Niagara Falls, NY

A.26 Niagara Falls, NY

A.26.1 Summary

Environment:	River
Scale:	Full
Contaminants of Concern:	Benzene, chlorobenzene, chlorophenols, and hexachlorocyclohexane, Hg, heavy metals
Source Control Achieved Prior to Remedy Selection?	No
Final Remedy:	MNR, cappingTechnology which covers contaminated sediment with material to isolate the contaminants from the surrounding environment., and dredging
Expected Recovery Time:	NA; contamination left in place

A.26.2 Site Description

The Hooker 102^nd Street Landfill consists of two parcels totaling 22.1 acres. The site is located on Buffalo Avenue in Niagara Falls, New York. It borders the Niagara River and lies less than ¼ mile south of the Love Canal Superfund site. A portion of the filled area of the site is an extension of the original Love Canal excavation. The site is bounded to the south by a shallow embayment of the Niagara River. To the west of the site is Griffon Park, which was formerly used as a landfill for municipal waste by the city. The 100^th Street storm sewer crossed the site and discharged to the Niagara River. The primary source of contamination at this site was improper disposal of at least 159,000 tons of various chemical wastes.

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 larger portion of the landfill was operated from 1943 until 1971 and the smaller portion from 1948 to 1970. During that time at least 159,000 tons of waste, in both liquid and solid form, was deposited into the landfill. The waste included mixed organic solvents, organic and inorganic phosphates, brine sludge, fly ash, electrochemical cell parts and related equipment, hexachlorocyclohexane process cake, lindane, benzene, chlorobenzene, and chlorophenols.

In 1972, the site was capped and fenced on three sides, and a bulkhead along the Niagara River was installed. In 1979, a complaint, pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, was filed against the two companies. In 1983, the site was added to the National Priorities List.

The remedial investigation began in 1984 was completed in 1990. The remedy was completed in 1999, and the site was deleted from the NPL in 2004.

A.26.3 Remedial Objectives

Dredging activities associated with the removal of sediments in the river can have short term negative impacts on the Niagara River due to the possible release of contaminated sediments. Berms will be constructed beyond the area of contamination to retain any loosened sediments, preventing their transport into the river from the embayment. The construction of the berms could temporarily increase sediment loads to the river.

RAO(s)/project objectives for this site include:

Contain the NAPL plume with the slurry wall.
Consolidate contaminated sediment beneath the capA covering over material (contaminated sediment) used to isolate the contaminants from the surrounding environment. on site.
Comply with ARARS.

A.26.4 Remedial Approach

Final selected remedy: MNR, capping, and dredging

In September 1990, the USEPA selected the site remedy. The remedy was modified in a ROD amendment in 1996. The final remedy includes:

Dredging the Niagara River sediments to the “clean line” with respect to site related contamination. These sediments, after dewatering, were not incinerated as originally specified, but were consolidated on the landfill. Nonaqueous phase leachate (NAPL) found within these sediments was extracted and incinerated at an off-site facility. Dredging was completed in November 1996.
A synthetic-lined cap, completed in November 1997, was constructed in accordance with federal and state standards was installed over the landfill and perimeter soils.
Off-site soils above cleanup thresholds were consolidated beneath the cap.
A slurry wall surrounding the site’s perimeter was constructed and keyed into the underlying clay/till geologic formation. The intent was to contain NAPL. The slurry wall was completed in May 1997.
Groundwater will be recovered using an interception drain installed at the seasonal low water table in the fill materials. Recovered groundwater will be treated. The main purpose of the groundwater recovery is to maintain an inward gradient across the slurry wall. The groundwater system was started in 1999.
In 2005, there were 18,153 gallons of NAPL beneath the site which will be recovered using eight dedicated recovery wells and incinerated at an off-site facility. In 2006, 12,151 gallons of NAPL was recovered and sent off site to be incinerated.
The existing storm sewer will be abandoned in place and covered by the cap.
A 6-foot chain link fence will be installed around the perimeter of the cap in order to restrict access to the site.
Institutional controls in the form of deed restrictions, precluding the extraction of groundwater other than required for implementation, and operation and maintenance of the remedy and any excavation, construction, or other activities that could interfere with the integrity of the landfill cap or other engineering controls in place at the site were filed in January 2000.

The remedy was selected because the major human exposure pathways included the ingestion of fish from the embayment in the Niagara River, exposure of individuals while swimming in the embayment and the little Niagara River, the ingestion of drinking water from the Niagara River as it is withdrawn at the Niagara Falls drinking water treatment plant, and dermal contact with, ingestion of, and inhalation of dust from off-site contaminated soils. The selected remedy of consolidation, capping, and containment effectively eliminates each of these pathways leading to human exposure. The ingestion of fish pathway will be eliminated since no contaminants can leach from the landfill area due to the existence of the slurry wall keyed into the confining layer, the capping of the site, and the maintenance of an inward gradient across the slurry wall. The pathways involving swimming in the river and drinking water from the river will be eliminated since the entry of contaminants into the river will be eliminated. Exposure to any dust from contaminated off-site soils will be avoided since all contaminated off-site soils will be consolidated on site beneath the cap.

A.26.5 Monitoring

Water levels inside the slurry wall and immediately outside are monitored to determine whether an inward gradient is maintained. Perimeter wells outside the slurry wall are sampled to monitor the quality of groundwater leaving the site. Surface water quality was not being monitored at the time of the second Five Year Review but was recommended.

Costs: Estimated annual monitoring costs were $100,000 in the Second Five Year Review.

RAOs/project objectives achieved? According to the Second Five Year Review, it was not possible to determine whether an inward gradient inside the slurry wall was being maintained and site contaminants of concern were consistently detected in downgradient perimeter wells above the regulatory criteria.

A.26.6 References

USEPA, Hooker-102^nd Street NPL Listing. http://www.epa.gov/Region2/superfund/npl/0201706c.pdf.

Publication Date: August 2014

Permission is granted to refer to or quote from this publication with the customary acknowledgment of the source (see suggested citation and disclaimer).