimates of the amount of waste disposed in
the various production areas include: 4,200 tons in D-Area, 1,500 tons in F-Area, 11,300 tons in N-Area,
and unknown amounts in U-Area.
Five aquifers exist at this site: one overburden and four bedrock. A clay/till layer serves as an aquitard (a
barrier) between the overburden and the bedrock, except where man-made influences such as utilities and
building foundations have penetrated the layer. The four bedrock flow zones occur within the Lockport
Group (a rock formation) with the three upper units accounting for nearly 100% of bedrock groundwater at
the site.
In the overburden, groundwater flow was historically toward the Niagara River from the southeast portion of
the site. However, an overburden barrier wall constructed in 1994 restricts the direct discharge of this
groundwater to the Niagara River. The barrier wall re-directs the groundwater to the southwest. In the
southwest portion of the site, the overburden groundwater discharges to the New York Power Authority
(NYPA) conduit drain system and then probably discharges from the NYPA drain system to the Falls Street
Tunnel. At other plant areas, the direction of overburden groundwater flow is locally influenced by man-
made structures, particularly the sanitary and outfall sewers as well as existing groundwater collection
systems.
In the bedrock aquifers, groundwater moves northwest, north, and northeast, is recharged by the river, and is
influenced by the NYPA conduits and the Falls Street Tunnel. Most bedrock groundwater flow leaving the
site will enter the NYPA conduit drainage system or the Falls Street Tunnel. All of the dry weather flow
through the Falls Street Tunnel now is treated by the Niagara Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant before
discharge to the River.
Interim Corrective Measures
OCC completed certain interim corrective measures required under the Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act (RCRA):
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A-2
! Removal and capping of contaminated soils
! Installation of a barrier wall
! Collection of DNAPL from bedrock wells
! Installation of fences
! Removal of spills from secondary containment areas
! Removal of fly ash accumulated on the ground.
DEC and EPA issued OCC a state Part 373 permit and an EPA Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments
permit under RCRA in June 1988, permitting the storage/treatment and incineration of hazardous wastes.
Site Investigation
Pursuant to the permits, OCC completed the on-site and off-site components of a RCRA Facility
Investigation (RFI). Due to the complexity of site conditions, the remedial program activities for the facility
were subdivided into several components:
! bedrock groundwater
! overburden groundwater
! overburden soils
! off-site groundwater contamination.
In accordance with an August 1993 DEC Part 373 permit modification, the remedial measures are being
implemented as stabilization measures, followed by the final remedy selection after the adequacy of the
stabilization measures are assessed. Stabilization measures for the individual components are being
addressed on a priority basis. OCC has prepared a comprehensive, site-wide CMS, addressing all site
components including the adequacy of the stabilization measures described below. This was submitted in
November 1998.
Stabilization Measures (Additional Interim Corrective Measures)
Bedrock Groundwater. All of the bedrock groundwater extraction wells and monitoring wells have been
installed. A new treatment plant designed to treat the contaminated bedrock groundwater has been
constructed. The pump-and-treat system has been started up. From April 1996 through September 1996, as
part of the testing and optimization of the remedial system, over 700 gallons per minute of contaminated
groundwater were pumped from the upper three bedrock aquifers and treated at the new treatment plant.
Three bedrock wells have collected, through May 1997, approximately 5,840 gallons of DNAPL from the
site. The DNAPL is incinerated in OCC's hazardous waste incinerator. The pump-and-treat system was
tested and optimized through March 1997. The pumping rates of each of the 19 bedrock groundwater
extraction wells were optimized to achieve a hydraulic barrier along the northern and western plant
boundaries to contain the contaminated groundwater.
Based on performance monitoring data, OCC determined that additional measures were necessary to achieve
the remedial design objectives. The treatment plant has been enhanced by adding additional treatment
measures (air stripping to address break-through of vinyl chloride), and expanding the plant's
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A-3
capacity from 800 gpm to 1200 gpm. OCC subsequently increased the extraction rate of the bedrock
groundwater recovery system to 1000 gpm. On average more than 30 pounds per day of organic chemicals
are captured by the bedrock groundwater collection system.
Overburden Groundwater. Construction of a collection system to capture overburden groundwater along
the southern boundary of the site is complete. In the southwestern portion of the site, an 1,800 foot-long
abandoned sewer line has been converted into a groundwater collection system. Conversion of the line began
in February 1996. A 1,400 foot-long section of the line began operation in June 1997. During the sewer line
conversion, a 400 foot-long section of the line was found to be unsuited for capturing the groundwater. As a
result, OCC installed a new groundwater collection drain (trench) adjacent to this 400 foot-long section of
pipe, and extending an additional 400 feet to the west beyond the original sewer line length. This increased
the capture zone to a total of 2,200 feet. This system began operation in December 1997. However,
performance monitoring data indicated that these measures were insufficient to produce the necessary
groundwater capture, so the system was augmented by installation of a tile drain. This was completed in
December 1998. The new collection system extends along the alignment of the converted sewer to the
vicinity of the OCC S-Area site.
The overburden groundwater collection system is now fully operational. The collected groundwater is being
treated on-site at an existing wastewater treatment plant, which was upgraded to handle the additional flow.
At one time, groundwater infiltration into the on-site industrial waste sewer system was a significant source
of contamination to the river. However, OCC has had an ongoing program for replacing and repairing pipes
since the early 1980s. OCC completed the investigation of groundwater infiltration into the Plant's Outfall
Sewer System in June 1996 and implemented measures to eliminate infiltration points from Fall 1996
through Spring 1997.
OCC installed a barrier wall in 1994 along the Niagara River to prevent migration of overburden
groundwater contamination into the Niagara River.
Overburden Soils and Off-site Groundwater. As interim corrective measures, OCC identified and
removed 36 tons of liquid mercury from contaminated soils on-site in U-Area, and capped dioxin-
contaminated soils in X-Area.
OCC submitted a draft CMS for the overburden soils in 1996. In a Fall 1997 comment letter on the draft
CMS, DEC advised OCC not to prepare a separate off-site CMS, but instead to submit a comprehensive,
site-wide, final CMS that addresses remedial measures for all site components (bedrock, overburden and off-
site). That CMS was submitted in November 1998.
Schedule for Completion
The current schedule for implementation of a corrective action program at the plant, including Corrective
Measure Study (CMS) and Corrective Measure Implementation (CMI), follows.
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A-4
Future off-site loadings from the Buffalo Avenue site will be effectively eliminated by the bedrock
groundwater stabilization program (completed), and the overburden groundwater stabilization program
(completed).
A draft permit that specifies the Final Corrective Measures for the facility was public noticed in September
1999. The draft permit proposes to incorporate the Interim Corrective Measures currently in place as part of
the Final Corrective Measures for the site.
The Final Corrective Measures in the draft permit include:
! Extraction of bedrock groundwater on-site; and treatment in accordance with the applicable SPDES
permit at an on-site plant.
! Monitoring bedrock groundwater extraction wells for NAPL; and collection of detected NAPL with
on-site or off-site treatment.
! Extraction of overburden groundwater on-site; and treatment in accordance with the applicable
SPDES permit at an on-site plant.
! Compliance with the limits specified in the applicable Significant Industrial User Wastewater
Discharge Permit for overburden groundwater infiltration into the City of Niagara Falls sanitary
sewers.
! Compliance with the provisions of the applicable SPDES permit to restrict discharge of overburden
groundwater from the outfall sewer system.
! Monitoring overburden groundwater extraction wells for NAPL; and collection of detected NAPL
with on-site or off-site treatment.
! Monitoring the performance of the remedial systems on-site and off-site.
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this site:
Federal $ (Not available)
State $ (Not available)
PRP $ (Not available)
The following estimated amounts will be spent from now to the completion of remediation:
Federal $ (Not available)
State $ (Not available)
PRP $ (Not available)
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A-5
OCCIDENTAL CHEMICAL - BUFFALO AVENUE
Output
Responsible
Party
Previous
Target Date
Current
Schedule
RFI Work Plan Approval
DEC/EPA
Jun 1991
COMPLETED
RFI Completion
Permittee
Dec 1992
COMPLETED
CMS Work Plan Ap
Droval
DEC/EPA
Jun 1993
COMPLETED
CMS
Completion:
Bedrock Groundwater
Permittee
Aug 1993
COMPLETED
Overburden Groundwater
Permittee
Dec 1994
COMPLETED
Overburden Soil1
Permittee
Aug 1996
COMPLETED
Off-Site (Groundwater)1
Permittee
Feb 1997
N/A
Site-wide CMS1
Permittee
N/A
COMPLETED
Stabilization
Selection:
Bedrock Groundwater
DEC/EPA
Dec 1994
COMPLETED
Overburden Groundwater
DEC/EPA
Feb 1995
COMPLETED
Overburden Soil1
DEC/EPA
Oct 1997 1996
N/A
Off-Site (Groundwater)1
DEC/EPA
Apr 1998
N/A
Stabilization
Work Plan
Approval:
Bedrock Groundwater
DEC/EPA
Nov 1994
COMPLETED
Overburden Groundwater
DEC/EPA
Jun 1995
COMPLETED
Overburden Soil1
DEC/EPA
Apr 1998 1997
N/A
Off-Site (Groundwater)1
DEC/EPA
Jul 1998 1997
N/A
Start-up:
Stabilization2
Bedrock Groundwater
Permittee
Oct 1995
COMPLETED
Overburden Groundwater
Permittee
Dec 1997
COMPLETED
Overburden Soil1
Permittee
Oct 1998
N/A
Off-Site (Groundwater)1
Permittee
Dec 1998
N/A
Start-up of CMI
Permittee
Dec 1997
COMPLETED
1 The overburden soil remedial measures were delayed so that contaminated soils generated during both bedrock and
overburden groundwater remediation could be addressed at once. Off-site remedial measures were delayed, pending
evaluation of the effectiveness of on-site remedial measures. None of these remedial measures impact the potential for
off-site loadings, which was eliminated in Dec. 1998, with full operation of the overburden groundwater remedial
system. OCC submitted a comprehensive, site-wide, final CMS in November 1998, addressing all on-site and off-
site components. The NYSDEC has issued a draft 373 Permit that specifies final corrective measures for the facility.
2 Implementation of the Bedrock and Overburden Stabilization Programs will effectively eliminate future off-site
loadings from the Main Plant Site.
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NIAGARA COUNTY REFUSE DISPOSAL
Site #81
Site Program: Federal Superfund
Summary Prepared by: EPA
Site Description
The Niagara County Refuse site occupies approximately 65 acres, about 1000 feet north of the Niagara
River in the Town of Wheatfield, New York.
During its operation period (1968-1976), the Niagara County Refuse Disposal District (NCRDD) accepted
household, yard, agricultural, institutional, commercial, and industrial waste; demolition and construction
debris; sewage treatment plant sludge; street sweepings; and used tires. More than 100 waste generators or
transporters are thought to have used the site. Disposed materials included heat-treatment salts, plating-
tank sludge, tetrachloroethylene, PVC skins and emulsion, thiazole polymer blends, polyvinyl alcohol,
phenolic resins, and brine sludge containing mercury. The site was capped with 20 inches of dirt and clay
at the time that it was closed by the NCRDD in 1976. Illegal dumping of rubbish and hard fill, as well as
the erosion of the clay cap, have been concerns at the site since its closure.
Three overburden zones and one bedrock zone are present under this site. The bedrock zone and one of
the overburden zones are the primary water-bearing formations (aquifers). The groundwater in these two
aquifers generally flows in a south/southwest-erly direction towards the Niagara River beneath the
southern half of the site and in a north/northwesterly direction towards Black Creek beneath the northern
half of the site.
Site Investigation
Niagara County Refuse is an EPA-lead site on the National Priorities List of Superfund sites. Pursuant to
a March 1989 consent order, a group of fourteen Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) performed a
Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) for the site. It was completed in September 1993, when
EPA signed a Record of Decision (ROD) for the site.
Among other things, the RI report indicated that the water-bearing zones beneath the site showed either a
negligible impact from volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds and pesticides, or no impact at all.
Maximum contaminant levels were generally exceeded in the site groundwater for chromium, iron,
manganese, and sodium (although iron and sodium levels in regional groundwater typically exceed
maximum contaminant levels). Based on these findings, EPA considers the original loadings estimate for
this site to be too high.
Upon completion of the RI/FS, EPA issued a Proposed Plan for remediation of the site. After consideration
of public comment on the Proposed Plan, EPA executed a ROD on September 24, 1993, selecting the
following remedy:
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! a full NYCRR part 360 cap with a complete perimeter clay barrier wall
! leachate collection and offsite treatment and disposal
! gas venting
! an ecological assessment of the adjacent wetlands
! removal of the field tile drains located to the west of the landfill
! long-term operation and maintenance.
The Final Design Report for the remedial action was approved by EPA in September 1997. Due to the Site
being a municipal landfill, the municipalities are eligible for State funding assistance for their respective
share of remedial action costs. As such, the specific state requirements for funding eligibility were
completed by May 1998. A call for bids was issued and the bid was awarded for remedial construction in
June 1998. Construction began in fall 1998.
Construction Progress
On-site construction at the site commenced in November 1998. The site was cleared and grubbed and a
security fence erected. Installation of the leachate collection system and its tie-in to the City of North
Tonawanda sanitary sewer by force main was completed over the winter months. Early spring was devoted
to grading the site and filling the central swales with clean fill. Placement of the first layer of the cap, gas-
vent stone, began in May 1999. Construction has since progressed with the placement of a geotextile
drainage layer, a geocomposite barrier layer, a soil barrier protection layer, and a topsoil layer,
respectively. Placement of each layer is ongoing in a north-to-south direction over the entire site. As of
September 1999, construction is approximately 75% complete.
The leachate collection system has been operational since summer 1999, thus eliminating any potential
pathway for leachate to migrate off-site.
Schedule for Completion
An updated schedule for remediation of the site is shown in the following table. Delays in the RD/RA
schedule were due primarily to lengthy negotiations with over 20 PRPs at every phase of remediation.
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date in response to this site:
It is estimated that the following amounts will be spent from now to the completion of remediation:
Federal
PRP
$ 1,400,000
$ 10,000,000
Federal
PRP
$ 100,000
$ 9,800,000
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NIAGARA COUNTY REFUSE DISPOSAL
Output
Responsible
Party
Previous
Target Date
Current Schedule
RI/FS
14 PRPs
Mar 1993
COMPLETED
Record of Decision
EPA
Sept 1993
COMPLETED
Remedial Design Start
13 PRPS
Jul 1994
COMPLETED
Remedial Action Start
13 PRPs
Jan 1997
COMPLETED
Remedial Action ComDletion
13 PRPs
Dec 1999
Sent 2000
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DUPONT NECCO PARK
Site # 14
Site Program: Federal Superfund
Summary Prepared By: EPA
Site Description
The Necco Park Site, owned by DuPont, is an inactive industrial waste landfill on approximately 24 acres
in Niagara Falls. It is surrounded on three sides by the BFI Sanitary Landfill and the CECOS site,
approximately 1.5 miles from the Niagara River.
DuPont acquired the Site in the 1930s and used it as a landfill to dispose of approximately 93,000 tons of
industrial wastes until its closure in 1977. The following chemicals are known, from disposal records, to
have been disposed at the Site: carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorobutadiene,
hexachloroethane, methylene chloride, tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene.
