Q. 20, Short EAF (Part 1) Previous Hazardous Waste Disposal
Short Environmental Assessment Form Workbook
Has the site of the proposed action or an adjoining property been the subject of remediation (ongoing or completed) for hazardous waste?
If Yes, describe:
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______________________________________________
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Background Information
Hazardous waste is a waste with properties that make it potentially dangerous or harmful to human health or the environment. There are many different kinds of hazardous wastes. Hazardous wastes can be liquids, solids, or contained gases. They can be the by-products of manufacturing processes, discarded used materials, or discarded unused commercial products such as cleaning fluids (solvents) or pesticides. If a site has been part of a remediation (clean-up) in the past, or presently, then there is a higher likelihood of significant adverse environmental impacts resulting from development of that site.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Environmental Remediation is in charge of all hazardous waste management programs, including remediation. Their web pages include definitions, regulations, databases, and other information about hazardous waste. See the additional links at the bottom of this page for further information.
Answering the Question
The answer to this question will be automatically inserted on the pdf generated by the EAF Mapper. If the project site or lands within 2,000 feet of the project site are or have been part of hazardous waste remediation, the EAF Mapper will check "yes" on a pdf of the SEAF. If the site or lands within 2,000 feet have not been part of a remediation, the EAF mapper will check 'no'. The applicant should follow up on an answer of "yes" by consulting the data bases identified below in this section. It is obviously very important to understand whether or not hazardous waste has ever been a part of the environment in which a project is proposed. If the applicant or project sponsor believes the answer filled out by the EAF Mapper is incorrect, supplemental information should be provided to the reviewing agency that explains that discrepancy.
If the EAF Mapper is not used to answer this question, you may also be able to answer it based on your own knowledge of the site and its history.
If additional information is needed, applicants can do a search of the DEC's environmental site remediation database. This database contains records of the sites which have been remediated or are being managed under a remedial program (e.g., State Superfund, or Brownfield Cleanup). All sites listed on the "Registry of Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites in New York State" are included in this database. You can search this database by zip code or by exact address.
You can also get information by searching maps using the DECinfo Locator.
Answer no if the project site or adjoining property has not been the subject of an ongoing or completed hazardous waste remediation.
Answer yes if the project site or adjoining property is the subject of an ongoing or completed hazardous waste remediation. Using the information from the DEC website, describe what type of hazardous waste was (or is) on the site, how large an area it covered, when it was remediated, or other general information about the site. This information can be found from the Environmental Site Remedial Database Search Results page, by clicking on the "site code".
Please note: The Hudson River is in remediation. The site's name is The Hudson River PCB Sediments. The Site Code is 546031. The site is also a State Superfund Program with a classification of 2. This site includes the nearly 200 mile stretch of the Hudson River that extends from Hudson Falls in Washington County to the Battery in New York City. Dredging has been completed in 2015, however habitat reconstruction is ongoing. Because the EAF Mapper uses a 2000 foot buffer zone for remediation and hazardous waste sites, the EAF Mapper will display a positive hit or a "YES" return value on your application for sites within 2000 feet of the shore or banks of the Hudson River from Hudson Falls to New York City's Battery and reference the above Site Code. If other remediation sites are within 2000 feet of your project, additional site codes will be displayed.
The environmental site remediation database offers detailed information regarding the Hudson River and remediation. When using the search, at the top of the search page, enter code 546031 and you will receive a return value of the Hudson River PCB Sediments in detail.
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