On-Hudson.com

Department Of Enviormental Conservation Approves Recycling Center For Coeymans WaterFront

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=786877&category=REGION

Recycling center OK'd for Hudson River shore

State issues permit for 125-acre marine terminal; no plan to haul downstate garbage

COEYMANS — The state has approved plans by a subsidiary of Altamont-based Carver Construction for a construction-and-demolition debris recycling center at a former brickyard on the Hudson River just north of the village.
As part of the permit, the state Department of Environmental Conservation assured anxious residents the 125-acre marine terminal will not be used to haul municipal garbage from downstate.

Company owner Carver Laraway plans to spend up to $10 million — with up to $1.5 million in assistance from the state — to build the terminal off Route 144, where as many as 50 trucks a day and four barges a week could deliver up to 1,000 tons a day of old bricks, asphalt, concrete, masonry and other debris 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Debris would be stored for sorting into reusable materials for resale. The company, which initially used the name P&M Brick, is now named LW Land Development.

The former brickyard, which operated from 1905 until closing in 2001, has been the focus of speculation for years by local residents who have fought a long-standing plan by the city of Albany to build a massive new dump less than a mile away. They have long feared that wharves there would be used to barge in municipal garbage from downstate.

Albany's landfill plan has been stalled over concerns about federally protected wetlands on the site, and the city is pushing for another expansion of its Rapp Road dump.

In a March 9 letter for DEC's permit for Laraway's project, DEC analyst Angelo Marcuccio wrote that "The facility will not be authorized to receive municipal solid waste (garbage)." The facility will be allowed to receive debris that is up to 15 percent municipal solid waste, which will be separated and carted away for "appropriate disposal at a permitted facility."

DEC also decided that the recycling center will not harm the 1,052-acre Schodack Island State Park, located directly across the river in Rensselaer County.

Opened in 2002, the park has 8 miles of hiking trails along with a boat launch, and includes a bird sanctuary, home to bald eagles and blue herons.

While the center will be visible from the water's edge in the park, trees and other brush along trails should obscure the view during the spring and summer months, when the park is expected to have most of its visitors, wrote Marcuccio.

Piles of construction debris are "similar to the previous and current industrial uses at the site, and are considered to be consistent with the historical and present view of the site from the river, park and surrounding area," he wrote.

Last summer, officials from the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation asked DEC to consider the impact on the park.

On Friday, parks spokesman Dan Keefe said DEC required noise-deadening changes to the center's crane and processing building, and will require periodic noise testing .

The historic Arriantje Coeymans Stone House, an early homestead of a Dutch settler that dates to the 1720s, is also nearby, but is not visible from the recycling center, according to DEC. The house is on the state and national registers of historic places.

Brian Nearing can be reached at 454-5094 or by e-mail at bnearing@timesunion.com.

United Water Seeks Department Of Environmental Conservation Approval For Hudson River Drinking Water Conversion Plant For

http://lohud.com/article/20090405/NEWS03/904050361/1019/NEWS03

DEC will lead review of United Water desalination plant

LAURA INCALCATERRA

HAVERSTRAW - The state Department of Environmental Conservation will oversee the environmental review of United Water New York's proposed Hudson River water treatment plant.

The agency indicated it was likely to take on the role in January, when it sent out letters stating such an intention.

No objections were made, leaving the DEC to officially declare its role.

Some environmentalists voiced concern about the possibility that the oversight job would fall strictly to Haverstraw town, where United Water wants to build its plant.

They saw the possibility as a potential conflict of interest.

The town would like to host the plant to reap property-tax benefits.

But its supervisor, Howard Phillips, said the facility was welcome only if it met all publichealth and safety standards.

Another major step in the review process is about to be taken, with the DEC setting a "public scoping session" for May 7 to solicit public comment regarding the proposed plant.

The scoping session "provides the public with an opportunity to submit substantive comments that they propose be included as part of the draft environmental impact statement," DEC spokeswoman Maureen Wren said.

In other words, the session is the public's chance to tell the DEC what should be examined as part of the overall environmental review.

The DEC also has issued a "positive declaration" regarding the project, concluding that the proposal may have significant impacts on the environment, and that, therefore, an official environmental review should be conducted.

United Water's spokesman, Steve Goudsmith, said the company welcomes the review.

