MEC&F Expert Engineers : 10/01/15

Thursday, October 1, 2015

McCain: How Did a 500-Pound Military Bomb End up in Scrap Yard, Killing Worker?


McCain: How Did Military Bomb End up in Scrap Yard, Killing Worker?

 

MK-82 500-pound bomb. Air Force photo
Associated Press | Sep 25, 2015


TUCSON, Ariz. -- U.S. Sen. John McCain wants the Department of Defense to explain how a 500-pound military bomb wound up in a scrap yard, where it partially exploded and killed an employee trying to cut into it.

Daniel Wright, 46, died in the explosion Wednesday afternoon at the Tucson Iron and Metal yard, which handles recycling materials, Tucson police said.

The ordinance was an MK-82 general purpose bomb, according to police, who said Thursday that detectives still were investigating how it ended up at the scrap yard.

McCain, R-Ariz., said he is "extremely concerned about the tragic death" of the scrap yard worker who was killed as he tried to dismantle and dispose of the bomb.

In a letter sent Thursday to Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, McCain said it was "imperative for the Department of Defense to explain how this unexploded ordnance made its way into a civilian place of business.

"As a matter of national security, as well for the safety of the American public, this issue demands appropriate attention by the department's senior leadership," McCain wrote.

The MK-82 bomb, used by the Air Force and Navy, is about 5 feet long.

The bomb squad at nearby Davis-Monthan Air Force Base was called in to help with the investigation.

Base officials said Davis-Monthan doesn't take any ordnance to scrap yards.

"Ordnances are not metal to be reused for recycling," said 1st Lt. Erin Ranaweera, a base spokeswoman.

12 people, including five U.S. service members, are dead after the crash of a military C-130 transport plane in Afghanistan



5 US Service Members Among 12 Dead in Afghan Plane Crash

 

Associated Press | Oct 01, 2015 | by Lolita C. Baldor

WASHINGTON -- A U.S. defense official says 12 people, including five U.S. service members, are dead after the crash of a military C-130 transport plane in Afghanistan.

The official says the plane crashed at Jalalabad Airport in eastern Afghanistan at about midnight local time.

There are about 1,000 coalition forces in eastern Afghanistan, including U.S. and Polish forces as well as about 40,000 Afghan troops, according to NATO.

The U.S. official was not authorized to discuss the incident publicly, so spoke on condition of anonymity.

The U.S. has about 9,800 troops in Afghanistan, although the numbers are expected to go down a bit by the end of the year.


//-------------------///


11 dead in US C-130 plane crash in Afghanistan




A C-130 military transport plane crashed in Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan (AFP Photo/Brendan Smialowski)


Washington (AFP) - Eleven people, including six US troops, were killed when a C-130 military transport plane crashed Friday in Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan, an official said.

"The crew and passengers were killed," US Army Colonel Brian Tribus said, noting that five civilian contractors were also on the plane.

The crash occurred at about midnight local time on Friday morning (1930 GMT).

The contractors had been working for "Resolute Support," the NATO-led training mission.

The C-130 Hercules is a cargo plane built by Lockheed Martin. It is powered by four turboprop engines and is used extensively by the military to ship troops and heavy gear.

The C-130 can take off and land on rough, dirt strips and is widely used by the US military in hostile areas. Jalalabad is in eastern Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan



Date:02-OCT-2015
Time:00:19
Type:Lockheed C-130J Hercules
Owner/operator:US Air Force - USAF
Registration:
C/n / msn:
Fatalities:Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 11
Other fatalities:0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:Jalalabad Airfield -   Afghanistan
Phase:
Nature:Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Narrative:
Six U.S. service members and five civilians were killed when a C-130J crashed shortly after midnight Friday local time at Jalalabad Airfield, Afghanistan, according to ta 455th Air Expeditionary Wing news release.

The plane was assigned to the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, part of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, the news release says. First responders are still on the scene and the cause of the crash is under investigation.

