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EPA Proposes Cleanup Plan for the Creese & Cook Tannery Superfund Site in Danvers, Massachusetts

October 9, 2018 / Lee Ann Rush / 0 Comments

BOSTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a cleanup plan for the Creese & Cook Tannery Superfund Site in Danvers, Massachusetts. The plan fully addresses soil contamination for parcels in the East and West Study Areas.

"Proposing a cleanup plan for the Creese and Cook Superfund Site is a significant milestone," said EPA Regional Administrator Alexandra Dunn. "Proposed cleanup plans are the result of extensive environmental investigations and feasibility studies. Now we can seek the public's input on these plans before EPA moves forward with a final cleanup decision."

EPA added the site to the Superfund Program's National Priorities List (NPL) in May 2013. The cleanup proposal is detailed in a document called a Proposed Plan, which gives specifics on the cleanup actions being proposed. Some actions include:

Excavation of contaminated soil from certain paved and unpaved locations within both the East and West Study Areas.
Disposal of some contaminated soil at an appropriate off-site facility.
Consolidation and capping of some soil in the northwest portion of 55 Clinton Avenue.
Restoration of affected areas.
The overall remedy will also include land use controls to protect the remedy where unrestricted use standards are not achieved, long-term monitoring and maintenance, and periodic five-year reviews to ensure protectiveness of the remedy.

EPA estimates that the proposed cleanup plan will cost approximately $24 Million. EPA estimates that work on the east side of the Crane River will take 6-14 months. Work on the west side of the Crane River, which includes consolidation and capping of excavated soil from the both the east and west side areas, is expected to take 33 months to complete.

The public is invited to submit written input on the Proposed Cleanup Plan from October 9, 2018 until November 9, 2018. To access a copy of the Proposed Plan and learn how to submit input, visit our website at www.epa.gov/superfund/creese.

EPA also will host a Public Information Session on October 25, at 6:00 pm at the Riverside Elementary School in Danvers, followed by a Public Hearing at the same location at 7:30 pm. The public will be able to provide oral comments at this event.

Background

The Creese & Cook Site is comprised of seven parcels totaling about 22 acres situated along opposite banks of the Crane River, and several parcels were used for disposal and treatment of hazardous substances from about 1903 until 1983. Three parcels were at one time owned by the Creese & Cook Tannery Co., which operated a tannery and finishing facility at the site. Leather tanning and finishing operations began in 1903 in the East Study Area. Most operations, except for finishing operations and offices, moved to a larger, new facility in the West Study Area, located on the opposite side of the Crane River, in 1914. Creese & Cook used raw animal hides to produce leather shoes, handbags, gloves and garment leather, primarily from cowhide stock. Tannery operations continued on both sides of Crane River until about 1983. Wastes from tanning operations were disposed of in two landfills on the 55 Clinton Avenue property in the West Study Area. Liquid effluent was discharged to the Crane River until 1975 and later to sewers, while sludge waste was deposited into an on-site lagoon system. The former Creese & Cook property was later subdivided and the 33 Water Street parcel was redeveloped into.

U.S. EPA, California Settle with UC Regents Over Davis Superfund Site Cleanup

October 6, 2018 / Lee Ann Rush / 0 Comments

SAN FRANCISCO –The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) have reached a settlement with the Regents of the University of California (University) to begin an estimated $14 million cleanup of contaminated soil, solid waste, and soil gas at the Laboratory for Energy-related Health Research/Old Campus Landfill Superfund site in Davis, Calif. Contaminants found at the site include carbon-14, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, solvents, such as chloroform, and metals, such as lead.

“This settlement is an important step toward addressing several decades’ worth of contamination at UC Davis,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker. “By cleaning up the site, the University is protecting public health and the environment.”

“Over the next few years, the EPA, along with the Department of Toxic Substances Control, will oversee efforts for the construction of a multi-acre protective cap," said DTSC Deputy Director of Site Mitigation and Restoration Program Mohsen Nazemi. “This protective cap and expansion of the storm water drainage system will significantly reduce the chance of water redirecting harmful substances from landfill units onto unprotected areas of land."

The site, which contains laboratory buildings and undeveloped land, covers approximately 25 acres on the University’s South Campus. Located south of Interstate 80 and east of Old Davis Road, the site is about 250 feet north of the South Fork of Putah Creek.

From the 1950s to the mid-1980s, the University and the Department of Energy conducted studies on the health effects of radiation on animals at the laboratory. In addition, from the 1940s through the mid-1960s, low-level radioactive and mixed waste from the University and laboratory research activities were disposed of at the site.