"We certainly look forward to a robust scoping session, and we believe that public participation is an important part of the process," Goudsmith said.

He also stressed the meaning of the "positive declaration."

"The positive declaration says the project may have an impact," Goudsmith said. "It doesn't conclude that it will."

Some environmentalists formed the Rockland Coalition for Sustainable Water in response to United Water's proposal.

They wanted oversight by the DEC, and also want a deeper review to determine whether a new plant is needed or if conservation and the creation of a new reservoir might suffice.

Coalition members, including the Stony Point Action Committee for the Environment, and several watchdog groups including the Tarrytown-based environmental organization Riverkeeper, have raised concerns about the cost to build and operate the plant, the potential impact on fish and wetlands, and the amount of energy that would be consumed by the plant, among other issues.

The DEC cited those and other issues as ones to be considered in the review process, the positive declaration shows.

United Water wants to build a desalination and water treatment plant on about 9 acres at the former Haverstraw landfill.

The company wants to draw water from the river, remove the salt and other contaminants, and deliver it to its Rockland customers.

The plant would draw up to 10 million gallons of river water daily, but take up to 20 million gallons per day for 12 hours during the low tide, according to the DEC's positive declaration.

The project would include a raw-water intake unit and pumping station along the Hudson, a desalination and water treatment plant at the former landfill, a raw-water transmission line between the two facilities, potable water lines connecting the treatment plant to existing United Water New York infrastructure, and pipelines to transmit sludge from the treatment plant to the Haverstraw Joint Regional Sewage Treatment Plant, the positive declaration states.

Permit Issued For BrickYard To Recycling Center Conversion On The Banks Of The Hudson River

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=786877&category=REGION

Recycling center OK'd for Hudson River shore State issues permit for 125-acre marine terminal; no plan to haul downstate garbage

BRIAN NEARING  COEYMANS — The state has approved plans by a subsidiary of Altamont-based Carver Construction for a construction-and-demolition debris recycling center at a former brickyard on the Hudson River just north of the village. As part of the permit, the state Department of Environmental Conservation assured anxious residents the 125-acre marine terminal will not be used to haul municipal garbage from downstate. Company owner Carver Laraway plans to spend up to $10 million — with up to $1.5 million in assistance from the state — to build the terminal off Route 144, where as many as 50 trucks a day and four barges a week could deliver up to 1,000 tons a day of old bricks, asphalt, concrete, masonry and other debris 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Debris would be stored for sorting into reusable materials for resale. The company, which initially used the name P&M Brick, is now named LW Land Development. The former brickyard, which operated from 1905 until closing in 2001, has been the focus of speculation for years by local residents who have fought a long-standing plan by the city of Albany to build a massive new dump less than a mile away. They have long feared that wharves there would be used to barge in municipal garbage from downstate. Albany's landfill plan has been stalled over concerns about federally protected wetlands on the site, and the city is pushing for another expansion of its Rapp Road dump. In a March 9 letter for DEC's permit for Laraway's project, DEC analyst Angelo Marcuccio wrote that "The facility will not be authorized to receive municipal solid waste (garbage)." The facility will be allowed to receive debris that is up to 15 percent municipal solid waste, which will be separated and carted away for "appropriate disposal at a permitted facility." DEC also decided that the recycling center will not harm the 1,052-acre Schodack Island State Park, located directly across the river in Rensselaer County. Opened in 2002, the park has 8 miles of hiking trails along with a boat launch, and includes a bird sanctuary, home to bald eagles and blue herons. While the center will be visible from the water's edge in the park, trees and other brush along trails should obscure the view during the spring and summer months, when the park is expected to have most of its visitors, wrote Marcuccio. Piles of construction debris are "similar to the previous and current industrial uses at the site, and are considered to be consistent with the historical and present view of the site from the river, park and surrounding area," he wrote. Last summer, officials from the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation asked DEC to consider the impact on the park. On Friday, parks spokesman Dan Keefe said DEC required noise-deadening changes to the center's crane and processing building, and will require periodic noise testing . The historic Arriantje Coeymans Stone House, an early homestead of a Dutch settler that dates to the 1720s, is also nearby, but is not visible from the recycling center, according to DEC. The house is on the state and national registers of historic places. Brian Nearing can be reached at 454-5094 or by e-mail at bnearing@timesunion.com.

