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Niagara River Toxics Management Plan (NRTMP) Reports

Reduction of Toxics Loadings to the Niagara River From Hazardous Waste Sites in the United States

November 1998
A Report by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

Executive Summary

Since 1987, the Niagara River has been the focus of attention for four environmental agencies in the United States and Canada ("The Four Parties"). In a Declaration of Intent, the Four Parties committed to reducing toxic chemical inputs to the Niagara River. Hazardous waste sites were considered the most significant non-point source of toxics to the River. Therefore, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) identified 26 U.S. sites responsible for over 99% of the estimated input from all such sites on the U.S. side of the basin, and put them on ambitious remediation schedules. Remediation of the sites is intended to virtually eliminate the migration of toxic pollutants from the sites.

All remedial construction has been completed at 9 of the sites. The remedial technology will be operated and monitored for effectiveness for years to come at those sites. Remedial actions are underway at 13 sites. Five of these are interim remedies, including 4 sites under interim remediation while final remedies are being designed or investigated, and one site where an interim remedial action was completed and an effort to identify potentially responsible parties is underway. At 9 of the 13 sites where remedial actions are underway, significant remedial controls are already operating. For many of these sites, the load reductions are substantial. The remaining sites are under design or study. Based on various simplifying assumptions, EPA estimates that remediations to date have reduced the potential inputs into the River by at least 25%. This estimate is based primarily on the sites where the final remedial action is completed. It does not include the load reductions at all the sites where remedial controls are operating, though the reductions may be substantial. Therefore, the actual reductions to date exceed 25%. EPA also estimates that remedial activities to be completed through the first quarter of 1999 at several of the most significant sites will reduce the potential inputs into the River by approximately 80%. Revised remediation schedules call for all of the sites to be completed by 2003. Work by EPA and DEC is underway to improve reduction estimates. Recent accomplishments in remediation of the priority waste sites include the following: Construction and optimization of the remedial systems has been completed at the Olin Corporation site and Buffalo Color - Area D. The groundwater stabilization programs at the Occidental Chemical Corporation's Buffalo Avenue site are nearly complete. Occidental is enhancing its new treatment plant for contaminated groundwater to allow increased groundwater extraction rates, and has converted an abandoned sewer line to an overburden groundwater collection system. This system is being augmented by installation of a tile drain collection system. Construction of remedial systems is also nearly complete at the 102nd Street site. The final landfill cap was recently completed. The leachate pump-and-treat system is under construction and due to be completed in December 1998. Site landscaping will be completed in March 1999. At Occidental's S-Area site, the new Niagara Falls Drinking Water Treatment Plant (DWTP) was completed and is now supplying the community with its drinking water. This allowed construction to begin on the remedy for the old DWTP area. The old DWTP was demolished, the final portion of the perimeter barrier wall was completed, and the cap and groundwater collection system are being installed. All remedial work is complete at the River Road and Niagara Mohawk - Cherry Farm sites, except for sediment removal. The remedial action includes fish and wildlife habitat enhancements. At Occidental's Hyde Park site, additional extraction wells were completed, and more are being installed, to ensure effective hydraulic containment. Remedial construction recently began at several sites, including Niagara County Refuse Disposal. The remedy at this site includes a perimeter clay barrier wall, leachate collection with off-site treatment, a final landfill cap, and other actions. At the Vanadium Site, an interim remedial action was initiated by one of the potentially responsible parties. The action involves capping portions of the site and control of storm water runoff. Estimates of the cost of remediation are available for most of the 26 priority hazardous waste sites. Based on these estimates, the costs incurred to date are at least $ 316,900,000. Additional costs expected in the future are estimated at $ 312,700,000.

 

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