DEC and DOH to Hold Public Availability Session Wednesday July 12 to Discuss Cleanup
New York – (RealEstateRama) — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today that the cleanup of properties in neighborhoods near the former Geneva Foundry Site in the city of Geneva, Ontario County, is scheduled to begin in July. The first phase of the cleanup will include the removal of contaminated soil from two licensed home-based day care programs and at least 16 residential properties immediately adjacent to the former foundry where soil contaminant concentrations are expected to be higher, taking into account each property’s unique features and the efficiency of working on adjoining properties.
DEC and the State Department of Health (DOH) are holding public availability sessions on Wednesday, July 12, from 3 to 5 p.m., and from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Salvation Army of Geneva, 41 North Street, Geneva, NY. During the sessions, property owners and residents will have an opportunity to meet with representatives of DEC and DOH to discuss the sampling results.
Pursuant to the January 2017 Record of Decision (ROD) for the site, 220 properties in the City of Geneva are currently identified for cleanup, and the DEC will continue with this cleanup until all properties have been addressed as required by the ROD.
Historic air emissions from the foundry contained lead and arsenic that were deposited onto the soil in the surrounding area. DEC is designing and implementing site-specific cleanups of properties to remove the contaminants from impacted properties. Contaminated soils will be excavated and transported off site for safe disposal, eliminating exposure to site-related contamination. Clean fill will be brought in to replace the excavated soil or complete the backfilling of the excavation and establish the designed grades at the site.
DEC is prioritizing properties where contamination is likely to be higher and site conditions allow for cleanup activities on multiple properties simultaneously. DEC is currently meeting with individual property owners identified for remediation this year to review and discuss soil data, proposed remedial and restoration activities, and to confirm the property owner’s consent for property access to allow remediation to take place. DEC and partnering contractors have worked closely with the city manager mayor and public works staff and the engineering consultant has a designated community outreach representative.
Work is scheduled to start this month and continue into early December 2017, weather permitting, pending final agreement with property owners. After agreements and local permits are secured, work and equipment operation will typically take place five days per week, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. DEC will oversee remedial work performed by LaBella Associates of Rochester, New York.
All areas disturbed during the cleanup will be restored, including lawns, sidewalks, driveways, trees, shrubs, garden beds, sheds, and decks. Similarly, city of Geneva-owned roads, utilities, or other infrastructure impacted by cleanup activities will be repaired or replaced as necessary. Trucks will be lined with plastic sheeting and covered to properly secure all material during transport. Truck traffic patterns will be designed to minimize congestion on local roads and maintain safety in the community. Truck traffic will also be minimized when school buses are picking up and dropping off students near work zones.
DEC and DOH have approved a Community Air Monitoring Plan (CAMP), which requires continuous air monitoring during excavation and backfilling activities to ensure no additional contamination is released to the environment or adjacent properties during the cleanup. Following completion of the remediation and restoration of the initial properties, DEC will review the work with the individual property owners and city officials to evaluate progress and identify opportunities to improve efficiencies of the cleanup process. In future years, construction activities will begin in the spring, weather permitting, and move as quickly as possible based on site-specific conditions.
DEC continues to conduct sampling to refine the areas in need of remediation and will continue to keep area residents informed throughout the process, especially as additional areas are targeted for cleanup. DEC is adaptively managing this project to ensure remediation and restoration activities are completed as expeditiously and efficiently as practical.
The project is being funded and conducted pursuant to terms of the State Superfund program. Additional site details, including environmental and health assessment summaries for the Former Geneva Foundry Site, are available on DEC’s website.
Additional site details, including environmental and health assessment summaries, are available on DEC’s website.