The University assessed the risk posed by the site’s contaminated soil, solid waste, and soil gas. EPA then approved the soil cleanup plan, commonly known as a Record of Decision, in 2016.

Under the settlement, the University will implement the site’s cleanup remedy for soil, solid waste, and soil gas, which includes:

Excavating and consolidating soil and solid waste;
Installing protective caps in areas where contaminated soils and solid waste will be stored onsite, to reduce leaching of contaminants to ground water and limit human exposure;
Expanding the storm water drainage system to divert water away from the soil and solid waste;
Implementing institutional controls, such as deed restrictions, to protect cleanup equipment, prohibit residential land use, and restrict non-residential land use; and
Monitoring ground water to confirm the remedy’s effectiveness.

In addition, the University will reimburse EPA and the State of California for costs related to the agencies’ ongoing and future oversight of the cleanup. The EPA is also currently evaluating ground water contamination at the site, for which a remedy will be selected in the future.

The agreement was reached under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, also known as the Superfund law, which requires parties responsible for contaminating a Superfund site to clean up the site, or reimburse the government or other parties for cleanup activities.

The proposed consent decree for the contaminated soil, solid waste, and soil gas is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court approval. Information about submitting a public comment on the consent decree is available at https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.

For more information about this site and its cleanup: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/lehr.

Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter.

EPA Finalizes Nearly $7 Million Plan to Clean Up Lead-Contaminated Soil at Residential Properties at the Eighteen Mile Creek Superfund Site in Lockport, New York

October 6, 2018 / Lee Ann Rush / 0 Comments

NEW YORK, NY - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized its plan to clean up lead-contaminated soil at approximately 28 residences that are impacted by the former Flintkote Plant property at the Eighteen Mile Creek Superfund Site, in Lockport, N.Y. As part of a multi-phased, comprehensive cleanup of the Eighteen Mile Creek Site, EPA will remove and transport approximately 14,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil for off-site disposal at facilities licensed to handle the waste. The excavated areas will be restored with clean soil.

“Our decision to move forward with the removal of lead from the properties of more than two dozen residences is a major milestone in the long-term cleanup of the Eighteen Mile Creek Superfund site cleanup,” said EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez. “We are committed to continuing our work with our state and local partners, the community, and individual property owners to ensure that the children and families of Lockport are protected from the legacy of pollution from the Flintkote Plant.”

EPA held a public meeting in August 2018 to explain its cleanup proposal, discuss the other cleanup options that were considered, and to solicit public comments. To read the EPA’s selected cleanup plan, outlined in a Record of Decision, and to view EPA’s responses to public comments in the Responsiveness Summary, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/eighteenmile-creek or for a direct link to the Record of Decision, visit: https://semspub.epa.gov/src/document/02/550180

Background:

Eighteen Mile Creek has a long history of industrial use dating back to the 1800’s. The headwaters of the Creek consist of an east and west branch beginning immediately north of the New York State Barge Canal in Lockport. Eighteen Mile Creek flows north approximately 15 miles and discharges into Lake Ontario in Olcott, N.Y. Investigations at the site show that sediment and soil in and around Eighteen Mile Creek and nearby properties are contaminated with a variety of pollutants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and lead.

The former Flintkote Plant property located at 198 and 300 Mill Street operated between 1928 and 1971 and manufactured felt products.

EPA has taken a multi-phased approach to cleaning up the Eighteen Mile Creek Site. In the first phase, EPA demolished the buildings at the former Flintkote Plant property and bought out and relocated five families from their Water Street residences in Lockport, N.Y. due to the impact of recurring flooding of PCB-contaminated water and sediment from the Creek. Those homes, and the former industrial buildings, were demolished and all demolition debris was removed from the properties.

In the second phase, which is ongoing, EPA is addressing soil and sediment contamination in the Creek Corridor. This encompasses an approximately 4,000-foot segment of Eighteen Mile Creek that extends from the New York State Barge Canal to Harwood Street in the City of Lockport.

The third phase of cleanup – also currently ongoing – is an investigation of groundwater and contaminated sediment in the Creek from Lockport to Lake Ontario.

Today’s announcement involves the fourth phase, which is the cleanup and restoration of lead-contaminated soil at residential properties near the former Flintkote Plant property.

The Superfund program has been providing important health benefits to communities across the country for more than 35 years. Superfund cleanups also strengthen local economies. Data collected through 2017 shows that at 487 Superfund sites in reuse, approximately 6,600 businesses are generating $43.6 billion in sales and employ 156,000 people who earned a combined income of $11.2 billion.