Sources
http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=180071 http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2015/10/01/c-130-crashes-afghanistan/73173916/

Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane charged with 2nd perjury count


Another perjury charge has been filed against Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane.
Prosecutors added a new perjury count and other criminal charges Thursday against Pennsylvania's attorney general, saying they found a signed document that contradicts her claims she never agreed to maintain secrecy of a grand jury investigation in 2009, before she took office.

The Montgomery County district attorney charged Kathleen Kane with felony perjury and two misdemeanors - false swearing and obstruction - based on a signed secrecy oath she signed shortly after taking office in early 2013.

Kane, the first woman and first Democrat elected as attorney general in Pennsylvania, was previously charged with perjury, conspiracy and other offenses. Prosecutors said she leaked secret grand jury information about a 2009 investigation to a newspaper and then lied about it.

An affidavit filed by a county detective said Kane has repeatedly said, directly and through her lawyers, that she did not swear to keep secret the 2009 grand jury information about a former head of the NAACP in Philadelphia.

But the district attorney's office said her signed oath was recovered during a search of her Harrisburg offices on Sept. 17, contradicting her claims that no such document existed.

"Kane perpetuated this falsehood not just before (a) grand jury, but also in legal filings before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and to the people of Pennsylvania through privately retained representatives," wrote Montgomery County Detective Paul Michael Bradbury, who attached a photocopy of the one-paragraph oath to the affidavit.

Kane's criminal defense attorney, Gerald Shargel, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Thursday morning. A spokesman for Kane's office referred questions about the latest charges to her personal attorneys.

Authorities say Kane and other top aides were compelled to sign the secrecy oath and three others just like it that applied to other grand jury panels to participate in a transition meeting on Jan. 17, 2013, that concerned the office's investigations.

Bradbury said agents learned about the existence of the signed secrecy oaths only after arresting her Aug. 6 over leaks to the Philadelphia Daily News last year.

A district judge determined in late August that there was sufficient evidence to send those charges to county court for trial. Kane has consistently denied the allegations and has argued that she was a stay-at-home mother when the grand jury was meeting in 2009 so its secrecy provisions could not apply to her.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court last week issued a temporary suspension of Kane's law license, a suspension that will take effect later this month.

Christie declares State of Emergency in New Jersey ahead of Hurricane Joaquin and Weekend Nor'Easter







Gov. Chris Christie has declared a State of Emergency in New Jersey.






Updated 46 mins ago
TRENTON, N.J. (WPVI) -- Governor Chris Christie has declared a State of Emergency in New Jersey ahead of severe weather and the threat of Hurricane Joaquin.



Christie made the announcement as a storm system, not related to the path of Hurricane Joaquin but due to a tropical frontal boundary, makes its way through the region.

"We know there is definitely going to be moderate and likely to be major flooding events in South Jersey Friday and Saturday with 5 to 6 inches of rainfall expected to come," Christie said in a Thursday morning press conference.

Christie says the state Office of Emergency Management was activated at 6 a.m. Thursday and the Department Environmental Protection has reached out to communities about moving sand to protect beaches. He says the focus right now is on Salem, Cumberland, Atlantic and Cape May counties.

"I need all of you to prepare today," Christie told residents of those counties. "Now is the time for you to prepare."



The system could mean beach erosion - something that's already been a problem - and flooding of roads along the shore and in flood-prone inland areas.

As of Friday morning, the entire state was under some kind of flood watch, warning or advisory from the National Weather Service, which is telling people to be prepared for rising water levels and not to drive through flood waters.

For the people in other 17 counties of New Jersey, Christie says, "Stay tuned."

As for Hurricane Joaquin, Christie says it is too soon to tell what type of damage it will cause.

 

"At this point, it's just too soon to say with any certainty whether or not Joaquin is likely to have a direct impact on New Jersey or not," Christie said.

The National Hurricane Center forecast Thursday morning suggests the storm could skirt past New Jersey and make landfall on New York's Long Island as a tropical storm on Tuesday morning. But confidence in the longer term forecast remains low, the center said.

