Environment DEC
From the December 2003 issue
Cleanup Plan Proposed for Harbor at Hastings Site
Through December 29, the public is invited to comment on DEC's Proposed Remedial Action Plans (PRAPs) for the Harbor at Hastings State Superfund site in the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson. The PRAPs address both on-site contamination at the former Anaconda Wire Plant and off-site impacts to the Hudson River.
The Atlantic Richfield Corporation (ARCO), which purchased the site in 1977, has conducted studies and has taken several intermediate remedial measures to mitigate the situation.
Contaminants
ARCO's on-site studies found soils containing high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in one corner and along the northern shoreline of the site, where PCB mixtures were historically formulated and used. DEC's studies found PCB-contaminated sediments offshore of these areas, which have affected local fish populations. The State Department of Health has issued an advisory to eat no American eel caught near the site. DEC's and ARCO's studies also found soil and sediments contaminated with copper, lead and zinc in distinct areas on the site and offshore.
Comprehensive Cleanup Plan
The new PRAPs set forth a comprehensive remedy for the entire site, and supersede the PRAP issued in September 1998. In response to public comments on the 1998 PRAP, DEC required ARCO to conduct more sampling of the site and to evaluate other alternatives. The new remedial plans will address both the contamination source and impacts on the river ecosystem.
The proposed on-site remedy combines the removal of contamination where it can be safely completed, and containment. The off-site PRAP targets parts of the riverbed where contamination can be removed without affecting non-target areas. The on-site remedy is estimated to cost $55.2 million for construction and $221,000 for annual monitoring and maintenance.
Site History
Between 1919 and 1977, the site was owned and operated by the Anaconda Wire and Cable Company for the manufacture of copper wire, lead-covered cable, high-voltage cable and insulated wire. Beginning in the late 1930s, PCB mixtures were used to saturate paper and asbestos-wrapped cable before the outer sheathing was applied. The PCB mixture used at the site has a different chemical "fingerprint" than that released to the upper Hudson River. As a result, sediment impacts attributable to the site can be distinguished from impacts originating upstream. In 1977, Anaconda Wire and Cable was acquired by ARCO.
How To Make Comments
Written comments on both proposed cleanup plans will be accepted through December 29, 2003, and should be mailed to George Heitzman at 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-7013. After considering both verbal and written comments, DEC will select the remedies for the site and issue Records of Decision. You may access project-related documents on DEC's web site, or at the following locations:
Hastings Public Library
7 Maple Avenue
Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10533
Phone: (914) 478-3307
NYSDEC Central Office
625 Broadway, 12th floor
Albany, NY 12233-7013
(518) 402-9813
NYSDEC Region 3
21 South Putt Corners Road
New Paltz, NY 12561
(845) 256-3154