Eight aquifer zones have been identified under the Site. In the overburden, groundwater flow is minimal,
but is influenced by two water table depressions along the southern property boundary, which are caused
by two recovery wells in the upper bedrock. Groundwater in the upper bedrock zones is partially captured
by the recovery well system. Otherwise, Site groundwater in the upper bedrock water-bearing zones
discharges down-gradient to the south. A portion of it is presumed to eventually reach the Falls Street
Tunnel (FST). Groundwater in the middle bedrock zones flows generally to the west and is partially
captured by a third recovery well when it operates. Groundwater in the middle and lower bedrock zones
flows west toward the New York Power Authority (NYPA) conduits.
Interim Remedial Measures
Necco Park is not on the National Priorities List. However, DuPont has conducted groundwater
investigations pursuant to a RCRA 3013 consent decree. DuPont entered into an Administrative Order on
Consent (AOC) with EPA to conduct further groundwater investigations and to study on-Site remediation
of ground water and non-aqueous phase liquids.
The Site was capped in 1978. Since 1982, two recovery wells near the center of the property, when
operational, have recovered contaminated groundwater and established a partial hydraulic barrier in the
upper bedrock and overburden along the southern edge of the landfill. However, some upper bedrock
groundwater continued to flow south toward the Niagara River. In order to improve containment and
collection of contaminated groundwater, an up-gradient grout curtain was installed in the bedrock in
August 1989. A third recovery well, which penetrates the middle bedrock zones at the southern boundary
of Necco Park, went into limited operation in 1992. These on-site remedial actions have resulted in an
estimated load reduction from the site of approximately 27% to 55%, based on information collected
pursuant to the AOC. DuPont estimates that approximately 142 million gallons of groundwater have been
pumped since 1983. Since 1989, 6,625 gallons of DNAPL have been recovered, containing approximately
88,300 pounds of organic compounds.
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A portion of the groundwater not recovered by the on-Site pumping wells is probably captured (1) by the
New York Power Authority conduit drain system (water in the drain system may drain to the Falls Street
Tunnel or flow north to the Forebay Canal) or (2) by the Falls Street Tunnel directly. All the dry-weather
flow through the Falls Street Tunnel is treated by the Niagara Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant before
discharge to the River.
Final Remedial Action
The remedial investigation began May 1991 and the Investigation Report was approved in May 1994. The
feasibility study (FS) (entitled "Analysis of Alternatives Report") was approved by EPA and DEC in July
1996.
On September 18, 1998, EPA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for the site, which set forth the following
remedy:
1. Containment of the Source Area by:
Upgrading the existing cap to meet New York State Part 360, or equivalent standards;
Using hydraulic measures in the overburden to maintain an inward gradient within the Source
Area or installing a physical barrier (e.g., slurry wall, sheet pile) on the southern, and portions
of the eastern and western Necco Park property boundaries;
Using hydraulic measures in the bedrock to maintain an inward gradient within the Source
Area and prevent the movement of contaminated groundwater beyond the Source Area
boundary.
2. Treatment of the extracted groundwater from the Source Area, either on-site or off-site, to achieve the
appropriate discharge requirements.
3. Collection, and off-site disposal, of DNAPL in the Source Area by:
Utilizing the existing monitoring wells network;
Utilizing any groundwater recovery wells placed in the Source Area;
The installation of additional dedicated DNAPL recovery well(s).
4. Operation and maintenance (O&M) of the existing systems and the systems constructed under this
remedy.
5. Comprehensive monitoring to verify hydraulic control, identify DNAPL occurrence, demonstrate the
effectiveness of the remedial measures, and assess the impact of such measures on far-field
groundwater quality.
6. Additional characterization of the Site to assess whether natural attenuation will be effective in
addressing far-field contamination.
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7. Development and implementation of institutional controls to restrict Site access, the use of
groundwater at the Site, and control land use such that it is consistent with Site conditions.
Schedule for Completion
The Proposed Plan was released to the public in July 1996, upon approval of the FS. A public meeting to
discuss the Proposed Plan was held in August 1996, shortly after its release. The schedule was delayed
because of extensive public comments received on the Proposed Plan. EPA revised the Proposed Plan in
response to these comments and provided a second public comment period. A Record of Decision (ROD) was
issued in September 1998. Remedial Design started in October 1998. A draft Remedial Design Work Plan
was submitted in March 1999 which provides a detailed schedule for remediation. The Final Remedial Action
is expected to start by June 2000. RA completion is expected by March 2003, which is an 18-month delay
from the previously reported target date. Because of the fractured bedrock beneath the site, complications may
arise in achieving effective hydraulic containment. The target date is intended to allow sufficient time to ensure
that any additional remedial work to achieve effective containment can be completed, and that the system is
tested and optimized.
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this Site:
Federal $ 2,000,000 (Does not include EPA's indirect costs)
State $ 141,000 (Does not include travel costs)
PRP $ 42,500,000 (Unverified DuPont estimate)
It is estimated that the following amounts will be spent from now to the completion of remediation:
Federal
$
350,000
State
$
100,000
PRP
$
65,102,000 (includes O&M)
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A-12
DUPONT NECCO PARK
Output
Responsible Party
Previous Target
Date
Current
Schedule
Rl
PRP
May 1994
COMPLETED
FS
PRP
Sept 1994
COMPLETED
Record of Decision
EPA
Sept 1996
COMPLETED
Remedial Design Start
PRP
Feb 1997
COMPLETED
Final Remedial Action Start
PRP
Dec 1999
Jun 2000
Remedial
Action
Completion
Grout Curtain
PRP
___
COMPLETED
3 Pumping Wells
PRP
___
COMPLETED
Final Action
PRP
SeDt 2001
Mar 2003
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CECOS INTERNATIONAL
Site #78
Site Program: RCRA (State and Federal)
Summary Prepared by: EPA and NYSDEC
Site Description
CECOS International, Inc. operates a 385-acre commercial solid/industrial waste management facility in the
Town of Niagara and the City of Niagara Falls. The facility is situated in an industrial and commercial area,
bordering residential and recreational areas, and is about 1.5 miles north of the Niagara River.
The site has been used for waste disposal for over 80 years. The facility managed hazardous wastes from all
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) categories identified in Part 261 ~ characteristic wastes,
specific and non-specific industrial wastes and commercial chemical product waste. Current hazardous waste
management activities include a wastewater treatment system and container storage.
The CECOS facility is underlain by an overburden and two bedrock aquifers. A less permeable layer of native
clays and glacial till serves as an aquitard (or barrier) between the overburden and the bedrock aquifers.
All but a minor percentage of the CECOS site groundwater flows off site to the south and southeast and is
drawn into the Falls Street Tunnel and New York Power Authority (NYPA) conduit sink on its way to the
Niagara River. The potential loading to the Niagara River from the site overburden aquifer compared to that
from the bedrock aquifers is minor. By the time it reaches the tunnel/conduit system, the groundwater from
the overburden aquifer has found its way into the upper bedrock through discontinuities and excavations in the
native sediments. All of the dry weather flow through the Falls Street Tunnel is treated by the Niagara Falls
Waste Water Treatment Plant.
Site Investigation
The site encompasses approximately 50 Solid Waste Management Units, including landfills, waste piles and
surface impoundments. An EPA HSWA permit and state Part 373 permit were issued in September 1988,
requiring investigation/remediation of all waste management units.
Pursuant to the requirements of the RCRA permit, in September 1991, CECOS completed the required
investigations at the facility. Groundwater contaminants were mainly detected in the central area of the site,
in the three groundwater transmissive zones monitored by CECOS. The volatile organic compounds (VOC)
detected include acetone, 2-butanone, benzene, chloroform, toluene, chlorobenzene, methylene chloride, and
tetrachlorethane.
Interim Corrective Measures (ICM)
An interim groundwater recovery system has been pumping contaminated groundwater from all three zones
since 1990. The recovery system was started with four recovery wells and currently consists of 20 recovery
wells. The pumped groundwater is treated on-site and discharged to the City of Niagara Falls wastewater
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treatment plant. From July 1991 through August 1998, over 60 million gallons of groundwater have been
treated, and over 2,500 pounds of organic compounds were removed.
In addition, several interim measures consisting of the removal of contaminated soils and wastes have been
completed at the following units: surface impoundments, phenolic resin area, and sewage sludge area. Post-
closure permit/HSWA modification for the closed hazardous waste landfills was issued in September 1991.
A final remedy for the Scrap Y ard Area was incorporated into the DEC/EPA permit modification of September
1991. The remedy, implemented in 1992, consisted of:
! Removal and off-site disposal of approximately 24,000 cubic yards of soil contaminated with PCBs,
organic compounds, and metals
! Construction of a low permeability cover
! Long-term inspection and maintenance of the cover, and monitoring of the groundwater.
All of the interim remedial actions that have come due at this site have been accomplished.
Corrective Measures Study
A RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) and a Corrective Measures Study have been completed. The final, site-
wide corrective measures for the CECOS site were selected through the DEC Part 373 permit renewal process.
The permit was renewed in February 1995. The final corrective measures consist of:
! Groundwater extraction and on-site treatment (prior to discharge to the City of Niagara Falls
Wastewater Treatment Plant);
! Maintenance of existing caps and pavement over areas of residual contamination;
! Restrictions on future land development; and
! Restrictions on public access to the facility.
The interim groundwater pump-and-treat program has been successful in containing and remediating the
groundwater contamination at the facility. However, as part of the final remedy, this interim remedial system
will be enhanced to expand the groundwater capture zone and facilitate a more rapid clean-up of the site.
CECOS submitted a Corrective Measure Implementation (CMI) design in August 1995 and prepared an
addendum to the design plan that included an aquifer pumping test program. A short-term pumping test was
conducted in October-November 1995 to evaluate the potential use of existing wells as both pumping wells and
monitoring wells for the CMI. An extended trial CMI pumping test was conducted in February-May 1996 to
test additional wells and to optimize pumping rates over a longer duration (to determine the extent of long-term
capture zones to control contaminant migration). Several existing recovery wells, an existing collection drain,
and a new recovery well are being operated for the CMI. CECOS submitted a new CMI design in November
1996. The CMI was started up in December 1996. The remedial system continues to be operated.
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Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this site:
Federal $ (Not available)
State $ (Not available)
PRP $ (Not available)
It is estimated that the following amounts will be spent from now to the completion of remediation:
Federal $ (Not available)
State $ (Not available)
PRP $ (Not available)
CECOS INTERNATIONAL
Output
Responsible Party
Previous
Target Date
Current
Schedule
RFI Work Plan Approval
DEC/EPA
Sep 1989
COMPLETED
RFI Completion
Permittee
Sep 1991
COMPLETED
Stabilization Start-up (Groundwater)
Permittee
COMPLETED
Start-up of CMI (Scrap Yard)
Permittee
COMPLETED
CMS Work Plan Approval
DEC/EPA
Apr 1992
COMPLETED
CMS Completion
Permittee
Apr 1993
COMPLETED
Remedy Selection (site-wide)
DEC/EPA
Dec 1994
COMPLETED
CMI Work Plan Approval
(site-wide)
DEC/EPA
Apr 1995
COMPLETED
Start-nn of CMI (site-wide)
Permittee
Anr 199fi
COMPI FTFn
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OCCIDENTAL CHEMICAL -- HYDE PARK
Site #39
Site Program: Federal/State Co-lead: Superfund
Summary Prepared by: EPA
Site Description
Occidental Chemical Corporation's (OCC) Hyde Park site is a 15-acre landfill in northwest Niagara Falls, less
than Zi mile from the Niagara River.
From 1953 to 1975, the company (then Hooker Chemicals and Plastics) deposited approximately 80,000 tons
of chemical wastes at the site. The hazardous materials disposed on site included 3,300 tons of 2,4,5-
trichlorophenol (TCP) wastes, which are known to contain significant amounts of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-
dioxin (TCDD); approximately 0.7-1.6 tons of dioxin are believed to be associated with the TCP. Chlorinated
organic wastes, including hexachloropentadiene derivatives, chlorendic acid, chlorinated toluenes, benzenes
and phenols, predominate at the site. The former drainage stream of the landfill, Bloody Run, which flows into
the Niagara River, was historically contaminated with organic chemicals, including dioxin. A clay cap and a
shallow leachate collection system were installed at the site in 1979.
There is an overburden and a bedrock aquifer present under this site. Groundwater flows both downward and
horizontally through the fractures and layers of the bedrock. The aquifers flow generally northwest, toward
the Niagara River Gorge. Contaminants have migrated from the site in both aqueous and non-aqueous phases
in the overburden and bedrock. Dioxin from the site has previously been found in contaminated groundwater
seeping to the River from the Gorge face, located 1,600 feet west-northwest of the site.
Although, as summarized below, remedial action has not been completed at the site, the remedial action taken
at the site to date has substantially reduced off-site migration. Since installation of an overburden remediation
system in 1991, groundwater in the overburden is no longer migrating horizontally past the remediation system
around the site. Therefore, no loading of hazardous substances from the site to the Niagara River via
groundwater in the overburden is currently taking place.
Substantial containment of bedrock groundwater has also achieved. The bedrock is separated into three
groundwater zones (upper, middle and lower). Full containment has been achieved in the upper zone, the most
contaminated zone. The middle and lower zones have not been completely contained. Full control has not been
achieved in the northwest corner of the site in these two zones. Approximately 90% of the contaminated
groundwater in the middle zone, and 80-90% of the contaminated groundwater in the lower zone, has been
contained. Remedial work to achieve full containment is continuing, as described below.
APL purge wells at the gorge face have substantially reduced the contaminants reaching the Niagara River.
Sampling at the gorge face seeps in 1997 and 1998 has not detected dioxin, which was found in previous gorge
face surveys.
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Requisite Remedial Technology Agreement
The site is a joint EPA/DEC-lead Superfund site on the National Priorities List and is governed by a pre-
CERCLA settlement agreement. EPA sued to require OCC to remediate the site in 1979. In January 1981,
EPA, DEC, and OCC filed a Stipulation and Judgment Approving Settlement Agreement. Since 1982, OCC
has been implementing the settlement agreement. Agreement on a Requisite Remedial Technology (RRT) was
approved by the court in 1986. The RRT includes:
! Source Control (prototype landfill extraction wells);
! Containment and collection of contaminants in the overburden (overburden barrier collection system)
and the Lockport bedrock (purge and recirculation wells);
! An Intermediate and Deep Formations Study (monitoring wells);
! A Community Monitoring Program (monitoring wells) for early detection of plumes;
! An Industrial Protection Program for neighboring industries;
! Treatment and monitoring of collected leachates:
" Aqueous-phase liquids to be treated on-site;
" Non-aqueous phase liquids to be destroyed by incineration;
! Site Capping;
! Gorge Face Seep Remediation to isolate seeps from the public;
! A TCDD bioaccumulation study in Lake Ontario; and
! Bloody Run Creek excavation and monitoring; and
! Long-term monitoring.
Major Remedial Activities
Action
Start
Complete
Intermediate Formation Wells
10/88
12/89
Leachate Storage Facility
--
05/89
Leachate Treatment Facility
--
04/91
Upgrade APL Treatment System
01/98
03/98
Lagoon Closure
07/90
01/92
Phase 1 Source Control Extraction Wells Installed
04/90
06/90
Phase II Source Control Extraction Wells Installed
04/94
07/94
Overburden Barrier Collection System
--
11/90
APL/NAPL Plume Redefinition
04/90
07/90
Phase 1 Prototype Purge Wells Installed
04/90
07/90
Phase II Prototype Purge Wells
03/93
12/93
Phase III Purge Wells
05/97
3 Bedrock Purge Wells and Force Mains Installed
03/98
12/98
3 Additional Bedrock Purge Wells and Force Mains
03/99
12/99
Recirculation Wells
01/91
03/91
Cluster Monitoring Wells
06/90
09/90
Landfill CaD
08/94
12/94
The status of activities included in the schedule follows.