Christie wants residents to be prepared, including those who have generators to make sure they know how to use them properly in case of power outages.



"I'm not here to say Sandy II is coming. I have no way of knowing that. But what I want people to know is if it did, we're as prepared as you could be to deal with it," Christie said.

He said he will consider evacuations, if necessary.

"We're not there yet, and if we are going to be there, my guess is we'd be there in 12 to 24 hours and we'll let people know," Christie said.

Christie says his office will also make sure there will be shelters in place for people who might need them.

"We are not quite sure if this is going to be a single punch or a double punch," Christie said.

The state Office of Emergency Management recommends people have three days of water and nonperishable ready-to-eat food, along with a battery-operated radio and extra batteries, a flashlight, a week's supply of medicine and some cash.

----

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Another crazy American with guns takes 10 lives, injures 12 more in Oregon


At least 10 dead in Oregon community college shooting





Jim Dolan is in the newsroom with the details






Eyewitness News
Updated 5 mins ago

ROSEBURG, Ore. (WABC) -- At least 10 people were killed and more than a dozen injured Thursday in a shooting at a southwestern Oregon community college, State Police Lt. Bill Fugate said.

Police confirmed Thursday late afternoon that the 20-year-old gunman, who was a student, was pronounced dead.

The shooting happened at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, about 180 miles south of Portland. The local fire district advised people via Twitter to stay away from the school. It later tweeted that there were "multiple casualties," but didn't elaborate.
Here's live coverage from KATU, a TV station covering the breaking news:

(app users: click here to watch)

A photographer for the Roseburg News-Review newspaper said he saw people being loaded into multiple ambulances and taken to the local hospital.

This photo of emergency responders at the school was posted to Twitter:








A woman is comforted as friends and family wait for students at the local fairgrounds after a shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015. Ryan Kang/AP

Umpqua Community College has about 3,000 students. Its website was down Thursday, and a phone message left at the school wasn't immediately returned.

Here's where the school is located:


The Oregon State Police and Douglas County Sheriff's Office also didn't immediately returned calls from The Associated Press seeking additional details.

A spokeswoman for the Oregon department that oversees community colleges in the state said she had not received any detailed information about the shooting.

"It's extremely concerning and sad," said Endi Hartigan, spokeswoman for the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission.

The rural town of Roseburg lies west of the Cascade Mountains. The timber industry has struggled there, and authorities in recent years have tried to promote the area as a tourist destination for wine growing and outdoor activities.

Fmr. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords commented on the mass shooting on Twitter.


Stay with abc7NY for the latest on this developing story.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

NY-NJ-CT tri-state area is bracing for what could be a one-two punch of severe weather, with rain, wind and possible flooding


AccuWeather Alert: Storm preparations across the Tri-state area





Darla Miles is in Manasquan with the latest






Eyewitness News
Updated 5 mins ago
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The Tri-state area is bracing for what could be a one-two punch of severe weather, with rain and possible flooding for Thursday night and Friday, followed by the potential effects of Hurricane Joaquin.

NEW JERSEY




New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has declared a state of emergency ahead of a storm expected to bring heavy rain and flooding.

The declaration will allow state and county government to manage the storm, including the possibility of Hurricane Joaquin affecting the state.

Christie says it's too soon to know whether the hurricane will have a direct impact on the state, but warned of coastal flooding Friday and Saturday.

"We are not quite yet sure about whether this is going to be a single punch or a double punch," Christie said. "There's no question there's going to be a single punch that's going to start this evening and there are going to be winds up to 75 to 85 miles per hour in the southern part of the state, in addition to the rain which we expect to be 5 to 6 inches."

Flood warnings and watches are in effect up and down the New Jersey coast already. Christie says he will consider evacuations if necessary, but that it's too early to know if that will be needed. He told residents to prepare themselves Thursday.

Hurricane Joaquin's approach could intensify the damage, but rain is forecast across the region regardless of the storm's path.

