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Carroll Town Landfill State Superfund Site

Site Number 907017

Fact Sheet - December 2008

Public Meeting on Proposed Environmental Cleanup Plan for Carroll Town Landfill Site, Frewsburg NY

Vegetation on Carroll Town Landfill

Introduction

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the New York State Department of Health (DOH) invite you to attend a public meeting to discuss the environmental cleanup plan, called the Proposed Remedial Action Plan (PRAP), for the Carroll Town Landfill Site located on NYS Route 62 (Ivory Road) in Frewsburg, Chautauqua County. The site is located in a rural area surrounded by inactive farmland, wooded areas and private homes. The disposal of hazardous waste at the site has contaminated the soil. The major contaminants found at the site are volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

DEC, in cooperation with the DOH, has prepared the Proposed Remedial Action Plan (PRAP), which is outlined in this fact sheet. The next step is to hold a public meeting to present the results of prior environmental investigations and introduce the PRAP to the public for comment. At the meeting, representatives from DEC and DOH will present the PRAP and be available to answer questions from the public.

The PRAP was developed using the information from environmental investigations, which assessed the nature and extent of contamination at the site, and a feasibility study, which was conducted to develop and evaluate possible cleanup, or remediation, alternatives.

Background

The Town of Carroll operated the site as a municipal solid waste landfill from the early 1960s to 1979. Records indicate that industrial wastes were disposed of in the landfill during the period of operation. In 1979, the landfill was permitted to continue operation only as a construction and demolition debris landfill and also began operation as a waste transfer station. The western landfill cell was closed in May 1980 and it is unclear when the eastern cell closed. The Town reported that the site closed as a waste transfer station in 1986. In 1992, as part of the remedial investigation of the Vac Air Alloys site in Frewsburg, it was alleged that industrial waste from Vac Air Alloys was disposed of at the landfill. As a result, DEC began a series of investigations of the Carroll Landfill.

Site Location MapThe Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study

The remedial investigation (RI) conducted at the site included the installation of several soil borings, test pits and monitoring wells. Several groundwater, sediment, surface water and soil samples were obtained to analyze the chemical, physical, and hydrogeologic properties at the site.

A Remedial Investigation Report dated January 2006 explains the details of the RI, including information on contamination found in various media, health and environmental risk assessments, and the extent of contamination at the site. The RI indicates that the contamination from the landfill has migrated to groundwater. The contaminated groundwater is posing a threat to the public water supply well No. 5, which is located south- west of the site. The report presents the contamination assessment and the likely consequences of leaving the site untreated.

A Feasibility Study (FS) Report dated April 2006 has been prepared which describes the results of the RI and assesses methods for cleaning up the contaminated areas. The FS evaluated a number of remedial alternatives for the site. The alternatives were compared with evaluation criteria, including cost and protection of public health and the environment.

The Proposed Remedial Action Plan

Based upon the evaluations of the remedial alternatives, DEC is proposing a cleanup plan that consists of the following steps:

  1. Consolidating the landfill, if possible, by moving soil from the east cell to the west cell, resulting in a smaller landfill footprint, and restoring the east cell area to usable land;
  2. Placing a soil cover over the landfill to prevent exposure to contaminated soils and promote surface water runoff;
  3. Designing and installing a groundwater treatment system at public water supply well No. 5 to insure that drinking water standards are achieved; and
  4. Operating and maintaining the treatment system along with maintaining the landfill cover.

Public Meeting and Comment Period

A public meeting will be held at 7pm on January 7, 2009, at the Frewsburg Central School to discuss the cleanup plan proposed for the Site. At the meeting, DEC and DOH representatives will be available to answer questions regarding the proposed cleanup plan. The DEC will also receive written comments about the PRAP from December 17, 2008 through January 22, 2009. You may send your comments to the project manager, Mr. Vivek Nattanmai, at the address listed below.

After obtaining and evaluating public comments on the proposed remedy, the DEC will prepare a Record of Decision (ROD) that will formally select the remedy. The DEC will prepare a Responsiveness Summary that will contain written responses to all comments received from the public. A copy of the ROD and the Responsiveness Summary will be available at the locations listed below.

Who Should I Call If I Have Questions About the Site?

Site related environmental questions
 Mr. Vivek Nattanmai, P.E.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233
Toll Free No. 1-888-459-8667

Site related health questions
Mr. Cameron O'Connor, Public Health Specialist
NYS Department of Health
584 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 847-4385

Locations to View Project Documents

DEC would like to answer your questions and provide additional information on the PRAP. You may review the RI/FS document, as well as other site-related documents, at two locations. These locations include:

Myers Memorial Library
23 Ivory Street
Frewsburg, NY 14738
(716) 569-5515

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
270 Michigan Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 851-7220 (Please call for an appointment.)