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Community Monitoring Wells provide early detection of chemical migration. They are sampled and analyzed
quarterly to ensure the safety of the community. The well data confirm that the hydraulic gradient near the
community is downward, thereby ensuring that chemical migration toward the community is not an issue.
Under the Industrial Protection Program, sumps in neighboring industries have been sealed, as have some
manholes. Annual inspections are conducted to maintain the integrity of this program.
Fences prevent access to the Gorge Face seeps; seep water has been diverted into culverts and pipes to prevent
humans from being exposed to the potentially contaminated water; and contaminated sediments were scraped
away. Sampling ofthe fenced seeps was conducted in 1997 and 1998. Results indicated no need for additional
control or remediation of the seep areas. Annual inspections are performed at all recorded seep locations.
The on-site Leachate Storage and Handling Facility was completed in April 1990. 155,000 gallons of NAPL
which had been stored on-site in the lagoons and four railroad tank cars were pumped into the leachate storage
facility and the lagoons were closed in January 1992.
The Treatment Facility was brought on-line in April 1991. The contaminants collected through the remedial
systems are treated on-site. Aqueous-phase liquids pass through an inclined plane settler, filters, and sacrificial
carbon pre-treatment to remove dioxins and PCBs. This is followed activated carbon treatment. Biological
treatment, which was not required in the settlement agreement, was added by OCC in an attempt to reduce
treatment costs. It was subsequently discontinued. All vapors in the closed system are treated, and NAPL is
trucked to Laidlaw Environmental Services in Deer Park, Texas, for incineration. To date, 286,600 gallons
of NAPL have been destroyed.
Prior to the trucking, NAPL was destroyed at OCC's Niagara Plant Incinerator. The plant's permit was
modified by EPA and DEC in November 1990 to allow destruction of NAPL from Hyde Park (and other
Occidental sites). This was the first commercially-owned incinerator in the U.S. specifically permitted to
destroy dioxin wastes.
The Overburden Barrier Collection System, a drain system around the entire landfill, was installed in 1990.
Occidental continuously operates its pumps, preventing the migration of contaminants through the overburden.
Installation of two 36-inch diameter Source Control extraction wells within the landfill itself was completed
in June 1990. Phased pump tests were conducted and evaluated throughout 1991 and 1992. Based on the
results of these pump tests, four additional source control wells of smaller diameter were installed in the landfill
in 1994. These additional wells are equipped with two-phase flow submersible pumps which should enhance
the flow of NAPL into these Source Control wells. The NAPL collected by these wells is pumped by force
mains into the Leachate Treatment Facility's NAPL storage tank.
The Lake Ontario TCDD bioaccumulation study was completed in May 1990. Fish and sediment samples from
Lake Ontario were analyzed for TCDD, and a laboratory study of the uptake of TCDD by lake trout was
conducted.
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In 1990, the extent of the aqueous-phase liquid/non-aqueous phase liquid plumes in the overburden and bedrock
were redefined. This information was considered in the implementation of the remedy for the site.
The objective of the bedrock NAPL plume containment system is to create a "zone of capture" around purge
wells down gradient of the landfill so that contaminated ground water can be collected in these purge wells and
pumped to the Leachate Treatment Facility. The bedrock purge well system was installed in a phased
approach:
! Phase I of the system was installed in the NAPL plume area and pump tests were performed on
individual and multiple wells. Based on these tests, additional purge wells (Phase II) were installed
in late 1993.
! Pump tests were performed on the Phase II wells in early 1994 to determine if there was an adequate
zone of capture surrounding these wells. Phase II wells did not meet the performance criteria and more
wells were needed.
! OCC installed Phase III wells in 1997, along with the associated monitoring wells. The force mains
to connect these wells to the Hyde Park Leachate Treatment Plant were completed in May 1997.
! Phase III monitoring indicated that the bedrock NAPL collection system in this area still did not meet
performance criteria. Three pumping wells were installed and connected by force mains to the on-site
treatment facility in 1998. Three additional wells are being installed in 1999 and the force mains will
be completed by December 1999.
! Additional wells may be necessary to assure an inward hydraulic gradient on all vectors within the
bedrock. The dates shown below for completion of remedial system construction (December 1999)
and final remedy completion (December 2000) would allow time for installation and testing of
additional extraction wells, if necessary
Excavation of Bloody Run Creek began in October 1992 and was completed in March 1993. Occidental
removed 29,200 cubic yards of contaminated sediment and lined the creek bed with rocks. Samples taken at
the bottom and sides of the excavation confirmed the effectiveness of this remedy.
The sewer under University Drive adjacent to Niagara University was sealed and a new sewer was installed
in 1993. A sewer was relocated at Tams Ceramics, a neighboring industrial plant in 1989, and the College
Heights sewer was remediated in 1990.
The perimeter cap of the landfill was completed in 1991. A low permeability cap was placed over the entire
landfill in 1994.
Complex site conditions and difficulties in pumping NAPL have resulted in the installation of additional wells,
thus delaying completion of remediation. However, the landfill has been capped, a leachate collection system
surrounds the landfill, NAPL is being extracted and destroyed, and Bloody Run creek has been excavated.
Also, additional wells have been installed to ensure sufficient bedrock NAPL containment. By September
1999, all remedial systems for the overburden and bedrock will be completed. It is expected that these remedial
Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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A-20
systems will be operational* by December 2000. Remedial efforts now focus on operating, monitoring and
adjusting the systems to ensure remedial effectiveness.
During January - March 1998, the APL treatment system was upgraded to handle a higher flow of 100-150
gallons per minute.
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this site:
Federal $ 11,000,000
PRP $ 47,000,000
It is estimated that $ 2,000,000/year will be spent on the Operation and Maintenance of the site for
approximately the next 30 years.
OCCIDENTAL CHEMICAL --
HYDE PARK
Output
Responsible Party
Target Date
Current Schedule
Remedial Action Completed for Bloody
Run Creek
PRP
Jan 1993
COMPLETED
Remedial Systems Construction
Completed (See above table for detailed
list of remedial actions)
PRP
March 1996
Dec 1999
Remedial Action ComDletion"
PRP
March 1997
Dec 2000
Remedial systems are considered "operational" when they are operating as designed and are
meeting their performance criteria. Once the remedial systems are declared operational, the
Remedial Action is completed. Then, the Operation and Maintenance period follows.
Remedial systems are considered "operational" when they are operating as designed and are
meeting their performance criteria. Once the remedial systems are declared operational, the
Remedial Action is completed. Then, the Operation and Maintenance period follows.
Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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A-21
102nd STREET
Sites # 40, 56, 85, and 94
Site Program: Federal Superfund
Summary Prepared By: EPA
Site Description
The 102nd Street site is located at the eastern edge of the City of Niagara Falls, on the banks of the
Niagara River. The site encompasses 22.1 acres, owned by two Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs):
15.6 acres owned by Occidental Chemical Corporation (formerly Hooker Chemical and Plastics
Corporation) and 6.5 acres are owned by Olin Chemical Corporation.
This landfill was used from 1943 to 1971 for the disposal of an estimated 159,000 tons of wastes,
including organic and inorganic phosphates (1,300 tons), hexachlorocyclohexanes (>1,500 tons), chemical
and demolition wastes, and fly ash.
There are overburden and bedrock aquifers present under this site. A clay and till layer acts as an aquitard
(or barrier) between the overburden and the bedrock. Although water flows in several directions in each
aquifer, the average flow direction and ultimate discharge point is south to the Niagara River. A small
portion of the groundwater from the upper two aquifers along the eastern site boundary flows east into an
adjacent storm sewer, which ultimately discharges into the Niagara River upstream of the site.
Site Investigation
This National Priorities List site has been the subject of state and federal litigation, and is a joint
EPA/DEC-lead Superfund site. EPA and the State of New York sued Occidental Chemical Corporation
and the Olin Corporation in December 1979.
Interim remedial efforts taken at this site include bulkheading along the shoreline to minimize erosion into
the river and the installation of a clay cap in the 1970s.
A Remedial Investigation (RI) was performed to determine the nature and extent of contamination in the
soils and ground water. The RI, Feasibility Study (FS) and the Record of Decision (ROD) were completed
in 1990.
The target dates for remedial action were delayed by approximately one year of negotiations, during which
the PRPs disagreed with the terms of a proposed Consent Decree. Instead of continuing negotiations, EPA
issued an Administrative Order in September 1991, requiring the companies to perform the remedial design
and remedial action. An "Intent-to-Comply" letter was signed by the PRPs in October 1991, at which time
the Remedial Design started.
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A-22
Remedial Design
The remedial design of this site was delayed when the natural resource trustees (federal and state)
expressed concerns about 5 acres of the embayment that was proposed in the design to be enclosed within a
slurry wall and covered by the final landfill cap. Design modifications were explored to reduce the
embayment loss to approximately 2 to 3 acres by constructing the slurry wall closer to the shoreline. The
1990 ROD, however, required that hot spots of contaminated sediments that would be outside the slurry
wall be excavated and incinerated. The proposed design change would have left known hot spots of
contaminated sediment outside the slurry wall, substantially changing the scope and cost of the remedy
from that initially contemplated. A Record of Decision Amendment, signed by EPA in June 1995,
eliminated the contingency requiring the incineration of any hot spots of sediments that would be left
outside the slurry wall. The amended ROD required these sediments to be excavated and placed behind the
wall within the encapsulated landfill.
Remedial Activities
Construction of remedial activities began in March 1996. A cofferdam was built around the embayment.
After a fish survey was completed, game fish were removed from the embayment. Contaminated sediments
were removed from the embayment. Perimeter soils were excavated and placed on site. The redesign
discussed above enabled over 2 acres of embayment water resources to be saved. A slurry wall was built
around the site to prevent contaminants from leaking into the River. The final landfill cap was completed
in 1998, to prevent rainwater from infiltrating the waste and carrying contamination off-site.
An additional change in the remedial design is taking advantage of excess capacity at the Love Canal
Treatment Plant. Instead of on-site leachate treatment, a force main was constructed to pump leachate
from the 102nd Street Site to the Love Canal Treatment Plant. This change did not delay the completion
and optimization of the final remedial action.
The leachate pumping system was completed in December 1998, at which time the potential for
contaminants to run to the River from this site was eliminated. Landscaping and optimization of the pump-
and-treat system was completed in March 1999.
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this site:
It is estimated that the following amounts will be spent from now to the completion of remediation:
Federal
State
PRP
$ 7,900,000 (Indirect costs not included.)
$ (State costs are included with EPA costs)
$ 18,000,000
Federal
State
PRP
$ 2,000,000
$ (State costs will be included with EPA costs)
$ 8,000,000
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A-23
102ND STREET
Output
Responsible Party
Previous
Target Date
Current Schedule
Final RI/FS Report
PRPs (Olin and Occidental)
Mar 1990
COMPLETED
Record of Decision
EPA/DEC
Sep 1990
COMPLETED
Record of Decision Amendment
EPA/DEC
Jun 1995
COMPLETED
Remedial Design Start
PRPs
Dec 1993
COMPLETED
Remedial Action Start
PRPs
Dec 1993
COMPLETED
Remedial Action ComDletion
PRPs
Dec 1995
COMPLETED*
The potential for contaminants to flow to Niagara River from this site was eliminated in
December 1998, when the leachate pumping system was completed. Landscaping and
optimization of the pump-and-treat system was completed in March 1999.
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A-24
BELL AEROSPACE TEXTRON
Site # 5
Site Program: RCRA (State and Federal)
Summary Prepared by: EPA and DEC
Site Description
The Bell Aerospace Textron plant is located approximately 2.5 miles north of the Niagara River, adjacent
to the Niagara Falls International Airport.
Between 1950 and 1980, the company used an unlined 60' X 100' surface impoundment to collect wash
water from rocket engine test firings, storm run-off, and solvent drippings from cleaning, degreasing, and
anodizing operations. Hazardous waste and constituents of concern include trichloroethylene and
dichloroethylene. The wastes were discharged to a sanitary sewer after pH adjustment.
Beneath the site lies one overburden and two bedrock aquifers. Groundwater flow through the overburden
aquifer is primarily to the south-southeast. There is a potential vertical flow between the overburden and
the upper bedrock aquifer, and at least some of the groundwater from the overburden discharges to
Bergholtz Creek. The upper bedrock aquifer flows primarily in a southeasterly direction and in the lower
bedrock aquifer groundwater flow is generally to the south. The down-gradient extent of groundwater
contamination in each of the three aquifers has been well defined, and, currently, no contaminated
groundwater appears to be discharging directly to the Niagara River.
Remedial Actions
Bell Aerospace Textron is a RCRA site with a closed surface impoundment. The company excavated 1225
tons of contaminated soil and capped the area in 1987.
All of the remedial actions that were required here have been accomplished on schedule.
Since the initial 1989 hazardous waste site report, a RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) has determined the
extent of contaminant migration and a Corrective Measures Study (CMS) has addressed on- and off-site
groundwater contamination. A State Part 373 post-closure permit was issued to Bell Aerospace in
September 1992. The permit required final Corrective Measures Implementation (CMI), consisting of
groundwater pump-and-treat programs for on- and off-site contamination.
The remedial program is designed to intercept the bedrock groundwater that is migrating off-site toward the
Niagara River. It consists of the installation of 11 groundwater extraction wells.
The off-site remedial system was started up in April 1993. It is achieving its designed objective. The
capture zone associated with the system covers the area of groundwater contamination, and the areal extent
of the contamination is diminishing. Five extraction wells have been installed to contain the off-site
groundwater. The extracted groundwater contamination is discharged into the publicly owned
Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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A-25
treatment works (POTW) of the Town of Wheatfield. The off-site system is designed to recover two
pounds of volatile compounds daily. The performance of the off-site remedial system is considered
acceptable.
The on-site remedial system began the start-up operating period in April 1995. Several technical
problems prevented the on-site system from attaining all of its design objectives. The remedial system was
redesigned to address these problems, and the following two modifications were made:
The installation of a 900 foot-long pipeline to divert the cooling water discharge from a rocket
testing facility operating at the site to the storm drainage system; and
The installation of a slurry wall barrier along the main sewer line on Walmore Road to prevent the
water migration from the sewer line to the on-site system.
However, even after these modifications, the on-site system was still not attaining satisfactory hydraulic
containment. To address this, an additional extraction well was installed along the southern boundary of
the site. This well was installed in July 1998, and is currently in operation. This has increased the
groundwater capture zone along the southern edge of the facility, however the capture zone was not
consistently continuous from two of the five extraction wells. A higher capacity pump has been in
operation on the new well since August 20, 1999, thus increasing the groundwater pumping rate.
With the above modifications, it is expected that all contaminated groundwater is being intercepted and
treated on-site, so that no loading is currently migrating from the site. Six extraction wells are currently
operating in the on-site system. The operation of the higher capacity pump is expected to maintain a
continuous capture zone. The on-site system is designed to recover four pounds of volatile compounds
daily. Data are being collected to demonstrate that the enhanced system is meeting its design goals.
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent through May 1998 on remediating this site:
Federal $ (Oversight costs not available)
State $ (Oversight costs not available)
PRP $ 1,600,000 (Capital/Operation/Maintenance)
It is estimated that the following amounts will be spent from May 1998 over the next ten years for
operation and maintenance.