According to the AccuWeather forecast, the looming threat comes with heavy storms Friday and the possible arrival of the hurricane Sunday.

In flood-prone Hoboken, barricades are up and parking is restricted, while city vehicles are being moved to higher ground. Officials are not taking any chances with potentially dangerous weather on the way.

"At this point no one can be certain, so I have an obligation to make sure the city is ready if the worst does come to pass," said Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer.

In Neptune, an area where more than 400 homes were destroyed by Superstorm Sandy, an emergency planning committee meeting was held to discuss a strategy for the coming days.

"We're not going to unnecessarily trigger the alarm, but certainly we want people to be aware," said Michael Bascom, the town's emergency management coordinator.

Meanwhile, crews in Belmar drained nearby lakes and utilized bulldozers along the boardwalk to create a massive sand dune along Ocean Avenue protecting nearby homes and businesses.

The latest AccuWeather forecast:


LONG ISLAND




On Long Island, officials are taking precautions as forecasters closely follow Joaquin's uncertain track.

"Our state has seen the damage that extreme weather can cause time and time again - and I am urging New Yorkers to take precautions for more heavy storms in the coming days," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Cuomo did not declare a state of emergency.

In Hicksville, PSEG trucks were already getting into place and on Long Beach Island, they were building protective dunes. They all learned the hard way.

"We learned a lot from Sandy obviously, so we are ready," said Angie Carpenter, the Islip Town supervisor.

That's true in Islip and Long Beach Island, too.

"We're all very sensitive post Sandy, so anytime any potential storm is on the horizon everyone is, for good reason, hyper vigalent and we ask residents to stay alert and to keep monitoring things," said Jack Schnirmer, the Long Beach city manager.

"Any preps we make will be a full tank of gas in the car and a warm bed to stay, that's for sure," a resident said.

A lot of folks feel that way, but local governments say they're ready for whatever happens.

"We are a little concerned, we are prepared, we have checked out all of our equipment since this is the first major storm of the season, we have upgraded all of our contacts to make sure that we have everything in place," Carpenter said.

With relentless thunderstorms expected to pound the Northeast for the next few days, and Joaquin potentially threatening off the coast, dozens of communities are wasting no time taking precautions and urging residents to be prepared.

"I feel a little more confident now, that we're not going to have a direct hit, of everything floating," Lido Beach resident Henry Cuttler said. "Because of the dune, we didn't have the extensive dune structure."

New Army Corps of Engineer approved dunes with grass stretch through neighboring Long Beach, not to mention a new berm that Public Works has been constructing as the area braces for a heavy hit.

"We're all very sensitive now, post Sandy," Long Beach City Manager Jack Schnirman said. "So any time any potential storm is on the horizon, we're all now, for good reason, hyper-vigilant."

NEW YORK CITY




Mayor de Blasio says New York City is on a state of high alert.

Deputy Commissioner Frank McCarton and his team at the Office of Emergency Management are monitoring the weather.

"The only way the public helps us is plan for right now, what they should be doing if we ask for evacuations," said McCarton.

Following Superstorm Sandy, parts of the city's hurricane evacuation area were rezoned, and berms and walls were put in parts of Lower Manhattan.

The storm heavily damaged the subway system. The MTA says, as a precaution, it is repositioning equipment, putting out generators and pumping systems. If necessary, it is ready to act.

"We have a complete moveable closure at South Ferry that will essentially seal off the entire staircase to prevent water from coming into the station," said the MTA's Kevin Ortiz.

When asked whether the subways will be shut down, as was the case during Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast said it is part of the hurricane plan. But it is "way too early" to know if the hurricane plan will have to be implemented, he said.

Major Fertilizer Producer Mosaic Fertilizer, LLC to Ensure Proper Handling, Storage & Disposal of 60 Billion Pounds of Hazardous Waste.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 2015


Major Fertilizer Producer Mosaic Fertilizer, LLC to Ensure Proper Handling, Storage & Disposal of 60 Billion Pounds of Hazardous Waste.

