EPA Proposes To Delete Hooker-Hyde Park Landfill In Niagara Falls, N.Y. From Superfund List After Cleanup

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed to delete the Hooker-Hyde Park Landfill Superfund site in Niagara Falls, New York from the Superfund National Priorities List now that a cleanup of contaminated ground water and creek sediment has eliminated the threat to public health and the environment. The 15-acre site was used from 1953 to 1975 to dispose of approximately 80,000 tons of chemical waste, including dioxin. The underlying ground water is contaminated with volatile organic compounds and semi-volatile organic compounds, which can cause serious harm to people’s health. This ground water has been treated to reduce contamination and is not used for drinking water. Bloody Run Creek sediment and Niagara Gorge Face surface water were also contaminated with volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds and have been cleaned up.

Since the site was listed on the Superfund list in 1983, there have been numerous actions taken to clean it up. The cleanup work was conducted by the Occidental Chemical Corporation, the company responsible for the contamination, with EPA oversight. The cleanup included studying the ground water, pumping out and treating the ground water under the landfill and the dense oily liquid that contaminated it, and creating a drain system to prevent the escape of contaminated liquid. The landfill and its perimeter have been capped. A system of pumps has been installed to keep ground water flowing inward towards the landfill and prevent it from spreading further contamination into surrounding bodies of water. Contaminated sediment was removed from Bloody Run Creek. The Niagara Gorge Face has also been cleaned up. The cleanup work at the Hooker–Hyde Park site was completed in September 2003.

EPA has monitored all the cleanup work performed at the site to ensure that the actions remain protective of people’s health and the environment. Ground water is sampled quarterly and EPA reviews both quarterly and annual reports to determine that the cleanup goals have been met. An environmental easement was placed on the land in 2010, which imposes restrictions on the use of the property to prohibit building or any other activity that would potentially damage the cap. EPA has concluded that the cleanup work has been successful and that the site can now be taken off of the Superfund list.

The public is invited to comment on the proposed decision to delete this Site from the NPL. The public comment period began on August 17, 2012 and will extend to September 19, 2012. Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID no. EPA-HQ-SFUND-1983-0002, by one of the following methods:

On the internet: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow on-line instructions for submitting comments.