Industrial Site Contaminates Groundwater in New York

By: Nathan Lamb

Environmental officials are moving forward with plans to remediate a former industrial site that has contaminated groundwater in Endwell, a hamlet of approximately 11,000 people , roughly 80 miles south of Syracuse, New York.

At issue is a former IBM chemical burning pit, which is thought to have created a plume of underground contaminants that have migrated toward a nearby residential zone, according to this article in the Press & Sun Bulletin.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) found trichloroethylene and other industrial solvents in the plume, which is roughly 50 feet underground and just under 600 feet long.

Trichloroethylene is a volatile organic chemical that’s been linked to liver problems and increased cancer risk. Used to remove grease from metals and in some textile production, it typically enters groundwater through industrial site discharge, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Recent DEC testing indicates the plume hasn’t reached the drinking supply for the neighboring residential area—but also found that contaminants have migrated into bedrock beneath the plume, creating a potential chemical vapor hazard if the IBM site is converted to residential use in the future.

The DEC recently finalized a remediation plan for the site, which includes removing groundwater contaminants. The cleanup is slated to get underway this spring, but a discernable impact on contamination levels at the site will not be seen for 10 years.

The 57-acre IBM site was previously home to an electronics testing laboratory, which was also used to dispose of waste chemicals.

Cleanup measures for the site have been in the works since 2006.

Study Highlights California Groundwater Contaminants

By: Nathan Lamb

Groundwater from the southern California desert has higher-than-average levels of naturally occurring contaminants, according to this story from the Desert Sun newspaper.

A recently released study from the U.S. Geological survey found contaminants in 42 percent of aquifers from the Coachella Valley, which is roughly 100 miles west of Los Angeles. The study found high levels of arsenic, boron, fluoride, molybdenum and strontium—all of which have been linked to adverse health impacts by the Environmental Protection Agency. The study did not evaluate samples from water utilities, which are subject to health regulations and often treat groundwater to remove contaminants.

A spokesperson from the Coachella Valley Water District stated their treated drinking water is in full compliance with health regulations, saying they average 18,000 quality tests annually. And Miranda Fram of the USGS groundwater monitoring program explained that "water delivered to [residents] meets water-quality standards.”

The U.S. Geological survey was billed as the most extensive evaluation of desert groundwater to-date, with the goal of getting a comprehensive picture on the issue. The study also evaluated acquirers in the Owens, Indian Wells and Antelope Valleys, along with the Mojave area and Colorado River basin.

Across the desert, contaminants were found in 35 percent of groundwater tapped by public drinking supplies, whereas the average ranges from 10-25 percent across most of the state. The report suggested that water typically stays underground longer in the desert, giving it more time to mix with contaminants.

Fuel Contamination Suspected Near Former Garage

By: Nathan Lamb


Environmental officials are investigating whether fuel contaminants have spread from a defunct service garage to neighboring residential properties in the city of Rockland, Maine.

According to an article in the Bangor Daily News, the garage closed in 2006, and soil contamination from fuel leaks was discovered a couple of years later, when the underground gasoline tanks were removed.
The company commissioned tests in 2009, which indicated that the underground leak had spread to a neighboring parcel that’s home to an apartment building. Contaminants were also found near the property line of another parcel with a single-family home.

A Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) spokesperson credited the company with carrying out necessary remediation by removing contaminated soil from the garage site, but termed testing for the neighboring parcels inadequate.

A bankruptcy filing from the company had put the investigation on hold, but the Maine DEP is looking to resolve the uncertainty by underwriting $10,000 to $20,000 of air, soil and groundwater testing with funds from a state gasoline tax.

The neighborhood receives drinking water through a regional company, but the Maine DEP considers petroleum contamination a health hazard and regulates cleanups to minimize the risk to public health.

The garage building is currently vacant, and the DEP spokesperson said removal of the structure would require additional cleanup to protect the construction workers.

Dry-cleaning byproducts a costly problem in Medford

By: Nathan Lamb


Contaminants from a long-gone dry-cleaning business are the prime suspect behind a costly problem in Medford, Mass., according to a local news story.

At issue are high levels of tetrachloroethylene at a city parking lot and three nearby businesses. Also known as perchloroethylene (or perc), the chemical is often used in dry cleaning, but it also produces vapors that can cause a variety of short- and long-term health problems.

The City of Medford is seeking federal grants to help pay for a $1.8 million remediation project to remove tainted soil from the parking lot.

Medford took ownership of the property via eminent domain in the early ‘60s. Before that, the parcel was home to three different dry cleaning operations, and city studies indicate that was the source of contamination. As owner, the city is responsible for cleanup.

Tetrachloroethylene has been linked to several different types of cancer, along with aversely impacting the body’s neurological system, kidney, and liver, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website.

Perc often migrates in liquid form through soil, and three neighboring businesses have spent roughly $300,000 on state mandated remediation measures over the past five years. Two of the businesses' owners recently went on record saying the city should cover those costs, and that issue has yet to be resolved.

The dry-cleaning business that most recently operated at the site declared bankruptcy in 2008.

The city is commissioning a $90,000 engineering study of the site, which must be delivered to the Department Of Environmental Protection by March.

Old contaminants shut down Cleveland park

By: Nathan Lamb


Industrial waste dumping from the early 20th century is the primary suspect behind recently discovered contaminants that have shut down a popular city park in Cleveland, according to this story.

The City of Cleveland started renovations on the 12.5-acre W.C. Reed Playfield over the summer, but that plan was put on hold after soil tests discovered elevated levels of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (or PAHs) on the site.

PAHs are typically a byproduct of petroleum processing or combustion and can be highly carcinogenic at relatively low levels, according to the U.S. Geological Survey website.

The State of Ohio requires remediation of recreation areas where PAHs pose a cancer risk greater than 1 in 100,000. PAH levels at the park are measured at 5 in 100,000, with the primary concern that children could accidentally eat or inhale contaminated dirt or dust.

The park has been fenced off, but city officials say it’s not an emergency, saying the chance of developing cancer from second-hand smoke is 15 in 100,000.

Cost of the original renovation project was $350,000. The cleanup would likely require removal of the contaminants and new layer of topsoil, which is estimated to cost $1.5 million.

The contaminants were discovered after testing showed elevated lead levels at a neighboring property. City officials said industrial debris was dumped at the site in the 1940s and 50s.