New Hudson River Valley Conservation Guide Available From Department Of Environmental Protection

http://readme.readmedia.com/news/show/New-Guide-Available-to-Help-Hudson-River-Valley-Communities-Conserve-Natural-Areas/427537

News from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

For more information contact: Lori Severino, 518-402-8000

New Guide Available to Help Hudson River Valley Communities Conserve Natural Areas

ALBANY, NY (03/17/2009; 0936)(readMedia)-- Communities in the Hudson Valley looking for help in protecting natural resources can now tap into a new handbook,Conserving Natural Areas and Wildlife in Your Community: Smart Growth Strategies for Protecting the Biological Diversity of New York's Hudson River Valley, released today by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

The guidebook provides a roadmap for municipalities to use their local powers to protect valuable natural resources. It includes "How They Did It" profiles of numerous Hudson Valley communities that already have consulted successfully with DEC to protect their natural areas, wildlife habitat and water bodies.

"Up and down the Hudson Valley, communities are recognizing the importance of fostering green and healthy communities - and the vital role planning plays in achieving local goals," said DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis. "DEC is here to help. This new handbook provides practical guidance to communities on key topics such as conservation, mapping, public participation and education, and inter-municipal approaches to land use. We hope it serves as a 'how to' book for municipalities working to conserve the Hudson Valley's natural heritage."

Eight years ago, through the Hudson River Estuary Program, the DEC began helping Hudson Valley communities take local action to protect their important natural areas and wildlife. Since then, more than 80 towns, villages and cities in the Hudson Valley have mapped habitats, taken training, or adopted plans and local laws. The new handbook provides these examples to assist others who are looking for models. Some examples:

Coxsackie, a rural town in Greene County, adopted standards for planning board applicants to identify and conserve natural areas as part of the update of its new comprehensive plan and zoning. The Town's action supplements conservation by Greene County, where the county Industrial Development Authority (IDA), Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Greene Land Trust has protected more than 400 acres of open habitat for the state-listed Northern harrier and short-eared owl. The conservation work was funded by the IDA through development of the Kalkberg and Greene business parks.

"I want the children from our local communities to be able to work in Greene County and appreciate the rural landscape as so many of our residents do," said IDA Executive Director, Sandy Mathes.

Philipstown, a riverfront town in the Hudson Highlands with large, healthy forests, was one of the first communities to work with the DEC Estuary Program in 2001. Since then, town representatives have received technical assistance and a grant from DEC and have trained on land use and natural area mapping. In 2006, the town adopted a comprehensive plan including a detailed section on natural areas that recognized their importance for clean water and scenic beauty. In early 2009, the Town Board adopted a Natural Resources Plan and Open Space Index. The plan identified Philipstown's most important habitat and lays the groundwork for protecting those resources for future generations.

In Hyde Park, a rapidly developing suburban community in the Mid Hudson Valley, town volunteers completed 10 months of training in October, and produced a 3,000-acre map of natural areas. With their data and additional information provided by DEC, the town is attempting to create Critical Environmental Areas (CEA). The town recently updated their zoning and is drafting a local wetlands law. "We hope the CEAs will raise awareness of valuable natural areas among developers and the public," said Mike Rubbo, member of the town's conservation advisory council. "This will help the planning board balance conservation and development."

The mission of DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program is to conserve the natural resources of the river and its watershed, promote full public use and enjoyment of the river and clean up the pollution that affects our ability to use and enjoy it. The publication of Conserving Natural Areas and Wildlife in Your Community, implements the Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda goal: to conserve plants and animals of the Hudson River Valley by partnering with municipalities to create and enhance local programs to conserve high quality wildlife habitat.

The book can be downloaded at http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/50083.html on the DEC website.

To learn more about biodiversity programs and assistance offered by the Hudson River Estuary Program, visit the DEC website or contact Karen Strong, Biodiversity Outreach Coordinator, by email at klstrong@gw.dec.state.ny.us or call 518-402-8878.