Federal $ (Not available)
State $ (Not available)
PRP $ 500,000
Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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A-26
CO
m
LL AEROSPACE TEXTRON
Output
Responsible Party
Previous
Target Date
Current
Schedule
RFI Work Plan Approval
DEC/EPA
May 1990
COMPLETED
RFI Work Plan Approval for Phase II
DEC/EPA
None
COMPLETED
RFI Completion
Permittee
Jul 1991
COMPLETED
CMS Work Plan Approval
DEC/EPA
Dec 1991
COMPLETED
CMS Completion
Permittee
May 1992
COMPLETED
Remedy Selection
DEC/EPA
Oct 1992
COMPLETED
CMI Work Plan Approval
(off-site)
DEC/EPA
Apr 1993
COMPLETED
CMI Work Plan Approval
(on-site)
DEC/EPA
Sep 1993
COMPLETED
Start-up of CMI (off-site)
Permittee
Apr 1996
COMPLETED
Start-UD of CMI (on-site) *
Permittee
Nov 1994
COMPLETED
* Start-up completed. On-site system is still being tested and optimized.
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A-27
OCCIDENTAL CHEMICAL -- DUREZ DIVISION, NIAGARA FALLS
(Formerly BTL Specialty Resins)
Site # 66
Site Program: RCRA (State and Federal)
Summary Prepared by: EPA and DEC
Site Description
Occidental Chemical Corporation (OCC) operates a phenol-formaldehyde resin manufacturing plant at
5000 Packard Road, Niagara Falls, known until June 1986 as the Varcum Chemical Division of Reichhold
Chemicals, Inc. and until October 1989 as BTL Specialty Resins. The 5-acre site is approximately 3 miles
north of the Niagara River.
The hazardous wastes generated at this site are ignitable and/or toxic solvent washings from reactor
vessels, spilled raw materials and small amounts of laboratory samples. These wastes are accumulated,
stored, treated, and incinerated on site.
Under this site lie one overburden aquifer and four bedrock aquifers. Bedrock groundwater flow is along
both horizontal and vertical fractures. In general, the groundwater flow direction before remedial activities
took place at the site was south to southwest, with the upper most bedrock aquifer flowing southeast.
Interim Remedial Measures
Three recovery wells began pumping in February 1989 to capture and remediate the groundwater under the
site. These recovery wells affected groundwater flow in the overburden and the upper bedrock aquifers.
Most of the contaminated groundwater from the uppermost bedrock aquifer and from the aquifer below it is
captured by the recovery wells.
In May 1990, DEC issued OCC a state Part 373 Permit for the storage, treatment, and incineration of
hazardous waste on-site. An EPA Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA) permit was issued in
March 1991. Both permits required corrective action. As required by the permits:
Four carbon-steel tanks were installed to replace a 30,000 gallon hazardous waste storage tank;
The incinerator was modified with a larger burner, an expanded combustion chamber, a new
double-layered refractory, a new control system, automatic alarm, and waste feed cut-off systems,
and new instrumentation and piping. Prior to operation, a trial burn was conducted;
Approximately 3,000 tons of phenolic-contaminated soil were removed from the tank farm area in
1990. Additional areas with contaminated soils were capped.
Site Investigation and Additional Interim Remedial Measures
The RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) Work plan was approved in May 1990, and the RFI was completed
in November 1992. The main area of chemical presence is beneath the tank farm area on the east side of
the facility. The predominant overburden and bedrock groundwater contaminants are total recoverable
Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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A-28
phenolics, ethylbenzene, total xylenes, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, and 1,4-dichlorobenzene. The vertical extent
of groundwater contamination is limited to the overburden and the first three bedrock aquifer zones. With
the exception of the tank farm area, chemical concentrations in the soils were less than action levels for soil
ingestion. The soils are not a significant source of groundwater contamination; nevertheless, all open
spaces on the site have been paved over.
As an interim corrective measure, beginning in February 1989, OCC has pumped bedrock ground water
contaminated with phenols and other organics (primarily non-chlorinated solvents) to its biological
treatment facility, prior to discharge to the Niagara Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant. EPA and DEC
required OCC to submit interim reports to assess whether groundwater was being remediated adequately,
and to assess the need for modifications, such as increasing pumping rates or installing additional wells.
The groundwater pumping rate was doubled in 1990 with the addition of new treatment capacity at OCC's
treatment facility which was constructed that year. Also, as an interim corrective measure to address the
overburden groundwater contamination at the tank farm area, an overburden drain tile collection system
began operating in 1993. The purged water is pretreated in the on-site wastewater treatment facility, prior
to discharge to the Niagara Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant.
From April 1994 through August 1998, 22,624,389 gallons of bedrock groundwater were pumped and
treated. Since the start-up of the drain tile system in January 1993 through August 1998, 189,620 gallons
of overburden groundwater have been removed and treated. Approximately 25,442 pounds of
contaminants have been removed.
Remedial Actions
The Corrective Measures study report has been approved. EPA and DEC have determined that the existing
groundwater recovery systems which have been operating as interim corrective measures are capable of
serving as the final groundwater remedy for the facility. The DEC Part 373 permit was modified in
September 1995 to specify the final corrective measures. In addition to operation of the groundwater
recovery systems, the final corrective measures include maintaining existing caps and pavement over areas
of contaminated soil, restricting site access, and restricting future site development. Pursuant to the DEC
Part 373 permit, OCC prepares monthly reports on the operating status of the groundwater recovery
systems and is required to prepare comprehensive annual reports on performance monitoring of the
recovery systems. The performance monitoring includes hydraulic monitoring, to establish the extent of
plume capture, and chemical monitoring, to evaluate changes in groundwater quality.
The remedial actions that have come due at this site have been accomplished ahead of schedule, and
Corrective Measure Implementation is underway.
Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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A-29
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this site:
Federal $ (Not available)
State $ (Not available)
PRP $ (Not available)
It is estimated that the following amounts will be spent from now to the completion of remediation:
Federal $ (Not available)
State $ (Not available)
PRP $ (Not available)
OCC--
DUREZ, NIAGARA FALLS
Output
Responsible
Party
Previous
Target Date
Current
Schedule
RFI Work plan Approval
DEC/EPA
Jul 1990
COMPLETED
RFI Completion
Permittee
Sep 1992
COMPLETED
Stabilization Start-up
Permittee
COMPLETED
CMS Work plan Approval
DEC/EPA
Jun1993
COMPLETED
CMS Completion
Permittee
Dec 1993
COMPLETED
Remedy Selection*
EPA/DEC
Dec 1994
COMPLETED
CMI Work plan Approval
EPA/DEC
Feb 1995
COMPLETED
Start-up of CMI
Permittee
Dec 1996
COMPLETED
EPA and DEC have determined that the existing interim corrective measures groundwater
pump-and-treat program is capable of serving as the final groundwater remedy for the site. The
DEC Part 373 permit was modified in September 1995 to formally select the final remedy.
Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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A-30
OCCIDENTAL CHEMICAL S-AREA
Site # 41A
Site Program: Federal/State Co-lead: Superfund
Summary Prepared by: EPA
Site Description
The S-Area site is an eight-acre landfill on Occidental Chemical Corporation's (OCC) Buffalo Avenue
Plant in Niagara Falls. Approximately 200 yards to the south is the Niagara River and immediately to the
east is the City of Niagara Falls drinking water treatment plant.
The site was used primarily from 1947 to 1961 for the disposal of approximately 63,000 tons of organic
and inorganic chemicals. Chemicals deposited at the site included chlorobenzenes, organic phosphates,
acid chlorides, phenol tars, thionyl chloride, chlorendic acid, trichlorophenol, benzoyl chloride, liquid and
chlorotoluene-based disulfides, metal chlorides, thiodan, and miscellaneous chlorinated hydrocarbons.
One overburden and four bedrock aquifers exist under this site. While the bedrock aquifers flow generally
north-northwest onto the main OCC - Buffalo Avenue Site, only the overburden aquifer flows south to the
Niagara River.
Requisite Remedial Technology Agreement
This National Priorities List site is a joint EPA/DEC-lead responsibility, governed by a non-CERCLA
settlement agreement, effective June 1985. The agreement provided for a source control remedy,
monitoring programs, and a remedial plan for the Niagara Falls Drinking Water Treatment Plant (DWTP).
The DWTP main bedrock intake tunnel was shut down due to the presence of NAPL contamination. In the
interim, the City's backup, emergency intake pipe was used to draw water from the Niagara River. The S-
Area site was surveyed by OCC from December 1986 to April 1988 to determine the extent of chemical
migration from the landfill. This survey was the basis for a Requisite Remedial Technology (RRT) report
to EPA in November 1988.
As a result of the RRT Report and subsequent RRT negotiations among EPA/DEC, OCC and the City of
Niagara Falls, an amendment (RRT stipulation) to the 1985 settlement agreement was submitted to the
court in September 1990 and approved in April 1991. The RRT stipulation included construction of a new
DWTP for the City of Niagara Falls at a new location, to be funded by the City and OCC.
Remedial Actions
Collection and containment remedial systems were installed at the landfill from 1990 to 1995. Initial
testing and operational start-up began on November 1, 1995. The remedial systems are designed to
eliminate the contaminant loadings from the site to the Niagara River by containment and collection of
contaminated ground water and NAPL. Contaminated ground water and NAPL are currently being
collected and treated on-site. Assessment of the remedial systems performance began in early 1997, and is
being done on a semi-annual basis.
Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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A-31
One of the components of the landfill remedy (drain collection system) is not functioning as designed. An
investigation in late 1997 revealed that the drain pipe is collapsed at several locations. OCC's efforts to
enhance the performance of the drain collection system in 1998 were unsuccessful and the EPA/DEC
directed OCC to replace the system in 1999. The replacement of the drain collection system will delay the
construction of the final landfill cap until 2000.
The new DWTP was completed and fully operational by March 1997. The remedial activities planned for
the old DWTP and property, including the decommission and demolition of the plant, began thereafter and
are on-going. It is noted that the performance of such activities had to wait until the new DWTP was built
and on-line. The demolition of the old DWTP was performed in 1997 and early 1998. The eastern barrier
wall was completed in May 1998. The overburden drain collection system for the former DWTP was
completed in 1999. Construction of the DWTP cap commenced in 1998 and should be completed by the
end of 1999.
Securement of the raw water intake structures from the old DWTP is scheduled for completion in 2000.
The grouting of the DWTP bedrock intake tunnel is being planned and construction is scheduled for 2000.
The full remedial program for this site consists of:
A slurry barrier wall in the overburden to contain the NAPL plume;
Installation of a drain system and collection wells in the overburden to: 1) collect contaminated
ground water and NAPL, and 2) create an inward hydraulic gradient across the barrier walls and
an upward hydraulic gradient from the underlying bedrock to the overburden within the barrier
wall;
Installation of bedrock purge wells to contain the NAPL plume in the bedrock;
Capping of the site to reduce infiltration;
Overburden and bedrock monitoring to determine the effectiveness of remedial systems;
Incineration of non-aqueous-phase liquids; and
Treatment of APLs by carbon adsorption and discharge to a permitted outfall.
The remedial systems will continue to operate for at least 30 years.
The following progress has been made:
The northern, western, and southern portions of the barrier wall were built in late 1994/early 1995.
The drain collection system, APL/NAPL collection wells (i.e., pumping wells), and the force mains
for the drain and collection wells were completed in 1995 for the landfill. Additional wells were
installed in 1997 to improve the performance of the system in collecting NAPL. The drain
collection system for the former DWTP property was completed in 1999.
Operation of the landfill drain collection system and collection wells began in 1996. As noted
above, the drain collection system did not function as designed due to damage of the collection pipe
and non-functioning stone backfill. The system is being replaced in 1999.
An APL/NAPL storage facility and carbon adsorption treatment facility have been constructed on
site and currently receive APL/NAPL from the overburden and bedrock collection wells.
Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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A-32
A perimeter landfill cap was installed between March and August 1996 to reduce infiltration. It
included a 2-foot clay layer and flexible membrane liner near the Robert Moses Parkway, and
asphalt paving west and north of the landfill.
The final landfill cap was scheduled for construction in 1999, but is to be delayed until 2000 so
that the drain collection system can be replaced.
The new DWTP was completed in March 1997, and now supplies the City of Niagara Falls with
its drinking water.
The demolition of the old DWTP was completed in early 1998.
The eastern barrier wall at the DWTP property was completed in May 1998.
The DWTP drain collection system was completed in 1999.
The construction of the DWTP cap commenced in 1998 and should be completed by the end of
An updated schedule for remediation of the site follows. The schedule shows that remedial action at the
site actually began before completion of all components of the remedial design. Completion of the remedy
at the S-Area site was delayed, because, after the site was surveyed between 1986 and 1988, the remedy
was substantially expanded to include adjacent off-site areas that were found to be contaminated.
Subsequently, the target dates were revised for the 1991 RRT stipulation. In 1993, construction activities
were also postponed until the Environmental Health & Safety Plan Air Monitoring program was modified.
Construction resumed in June 1994. As noted above, the remedial actions for the DWTP property could
not begin until the new DWTP was completed and operational. EPA anticipates that completion of the
landfill remedy (including the final landfill cap) will be delayed until 2000 due to the problems with the
landfill drain collection system.
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this site:
It is estimated that the following amounts will be spent from now to the completion of remediation:
1999.
Federal
State
PRP
$ 10,250,000
$ (State costs were covered under EPA costs through grants)
$42,174,000
Federal
State
PRP
$ 1,850,000
$ (Not available)
$ 8,000,000 (Capital costs)
$ 2 to 3,000,000 per year for 30 years (Operation & Maintenance)
Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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A-33
OCC S-AREA
Output
Responsible
Party
Previous Target
Date
Current Schedule
RRT Survey work (Rl) Completion
PRP
COMPLETED
RRT Study (FS) approved
PRP
___
COMPLETED
Record of Decision (RRT Stipulation)
EPA/DEC
Mar 1990
COMPLETED
Remedial Design (RD) Start
PRP
___
COMPLETED
Remedial
Start
PRP
Jun 1991
COMPLETED
Actions
(RA)
Construction of new DWTP
PRP
Apr 1997
COMPLETED
Demolish old DWTP
PRP
Sep 1997
COMPLETED
DWTP cap & drain
collection system
PRP
1998
1999*
Securement of raw water
intake structures from the
old DWTP
PRP
1999
2000
Perimeter landfill cap &
drain collection system
PRP
N/A
COMPLETED"
Final landfill cap
PRP
1999
2000
Construct Eastern barrier
wall
PRP
Jul 1998
COMPLETED
RA Completion
PRP
1999
2000
~
DWTP drain collection system is completed. Construction of cap is nearing completion.
S-Area drain collection system did not junction as designed, and is being replaced. Completion expected in
1999.
Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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A-34
STAUFFER CHEMICAL
Site #255
Site Program: N.Y. Division of Hazardous Waste Remediation
Summary Prepared by: DEC
Site Description
The Stauffer Chemical Plant site occupies about 23 acres, located about 1/4 mile east of the Niagara River
in the Town of Lewiston.
Used for manufacturing from 1900 to 1976, the site was occupied by Stauffer Chemical from 1930 to
1976. Carbon tetrachloride and various metallic chlorides were produced on site, and methylene chloride
and tetrachloroethylene were repackaged from bulk shipments. Plant operations terminated in 1976, and
the site was razed in 1980. Disposal occurred on the plant site, as well as in two small landfills on the
PASNY property to the east.
