Edgewood Warehouse Environmental Restoration Program Site

Site Number E907032

Fact Sheet - June 2008

Environmental Investigation and Cleanup to Begin at Edgewood Warehouse Site

Introduction

An environmental investigation and cleanup is being conducted at the Edgewood Warehouse Site by the Chautauqua County Department of Public Facilities, in partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). The work will be done through the Environmental Restoration Program (ERP) authorized by New York State's 1996 Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act. The ERP provides financial assistance to local governments for the cleanup and restoration of brownfield sites. A brownfield is a currently unused or under-used property which may have been used for industrial purposes in the past but is no longer contributing to the tax base of a municipality. Brownfields may be, but are not necessarily, environmentally contaminated.

What is the Purpose of the Investigation?

The purpose of this investigation is to collect environmental samples to determine if the site needs to be cleaned up. This fact sheet is being provided to explain why the site investigation is happening, what the investigation activities will involve, and how to obtain more information.

Background

The Former Edgewood Warehouse Site is part of a larger, inactive industrial park located at 320 South Roberts Road in the City of Dunkirk. The Edgewood Warehouse site is approximately 7.0 acres in size and contains an inactive warehouse and a second smaller building that is currently unused. The property has been utilized for various heavy industrial and commercial uses from 1909 to the present. The property has been used to manufacture locomotives, military equipment, stainless steel feed-water tubes and heat exchangers, boxes, and wood crates. The property was also used as a tank paint shop and as a machine shop. At one time, the property contained another building that housed the facility power plant.

Details of the Investigation

The approved work plan for the site contains the following steps:

Drilling soil borings, test pits and soil probes to collect samples of subsurface soils at varying depths;
Drilling new groundwater monitoring wells to collect groundwater samples and collecting samples from old wells;
Collecting surface soil samples;
Collecting samples from existing drainage structures; and
Analyzing soil and groundwater samples collected from the site.

What Is The Next Step?

The investigation began in the middle of June 2008. Upon completion of site investigation activities, Chautauqua County and their consultant, TVGA, will prepare a report summarizing the results of the investigation. The report will examine various ways of addressing and cleaning up any environmental problems found at the site. The report will be reviewed by NYSDEC and the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). All of these documents will be available for your review at the locations listed at the end of this fact sheet. The draft report should be available by Fall 2008. DEC will keep you informed about significant milestones in the cleanup process through fact sheets similar to this one.

Who Should I Call if I Have Questions About the Edgewood Warehouse Site?

Site Redevelopment
Cheryl Ruth
Chautauqua County DPF
454 North Work Street
Falconer, N.Y. 14733
716-661-8400

Environmental related questions
Linda Ross
NYSDEC
270 Michigan Ave
Buffalo, N.Y. 14203
716-851-7220

Health related questions
Cameron O'Connor
NYSDOH
584 Delaware Ave.
Buffalo, N.Y. 14202
716-847-4385

Locations to View Project Related Documents

Public understanding and involvement are important to the success of New York's Brownfields program. To keep you informed, Chautauqua County and NYSDEC have established the following locations for you to review project documents:

Dunkirk Free Library
536 Central Avenue
Dunkirk, NY 14048

NYSDEC's Buffalo Office
270 Michigan Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 851-7220
(Please call for appointment)