Emerson Power Transmission Environmental Investigation
Background
The Emerson Power Transmission (EPT) facility, located off Route 96B in the City of Ithaca, has operated since the early 1900s and currently is a manufacturer of steel roller chain. This process includes metal stamping, heat treating, oil quenching, parts washing, and final product assembly. Waste solvents, which were used to clean equipment at various locations within the plant, and waste oil were generated from this operation.
An environmental investigation in and around the facility began in the late 1980s. Groundwater was found to contain various organic compounds including trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene, compounds commonly found in cleaning solvents. In the 1990s, EPT began extracting groundwater and treating it before discharging it to City storm sewers that discharge to a tributary of Cayuga Inlet. Approximately 1,440 cubic yards of petroleum-contaminated soil was excavated and disposed of at High Acres Landfill in Fairport, New York. In 1991, the NYSDOH conducted indoor air sampling at several area residences and found that three of the ten homes tested, those closest to EPT, may have been slightly impacted by site-related compounds. Subsequent sampling for soil gas between EPT and these residences was attempted but could not be accomplished because of high groundwater. This sampling was completed in 2004 and results indicate the need for additional sampling near EPT and inside nearby properties.
Reports and other information
The following information is available for download:
- The Supplemental Remedial Investigation Report, December 7, 2007. The report is available in five parts:
- Report text Pages 1-30 (30 Page PDF, 700 KB)
- Report text Pages 31-68 (38 Page PDF, 900 KB)
- Report text Pages 69-75 and Figures 1-8 (16 Page PDF, 900 KB)
- Figures 9-14 and Tables 1-2 (21 Page PDF, 1 MB)
- Tables 3-10 (27 Page PDF, 600 KB).
- South Hill Update - April 2008 (2 Page PDF, 25 KB)
- Letter of April 25, 2006 from Environmental Strategies Consulting to New York State Department of Health (10 pages PDF, 1.082 KB)
- Letters of April 28, 2006 through May 18, 2006 from NYSDEC to Emerson Power Transmission (16 pages PDF, 457 KB)
- Letter of June 16, 2006 from Environmental Strategies Consulting to NYSDEC (44 pages PDF, 1.288 KB)
- Letters of June 16, 2006 to July 28, 2006 from Environmental Strategies to NYSDEC (7 pages PDF, 162 KB)
- Letters of May 27, 2005 to June 17, 2005 between Environmental Strategies Consulting and NYSDEC (15 pages PDF, 761 KB)
- Letters of October 12, 2005 to March 20, 2006 between NYSDEC and Environmental Strategies Consulting and Emerson Power Transmission (25 pages PDF, 589 KB)
- Geophysical Survey Investigation Report, Emerson Power Transmission Facility, Ithaca, NY (38 page PDF, 816 KB) and the associated Appendix A (32 page PDF, 791 KB).
For additional information: Copies of site-related documents are available for review at the Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca, NY.