Meeting To Discuss Emissions From Lafarge Cement Plant In Light Of Recent Dec Report

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=778414&category=REGION

Meeting to focus on plant pollution BOB GARDINIER SCHODACK — A Town Hall-style meeting for Rensselaer County residents will be held later this month regarding air quality issues at the Lafarge cement plant located across the Hudson River. County legislators announced the meeting will be from 7 to 9 p.m. March 24 at the Castleton Ambulance headquarters, at Brookview (Route 150) and Maple Hill roads in Schodack. The meeting comes as state and federal officials are working to reduce mercury emissions from such plants. The Lafarge plant on Route 9W in Albany County, with its 350-foot-tall smokestack, is the second-biggest emitter of mercury in the state, according to a report released earlier this month by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. It is located on the opposite side of the river from Schodack. The meeting is jointly sponsored by the county Environmental Management Council, which is an office of the County Legislature, and Lafarge. The company will review its voluntary emissions tests conducted in 2008 and update its efforts to modernize its facility in Ravena. Prevailing winds blow emissions from the plant across the Hudson River to southern Rensselaer County. "This is an important issue for residents in southern Rensselaer County, and we are glad to have the opportunity to provide an update for those interested," said Rensselaer County Legislator Martin Reid. In January, state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and officials from eight other states reached an agreement with the federal Environmental Protection Agency that will mean tougher regulation of mercury emissions from cement plants nationwide, including Lafarge. The new federal regulations will apply to three New York cement plants: Lafarge, the St. Lawrence facility in Catskill, and the Lehigh Northeast plant in Glens Falls.

Estimated 550,000 Gallons Of Raw Sewage Released Into Hudson River From Nyack"s Orangetown Sewer System

http://lohud.com/article/20090307/NEWS03/903070388/-1/SPORTS

Nyack spill sends raw sewage into Hudson River

LAURA INCALCATERRA

NYACK - Half a million gallons of raw sewage spilled into the Hudson River yesterday after a sewer main burst.

The pipe broke about 5 a.m. and sent sewage into the river and onto a parking lot at 11 Burd St., Orangetown police said.

The pressurized pipe was between the river and the Orangetown Sewer Department's pump house near the corner of Spear and Burd streets.

The pipe transports sewage from the pump house to the town's treatment plant in Orangeburg, said Ron Delo, director of Orangetown's Environmental Management and Engineering Department.

The pipe broke just outside the pump house, and the sewage was transported into the river via an overflow pipe that empties into the Hudson, he said.

Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner said the pump station was in the process of being upgraded.

"We were almost to the point of completion," Kleiner said. "While it's unfortunate, it's also a reminder of why this work is so important."

The town reported the spill to the Rockland County Health Department and the state Department of Environmental Conservation, said Thomas Micelli, the county's director of environmental health.

Neither agency issued a violation for the incident.

"This is an operational difficulty," Micelli said. "There is nothing they did wrong to cause it."

Micelli estimated that about 550,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled into the river and onto the parking lot during the incident, which lasted from 5 a.m. to 12:40 p.m.

The pump house treats about 1.2 million gallons per day, he said.

He said that in terms of the size of the spill, the "bulk amount is large."

"But we look at the effect as to how it impacts the receiving waters," Micelli said.

If the 550,000 gallons had spilled into a small stream, there could have been significant and lasting damage, he said, because there was less water to dilute the sewage.

Because the sewage ended up in the Hudson, it was more easily diluted, and as a result, "It's unlikely there will be any lasting damage," Micelli said.

He said the timing of the spill during colder weather also played a role, with the potential impacts to human health less threatening than during warmer weather when boaters and others were interacting with the Hudson.

Crews cleaned up the mess, including sanitizing the ground, Micelli said.

Delo said the pump house renovation was expected to be completed in about two months.

It includes new pumps, motors, controls and piping; will be more energy efficient; and have more capacity, he said.

Reach Laura Incalcaterra at lincalca@lohud.com or 845-578-2486.

Drinking Water Filtration System Underway As Hudson River Dredging Date Approaches

http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2009/02/25/news/doc49a4c943eecb5587159679.txt

Work begins on filtration of Stillwater drinking water

Danielle Sanzone

STILLWATER — Construction for a drinking water filtration system started today in preparation for the Hudson River dredging slated to begin at the end of May, said officials from the Environmental Protection Agency.

An informational session on the $700 million dredging project will take place tonight at the Stillwater Central School Auditorium from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m.