Under the Trump Administration, the Superfund program has reemerged as a priority to fulfill and strengthen EPA’s core mission of protecting human health and the environment.

On the one-year anniversary of the EPA’s Superfund Task Force Report, EPA announced significant progress in carrying out the report’s recommendations. These achievements will provide certainty to communities, state partners, and developers that the nation’s most hazardous sites will be cleaned up as quickly and safely as possible.

EPA’s “Superfund Task Force Recommendations 2018 Update” is available at: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-task-force-recommendations-2018-update.

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/eparegion2.

Contaminated Soil Cleanup Underway at Ellsworth Industrial Park in Downers Grove, Illinois

August 28, 2018 / Lee Ann Rush / 0 Comments

CHICAGO – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began oversight of the removal of contaminated soil at the Magnetrol-owned building located at 5300 Belmont Road in Downers Grove. The cleanup will be conducted by Magnetrol’s contractors and will take about 45 days to complete.

The Magnetrol property is one of several properties in the Ellsworth Industrial Park where releases of volatile organic compounds into the soil have contributed to groundwater contamination. Magnetrol formerly used solvents such as trichloroethylene for degreasing operations that ceased in 1990. Magnetrol vacated the building in 2013, and it remains unoccupied. Soil and groundwater sample results obtained during site investigations by U.S. EPA and Illinois EPA identified the presence of volatile organic compounds trichloroethylene, trichloroethane, and tetrachloroethylene at levels of potential concern.

In 2003, 13 potentially responsible parties, including Magnetrol, provided funding for 800 nearby residences to be hooked up to the public drinking water supply after U.S. EPA determined these companies contributed to groundwater contamination. An EPA investigation is underway to determine what additional cleanup steps will be required at the site.

To learn more about this site, visit: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/ellsworth-industrial-park.

Cleanup of Contaminated Soil and Sediment in Stream Near Dewey Loeffel Superfund Site to Begin this Summer; EPA to Hold Public Information Session on July 17

July 10, 2018 / Lee Ann Rush / 0 Comments

Contact: Larisa Romanowski, (518) 407-0400, romanowski.larisa@epa.gov

ALBANY, NY - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that cleanup work will begin this summer to address soil and sediment contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at the Dewey Loeffel Landfill Superfund site in the town of Nassau, N.Y. The General Electric Company (GE) will remove contaminated soil and sediment, replace it with clean backfill, restore the stream channel, and re-plant trees and shrubs. The work will begin this summer and will be completed this fall.

Superfund is at the very core of EPA’s mission and this important cleanup work will address one potential source of contamination at the Dewey Loeffel site,” said EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez. “EPA is working closely with the community and is expanding its efforts to involve stakeholders as we advance this cleanup forward working closely with our state and local government partners.”

EPA will hold a public information session on July 17 in Nassau to provide an overview of the recently completed field investigation activities and the upcoming cleanup. EPA will also discuss the opportunity for the formation of a community advisory group (CAG) for the site. A CAG is made up of members of the community and is designed to serve as the focal point for the exchange of information among the local community and EPA, the state regulatory agency, and other pertinent federal agencies involved in cleanup of the Superfund site.

A public information session will begin at 6:00 p.m., with a formal presentation beginning at 7:00 p.m. Members of the project team will be available to answer questions about current and planned project activities.

Public Information Session:
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Open House: 6 - 7 p.m., Presentation: 7 p.m.
St. Mary's Church
Parish Hall (behind the church)
26 Church Street, Nassau, N.Y.

Background:

The stream to be addressed, technically known as Tributary T11A, is a 1,900-foot stream which flows into the Valatie Kill. The sediment and adjacent shoreline soil of Tributary T11A is contaminated with elevated levels of PCBs, which serve as a potential ongoing source of contamination to downstream areas, such as Nassau Lake. In September 2017, the EPA, working with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), reached an agreement with GE to conduct the T11A cleanup.

Between 1952 and 1968, an estimated 46,000 tons of industrial waste material generated by several Capital District companies was sent to the Dewey Loeffel Landfill site. The waste included industrial solvents, waste oil, PCBs, scrap materials, sludge and solids. From 1980 until the site was added to the federal Superfund list in 2011, numerous investigations and cleanup actions were performed at the site by GE and the NYSDEC. The cleanup work in Tributary T11A is an immediate action that is being taken to address contaminated soil and sediment in the tributary while the EPA’s long-term comprehensive study of the site continues.

For more information about the Dewey Loeffel Landfill Superfund Site, please visit www.epa.gov/superfund/dewey-loeffel-landfill.