There are four significant, and one less significant, bedrock aquifers under the site. The flow direction for
all water-bearing layers is southwest, towards the Power Authority of New York Forebay and the Niagara
River.
Site Investigation
The Stauffer Chemical Plant site is a DEC-lead site. Pursuant to a Consent Order, Stauffer Chemical
completed a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility (RI/FS) study of the site. The Record of Decision (ROD)
was signed July 1992, and consent order for the remedial design/remedial action was executed in July 1993.
The main components of the remedial plan included bedrock groundwater pumping and treatment, and soil
vapor extraction, both on and off site. The plan also included re-grading of the site.
Delays in the original schedule were due to the need for additional remedial investigative studies to
adequately define the nature and extent of contamination.
Remedial Activities
The remedial design was completed in July 1995. Extensive design work was necessary for proper de-
watering, including pump tests, soil vacuum extraction pilot test, DNAPL treatment, and so on.
Construction of the remedy has been completed.
Remedial actions completed include the following:
Installation of a bedrock pump-and-treat system that will operate for the next 30 years.
Installation of a soil vapor extraction and dewatering system that draws contaminants out of the
soil.
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A-35
Operational difficulties were encountered with the groundwater treatment system. This was corrected in
1997. The groundwater treatment system has been modified. Groundwater now flows through granular
activated carbon prior to discharge to the NYPA Forebay.
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this site:
State $ 180,000
PRP $ 5,100,000
It is estimated that the following amounts will be spent from now on Operation and Maintenance of the
remedial system:
State $ 10,000
PRP $ 1,300,000
STAUFFER CHEMICAL
Output
Responsible
Party
Previous Target
Date
Current
Schedule
RI/FS
PRP
Sept. 1990
COMPLETED
Record of Decision
DEC
Jan. 1991
COMPLETED
Remedial Design
PRP
April 1993
COMPLETED
Remedial Action Completion
PRP
April 1994
COMPLETED
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A-36
SOLVENT CHEMICAL
Site #251
Site Program: N.Y. Division of Hazardous Waste Remediation
Summary Prepared by: DEC
Site Description
The Solvent Chemical site occupies approximately 6 acres in the City of Niagara Falls. The site is located
about 1/4 mile north of the Niagara River.
The Solvent Chemical plant site has been used for manufacturing operations at various times from 1941 to
1978 by DuPont, Hooker Chemical and Solvent Chemical. DuPont and Hooker produced impregnite;
Solvent Chemical manufactured chlorinated hydrocarbons, zinc chloride and zinc ammonium chloride.
Chemicals disposed on site include zinc, benzene and chlorinated benzenes.
Five water-bearing layers have been significantly impacted by site contaminants: the saturated overburden
layer and four bedrock zones. The groundwater in the overburden flows to the north. The bedrock aquifers
generally flow to the northeast. Groundwater in the site area is influenced by the Falls Street Tunnel (due
north of the site), and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) conduits (about 1,500 feet east of the site),
which drain bedrock groundwater in the area. The majority of the site ground water flows into the Falls
Street Tunnel, either directly or via the NYPA conduits. All of the dry weather flow through the Falls
Street Tunnel now is treated by the Niagara Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant before discharge to the
River.
Site Investigation
The Solvent Chemical site is a DEC/Department of Law-lead site. An initial Remedial Investigation [RI]
(funded by the Potentially Responsible Party [PRP]) was completed in June 1991. Despite lengthy
negotiations, the PRPs did not agree to undertake the Feasibility Study [FS]. The site was referred to State
Superfund for completion of the RI/FS, while the Attorney General's office litigated the matter. Field work
for supplemental investigations needed to support the FS was completed in November 1994. The RI/FS
report was approved in August 1996. The proposed Remedial Action Plan was submitted for public
comment in September 1996. The resulting Record of Decision (ROD) was signed in December 1996.
The Remedial Action Plan includes the following components:
• Existing buildings on site to be demolished.
• Site to be capped.
• Contaminated groundwater to be hydraulically controlled through pump-and-treat systems.
DEC and site PRPs completed legal agreements that require ROD implementation. The settlement was
approved by the U.S. District Court in October 1997. Construction was started in early 1998, but has
been delayed by lack of access agreements with adjacent property owners. Building demolition was
completed in 1998. As of August 1999, all remedial designs except for the groundwater treatment systems
have been completed. Construction of the groundwater treatment systems is set to begin in fall 1999.
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Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this site:
State $ 1,170,000
PRP $ 950,000
It is estimated that the following amounts will be spent from now to the completion of remediation:
State $ 0*
PRP $ 13,250,000
SOLVENT CHEMICAL
Solvent Chemical
Responsible Party
Previous Target
Date
Current
Schedule
Rl
PRPs
Dec 1990
COMPLETED
RI/FS
DEC
Sep 1994
COMPLETED
Record of Decision
DEC
Dec 1994
COMPLETED
Remedial Design Start
PRPs
Dec 1995
COMPLETED
Remedial Action Start
PRPs
Dec 1996
COMPLETED
Remedial Action Completion
PRPs
Dec 1999
May 2001
~
PRP will reimburse future state costs.
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A-38
VANADIUM CORPORATION OF AMERICA
(Formerly SKW Alloys)
Site # 1
Site Program: N.Y. Division of Hazardous Waste Remediation
Summary Prepared by: DEC
Site Description
The Vanadium site is located approximately 1 'A miles east of the Niagara River in the Town of Niagara.
The Vanadium Corporation of America owned and operated a facility at the site from 1920 to 1964 when
approximately 594,000 tons of slag and other refuse were disposed at the site. In 1964, the site was
purchased by the Pittsburgh Metallurgical Company, which subsequently changed its name to Airco
Properties, Inc. Airco disposed wastes similar to the wastes disposed by Vanadium. In 1979, SKW
Alloys, Inc. bought 37 acres of the 62 acre parcel owned by Airco, while Airco retained ownership of the
eastern 25 acres. The Vanadium site consists of both properties as well as property owned by the Niagara
Mohawk Power Corporation and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to the east and north which also
contains waste piles deposited by Vanadium. Chromium is a major contaminant of concern at the site, as
well as a caustic waste which is affecting the pH of the ground and surface water.
The site contains 11 to 24 feet of overburden, consisting of clay, stratified drift and till, underlain by
Lockport Dolomite. Groundwater flow in the area is influenced by the NYPA conduits causing a
groundwater flow divide which bisects the site. Groundwater under the SKW site and most of the Airco
site flows to the southwest. Groundwater under the Niagara Mohawk site, the NYPA site, and the
remainder of the Airco site flows east into the conduit drain system.
Site Investigation and Interim Remedial Measures
The Vanadium site is a DEC-lead site. A Phase I investigation was completed in December 1989. A
Preliminary Site Assessment (Phase II investigation) is complete. Wells were sampled in November 1992
and a report with results and recommendations for site reclassification was completed in September 1993.
As a result of the Preliminary Site Assessment, the site was reclassified to a class 2 (significant threat to
the public health or the environment, action required) on April 3, 1995. In 1997, DEC completed a study
(IIWA) to further define the nature and extent of contamination at the Niagara Mohawk and NYPA
properties.
Under Consent Order, SKW completed an Interim Remedial Measure to cover portions of their parcel and
control site storm water runoff. This remedial measure was completed in November 1998. DEC and Airco
are negotiating an Interim Remedial Measure (IRM) project proposed by Airco to cap the landfill on their
portion of the site.
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Schedule for Completion
A schedule for completion is presented below. The site PRPs have not agreed to act as a group. This has
contributed to delays in the schedule due to the need to negotiate individually with the PRPs.
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts for the Interim Remedial Measure:
State $ 30,000 (for SKWIRM)
PRP $ 750,000 (for SKW IRM)
It is estimated that the following amounts will be spent from now to the completion of remediation:
State $ (Not available; site has yet
PRP $ to proceed to remediation)
VANADIUM CORPORATION OF AMERICA
Output
Responsible Party
Previous
Target Date
Current
Schedule
Phase 1 Investigation
DEC
Dec 1989
COMPLETED
Phase II Investigation
DEC
Dec 1991
COMPLETED
IIWA Investigation
DEC
Aug 1997
COMPLETED
Interim Remedial Measure
SKW Alloys, Inc.
Dec 98
COMPLETED
Interim Remedial Measure
Airco
N/A
Dec 2000
RI/FS
DEC
Mar 2000
Mar 2001
Record of Decision
DEC
July 1999
July 2001
Remedial Design
PRP or DEC
July 2000
July 2002
Remedial Action
PRP or DEC
July 2001
July 2003
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A-40
OLIN CORPORATION
Site #58, 59
Site Program: RCRA (State and Federal)
Summary Prepared by: EPA and DEC
Site Description
The Olin Corporation site, 25 acres located on Buffalo Avenue in Niagara Falls, is actually two plants on
separate but contiguous sites, partially separated by the property of the E.I. DuPont Company. Gill Creek
flows through the eastern part of the facility. The site is about 1/4 mile North of the Niagara River.
Olin Corporation has used this site for inorganic chemical production since 1897. Several organic
chemicals, including benzene, chlorobenzene, trichlorobenzene, and trichlorophenol were used or
manufactured between 1950 and 1956. Wastes handled at this facility include: ignitable, corrosive,
reactive, and EPA toxic characteristic wastes and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)-listed
wastes (brine purification muds and wastewater treatment sludge from mercury-cell chlorine production).
Brine sludge, containing mercury and possibly polychlorinated bi-phenyl, was used as fill material in
various locations throughout the site.
The site consists of soil and gravel at 0-3.5 feet, sandy clay at 3.5-5 feet. The bedrock surface lies at 5.5-8
feet. Proximity to the Niagara River and Gill Creek indicates a major potential for contaminant migration.
Ground water on the site exists in shallow unconsolidated deposits and in a bedrock aquifer composed of 3
monitored zones. Shallow groundwater infiltrates to Gill Creek, which discharges to the Niagara River.
In 1984, EPA issued Olin Corporation a RCRA permit to operate the hazardous waste storage and
treatment facilities on this site, but since it was issued before the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments
to RCRA were enacted, it did not incorporate corrective actions. EPA issued an order in September 1989,
requiring investigation of releases throughout the site, and particularly from the brine mud storage area,
where releases have occurred. Permitted units were closed in 1990, according to a DEC-approved closure
plan.
Interim Remedial Measures
Under a joint venture with DuPont, Olin conducted the off-site remediation of Gill Creek from Buffalo
Avenue to the Niagara River, which was completed in December 1992. Contaminated sediment was
removed, and the creek has been restored.
An EPA/DEC-approved DNAPL interim corrective measure (ICM) was implemented by Olin during May
and June 1994. The program was intended to identify and characterize any DNAPL presence in five Olin
monitoring wells and to remove any DNAPL encountered. DNAPL was only detected in one well and a
total volume of less than two gallons was removed.
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Former Olin production wells are currently being used to pump and treat groundwater from the site through
an agreement with the adjacent DuPont facility. The Olin wells serve as part of DuPont's bedrock
groundwater remediation program and exert a large radius of influence over the Olin site, which effectively
reduces the total toxic load migrating from the Olin site. The radius of influence of the Olin wells extends
approximately halfway (east-west) across Olin's Plant 2 in the B zone, and approximately to Gill Creek in
the lower aquifer zones © and CD zones). The remedy approved in the CMS is designed to capture all
groundwater contamination not captured by the Olin production wells. The wells extract groundwater at a
rate of approximately 600 gallons per minute continuously.
Site Investigation and Remedy Selection
Olin has conducted soil and hydrological studies, and submitted several supplemental RFI reports to the
EPA/DEC. Olin has completed the final phase of the RFI, and the final RFI report was approved by EPA
and DEC in February 1995. Mercury was detected in the soils in concentrations up to 1,210 parts per
million. Volatile and semi-volatile organic constituents and pesticides were also identified in the soils.
Sampling of twenty-four overburden and bedrock wells identified volatile and semi-volatile constituents,
pesticides, and mercury at levels exceeding federal and state groundwater standards.
Work plans for both Phase I of the CMS (soil & overburden groundwater) and for Phase II of the CMS
(bedrock groundwater) were previously approved by EPA/DEC. In March 1995 Olin submitted a full
CMS Report (incorporating both Phases I and II), which was approved by EPA/DEC in September 1995.
In July 1996, the proposed remedy for this site was public noticed. Following public review, a remedy was
selected and the CMI Work plan approved. The remedy includes the following components:
Drilling and installing 5 groundwater recovery wells at Olin's plant 2 site. The recovered
groundwater will be pumped to a new on-site treatment plant before being discharged into the City
of Niagara Falls sewer system.
Paving all unpaved surfaces in order to minimize the volume of contaminated groundwater
recharge.
DEC issued a Consent Order to implement the selected remedy. The remedial system was constructed and
began operation in October 1997.
Operation & Maintenance is now underway. The remedial system is close to meeting its performance
objectives. Olin is addressing problems due to incrustation associated with high pH (>10) groundwater.
For example, two pumps have been replaced and a system to inhibit scaling of the pumps and pipes has
been installed. Recent performance reports indicate that system performance has improved, but more
actions may be necessary.
An updated schedule for implementation of a corrective action program, including Corrective Measure
Implementation (CMI), follows. The scheduled project milestones relate to complete on- and off-site
investigation and remediation.
Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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A-42
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this site:
Federal $ (Not available)
State $ (Not available)
PRP $ (Not available)
It is estimated that the following amounts will be spent from now to the completion of remediation:
Federal $ (Not available)
State $ (Not available)
PRP $ (Not available)
OLIN CORPO
RATION
Output
Responsible
Party
Previous
Target Date
Current Schedule
RFI Work Plan Approval
DEC/EPA
Apr 1990
COMPLETED
RFI
Completion
Phase 1
Permittee
COMPLETED
Phase II
Permittee
Dec 1994
COMPLETED
Stabilization Start-up
(Groundwater)
COMPLETED
CMS Work
Plan Approval
Phase 1
Permittee
COMPLETED
Phase II
DEC/EPA
Sep 1993
COMPLETED
CMS Completion
(including approval)
Permittee
Mar 1995
COMPLETED
Remedy Selection
DEC/EPA
Mar 1996
COMPLETED
CMI Work Plan Approval
DEC/EPA
Mar 1996
COMPLETED
Start-up of CMI
Initiation/Stabilization
Permittee
Dec 1996
COMPLETED
Note: Phase I - Overburden soil and groundwater
Phase II - Bedrock groundwater
Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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A-43
DUPONT -- BUFFALO AVENUE
Site# 15-19
Site Program: N.Y. Division of Hazardous Waste Remediation
Summary Prepared by: DEC
Site Description
The DuPont Buffalo Avenue Plant site occupies over 50 acres in the City of Niagara Falls. The plant is
separated from the Niagara River by the Robert Moses Parkway.
Manufacturing operations have been conducted at the site since 1898. Chemicals disposed on the site
included: carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, dichloroethylene, methylene chloride, trichloroethylene,
tetrachloroethylene, vinyl chloride, PCBs, barium and other organic and inorganic compounds.
One overburden and five bedrock aquifers exist under this site, each consisting of two or three zones with
different flow directions. Groundwater flowing south discharges into the Niagara River and Gill Creek.
Groundwater flowing north discharges into the unlined Falls Street Tunnel, and groundwater flowing east,
into the New York Power Authority (NYPA) conduit drain system.
