All News Releases By Date

EPA Proposes Cleanup Plan For Remaining Contamination At Federal Superfund Site in Sidney, NY; Meeting Scheduled

Release Date: 08/11/1997
Contact Information:

(#97106) NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has scheduled a public meeting in Sidney, New York on August 13 to discuss the details of its proposed plan to control the sources of contamination at the Richardson Hill Road Landfill Superfund site in Sidney, New York, which ceased operations in 1969. Tests of soils and sediments at the site found unsafe levels of polychlorinated biphenyls and volatile organic compounds.

"We have proposed a comprehensive, long-term cleanup plan for the site," EPA Regional Administrator Jeanne M. Fox said. "The worst contamination will be dug up, taken away and disposed of properly. The contamination that will remain on-site will be properly contained to protect the public and prevent further degradation of the environment."

EPA hopes to finalize the proposed cleanup plan by the end of September. The actual cleanup work would not begin until negotiations with private responsible parties to undertake the project are completed, design of the remedy is finalized and a contract to perform the work is awarded.

The cleanup plan, which will cost about $13.9 million to carry out, calls for the excavation of contaminated soils near the landfill, and sediments down to safe levels. The most contaminated material would be properly disposed of off-site, the moderately contaminated material would be placed in a new on-site disposal cell and the lesser contaminated material would be consolidated and placed under a proper landfill cap. A leachate (liquid seepage) collection system would be installed. Contaminated groundwater would be addressed through the construction and operation of an extraction and treatment system. Under the proposal, the site will be fenced and locally enforced restrictions on the use of groundwater would be put in place. Long-term monitoring of groundwater, surface water, fish and sediments is also included in the plan.

In 1993, the Allied Signal Company and the Amphenol Corporation, acting under an EPA Superfund Order, excavated 2,200 cubic yards of contaminated sediments from an adjacent pond and installed systems to prevent the movement of contamination in surface water and to purify drinking water at two nearby residences.

The August 13 public meeting will be held at the Sidney Civic Center at 21 Liberty Street at 7:00 P.M. The public comment period on the plan ends on August 26. All written comments should be addressed to: Young S. Chang, Project Manager, Central New York Remediation Section, Emergency And Remedial Response Division, USEPA, 290 Broadway, 20th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10007-1866.

For more information contact:
Richard Cahill, Press Office
EPA Region 2
290 Broadway
NY, NY 10007-1866
Voice: 212-637-3666 FAX: 212-637-5046 E-Mail: cahill.richard@epamail.epa.gov