Buffalo China Brownfield Cleanup Program Site
Fact Sheet - December 2011
Cleanup Action to Begin at Brownfield Site
Action has begun that will address contamination at the Former Buffalo China site located at 51 Hayes Place in Buffalo, Erie County under New York's Brownfield Cleanup Program.
The cleanup action for the site includes the excavation of contaminated soil. Once the excavation is complete a piping gallery will be installed in the excavation and the area will be backfilled with clean granular fill. The cleanup activities will be performed by Buffalo China, Inc. ("applicant"). The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) will provide project oversight.
What Does the Cleanup Involve?
The cleanup activities are intended to address contamination at the site to achieve cleanup levels that protect public health and the environment. The remedy will account for the intended or reasonably anticipated future use of the site.
- Excavation of contaminated soil and disposal off site at permitted facilities
- Installation of a piping gallery in the excavation. The piping gallery along with a number of injection wells will be used to inject chemical compounds to clean up the groundwater
- A site cover will be maintained as a component of any future site development, which will consist either of the structures such as buildings, pavement, sidewalks comprising the site development or a soil cover in areas where the upper one foot of exposed surface soil will exceed the applicable soil cleanup objectives
- Imposition of an institutional control in the form of an environmental easement for the property with requirements to limit the property for industrial use
Details of the cleanup activities can be found in the Remedial Action Work Plan, which is available at the document repository identified on this fact sheet.
Next Steps
Buffalo China has retained an environmental remediation contractor who will complete the remedial excavation, backfilling and restoration. Buffalo China's environmental consultant will oversee and document the remediation activities as well as the injection system installation. Once these activities are complete a Final Engineering Report (FER) and Site Management Plan (SMP) will be prepared for the Site. The FER and SMP is anticipated to be complete later in 2012.
Site Background
The Former Buffalo China Site has historically been the location of china manufacturing. A small portion of the Site purchased in the 1980s was used as a warehouse by the Standard Mirror Company. The Site, which is currently owned and operated by Niagara Ceramics Corp., comprises approximately 8 acres and is bordered on the north by Conrail railroad tracks, on the east by the adjoining former Buffalo China Warehouse and other commercial/industrial facilities, and on the south and west by residential properties. The nearest body of water is the Buffalo River, located approximately ¼ mile south and east of the Site. Environmental investigations have identified that the Site's soil and groundwater have been impacted by VOCs and lead, and the VOC contamination in the groundwater has migrated off Site. The DEC has determined that this contamination poses a significant threat to public health and the environment.
Who Should I Call If I Have Questions About the Site?
Questions regarding the investigation of this site are welcome. Should you have any questions, please contact the following representatives:
Project-related Questions:
Ms. Christine Barton
Conestoga-Rovers & Assoc.
285 Delaware Ave Suite 500
Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 856-2142
cbarton@craworld.com
Health-related Questions:
Mr. Matt Forcucci
NYSDOH
584 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, New York 14202
(716) 847-4501
mjf13@health.state.ny.us
Environment-related Questions:
Mr. Jaspel Walia, P.E., Project Manager
NYSDEC Region 9 Office
270 Michigan Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 851-7220
region9@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Locations to View Project Documents
Two locations have been established as document repositories to provide you with access to project information. All documents relevant to the site's remedial program are available for review at:
East Clinton Branch Library
1929 East Clinton Street
Buffalo, NY 14206
(716) 823 5626
NYSDEC Region 9 Office
270 Michigan Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 851-7220