With concerns from residents regarding drinking water quality, EPA officials anticipate answering a lot of questions regarding the new filtration system and water testing, said spokeswoman Kristen Skopeck.

“We are hoping that we can alleviate any concerns by giving residents more information on the project,” she continued. “We are very close to the dredging beginning and we want people to understand the process.”

The filtration system will eliminate at least 99 percent of PCBs from the Hudson River water which is used by the town and the village for their drinking water. The system should be operational before dredging begins in May, though officials could not give an exact starting date for dredging since it will depend on the river flow. Once the system is done, it will continue to filter the water throughout the project, said Skopeck.

This varies slightly from the situation in Waterford and Halfmoon, another two communities which draw water from the river. The EPA and General Electric agreed to pay for the construction of an $8 million pipe connecting to Troy in case they need another water source but they will not pay for the municipalities to purchase the Tomhannock reservoir water throughout the project.

It will cost approximately $600,000 each year to purchase drinking water from the City of Troy. The EPA and GE have agreed to pay the difference of the water cost only if the PCB count exceeds the legal amount at the Fort Edward site or if the water cannot be monitored in a safe and timely manner, officials said.

“If it is good, clean, safe water, we cannot legally pay for it,” said EPA spokesman David King.

About 30,000 residents in Waterford, Halfmoon, and the Mechanicville City School District utilize this water.

“I have battled the EPA for four years to get to this point,” said Waterford Town Supervisor Jack Lawler at a previous dredging meeting. “It has not been easy. I am not willing to take the risk of PCBs affecting my family and my community. I find it morally offensive that the EPA thinks it would be safe for us to drink that water.”

“The filtration system is a temporary fix until we find something else,” said Skopeck. “We want to make sure they have water meeting drinking water standards.”

Once the project begins, dredging will be 24 hours each day for six days a week, officials said.

PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyl, an oily substance that was a popular hydraulic fluid decades ago, can enter a person through the air, by being absorbed by the skin, or through consumption in food or drinks. Small amounts of the substance are found in types of butter, eggs, milk and even in Big Macs, said David Carpenter, a former dean of public health at the University at Albany and a current member of the Institute for Health and the Environment.

“Any level of PCBs is an unsafe level,” he said citing risks of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, developmental abnormalities, and immune suppression.

Officials in Stillwater have asked for another source of drinking water during dredging and officials in the EPA are looking into that.

The Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Conservation will also be monitoring the project. Representatives from those agencies will also attend tonight’s meeting.

Until banned in the 1970s, PCBs were dumped in the Hudson River by GE starting in 1948. The GE sites at Fort Edward and Hudson Falls both utilized it and dumped approximately 1.3 million pounds of PCBs.

Danielle Sanzone may be reached at 270-1292 or by email atdsanzone@troyrecord.com.

PCBs From Hudson River To Be Buried In Andrews Texas

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2009/02/out_in_west_texas_harold_simmo.php

Out in West Texas, Harold Simmons Is Burying Hudson River Carcinogens

By Alexa Schirtzinger 

Ever wondered what's at the bottom of New York's Hudson River? Andrews, a small West Texas town 350 miles west of Dallas, is about to find out.

Last month, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approved an application to allow the disposal of low-level radioactive waste in a site just outside of Andrews. Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons, who controls Waste Control Specialists, the company that applied for the permit and owns the site, has been waiting for this moment for years -- and, as a recent D CEO article suggests, stands to reap some fat financial benefits from the deal. But before WCS gets any radioactive waste, its Andrews site will have the privilege of housing some of New York City's worst pollutants: millions of cubic yards of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), a carcinogenic compound.

Environmental Protection Agency

The GE Hudson Falls Plant that discharged PCBs into the Hudson River now on their way to West Texas

For three decades, General Electric legally dumped PCBs into the Hudson River. In 2002,the EPA declared the river a Superfund site and ordered GE to dredge it and remove the toxic compounds. GE was then responsible for finding a place to dispose of the contaminated sediments; in 2007, it chose the WCS site in Andrews. GE rep Mark Behan tells Unfair Park dredging and sediment transport (via railroad) will begin this May and last through October. Though this isn't WCS's first contract to store PCBs, it will be its largest -- and possibly most lucrative.

And the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club is begging the EPA to stop sending them to West Texas.