Remedial Actions
As of January 1992, all remedial systems at this site were completed and operating. More than 60 studies
of subsurface contamination were completed by DuPont on the plant site, and a Consent Order was
negotiated for the implementation of a groundwater remediation program. In January 1992, an on-site
groundwater pump-and-treat system went into operation. From start up in January 1992 through January
1, 1999, 60,329 pounds of organic contaminants have been removed from the overburden and shallow
bedrock groundwater. A portion of the flow from the western half of the DuPont site is under the influence
of the Olin production wells. This water is remediated by the Olin Treatment Plant before discharge to the
river. The Olin production wells have removed approximately 20,477 pounds of organic contaminants for
the period of 1/1/92 through 1/1/99.
Additionally, DuPont is a Potentially Responsible Party for the remediation of Gill Creek, which was
completed in December 1992. A total of 8,020 cubic yards of contaminated sediment was removed, and
the creek has been restored. Five-years of post-remediation monitoring of Gill Creek sediments was
completed in 1998. Monitoring reports do not indicate PCB re-contamination in the sediment of the Gill
Creek remediation area.
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this site:
State $ 50,000
PRP $ 42,000,000 (includes Gill Creek remediation)
Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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A-44
It is estimated that $ 2,000,000 will be spent annually by the PRP on the Operation and Maintenance of
this site.
DUPONT BUFFALO AVENUE
Output
Responsible Party
Previous
Target Date
Status
Record of Decision
DEC
Dec 1989
COMPLETE
Remedial Design
PRP
Mar 1990
COMPLETE
Remedial Action
PRP
Oct 1991
COMPLETE
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A-45
BUFFALO COLOR CORPORATION
Site # 120, 122
Site Program: RCRA (State and Federal)
Summary Prepared by: EPA and DEC
Site Description
Buffalo Color Corporation, located on 61 acres adjacent to the Buffalo River within the city of Buffalo, is
a major manufacturer of indigo dye.
This plant, which was originally built in 1879 by the Schoelkopf Aniline and Dye Company, merged with
two other companies to form the National Aniline and Dye Company in 1916, one of five companies
forming Allied Chemical Corporation in 1920. Buffalo Color Corporation purchased and began operating
the dye plant in 1977.
Dyestuffs and/or organic chemicals have been continuously produced at the facility for more than 110
years. The dye manufacturing operations generate approximately 450,000 gallons per day of process
waste water. The waste water is a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste due
to its corrosivity (pH >12.5). RCRA hazardous constituents in this waste stream include: aniline, N-
methylaniline, N,N-dimethylaniline, N,N-diethylaniline, cyanide, methanol, nickel, and chromium. Prior to
1971, these wastes were discharged directly to the Buffalo River. In 1971, Allied Chemical diverted the
waste streams to three surface impoundments for neutralization prior to release to the Buffalo Sewer
Authority, and beginning in March 1989, Buffalo Color installed a new neutralization tank to treat
wastewater before discharge to sewers.
The stratigraphy at the site from the upper to lowermost units is: 2-11 feet of fill, 6-13 feet of silt and fine
sand (upper aquifer), 25-37 feet of silty clay, 5-7 feet of sand and gravel (lower aquifer), and bedrock of
Onondaga Limestone. Groundwater flow in the upper aquifer is towards the Buffalo River. Groundwater
near the surface impoundments is contaminated with aniline, dimethylaniline, N-ethylaniline, and cyanide,
all of which most likely derive from the surface impoundments.
Site Investigation
A RCRA Facility Assessment (RFA) Preliminary Review and Visual Site Inspection were completed
during 1986 and 1988, respectively. Eight (8) Solid Waste Management units (SWMUs) have been
identified at the site. Overburden ground water monitoring wells at the impoundments show concentrations
of chlorobenzene, dichlorobenzenes, toluene, anilines and phenol above DEC-promulgated ground water
standards. An RFA soil sampling program for a container storage area was completed in January 1991.
EPA and DEC identified a need to investigate potential releases from both the extensive sewer system and
from two inactive buildings at the site.
A DEC Part 373 post-closure permit was public noticed in 1992 to address releases. The facility objected
to several conditions of the draft permit and requested an administrative hearing. All outstanding issues
Reduction of Toxic Loadings - October 1999
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A-46
were resolved and the Part 373 permit became effective on February 10, 1995. Remediation will be
implemented under the Part 373 permit.
The RFI Work plan has been approved. The RFI includes a subsurface (soil and groundwater)
investigation program for all areas of the plant except for Area D, which is being remediated under the
New York State Inactive Hazardous waste program (see Area D summary for details).
• Field work for Phase I of the RFI began in April 1996 and consisted of 18 monitoring wells around
the perimeter of the site to evaluate groundwater quantity and potential migration of hazardous
constituents off site.
Phase II of the RFI, completed in September 1996, involved the advancement of 24 soil probes
within the site to collect near and sub-surface soil samples.
Hazardous contaminants were detected at the perimeter monitoring wells during the Phase I and II
investigations for the RFI. In November 1996, BCC proposed supplemental investigations (involving 10
additional wells) to determine the off-site extent of contamination. DEC approved the proposal in
December 1996. In January 1997, BCC proposed the collection of 6 additional surficial samples to
provide further support of a corrective measures study. DEC approved the proposal in March 1997. BCC
submitted the RFI report in November 1997. In response to DEC comments on the RFI, BCC submitted a
second supplemental investigation plan involving 8 new wells, 5 piezometers, and 10 soil samples. This
proposal was approved in July 1998 and implemented during the summer of 1998. A revised RFI report
was submitted in December 1998 and approved in April 1999. A Corrective Measures Work Plan was
submitted in May 1999 and approved in July 1999. During July 1999, a pump test was performed to aid in
the design of an Interim Corrective Measure for Plant Area A, to prevent the discharge of contaminated
groundwater into the Buffalo River.
The supplemental investigations delayed completion of the RFI. All target dates in the table below account
for these delays. Completion of the RFI, CMS, and CMI are dependent, in part, on field conditions
encountered, which may delay the overall schedule for corrective action.
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this site:
It is estimated that the following amounts will be spent from now to the completion of remediation:
Federal
State
PRP
$ 0
$ 0
$ (Not available)
Federal
State
PRP
$ (Not available)
$ (Not available)
$ (Not available)
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A-47
BUFFALO COLOR CORPORATION
Output
Responsible Party
Previous
Target Date
Current Schedule
RFA Work Plan Approval
EPA/DEC
Mar 1990
COMPLETED
RFA Completion
Permittee
May 1990
COMPLETED
RFI Work Plan Approval
EPA/DEC
Mar 1995
COMPLETED
RFI Completion
Permittee
July 1997
COMPLETED
Stabilization Start-up
Permittee
Jan 1998
Under review*
CMS Work Plan Approval
EPA/DEC
Jan 1998
COMPLETED
CMS Completion
Permittee
Jul 1998
May 2000
Remedy Selection
EPA/DEC
Nov 1998
Auq 2000
CMI Work Plan Approval
EPA/DEC
Apr 1999
Apr 2001
Start-up of CMI
Permittee
Oct 1999
Jul 2001
* Results of the recently completed pump test for Plant area A will determine the need and design for
stabilization activities.
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A-48
BUFFALO COLOR -- AREA D
Site# 120-122
Site Program: N.Y. Division of Hazardous Waste Remediation
Summary Prepared by: DEC
Site Description
Area D of the Buffalo Color Plant site occupies about 19 acres adjacent to the Buffalo River in the City of
Buffalo. The site is about 4 miles upstream of the confluence of the Buffalo and Niagara Rivers.
Area "D" is an inactive hazardous waste site. It was used from 1905 to 1974 as a chemical manufacturing,
handling and disposal site. From 1905 to 1920, acids, chemicals and dye intermediates were produced by
Contact Process Company and by National Aniline Chemical Company, which merged into Allied
Chemical and Dye Corporation in 1920. Allied Chemical and Dye Corporation manufactured petroleum-
based detergents, dye intermediates, picric acid, and other chemicals at Area "D" from 1920 to 1974.
During that time, a number of structures, railroad tracks and tank parks were built at the site. All chemical
manufacturing operations ceased in 1974, and chemical waste handling ceased in 1976 at Area "D". In
1977, the property was sold to Buffalo Color Corporation and has remained idle since. All structures on
the site were demolished to grade by Buffalo Color Corporation in 1984.
The site overburden consists of fill, alluvium, glaciolacustrine deposits and glacial till, and is underlain by
the Onondaga Limestone. The shallow overburden water-bearing zone on the site is in direct hydraulic
connection with the Buffalo River. The major pathways of contaminant migration from the site to the
Buffalo River are shallow ground water and erosion of the shoreline.
Site Investigation and Remedy Selection
The Buffalo Color Area D site is a DEC-lead site. Pursuant to a Consent Order, the PRPs (Buffalo Color
and Allied Chemical) conducted a Remedial Investigation (RI), which was first submitted in April 1989
and approved in September 1990. The RI indicated elevated levels of Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons
(PAHs), chlorinated benzenes and heavy metals in the site fill layer. The site groundwater was found to be
contaminated by volatile organics, chlorinated benzenes, iron and other heavy metals and non-aqueous
phase liquid (NAPL).
A Feasibility Study (FS) was submitted in December 1990, with final revisions submitted and approved in
July 1991. The FS evaluated 13 alternatives for the remediation of the site and identified a preferred
alternative; all were discussed at a public meeting in October 1991. A Record of Decision (ROD) was
signed in November 1991, setting forth a selected remedial plan.
An Order on Consent was signed by Allied Signal and NYSDEC in June 1993 for the remediation of the
site. Construction of the selected remedy began in June 1996. The Remedial Action was completed in
September 1998.
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The following are the elements of the remedy completed in September 1998:
A slurry wall was constructed around the entire site;
River sediments adjacent to the site were dredged and deposited on-site. The shoreline was
armored with rip rap;
A high-density polyethylene liner was placed over the entire site and properly capped;
Non-aqueous phase liquids found at the site are being removed;
Groundwater is being pumped and treated at an on-site treatment facility.
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this site:
State $ 200,000
PRP $ 14,000,000
BUFFALO COLOR-- AREA D
Output
Responsible Party
Previous
Target Date
Current
Schedule
RI/FS
PRPs
Sept 1990
COMPLETED
Record of Decision
DEC
Dec 1990
COMPLETED
Remedial Design
PRPS
Dec 1992
COMPLETED
Begin Remedial Construction
PRPS
June 1996
COMPLETED
Remedial Action ComDletion
PRPS
Nov 1997
COMPLETED
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A-50
BETHLEHEM STEEL CORPORATION
Site# 118
Site Program: RCRA (State and Federal)
Summary Prepared by: EPA
Site Description
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation (BSC) facility encompasses approximately 2.5 square miles, located on
Hamburg Turnpike, Lackawanna. Buffalo Harbor marks the northern boundary of the site, and Lake Erie
marks its western boundary.
BSC is a former major manufacturing plant that produced structural steel, coke, coke byproducts and
specialty steel products. Processing occurred primarily on the eastern section of the site. The western
section of the site was created by landfilling 440 acres of Lake Erie with slag from processing. Currently,
only specialty steel production and coking are in operation. Over 100 Solid Waste Management Units have
been identified at the site. Six surface water bodies on site have been identified as having received
hazardous waste or hazardous constituents from BSC.
Within the Buffalo-Lackawanna area, all surface and ground waters ultimately drain into Lake Erie.
Preliminary information concerning site-wide hydrogeology indicates that contaminated groundwater flows
east to west into Lake Erie. Groundwater also appears to enter both Smokes Creek and the Ship (or
Lackawanna) Canal. In the area immediately surrounding the three regulated surface impoundments,
groundwater flows west towards Lake Erie. Also, transecting the site are trenches, which drain from the
process area into Smoke and Blasdell Creeks. The Ship Canal drains northward into Buffalo Harbor.
Site Investigation
EPA issued a consent order in August 1990 requiring an on-site RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI). The
RFI investigation is being conducted in a multi-phase approach. Initial phases of the investigation (Phase I
and Phase IIA) were conducted between 1990 and 1993.
BSC submitted the Phase II-B RFI Report in November 1994. These investigations have identified
benzene, naphthalene, phenolic compounds, chlorinated solvents and metals in groundwater samples
collected from monitoring wells at the facility. Due to the complexity of site conditions that have been
encountered at the facility in previous investigations, EPA and DEC required BSC to conduct a Phase III
RFI investigation to fill in data gaps. Field work for this investigation was completed in September 1995.
Negotiations over the scope of the human health risk assessment, which is required as part of the RFI
report, have delayed the submittal of the RFI and human health risk assessment. In July 1996, EPA
approved the Ecological Risk Assessment Work Plan, and BSC has completed a draft of this assessment,
which is also a component of the RFI.
EPA and DEC have identified two areas (Acid Tar Pits and Coke Oven Areas) where they believe BSC
could implement stabilization or interim corrective measures to control and reduce the further spread and
off-site migration of contaminated groundwater from the facility. These two areas appear to be the
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A-51
primary sources of groundwater contamination at this facility. BSC has not implemented any interim
corrective action or stabilization activities to address the contamination in these areas to date. However,
BSC has voluntarily submitted a Pre-design Investigation Report for the remediation of the Benzol Plant
Area (i.e., coke oven area), which is currently under agency review. BSC also previously proposed and
performed two remedial technology studies for the acid tar pit area. These studies were found by the
EPA and NYSDEC to be technically flawed and of limited value. Any future CMS or CMI activities
will require a new order, permit or other agreement.
Following approval of the RFI report, a site-wide CMS Work Plan, with a schedule, will be required of
BSC. The scope of this Work Plan will be partly determined by the results of the Human Health and
Ecological Risk Assessments.
A current schedule for implementation of a corrective action program at the facility, including CMI,
follows. Due to delays caused by several problems outlined above, the proposed schedule was extended.
All subsequent target dates were extended accordingly. Completion of the outputs is dependent on 1) the
nature and extent of contamination found on - and off-site (and thus the complexity of remedial measures
required); and 2) the timeliness in which the planning and implementation of work plans and reports are
submitted by the facility and approved by EPA and DEC. The scheduled project milestones relate to
complete on- and off-site investigation and remediation.
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this site:
Federal $ (Not available)
State $ (Not available)
PRP $ (Not available)
It is estimated that the following amounts will be spent from now to the completion of remediation:
Federal $ (Not available)
State $ (Not available)
PRP $ (Not available)
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A-52
BETHLEHEM STEEL CORPO
RATION
Output
Responsible Party
Previous Target
Date
Current
Schedule
RFI Work Plan Approval
EPA/DEC
Jan 1990
COMPLETED
RFI Completion
Permittee
Mar 1999
Mar 2000
RFI Report Approved1
EPA/DEC
Apr 2000
Apr 2001
CMS/CMI
Issue CMS/CMI Order
DEC/EPA
July 2000
July 2001
CMS Work Plan Approval2
DEC/EPA
Oct 2000
Oct 2001
CMS Completion2
Permittee
June 2001
June 2002
Remedy Selection
DEC/EPA
Oct 2001
Oct 2002
CMI Work Plan Approval2
DEC/EPA
Auq 2002
Auq 2003
Start-un of CMI2
Permittee
Dec 2002
Dec 2003
1 RFI to include human health and ecological risk assessments.
2 These outputs will require a new order, permit or other agreement. Target dates dependent upon
facility owner/operator agreement to complete these stages of site corrective action program.