 
Manufacturer committing close to $2 billion in funding to address environmental impacts from fertilizer production

WASHINGTON The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) today announced a settlement with Mosaic Fertilizer, LLC that will ensure the proper treatment, storage, and disposal of an estimated 60 billion pounds of hazardous waste at six Mosaic facilities in Florida and two in Louisiana. The settlement resolves a series of alleged violations by Mosaic, one of the world’s largest fertilizer manufacturers, of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which provides universal guidelines for how hazardous waste must be stored, handled and disposed. The 60 billion pounds of hazardous waste addressed in this case is the largest amount ever covered by a federal or state RCRA settlement and will ensure that wastewater at Mosaic’s facilities is properly managed and does not pose a threat to groundwater resources.

At Mosaic’s eight facilities in Florida and Louisiana, hazardous waste from fertilizer production is stored in large piles, tanks, ditches and ponds; the piles can reach 500 feet high and cover more than 600 acres, making them some of the largest manmade waste piles in the United States. The piles can also contain several billion gallons of highly acidic wastewater, which can threaten human health and cause severe environmental damage if it reaches groundwater or local waterways.

Under the settlement, Mosaic Fertilizer will establish a $630 million trust fund, which will be invested until it reaches full funding of $1.8 billion. These funds will cover the future closure of and treatment of hazardous wastewater at four Mosaic facilities—the Bartow, New Wales and Riverview plants in Florida and the Uncle Sam plant in Louisiana—as well as the long-term care of those facilities and three additional facilities that are already undergoing closure. The Mosaic Company, Mosaic Fertilizer’s parent company, will provide financial guarantees for this work, and the settlement also requires Mosaic Fertilizer to submit a $50 million letter of credit.

Mosaic will also spend $170 million on projects to reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing and waste management programs at its facilities and $2.2 million on two local environmental projects. Mosaic will also pay a $5 million civil penalty to the United States and $1.55 million to the State of Louisiana and $1.45 million to the State of Florida, who joined EPA and DOJ as plaintiffs in this case.

“This case is a major victory for clean water, public health and communities across Florida and Louisiana,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Mining and mineral processing facilities generate more toxic and hazardous waste than any other industrial sector. Reducing environmental impacts from large fertilizer manufacturers operations is a national priority for EPA, as part of our commitment to pursuing cases that have the biggest impact on protecting public health.”

“This settlement represents our most significant enforcement action in the mining and mineral processing arena, and will have a significant impact on bringing all Mosaic facilities into compliance with the law,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.  “Moreover, through this settlement, we establish critical financial assurance to cover the enormous closure and care costs at all these facilities.  This sets the standard for our continuing enforcement of RCRA in the entire phosphoric acid industry. And, it reflects our emphasis on working jointly with impacted states.”

The alleged violations in this case stem from storage and disposal of waste from the production of phosphoric and sulfuric acids, key components of fertilizers, at Mosaic’s facilities in Bartow, Lithia, Mulberry and Riverview, Florida and St. James and Uncle Sam, Louisiana. Mosaic failed to properly treat, store, and dispose of hazardous waste, and also failed provide adequate financial assurance for closure of its facilities.

As part of EPA’s National Enforcement Initiative for mining and mineral processing, the agency has required phosphate fertilizer production facilities to reduce the storage volumes of hazardous wastewaters, ensure that waste piles and ponds have environmentally-protective barriers installed, and verify the structural stability of waste piles and ponds.

Mosaic has committed to spending approximately $170 million over the next several years to implement an innovative reconfiguration of their current operations and waste management systems. The development of these of industry-leading technologies will optimize resource efficiency and decrease the amount of raw materials required to produce fertilizer. This case spurred Mosaic to develop advanced engineering controls and practices to recover and reduce some types of acid wastes that result from fertilizer production, which will reduce the amount and toxicity of the waste materials stored at Mosaic’s facilities and the severity of potential spills while cutting Mosaic’s costs for treating material at closure, which would otherwise have been categorized as hazardous waste.

