5565 River Road
Public Notice
5565 River Road Update: Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Site Classification Notice
The Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Site Program (the State Superfund Program) is the State's program for identifying, investigating, and cleaning up sites where the disposal of hazardous waste may present a threat to public health and/or the environment. DEC maintains a list of these sites in the Registry of Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites (the "Registry"). The site identified above, and located in Site Location below, was recently added to the Registry as a Class 2 site that presents a significant threat to public health and/or the environment for the following reason(s):
The site is currently vacant with evidence of past disposal activities and ongoing trespassing. Metals and PCBs have been found in onsite fill materials (i.e., flyash, foundry sand, and industrial sludges) and soil at concentrations exceeding applicable standards, criteria, and guidance values. Additional sampling is needed to define the nature and extent of contamination and to evaluate the potential for exposures on and off the site.
DEC will keep you informed throughout the investigation and cleanup of the site. If you own property adjacent to this site and are renting or leasing your property to someone else, please share this information with them. If you no longer wish to be on the contact list for this site or otherwise need to correct our records, please contact the Project Manager listed below.
Background
Location
The 5565 River Road site consists of approximately 24 acres of a single parcel located at 5565 River Road in the Town of Tonawanda, Erie County, New York. The site is bounded on the west by vacant, forested property owned by the Lake Ontario Steel Company and by the Riverview Industrial Center site; on the south by commercial property owned by Enbridge Energy Partners; on the east by vacant property owned by the Town of Tonawanda; and on the north by a truck terminal owned by RLR Investments, LLC. Access to the site is by a gravel drive on the adjacent property owned by the Town of Tonawanda.
Site Features
The 5565 River Road site is heavily vegetated by a mixture of trees, tall grass, scrub brush and shrubs. Wetland vegetation (e.g., phragmites) is growing in the north-central portion of the site, but free-standing water was not present in this area during a Site Characterization (SC) completed in November 2011. The topography of the site is relatively flat-lying and slopes gently to the east toward the gravel drive. A scarp approximately 5 to 6 feet in height; however, is present along most of the western boundary of the site. This scarp is produced by the presence of industrial fill at the site. In the north-central portion of the site, large mounds of industrial fill are present and range in height from approximately 5 to 15 feet above the surrounding grade. Exposed fill in these mounds consists predominately of flyash. Numerous ATV trails were observed throughout the site with the industrial fill exposed along these trails. Three creeks traverse the site: (1) Rattlesnake Creek in the northern portion of the site, which has been culverted across a large portion of the site and adjacent property to the east; (2) an unnamed creek (middle creek) in the central portion of the site, which has been culverted across the property to the east; and (3) an unnamed creek (south creek) that forms the southern boundary of the site, which is culverted across the entire site and a portion of the adjacent property to the east. All three creeks discharge to Two Mile Creek to the east, which discharges to the Niagara River approximately 2,500 feet downstream of the site. Clusters of 55-gallon drums were observed on the ground surface at six different areas of the site. The majority of these drums were empty, rusted and in poor condition.
Current Zoning/Use
The property is zoned for industrial use, and is currently vacant and undeveloped. No buildings are present on the site. The proposed future use of the property is for commercial purposes.
Historic Use
Historic information concerning the site is extremely limited, so the disposal history of the site has been determined through a review of historical aerial photographs. The site appears to have remained undeveloped until approximately 1966. An aerial photograph from that year reveals several areas of disturbance at the site. Disposal appears to have continued through the 1990s. An aerial photograph from 2005 suggests that dumping had ceased and trees were starting to grow on the former disposal areas.
Remedial History
In September 2009, a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment was completed for the Town of Tonawanda to evaluate the environmental status of the property. This study identified the large mounds of industrial fill and the 55-gallon drums on the ground surface. In October 2010, based upon the results of the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, the site was placed on the Registry of Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal sites as a Potential site. Between October and December 2011, DEC completed an SC of the 5565 River Road site. This investigation included: (1) a detailed property survey; (2) a detailed site reconnaissance; (3) a comprehensive test pitting program; and (4) the collection of environmental samples for chemical analysis. The SC Report was completed by the DEC in August 2012.
Who to Contact
Comments and questions are always welcome and should be directed as follows:
Project Related Questions
Mr. Glenn May, Project Manager
NYS DEC
Division of Environmental Remediation
270 Michigan Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14203
715-851-7220
gmmay@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Site Related Health Questions
Mr. Matthew Forcucci
NYS DOH
584 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14202
716-847-4501
beei@health.state.ny.us
For More Information
Additional information about this site can be found using DEC's "Environmental Site Remediation Database Search" engine.
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Site Location
Aerial view of 5565 River Road site