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A-53
RIVER ROAD (INS EQUIPMENT)
Site # 136
Site Program: N.Y. Division of Hazardous Waste Remediation
Summary Prepared by: DEC
Site Description
The River Road site occupies approximately 23 acres in the Town of Tonawanda. The site is adjacent to
the Niagara River.
The River Road site was utilized for waste disposal from the early 1920s through the late 1970s. Disposed
on site were steel and coke industry wastes, consisting of foundry sand, coke sludges, oils, solvents and
slags.
The overburden at this site consists of 15 to 20 feet of fill over glaciolacustrine deposits and till. The
overburden is underlain by Onondaga Limestone. The two overburden aquifers on site flow west towards
the Niagara River.
Site Investigation
The River Road site is a DEC-lead site. Negotiations with the six Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
for an RI/FS were not successful, causing a delay in targeted remedial action dates. The PRPs did not
agree to conduct an RI/FS; therefore, the State undertook the task under State Superfund. The RI/FS was
completed in January 1994 and the record of decision (ROD) was signed in March 1994. The River Road
site was combined with the adjacent Niagara Mohawk-Cherry Farm site for joint remediation (see
following site description). Some PRPs agreed to remediate the site and signed an order of consent in
September 1994. The remedial design was completed in February 1996, and calls for the following
remedial actions:
• Capping the site with clean soil;
• Pulling back, grading, and stabilizing the shore line;
• Removing some river sediments; and
• Installing groundwater collection trench and recovery wells.
Remedial Actions have been completed, including sediment removal, which had been delayed due to an
increase in the quantity of sediment to be removed. Sediment removal began in July 1998 and was
completed November 1998. Final capping of the sediment disposal area was completed July 1999, except
for certifications.
Recent diver inspection of the dredged areas shows good revegetation and recolonization by fish.
Groundwater is collected, treated at an on-site treatment facility, and discharged to the local POTW.
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Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this site:
State $ 546,000
PRP $ 10,200,000*
RIVER ROAD (INS EQUIPM
ENT)
Output
Responsible Party
Previous
Target Date
Current
Schedule
RI/FS
DEC
Jun 1991
COMPLETED
Record of Decision
DEC
Sep 1991
COMPLETED
Remedial Design
PRPs
Sep 1992
COMPLETED
Remedial Action ComDletion
PRPs
Oct 1997
COMPLETED
* Costs include Niagara Mohawk Cherry Farm site.
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A-55
NIAGARA MOHAWK -- CHERRY FARM
Site Program: N.Y.S. Division of Hazardous Waste Remediation
Summary Prepared by: DEC
Site Description
The Cherry Farm Site is an inactive landfill located between River Road and the Niagara River in the
Town of Tonawanda, New York. The site encompasses approximately 56 acres, 80% of which is covered
by various fill materials. The fill material consists primarily of foundry sand, slag, and cinders. The
surface of the fill is between 10 to 20 feet above the original surrounding land surface. The present
topography of the filled area is essentially flat.
The fill area is surrounded by intermittent surface water. A wetland designated as BW-6 by DEC is
present on the eastern portion of the Site. This wetland drains into the drainage ditches which flow along
the southern and northern boundaries of the property and ultimately discharge to the Niagara River, which
forms the western side of the Site.
There are widespread contraventions of ground water and surface water standards at the site. Organic
contaminants such as vinyl chloride, phenols, naphthalene, trichloroethane, benzene, and xylene are
present at levels which exceed ambient water quality standards and guidance values for ground water.
Metals exceeded surface and ground water standards in numerous cases. Aquatic sediment guidance values
were exceeded for PCBs found in one sediment sample and metals exceeded these levels in several samples.
Site Investigation/Remedial Design
A Record of Decision (ROD) for the site was signed by DEC in February 1991. The selected remedy
included covering the site with an impermeable cap, along with ground water containment, collection,
treatment, and disposal. After additional field investigations and discussions with the PRPs, the ROD was
amended on October 7, 1993. The differences between the remedies include 1) the cover design will include
a permeable soil cover; 2) collected ground water will not be discharged into the Niagara River, but will be
pretreated and discharged to a local water treatment plant; and 3) fencing will not be installed around the
site as part of the remedy. The revised remedy will allow for development of the site as a park after
remedial construction is completed. In addition, the remedial action includes fish and wildlife habitat
enhancements through the construction of shoreline wetland embayments along the Niagara River.
A consent order between DEC and the PRPs to complete the design and construction of the remedy was
signed in September 1994. The Niagara Mohawk-Cherry Farm site was combined with the adjacent River
Road site for joint remediation. Please see the previous site description (River Road) for details on the
remedial action. The remedial work is complete.
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Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this site:
State $ *
PRP $*
NIAGARA MOHAWK - C
HERRY FARM
Output
Responsible
Party
Previous Target
Date
Current Schedule
RI/FS
PRPs
NA
COMPLETED
Record of Decision
DEC
NA
COMPLETED
Remedial Design
PRPS
NA
COMPLETED
Remedial Action
PRPS
NA
COMPLETED
Remediation of the Cherry Farm site was completed as part of the River Road RI/FS. Costs are
reported in the River Road site description.
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A-57
FRONTIER CHEMICAL, PENDLETON
Site # 67
Site Program: N.Y. Division of Hazardous Waste Remediation
Summary Prepared by: DEC
Site Description
The Frontier Chemical site in the Town of Pendleton occupies about 21 acres adjacent to Bull Creek,
approximately 4 1/4 miles inland from the Niagara River.
Approximately 7.5 acres of the site were used for treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes. From about
1958 to 1974, Frontier Chemical used the site for processing, storage and burial of industrial and
hazardous wastes. Unknown volumes of solvents, oils, acids, dyes, paint wastes, heavy metal sludges, and
other wastes were handled on the site. An on-site lake was used for disposal of metal salt sludges from the
neutralization of plating wastes and pickling liquors.
The site consists of various amounts of fill underlain by glaciolacustrine silty clay to a depth 20 to 30 feet.
The silty clay is underlain by glacial till and then bedrock, which is believed to be Lockport Dolomite.
Shallow groundwater on the site flows radially from the site, very slowly, with some discharge to the on-
site lake.
Site Investigation
DEC completed a remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) of the site using State Hazardous Waste
Remediation Program funds. The Record of Decision (ROD) was finalized in March 1992. The remedial
design completed in May 1995 calls for the following: dredging and stabilization of contaminated lake
sediments; consolidation of lake sediments and contaminated soils on the process/fill area; collection,
treatment, and disposal of contaminated groundwater; capping of the site; physical controls for run-on, run-
off and flow from the lake; long term monitoring. A Consent Order requiring a group of Potentially
Responsible Parties (PRPs) to implement the selected remedy has been executed.
Remedial Actions
Remedial construction began in June 1995. Quarry Lake was de-watered and contaminated sediments were
removed, stabilized, and consolidated into the onsite landfill. Construction of the landfill cap and leachate
collection system is complete. The final completion report certification and Operation & Maintenance
(O&M) manual were finalized in March 1997.
Long-term O&M has started and includes pump-and-treat of the leachate from the site. The O&M is
scheduled to continue for a period of 30 years from 1997. Thorough review of the project will be done
every five years during this period to verify that remediation goals are being achieved.
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A-58
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this site:
State $ 1,430,000 (of which $1,326,000 has been repaid by PRPs)
PRP $ 14,120,000
It is estimated that the following amounts will be spent for the O&M from now through completion:
State $ 50,000
PRP $ 1,680,000
FRONTIER CHEMICAL, PENDLETON
Output
Responsible Party
Previous
Target Date
Current
Schedule
RI/FS
DEC
Dec 1991
COMPLETED
Record of Decision
DEC
Mar 1992
COMPLETED
Remedial Design
PRPS
May 1994
COMPLETED
Remedial Action
PRPS
May 1995
COMPLETED
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A-59
FRONTIER CHEMICAL, ROYAL AVENUE
Site Program: Superfund
Summary Prepared by: EPA and DEC
Site Description
Frontier Chemical Waste Process, Inc. occupies approximately 9 acres, bordered by Royal Avenue on the
south and 47th Street on the east, in Niagara Falls, New York. The Niagara River lies within 1 mile south
of this site.
The facility treated chemical wastes from 1974 to December 1992 when the facility closed. The Solid
Waste Management Units (SWMUs) at the facility include:
• A treatment and pretreatment system for aqueous waste;
• Synthetic fuel-blending system for waste solvents/oils;
• A solvent recovery system;
• Bulk and drummed material handling, storage, and transfer facilities; and
• A hydrolysis process, tanks, old surface impoundments, an old waste pile, and site trucks.
When operating, the active waste management units treated or stored approximately 25,140 tons of
chemical wastes each year. The waste, which came from businesses located in the eastern United States
and southeastern Canada, can be classified as RCRA-listed wastes, as well as RCRA-characteristic wastes.
There are two fractured bedrock aquifers present under this site. Groundwater from both aquifers flows
generally in a southeasterly direction. Although the flow is toward the Niagara River, it is intersected by
the Falls Street Tunnel, south and west of the site boundaries, where the groundwater infiltrates into the
tunnel. All of the dry-weather flow from the Tunnel is diverted to the City of Niagara Falls wastewater
treatment plant and treated before discharge to the River.
The EPA and DEC added Frontier Chemical, Royal Avenue to the list of sites that contribute a significant
amount of contaminants to the Niagara River after extensive groundwater investigation revealed the
following chemicals at the site: monochlorotoluene, methylene chloride, chloroform, dichlorobenzene,
tetrachloroethylene and other organic contaminants. Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (DNAPL) is
present at the southern edge of the facility.
In 1999, most of the site buildings were demolished with the rubble remaining on site.
Interim Remedial Actions
This facility was formerly regulated under RCRA and 6 NYCRR Part 373. The company that operated the
facility went bankrupt in 1992. As a result, New York State issued an Order in December 1992,
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A-60
requiring the owner to begin cleanup of the site by removing all stored waste from the facility. When the
company failed to meet the required deadline for waste removal, the State requested that EPA secure the
site and begin a Superfiind Response Action to remove the wastes.
Two phases were implemented at the site. Initially, an EPA contractor provided maintenance to the drums
and tanks at the facility. Phase I dealt with enforcement actions leading to the removal of over 4,000 drums
and 6,700 pounds of laboratory chemicals from the site. Phase II dealt with enforcement actions for the
removal of all wastes from the 45 tanks on site.
Phase I began in October 1993, after approximately 5 months of negotiations with 430 potentially
responsible parties (PRPs). The PRPs hired a cleanup contractor to remove all laboratory chemicals and
drums from the site and to send them to multiple disposal facilities. This field work was completed in May
1994, and all wastes were subsequently destroyed at off-site disposal facilities.
Phase II began in July 1994, after approximately 3 months of negotiations with well over 200 PRPs. A
consultant hired by the PRPs sampled the tanks and prepared a removal action plan that was approved by
EPA. Removal of the tank wastes was completed in March 1995.
Schedule for Completion
On April 6, 1994 the State of New York issued an Order which formally revoked the operating Permit for
the facility and revoked all authority to operate a hazardous waste management facility at the Royal
Avenue site. In March 1995, the site was listed on the NYS Registry of Hazardous Waste sites as Class 2
(significant threat to the public health or the environment, action required).
In March 1994, while the interim remedial actions were being implemented, the Superfund Program
assigned the site to be evaluated for possible inclusion in the National Priorities List (NPL), which
identifies sites requiring remedial action under Superfiind. EPA has ruled not to include this site on the
NPL. The DEC initiated PRP search efforts in 1998. The search effort will be followed by negotiations of
an RI/FS Order to address soil and groundwater contamination. In mid-1998, DEC contractors completed
a review of facility records to identify PRPs. DEC is now reviewing its internal records to finalize the list
of PRPs. The effort should be completed with notice letters issued to PRPs by December 1999.
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this site (EPA Emergency
Removal Action):
Federal
State
PRP
$ 1,100,000
$ 50,000
$ 3,600,000
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A-61
It is estimated that the following amounts will be spent from now to the completion of remediation:
Federal $ 0
State $ (Not available)
PRP $ (Not available)
FRONTIER CHEMICAL, ROYAL AVENUE
Output
Responsible Party
Target Date
RFI Work plan Approval (groundwater
investigation)
DEC
COMPLETED
RFI Completion
(groundwater investigation)
Permittee
COMPLETED
Remedial Investigation
Schedules dependent on establishment of PRP group and
subsequent RI/FS Order negotiations.
Feasibility Study
Remedial Design
Remedial Action
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A-62
OCCIDENTAL CHEMICAL -- DUREZ DIVISION, NORTH TONAWANDA
Site #24-37
Site Program: N.Y. Division of Hazardous Waste Remediation
Summary Prepared by: DEC
Site Description
The Occidental Chemical Corporation (OCC) Durez site occupies about 40 acres in the city of North
Tonawanda. The site is located about 1 1/4 miles east of the Niagara River.
The Durez plant has been in operation since 1926, producing various plastic formulations. Chemicals
deposited on site include: chlorinated benzenes, phenol, chlorinated phenols, chlorotoluene, and other
organic compounds. During 1995, the plant ceased manufacturing and was shut down. Operation of
remedial systems at the plant continue.
Two aquifers, one overburden and one bedrock, are present under this site. The overburden aquifer unit is
the primary aquifer of concern. The bedrock aquifer, for the most part, is isolated from overlying chemical
contamination by a confining clay layer. Prior to remediation, groundwater in the overburden flowed in
several directions and was complicated by storm drains and sewers to the north, northwest, and southwest
of the site. The regional overburden and bedrock groundwater flow is to the southwest, toward the Niagara
River.
Remedial Actions
The Durez site is a DEC-lead site. Remedial activities have been conducted under several consent orders.
All remedial construction activities have been completed. Operation of plant groundwater systems will
continue, probably for decades, until no longer needed. Approximately 25,000 cubic yards of contaminated
sediments from sewers and from Pettit Cove were removed during the Remedial Action. The sediments had
been in controlled storage at OCC's Niagara Plant, but have recently been transferred to licensed disposal
facilities for treatment and disposal.
The remediations have proceeded in three areas:
• Plant site: An 8450-feet long groundwater interceptor trench has been constructed around the entire
plant perimeter to collect contaminated groundwater for treatment at an on-site carbon treatment
system.
• Off site: Off-site contaminants in 22,000 linear feet of sewers have been removed and are staged at
the OCC Niagara Falls Main Plant pending treatment.
• Pettit Creek Cove: Remediation of the Pettit Creek Cove, a source of contaminated water and
sediment to the Niagara River, has been completed under consent order. The RI/FS for the cove
was completed in December 1991. A Record of Decision for the cove was issued in March 1992
to excavate and treat contaminated soil, sediment, and dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL),
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A-63
and restore the Cove as a wetland area. The major elements of the Remedial Action plan, including
sediment removal at the cove, pumping of DNAPL, and dredging of the Little Niagara River have
been completed. A total of 23,500 cubic yards of soil and sediment were removed. The site is both
stabilized and isolated. The sediments have recently been transferred to licensed disposal facilities.
Recent biomonitoring sampling by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, and water quality sampling by
the NYSDEC have detected the possible release of OCC Durez contaminants of concern into the post-
remedial Pettit Creek Cove. The extent of current sampling is limited to a very small area at the mouth of
the Pettit Creek Flume storm sewer. As a result, OCC has agreed to undertake a supplemental
investigation of the Pettit Creek Cove to ascertain the cove's current condition and to demonstrate the
effectiveness of the completed remedial programs. Sampling is scheduled in October 1999.