Under the settlement, Mosaic will also fund a $1.2 million environmental project in Florida to mitigate and prevent certain potential environmental impacts associated with an orphaned industrial property located in Mulberry, Florida. In Louisiana, Mosaic will spend $1 million to fund studies regarding statewide water quality issues.

Mosaic produces phosphorus-based fertilizer that is commonly applied to corn, wheat and other crops across the country. Sulfuric acid is used to extract phosphorus from mined rock, which produces large quantities of a solid material called phosphogypsum and wastewater that contains high levels of acid. EPA inspections revealed that Mosaic was mixing certain types of highly-corrosive substances from its fertilizer operations, which qualify as hazardous waste, with the phosphogypsum and wastewater from mineral processing, which is a violation of federal and state hazardous waste laws.

A consent decree formalizing the settlement was lodged yesterday in the U.S. District Courts for the Middle District of Florida and the Eastern District of Louisiana and is subject to a 45-day public comment period in Louisiana, a 30 day public comment period in Florida and approval by the federal court.

For a copy of the consent decree, visit http://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees


EPA Finalizes Plan to Address Contaminated Groundwater at Curtis Specialty Papers Superfund Site in Milford Borough and Alexandria Township, N.J.



EPA Finalizes Plan to Address Contaminated Groundwater at Curtis Specialty Papers Superfund Site in Milford Borough and Alexandria Township, N.J.

Contact: Elias Rodriguez, (212) 637-3664, rodriguez.elias@epa.gov  

(New York, N.Y. – Oct. 1, 2015) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a plan to clean up contaminated groundwater at the Curtis Specialty Papers Superfund site in Milford Borough and Alexandria Township, New Jersey. The site includes the former Milford Paper Mill, which operated for 96 years before shutting down in 2003.

This site has a toxic legacy that involves PCBs, volatile organic compounds and other pollutants that persist in the environment. This step in the cleanup process is important and will provide a cleaner environment in these communities,” said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck.

Past operations contaminated the soil with PCBs, and contaminated groundwater in several areas of the site with volatile organic compounds. PCBs are chemicals that persist in the environment and can affect the immune, reproductive, nervous and endocrine systems and are potentially cancer-causing.

Previous cleanup work has addressed the immediate risks and the sources of contamination at the site including PCB-contaminated soil, buildings and structures, and debris and other risks. The EPA’s final plan addresses the volatile organic compounds in the groundwater, the final part of the site that requires a cleanup under Superfund. The EPA is requiring bioremediation, monitoring and limiting the use of the groundwater to protect people’s health.

The EPA held a public meeting in Milford, N.J. on May 28, 2015 and accepted public comments for 40 days and considered public input before finalizing the plan.

In 2007, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection turned the site over to the EPA and the EPA added the site to its federal Superfund list in 2009.

From 2007 to 2014, EPA conducted and oversaw several elements of this cleanup, including removing hazardous materials, storage tanks, oil-containing electrical equipment, asbestos, construction and demolition debris, concrete, scrap metal and contaminated soil. Over 10,500 cubic yards of soil were removed. In addition, a dozen buildings, garages and other structures were demolished and six wells used by the facility were closed and dismantled. A large outdoor basin that was used to aerate wastewater from the operation was demolished and the area was restored to an open habitat area. The slopes along the Quequacommisacong Creek, which had eroded, were restored and replanted.

The final plan to address groundwater will require bioremediation using non-hazardous additives to break down the volatile organic compounds in the groundwater. The specific types of additives to be used will be determined by the EPA as part of the design of the cleanup. Throughout the cleanup, monitoring, testing and further studies will be conducted to ensure the effectiveness of the remedy. Use of groundwater from the site as drinking water will be legally restricted.