Exporting environmental problems is hardly unprecedented, but the Sierra Club's Neil Carman says there was an alternative: neutralizing the toxic compounds before they even left the Hudson.

"The technology has existed for 15 years to neutralize PCBs," Carman says. "There's no reason in the world we should be shipping them elsewhere."

But according to Behan, dredging, not neutralization, is all the EPA ordered. And in the EPA's view, there is a reason.

"The most cost-effective way to proceed was shipping sediments to [an out-of-state] storage facility," says Kristen Skopeck, the EPA's community liaison for the Hudson cleanup. "We're trying to do it as quickly, as expediently, as [possible]." Which does nothing to soothe the Sierra Club.

"All they're doing is relocating toxic waste," he tells Unfair Park. "They're moving a problem from one location to another [and] creating problems for future generations to solve."

PCBs, unlike nuclear waste, don't degrade over time; they'll be just as toxic hundreds of years from now. But their container drums will at some point have to be cleaned and replaced. Carman also says earthquakes in nearby New Mexico and sensitive aquifers underneath the storage site could lead to groundwater contamination. An SEC filing from Valhi (the Simmons-owned parent company, which owns 90 percent of WCS) in 2002 insists that "based on  extensive drilling by the oil and gas industry in the area, Waste Control Specialists does not believe there are any underground aquifers or other usable sources of water directly below the site."

Carman is particularly concerned that no one has disclosed the rail route for the contaminated sediments. But the EPA's Skopeck says that's normal: "PCBs and other wastes are transported by rail all the time, secretly." Which means a train of toxic waste could be rumbling through the DFW right now? Skopeck says that once the bottom of the Hudson River leaves New York, it's no longer under the EPA's mandate. The safe transport of hazardous cargo falls to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Skopeck says, and whatever happens to the waste once it gets to the WCS site is governed by the state of Texas.

But TCEQ spokesman Terry Clawson says the waste storage permits WCS holds are granted by the EPA, under the Toxic Substances Control Act -- "for which TCEQ has no jurisdiction," Clawson wrote in an e-mail sent to Unfair Park Friday. He writes, "At present, the TCEQ may not require an Environmental Impact Statement for the WCS facility." 

Newburgh SuperFund Site Gets $12 Million Toward Clean-Up

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/a0ad4a1cffc50e7485257558005faa67?OpenDocument

EPA Settlement Nets Over $12 Million for Cleanup of Newburgh Superfund Site

Last week, parties considered potentially responsible for the contamination at Consolidated Iron and Metal Superfund site in Newburgh, New York agreed to pay EPA just over $12 million toward cleaning up the site. An agreement with the cities of Newburgh and Poughkeepsie, Connell Limited Partnership, International Business Machines Corporation, and Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Inc., as well as 13 other settling parties, was entered with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on February 3, 2009. EPA will use the funds to clean up the contamination at the site.

“EPA has already done a great deal at the Consolidated Iron and Metal site,” said George Pavlou, Acting Regional Administrator. “We are extremely satisfied with the agreement and look forward to completing the cleanup of this site so that the community can one day put the property back to productive use.”

The Consolidated Iron and Metal Company operated at the site for approximately 45 years before closing in 1999. The company processed cars and other metal materials for resale and operated a smelter on the site primarily to melt aluminum scrap materials, transmissions and other metallic materials. These activities created contaminated soil, lead-contaminated ash and other by-products. The site was covered with piles of debris, scrap metal, and numerous areas of dark-stained soil. In the late 1990’s, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) conducted several inspections at the facility and cited the owner for a number of violations. Subsequent inspections by NYSDEC revealed that the owner had not corrected the violations. In the fall of 1999, the New York State Attorney General shut down operations at the site.

In 1998, EPA sampled an ash pile at the site and found it was contaminated with lead and PCBs. Approximately 6,600 tons of materials were removed from the site in 1999 and placed in an approved treatment, storage, and disposal facility. EPA also constructed a mound at the site to prevent storm water from carrying contaminants into the Hudson River. The site was placed on the National Priorities List of the country’s most contaminated sites in June 14, 2001.

