PFOHL BROTHER LANDFILL NEW YORK EPA ID# NYD980507495 EPA REGION 2 CONGRESSIONAL DIST. 30 Erie County Cheektowaga Site Description The 120-acre Pfohl Brothers Landfill site, located 1/2 mile east of Buffalo International Airport, is divided into three areas—Areas A, B, and C. This privately owned and operated landfill accepted municipal and industrial wastes from 1932 until 1971. When the landfill was active, it received solid and liquid chemical wastes and sludges, including heavy metals, such as mercury and barium, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as benzene and dioxin, from local businesses, such as paint manufacturers, electroplaters, printers, and other industries that used solvents and petroleum. The landfill operators buried some of this waste in drums and placed the remaining wastes directly into excavated areas of the facility. A trucking firm occupies the northern portion of the landfill. Access to most of the site is restricted by a fence, but drainage ditches with runoff from the landfill lie outside of the fenced area and are accessible to the public. Several drainage ditches discharge into Ellicott Creek. Aero Lake lies north of the site. Both the lake and the creek are used by the community for recreational fishing. Ten homes are located within 200 feet of an area of contaminated soil. The area near the landfill is residential and commercial. Wetlands border the creek and a drainage ditch and a wetland was located on what is now the central portion of the property. Site Responsibility: The site is being addressed through federal, state, local, and potentially responsible parties' actions. NPL LISTING HISTORY Proposed Date: 05/10/93 Final Date: 12/16/94 PFOHL BROTHERS LANDFILL 1 July 2002 ------- Threats and Contaminants Surface water, both on-site and off-site, is contaminated by VOCs, including benzene, benzene compounds, and phenol. Site soils are contaminated with poly chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals, such as mercury. Although most of the site is fenced to restrict access, drainage ditches and intermittent streams receive runoff from the site and lie outside the fencing. Wetlands and several lakes and creeks used for recreational fishing border the site. Cleanup Approach This site is being addressed in two stages: an interim remedial measure (IRM) and a long-term remedial action phase focusing on the cleanup of the entire site. 7E Response Action Status Interim Remedial Measure: The removal of the 4,534 on-site drums was completed in August 1995. r*\. Entire Site: The Erie County Health Department, the New York State Department of Ny Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), EPA, and the owner of the property have conducted various investigations at the site since 1980. Based upon the results of a Phase I remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS), conducted to determine the nature and extent of the contamination in Areas B and C (the central and southern portions of the site, respectively) and to evaluate remedial alternatives, a Record of Decision (ROD) was issued by NYSDEC in February 1992. The selected remedy includes the construction of a cap and containment system and a leachate collection and treatment system. The ROD also called for the removal of the on- site drums noted above. The potentially responsible party (PRP)-performed remedial design for the remaining portions of the selected remedy (i.e., excluding the drums that were removed under the IRM) was completed in September 1999. A Phase II RI/FS addressed Area A, the northernmost area of the site, and off-site groundwater contamination. Based upon the results of this investigation, it was determined that Area A was not used for the disposal of hazardous substances and significant levels of ground water contamination was not detected. A Phase II ROD, issued on January 10, 1994, selected a "no-action" remedy. The design related to the containment system and leachate collection and treatment system commenced PFOHL BROTHERS 2 July 2002 ------- in October 1994; NYSDEC approved the design on April 11, 2001. It is anticipated that construction, which commenced in March 2001, will be completed in the Spring of 2002. Site Facts: In April 2001, the PRPs entered into a Consent Order with NYSDEC to implement the design of the selected remedy. It is anticipated that construction will begin in late Spring 2001. The removal of 4,734 on-site drums (4,534 removed during the initial remedial measure and 200 drums that were encountered during construction) has significantly reduced the potential for exposure to contaminated materials at the site. EPA and the State of New York have investigated the site and determined that it presently poses no immediate threats to the public or the environment. Site Repositories Cheektowaga North Branch Library, 735 Mary vale Drive, Cheektowaga, NY Williamsville Public Library, 5571 Main Street, Williamsville, NY PFOHL BROTHERS LANDFILL 3 July 2002 Cleanup z (Threat Mitigated by Physical Cleanup Work) ------- |