The Superfund program operates on the principle that polluters should pay for the cleanups, rather than passing the costs to taxpayers. The EPA searches for parties legally responsible for the contamination at sites that are placed on the Superfund list and it seeks to hold those parties accountable for the costs of investigations and cleanups. The majority of the cleanup of the Curtis Specialty Papers Superfund that has been conducted to date has been paid for by the International Paper Company and Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products, LP with oversight by the EPA.

To view the web page for Curtis Specialty Papers Superfund site, please visit http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/curtisspecialtypapers/

The record of decision will be available at:  http://semspub.epa.gov/src/document/02/372862  

EPA Finalizes $4 Million Cleanup Plan for Fulton Avenue Superfund Site in Hempstead and North Hempstead, N.Y.



EPA Finalizes $4 Million Cleanup Plan for Fulton Avenue Superfund Site in Hempstead and North Hempstead, N.Y.

Contact: Elias Rodriguez, (212-637-3664), rodriguez.elias@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y. – Oct. 1, 2015) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized its decision to modify an interim cleanup plan originally issued in 2007 to address a portion of the contaminated groundwater at the Fulton Avenue Superfund site in the Towns of North Hempstead and Hempstead, N.Y. 

The groundwater is contaminated with volatile organic compounds, including perchloroethylene, that resulted in part from previous dry cleaning operations conducted by a fabric-cutting mill at 150 Fulton Avenue in Garden City Park, N.Y.  The modified plan requires continuing to operate existing treatment systems for Village of Garden City drinking water supply wells 13 and 14, but eliminates plans for a separate groundwater treatment system for the groundwater. This separate system is not needed, at this time, in part because contamination levels in area groundwater have been declining since EPA issued its 2007 cleanup decision.

The EPA held a public meeting on May 12, 2015, took public comment for 30 days, and considered public input before finalizing the plan.

"The EPA will keep working to protect residents of Long Island from the threats of polluted groundwater," said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. “Long Island relies on groundwater as its source of drinking water, so it is essential that groundwater resources be protected from toxic contamination."

Volatile organic compounds can cause cancer and other health damage. The extent and nature of potential health effects depend on many factors, including the contaminant levels and the length of exposure to the pollution.

Public water supply wells impacted by the contamination have treatment systems and are monitored regularly to ensure that the water quality meets federal and state drinking water standards.

The Fulton Avenue site also includes trichloroethylene contamination in groundwater that is being addressed as part of a second phase of work. The EPA is performing an investigation to evaluate the problem and to develop a proposed plan for the second phase.

From approximately 1965 to 1974, the fabric-cutting mill at 150 Fulton Avenue was operated by several businesses, including a division of Genesco Inc. Volatile organic compounds from dry cleaning operations at the mill, primarily perchloroethylene, were disposed of in a well and seeped into the groundwater beneath the 150 Fulton Avenue property, which has been owned by Gordon Atlantic Corporation since 1963.  With the support of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the site was added to the Superfund list in 1998, with New York State taking the lead until 2007, when EPA became the lead agency for the site. 

Currently, the groundwater entering two wells is treated using an air stripper, which forces air through groundwater to remove harmful chemicals. This system will continue to operate until a final remedial approach for the site is implemented. The proposed modification of the cleanup plan includes other elements, such as an evaluation of chemical vapors that may enter buildings near 150 Fulton Avenue, and also relies upon Nassau County law that restricts the installation of private drinking water wells.

The modified cleanup plan will also include sampling and analysis of a monitoring well network and of two wells to ensure protection of public health until a final cleanup for the entire site is implemented. 

The Superfund program operates on the principle that polluters should pay for the cleanups, rather than passing the costs to taxpayers. The EPA searches for parties legally responsible for the contamination at sites that are placed on the Superfund list and it seeks to hold those parties accountable for the costs of investigations and cleanups.  The EPA expects to modify an existing settlement with Genesco, Inc. to undertake the cleanup with EPA oversight.  The estimated cost of the cleanup is approximately $4 million.

To view the Fulton Avenue Superfund web site: http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/fulton/

The record of decision will be available at:  http://semspub.epa.gov/src/document/02/372864