Hooker 102nd Street New York EPA Id# Nyd980506810 EPA Region 2 Congressional Dist. 29 Niagara County East of Griffin Park in Niagara Falls

UAAi/cn EPA REGION 2
HOOKER - CONGRESSIONAL DIST. 29
_______ _ __ __ __ Niagara County
102ND STREET East of Griffin Park in Niagara Falls
N EW YORK nTTVn
102nd Street Landfill
EPA ID# NYD980506810
Site Description
The 102nd Street Landfill consists of two land parcels totaling 22.1 acres. Occidental Chemical
Corporation, formerly Hooker Chemical and Plastics Corporation, owns 15.6 acres, and the remaining
6.5 acres are owned by Olin Chemical Corporation. The site is located adjacent to the Niagara River and
south of the Love Canal. A portion of the filled area of the site is an extension of the original Love Canal
excavation. The larger portion of the landfill was operated from 1943 until 1971. During that time,
about 23,500 tons of mixed organic solvents, organic and inorganic phosphates, and related chemicals
were deposited at the landfill. Brine sludge, fly ash, electrochemical cell parts and related equipment,
and 300 tons of hexachlorocyclohexane process cake, including lindane, were deposited at the site. The
smaller portion of the site operated as a landfill from 1948 to about 1970, during which time 66,000 tons
of mixed organic and inorganic chemicals were deposited. In addition, about 20,000 tons of mercury
brine and brine sludge, more than 1,300 tons of a mixture of hazardous chemicals, 16 tons of mixed
concrete boiler ash, fly ash, and other residual materials were disposed of at the site. Griffin Park, which
includes a boat-launch area, is immediately to the west of the site. There is limited residential
development to the west of Griffon Park and to the east of the site.
„ ...... ^ . . . , . ,, , , , NPL LISTING HISTORY
bite Responsibility: This site is being addressed through Proposed Date- 12/01/82
federal and potentially responsible parties' Final Date: 09/01/83
actions.
Threats and Contaminants
Ground water contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including benzene and toluene;
semi-volatile organics such as chlorinated benzenes, phenols, and chlorophenols; pesticides;
chlorinated dioxins and furans; and heavy metals including arsenic, cadmium, and mercury.
NiagaraRiver sediments contained semi-volatile organics, pesticides, andmercury. Soils and
fill contain VOCs, semi-volatile organics, pesticides, chlorinated dioxins and furans, metals,
and phosphorus. The storm sewer contained VOCs, semi-volatile organics, pesticides, and
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mercury. On-site cleanup workers risked harmful exposure through accidental ingestion of
contaminated soils, or by inhaling and coming in direct contact with contaminated soils,
ground water, and sediments. People were also at risk by eating contaminated fish from the
river. The most significant off-site health threat was from contaminants that became airborne
during work activities at the site. There is no public access to the site.
Cleanup Approach
The site was addressed in two phases: immediate actions and a long-term remedial phase
focusing on cleanup of the entire site.
Response Action Status
Immediate Actions: In 1972, the site was capped, a fence was erected on
three sides, and a bulkhead along the Niagara River was installed.
Entire Site: The parties potentially responsible (PRPs) for site contamination,
under EPA and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
(NYSDEC) supervision, conducted an investigation into the nature and extent
of contamination at the site, including the landfill residues, off-site fill, shallow ground water,
liquid waste, off-site soil, river sediments, and storm drains. The investigation was
completed in 1990. In September 1990, the EPA selected a remedy which includes the
installation of a synthetic-lined cap; consolidation of off-site soils beneath the cap;
surrounding the waste mass with a slurry wall; dredging and incineration of highly
contaminated sediments; dredging, dewatering and consolidation, beneath the cap, of the
remaining contaminated sediments; recovery and treatment of ground water; incineration of
any recovered DNAPL(dense non-aqueous phase liquids); monitoring; and restricting access
to the site by installing additional fencing. An Administrative Order, covering the remedial
design and remedial action, was signed by the EPA in September 1991, and issued against
the two potentially responsible parties, Occidental Chemical Corporation and Olin Chemical
Corporation. The two parties agreed to comply with the Order. Design of the EPA-selected
remedy was begun in October 1991. The Intermediate Engineering Report (IER) was
approved by the EPA on August 31,1993. However, certain concerns raised by the federal
and state natural resource trustees caused the EPA to reexamine the remedial design as
proposed in the IER. As a result of such reexamination, the September-1990 ROD was
amended in June 1995. The amendment eliminated the incineration contingency whereby
all highly contaminated sediments in the embayment would have to be incinerated if they
were to remain outside the final positioning of the slurry wall. The slurry wall has since been
re-designed so as to be positioned to run as close to the shoreline as is practical and still
contain any migration of the NAPL plumes. Remedial action activity began in April 1996.
The construction of the slurry wall was completed in 1996 along with excavation of
contaminated sediments from the embayment. The installation of a permanent synthetic/clay
cap over the landfill was completed during the 1997 construction season. The remedy for
the site was completed in March 1999 when the forcemain system for pumping leachate from
the landfill to the Love Canal Treatment Facility became operational. The forcemain system
is pumping sufficient leachate from the landfill so as to maintain an inward gradient across
the slurry wall. The leachate pumping system reached the steady-state phase in November
2000. A Preliminary Close-Out Report was signed by the EPA on September 2, 1999. A
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settling Consent Decree was approved and entered by a federal court in the pending lawsuit
on October 1,1999. Under the terms of the Consent Decree, the PRPs have reimbursed the
EPA in the amount of $6,800,000 for the EPA's past costs including interest. By means of
a letter dated March 13,2002, the EPA accepted the Companies' certification of completion
of the remedial action, thereby transferring the enforcement lead for the oversight of the
continuing operation and maintenance of the site to the NYSDEC from the EPA.
Site Facts: In 1979, the U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the EPA, filed a lawsuit
against two parties potentially responsible for the site contamination to end the continuing
discharges and to clean up on-site and off-site contamination. The parties, with EPA and
State guidance, agreed to conduct a study into the nature and extent of site contamination and
to recommend alternatives for the cleanup of the site. The Canadian government has shown
a special interest in the site, since it abuts the Niagara River.
Cleanup Progress
The construction of a circumferential slurry wall around the entire site, the installation of a
leachate collection and pumping system, the installation of a permanent, synthetic/clay cap
over the landfill, and the erection of new fencing to restrict access, have virtually eliminated
the potential of exposure to contaminants at the 102nd Street Landfill Site. Data will be
collected to verify that the discharge of contaminants into the Niagara River has been
eliminated.
Site Repository ^[J
U.S. EPA Public Information Office, Carborundum Center, Suite 530, 345 Third Street,
Niagara Falls, NY 14303
HOOKER - 102ND STREET
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