EPA constructed a security fence and began removing thousands of tons of debris and contaminated soil from the site in June 2003. After an extensive investigation, EPA issued a final cleanup plan, called a Record of Decision, in October 2006. This plan includes removing and disposing of approximately 78,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil from the site and backfilling with clean fill, groundwater monitoring, and institutional controls in the form of deed restrictions. This past fall, EPA began preparing the site for the final cleanup. These preparatory activities included the demolition and removal of remaining building foundations, the removal of scrap metal, debris, and contaminated soil. EPA plans to begin removing the soil later this year.

Under the agreement, EPA will get $12,062,000 in three payments ending in January 2010. The money will be used, along with other Superfund and state money, to clean up the site, which will cost an estimated $20 million. As part of the agreement, EPA won’t sue the companies for any more cleanup costs for this site. The companies also agreed that any money they get by suing third parties would be split 50-50 with EPA, until each party has received $1 million; with varying percentages beyond that dollar amount. Newburgh will give EPA the net proceeds from selling the property if the price exceeds the appraised value.

For more information about the Consolidated Iron and Metal Superfund site, visit: http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/consolidatediron/. For a Google Earth aerial view of the Consolidated Iron and Metal Superfund site: http://www.epa.gov/region02/kml/consoliated_iron_and_metal.kml (Please note that you must have Google Earth installed on your computer to view the map. To download Google Earth, visit http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html). For more information on Superfund visit: http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund.

Hudson River Towns Evaluate Measures To Insure Drinking Water Quality During PCB Dredging

http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2009/jan/15/0115_water/

Saratoga County to study adding water line

Southern towns would be linked

Stephen Williams 

SARATOGA COUNTY — The county Water Authority will do a preliminary analysis of whether it’s practical to extend the county water system southward to serve Hudson River towns of Stillwater, Halfmoon and Waterford.

Those communities all draw drinking water from — or have wells close to — the Hudson River, and town officials are concerned about what will happen when federally mandated dredging of PCBs from the river starts later this year.

“It has a lot to do with PCBs,” said Stillwater town Supervisor Shawn Connelly. “Long term, the town needs a water source, and why shouldn’t it be the county?”

Together, the communities have about 40,000 residents and might need around 4 million gallons of water per day, which the authority has the capacity to provide, said Authority Chairman John E. Lawler, who is also the Waterford town supervisor. The analysis will look at the possible cost.

“Preliminarily, it looks like it’s feasible,” Lawler said.

The authority briefly discussed the matter during a meeting held Wednesday in a trailer at the Moreau site where the county water treatment plant is now under construction.

The current $67 million county project, due for completion late this year, will take water from the Hudson in Moreau and pipe it down the Northway corridor to the Luther Forest Technology Campus in Malta and Stillwater.

The new analysis will focus on the cost of extending the water line from Luther Forest to the interested communities.

The towns of Wilton and Ballston currently have contracts to buy water, but the technology campus will be the authority’s biggest customer, assuming the Advanced Micro Devices computer chip factory proposed there goes forward.

The authority struggled to find enough customers in 2006 and 2007, partially because of uncertainty about whether AMD would make a final commitment to the chip plant, which would use 3.1 million gallons of water a day.

The authority needed to have contracts to sell 4 million gallons per day to be viable, and now has contracts for slightly more than that.

Lawler said authority Executive Director William Simcoe will do the preliminary analysis of extending the water line to Stillwater’s populated area, and also to Halfmoon, where it could meet existing water infrastructure.

“We will not incur any cost. We will use Bill’s expertise,” Lawler said.

Officials in the town and village of Stillwater have become interested in joining the county system since the discovery late last year that there are traces of PCBs in the village water, drawn from wells near the Hudson River.

Halfmoon and Waterford both take water directly from the river that is then treated, and are unhappy with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s offers of more stringent alternatives during the upcoming PCB dredging. The EPA is building a new water line underneath the Hudson River to link Troy’s water supply, but has not agreed to pay for water purchased from Troy except in emergencies.

“The Hudson, in my opinion, will not be a suitable source when the dredging starts,” Lawler said. The county is taking water from the Hudson River north of the area contaminated by PCBs.

The communities are planning, but have yet to file, a lawsuit against the EPA over the drinking water issue.

The multiyear, nearly $1 billion dredging project will remove PCBs — polychlorinated biphenyls, a suspected carcinogen — that were dumped into the river from General Electric plants in Hudson Falls and Fort Edward.