For Release: Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Comprehensive Cleanup Turns Polluted Site into Community Asset
DEC, Con Edison Announce Substantial Completion of Pelham Plaza Project
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis today announced that the cleanup of Pelham Plaza, a former manufactured gas plant site in Pelham, Westchester County, is substantially complete, clearing the way for the 20-acre parcel to return to productive use.
"Historically, every community in the state relied on manufactured gas plants for energy, but it was only recently that there has been a concerted effort to identify all the places where they once existed and address the environmental impacts they left behind," Commissioner Grannis said. "We have made the comprehensive and expeditious cleanup of MGP-related sites a priority for DEC. As a result, today Pelham Plaza has been transformed from a polluted site to an asset. That's good news for the environment, public health and the local economy."
Now called Pelham Plaza, the site was home to a manufactured gas plant (MGP) from the 1800s to 1951. MGP plants were used by utility companies to convert coal and petroleum to a gas used for cooking and heating. The gas manufacturing industry no longer exists -- the last New York State MGP closed in 1972, and most of the others were replaced long before that. Some plant sites have been closed for more than 100 years. However, they still pose contamination problems today.
Large amounts of previously undetected liquid waste, known as coal tar, often leaked into soils beneath the manufacturing and storage sites. DEC has developed one of the most aggressive MGP cleanup initiatives in the country, with 253 sites across the state identified to date.
Consolidated Edison is associated with 54 former MGP projects, all of which are subject to cleanup agreements with DEC - including Pelham Plaza. Coal tar was found in the soil and groundwater across the site and remedial construction activities began in January 2008. This extensive and comprehensive cleanup work has included:
- Excavation and off-site disposal of 230,000 tons of soil and debris. Coal-tar saturated soil was removed to a depth of 20 feet in certain areas of the site and 10 feet in the rear parking lot containment area.
- Installation of containment barriers 30 to 60 feet below the surface at the rear portion of the site.
- Installation of equipment to extract and treat groundwater and extract heavier tars.
- Installation of a sub-slab ventilation system beneath several buildings to prevent tar vapors from migrating into occupied structures.
- Site restoration, including placement of two feet of clean fill cover over the entire property and reconstruction of parking lots and landscaping.
Work on the site is substantially complete, though final management plans and engineering reports are being developed. Additionally, Con Edison soon will begin investigating sediments in nearby Eastchester Creek to determine off-site impacts.
The site was redeveloped in 1966 for its current use as commercial/retail space. Some stores in the shopping center were temporarily closed during portions of the remediation, while others remained open. The largest building (a former Kmart) was vacant for several years prior to the remediation. With the cleanup substantially complete, the former Kmart building is now being renovated for occupancy by new tenants.
"This project was a true testament to what can be accomplished when everyone involved has a common goal and a commitment to working collaboratively," said Randolph S. Price, vice president of Environment, Health and Safety at Con Edison. "All parties involved had an overarching goal -- protect the environment and restore the property to a fully functioning shopping center."
"I want to thank Commissioner Grannis, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and Con Ed for the comprehensive and efficient clean-up of the Pelham Plaza site," said Senator Suzi Oppenheimer. "Once a polluted, former manufactured gas plant, Pelham Plaza will soon be reopened as a retail and commercial space, free now of contaminants that may pose a danger to the public and the environment."
"The DEC has done a great job identifying and cleaning up pollution from MGP sites like Pelham Plaza," said Assemblywoman Amy Paulin. "This clean-up will ensure the safety of Pelham residents and visitors to the plaza. It's a good step towards decreasing the environmental impact in our neighborhoods and I applaud the DEC for its efforts in Pelham."