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent through July 1999 on remediating this site and
disposal of the remedial waste:
State $ 510,000
PRP $ 39,000,000
It is estimated that the following amounts will be spent from July 1999 to the completion of final treatment
and disposal of remedial wastes:
State $ 100,000
PRP $ 1,000,000
OCC -- DUREZ, NORTH TONAWANDA
Output
Responsible
Previous
Current
Party
Target Date
Schedule
Remedial Construction:
Plant Site
PRP
Jun 1991
COMPLETED
Sewer Clean-up
PRP
NONE
COMPLETED
Pettit Creek Cove:
RI/FS
PRP
NONE
COMPLETED
Record of Decision
DEC
NONE
COMPLETED
Remedial Design
PRP
Sep 1993
COMPLETED
Remedial Action
PRP
Dec 1994
COMPLETED
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A-64
GRATWICK RIVERSIDE PARK
Site # 68
Site Program: N. Y. Division of Environmental Remediation
Summary Prepared by: DEC
Site Description
The Gratwick Riverside Park site occupies about 53 acres in the City of North Tonawanda and borders the
Niagara River.
Prior to 1960, the site was used for the disposal of metallurgical slag. During the period 1960 to 1968, the
site was operated as a landfill accepting municipal and industrial wastes. It is known that phenolic wastes
from Occidental Chemical - Durez were disposed at the Gratwick Park site.
The Gratwick Park site contains about 13 feet of fill underlain by a discontinuous glaciolacustrine unit
above glacial till. The till layer acts as an aquitard (or barrier) to downward groundwater flow from the
overburden/fill aquifer to the next significant aquifer, in the Camillus Shale bedrock. Each aquifer flows
generally to the southwest, towards the Niagara River.
Site Investigation
Gratwick Riverside Park is a DEC-lead site. DEC has completed a Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility
Study (RI/FS) of the site under State Superfund. A Record of Decision (ROD) selecting a remedy was
completed February 1991. In May 1996, after lengthy and difficult negotiations, the PRPs agreed to design
and implement the selected remedy. In February 1997, the City of North Tonawanda (one of the PRPs)
entered into a Title 3 contract for state funding of its share (approximately 34%) of project construction
costs.
Remedial Design (RD) started in early 1996. The design includes:
• Shoreline protection
• Hydraulic barrier (slurry wall) between site and river
• Cap over the site to allow it to be used as a park
• Collection of contaminated groundwater
During design, samples of river sediment along the shoreline indicated the presence of relatively low levels
of site-related contamination. It was also determined that steps should be taken to improve the habitat
value of the shoreline area. To address these issues and the shoreline protection component of the remedy,
the design was modified to include covering portions of the river bottom with soil that could support
selected vegetation to be planted, and to include features to provide erosion resistance. These changes are
incorporated in an amendment to the ROD issued in January 1999. Remedial construction was started in
June 1999.
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A-65
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this site:
State $ 1,000,000
PRP $ 500,000
It is estimated that the following amounts will be spent from now to the completion of remediation:
State $ 1,910,000
PRP $ 5,430,000
Operation and Maintenance costs are estimated at $1,140,000 for ten years.
GRATWICK RIVERSIDE PARK
Output
Responsible Party
Previous
Target Date
Current
Schedule
RI/FS
DEC
March 1990
COMPLETED
Record of Decision
DEC
June 1990
COMPLETED
Remedial Design Completion
PRPs
April 1998
COMPLETED
Remedial Action Completion
PRPs
Dec 1999
April 2001
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A-66
MOBIL OIL
Site # 141
Site Program: NY Division of Environmental Remediation
Summary Prepared by: EPA/DEC
Site Description
The Mobil Oil site associated with Niagara River Toxics Management Plan (NRTMP) priority toxic
chemicals is a 3-acre area in the southeast portion of an approximately 62-acre Mobil facility in the City of
Buffalo. The site is located adjacent to the Buffalo River, about 5 miles upstream of the confluence of the
Buffalo and Niagara Rivers.
The entire facility was used by Mobil for oil refining from 1951 to 1981. The 3-acre area of concern was
used by the City of Buffalo for disposal of municipal wastes before being sold to Mobil in 1951. Mobil
used it until 1976 for the disposal of unknown quantities of tetraethyl lead sludge, lubricating sludges,
spent catalysts, and other wastes.
The site consists of varying amounts of fill underlain by a sand and gravel unit. Below the sand and gravel
unit is a clay layer, followed by glacial till and then the Onondaga Limestone. Groundwater flow across
the site is generally to the south toward the Buffalo River.
Site Investigation
From 1982 to 1983, various investigations of the 3-acre site were conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey
and by DEC. In 1985, Mobil and DEC signed a Consent Order to perform a Phase II investigation. The
Phase II investigation, completed in 1987, included soil sampling, groundwater monitoring, and surface
water and sediment sampling from the Buffalo River. The highest concentrations of lead and volatile
organic compounds were found in the soil and river sediment. The highest concentrations of semi-volatile
base/neutral compounds were found in the soil and groundwater. Liquid petroleum was found in a
monitoring well.
In 1988, based on the site investigations, the 3-acre Mobil site was re-classified as Class 3 (does not
present a significant threat to the public health or the environment, action may be deferred). Tetraethyl lead
has extremely low solubility in water and is not expected to significantly migrate off site through
groundwater. However, tetraethyl lead is highly soluble in petroleum products, so that any spill of fuel oils
in the area could mobilize it and carry it to the Buffalo River.
Site Remediation
Around 1971 Mobil Oil began operation of a well point system (WPS) installed along the Buffalo River.
The WPS consists of a series of interconnected wells designed to recover groundwater and petroleum
product and prevent petroleum seepage to the Buffalo River. The WPS extends approximately 1600 feet
along the south-facing side of the site, from the 3-acre disposal area toward Babcock Street. In February
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A-67
1989, Mobil notified DEC of liquid phase petroleum encountered during the installation of geotechnical
borings. This report prompted additional site investigation, and remedial measures were instituted to
recover petroleum product. In 1993, six dual-pump recovery wells were activated. Each of the recovery
wells is equipped with both groundwater and product recovery pumps. Five of the six recovery wells are
presently being operated in conjunction with the WPS. The recovery wells are located outside the 3-acre
disposal area, within the south-central portion of the Mobil facility.
In 1994, the entire 62-acre Mobil facility, including the 3-acre area of concern, was selected for inclusion
in the DEC Multimedia Pollution Prevention (M2P2) program based in part on the facility's involvement
with multiple divisions within DEC (Division of Air Resources, Division of Hazardous Substance
Regulation, Division of Environmental Remediation, Division of Regulatory Affairs, Division of Solid
Waste, Division of Water). The goal of the M2P2 program is to provide an integrated approach to the
environmental management of the facility. The M2P2 facility team conducted a multi-media inspection to
better coordinate the various facility remediation activities. A Consent Order was signed on May 20, 1997
to undertake further investigation and remediation. The results of the additional site facility investigation
were submitted to the DEC and EPA on November 25, 1998. Three areas of the site (the Elk Street
Lot, the Former Lube Building Area & the Buffalo Terminal Disposal Area) were identified as requiring
further investigation to determine the extent of contamination. The results of the further site facility
investigation are to be submitted by November 22, 1999.
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this site:
Federal $ (Not available)
State $ (Not available)
PRP $ (Not available)
It is estimated that the following amounts will be spent from now to the completion of remediation:
Federal $ (Not available)
State $ (Not available)
PRP $ (Not available)
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A-68
MOBIL OIL
Output
Responsible Party
Previous
Target Date
Current
Schedule
Phase 1 Investigation
DEC
Sept 1983
COMPLETED
Phase II Investigation
PRP
Dec 1986
COMPLETED
Re-classification to Class 3*
DEC
Dec 1998
COMPLETED
Site Investigation
PRP
Nov 1988
Nov 1999
Class 3 means that the site does not present a significant threat to the public health or the
environment and that action may be deferred. Further remediation will be coordinated under the
M2P2 program, with the schedule to be determined.
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A-69
IROQUOIS GAS -- WESTWOOD PHARMACEUTICAL
Site Code 9-15-141
Site Program: N.Y. Division of Hazardous Waste Remediation
Summary Prepared by: DEC
Site Description
The Iroquois Gas - Westwood Pharmaceutical Hazardous Waste Site is 8.8 acres in size. The site is
bounded on the: east by Dart Street, north by Buffalo Structural Steel, west by Scajaquada Creek, and
south by residential properties. The site is predominately covered by asphalt or buildings, and is fenced,
which precludes direct exposure to the public. The potential for site contaminants to be transported via
ground water to Scajaquada Creek exists.
Iroquois Gas Company, predecessor to National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation (NFG) used the site
from the turn of the century to about 1955 to manufacture gas. After 1955, NFG stored natural gas at the
site, with oil storage believed to have continued into the 1960's. In 1972 Westwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
purchased the site and, the next year, constructed a 100,000 square foot warehouse on the southwest
portion of the site.
In the fall of 1985, during building construction, buried tar separator pits and an oil storage tank
foundation were encountered, along with fill and soils containing tar-like and oily residues. As a result,
construction plans were modified to permit excavation, evaluation and proper disposal of the potentially
contaminated soils, materials and liquids. In 1985, Westwood also began an investigation of the site. The
investigation indicated the presence of both soil and ground water contamination.
Site Investigation
In 1989 DEC requested that Westwood undertake a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS)
to assess the nature and extent of contamination at the site. Ultimately, Westwood agreed to undertake the
RI/FS, with DEC oversight, under a Partial Consent Decree issued by the Federal Court. The purpose of
the RI was to define the nature and extent of any contamination resulting from previous activities at the
site. Field work for the RI started in April 1992 and was completed in June 1993.
The results of the RI are as follows:
The soil at the site is primarily contaminated with PAHs (Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons),
BTEX (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylene), lead and cyanide;
Ground water in the upper aquifer (fill, with maximum depth of up to 32 feet) is contaminated
with PAHs and BTEX;
Substrate below the fill consists of a silty clay layer to a depth of 60 feet, followed by a layer of
sand and gravel, and then bedrock. No significant contamination has been found in the sand and
gravel layer; the direction of ground water flow is towards Scajaquada Creek.
Based on RI data, the ground water discharge to the creek is estimated to be 7350 gallons per day; the
direction of flow of NAPL (liquid, non-water soluble chemicals) is also towards the creek. The estimated
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amount of NAPL entering the creek is 440 lb/year; the chemicals of concern (BTEX and PAHs) in the
NAPL and ground water are estimated to be migrating to the creek at a rate of 261 lb/year; the creek
sediments are primarily contaminated with the same contaminants which are present in soil, ground water
and NAPL.
In March 1994, the Department signed a Record of Decision which outlined a Remedial Action Plan calling
for:
• Construction of a clay cap to isolate the source area contaminants;
• In Situ (in place) bio-treatment of soil and groundwater, if feasible;
• Installation of a vertical sheet piling barrier wall and extraction wells for ground water control and
removal of contaminated ground water;
• Treatment of extracted ground water and NAPL before proper disposal;
• Long term Operation & Maintenance.
The Remedial Action Plan also addresses contamination in Scajaquada Creek and includes: excavation of
contaminated sediments originating from the site and restoration of the creek channel to background
conditions.
Note that DEC found bio-treatment to be infeasible. DEC will review this decision at five-year intervals to
determine if any new technologies are feasible.
Remedial Actions
For remediation purposes, the site has been divided into two operable units: Operable Unit 01 (Main Plant)
and Operable Unit 02 (Scajaquada Creek). Westwood is undertaking the remediation of the Main Plant site
which includes the pump-and-treat system for groundwater and NAPL and plant site capping. National
Fuel Gas is responsible for remediation of Scajaquada Creek.
Remedial construction began in November 1996, with installation of the sheet pile barrier wall. The wall
was completed in December 1996. All remedial work on the Main Plant site was completed in 1997.
Remediation of Scajaquada Creek sediments commenced in July 1998 was completed in March 1999. The
Remedial action includes two wells to extract NAPL from beneath the creek bed. Extraction of NAPL
from beneath the creek bed has begun at the downstream portion of the site. Negotiations to purchase
property to locate the second well at the upstream portion of the site are underway. Completion of the
second extraction system is scheduled for December 1999.
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent to date on remediating this site:
State $ 150,000
PRP $ 6,500,000
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It is estimated that the following amounts will be spent from now to the completion of remediation:
State $ 100,000
PRP $ 500,000
IROQUOIS GAS -- WESTWOOD PHARMACEUTICAL
PLANT SITE:
Output
Responsible Party
Previous Target
Date
Current
Schedule
Record of Decision
DEC
Mar 1994
COMPLETED
Remedial Design
PRP
May 1997
COMPLETED
Remedial Action
PRP
Sept 1997
COMPLETED
CREEK SITE:
Output
Responsible Party
Previous Target
Date
Current
Schedule
Record of Decision
DEC
Mar 1994
COMPLETED
Remedial Design
PRP
Apr 1996
COMPLETED
Remedial Action
PRP
Oct 1999
Dec 1999
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BOOTH OIL
Site Program: N.Y. Division of Hazardous Waste Remediation
Summary Prepared by: DEC
Site Description
The Booth Oil site is located at 76 Robinson Street in the City of North Tonawanda. The site occupies
approximately 2.7 acres on three parcels of land each separated by railroad tracks operated by
Consolidated Rail Corporation. The site is located about 500 feet from the Little Niagara River.
Waste oils were refined at the site for more than 50 years, until the phased plant closure in the early 1980's.
During processing, frequent spills occurred and oil was periodically discharged to the Little Niagara River
via surface water run-off through the Robinson Street storm sewer.
Site Investigation
The RI identifies oil saturated soils on site containing PCB, VOCs, Semi-VOCs, and PAHs. An
investigation of the River indicated that oil/PCB waste from the Booth Oil site is limited to a small area in
the vicinity of the outfall.
Two Records of Decision were issued: the first in March 1992 (Operable Unit OU1, on-site) and the
second in March 1993 (Operable Unit OU2, Little Niagara River). The remedy consists of the excavation
of contaminated on-site soils, sewer sediments and a limited area of sediment in the Little River with on-site
treatment by separation technologies or incineration. Contaminated ground water will also be extracted and
treated.
The RI/FS was performed under State Superfund. However, many Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
exist, including the site owners and numerous generators who shipped waste to the site. A PRP proposal
for an alternate remedy was accepted in June 1998. Negotiations with the PRPs on a legal agreement for
performance of the RD/RA continues. The alternate remedy includes all the components of the remedy in
the RODs noted above, except excavated material will be disposed off site. A schedule for remediation of
the site follows.
Remediation Costs
Following are estimated amounts that have been spent through 1997 on remediating this site:
It is estimated that the following amounts will be spent from now to the completion of remediation:
State
PRP
$ 1,100,000
$ 0
State
Permittee
$ (Not available)
$ 15,000,000
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BOOTH OIL
Output
Responsible Party
Previous
Target Date
Current Schedule
0U1
RI/FS
DEC
Feb 1992
COMPLETED
ROD
DEC
Mar 1992
COMPLETED
Remedial Design
PRP
June 1999
Apr 2000
Remedial Action
PRP
June 2000
Apr 2001
0U2
RI/FS
DEC
Feb 1993
COMPLETED
ROD
DEC
Mar 1993
COMPLETED
Remedial Design
PRP
June 1999
Apr 2000
Remedial Action
PRP
June 2000
Anr 2001
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