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2000 Superfund Accomplishments Report

Superfund Accomplishments
 

Introduction

In 1980, in response to growing publicSuperfund Clean Up
concern about the health and environmental
risks posed by hazardous waste sites, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund, to address these sites. The Superfund Program, which is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in cooperation with the states and tribal governments, locates, investigates and cleans up hazardous waste sites throughout the country.

The Superfund law created a Trust Fund, financed mainly by a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries, to pay for the cleanup of abandoned and uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. The Trust Fund is used primarily when the companies or people responsible for the contamination at Superfund sites cannot be found or cannot perform or pay for the cleanup work.

The law, which gave the federal government broad authority to respond directly to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances that may endanger public health or the environment, established two kinds of responses:

The 2000 Superfund Accomplishment Report highlights the work of Region 2's Superfund Program in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands during the past fiscal year, running from October 1, 1999 to September 30, 2000.

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Site Screening

Poor hazardous waste disposal practices in the past have resulted in the existence of numerous sites which now pose threats to human health and the environment. Through the Superfund Program, EPA screens suspected hazardous waste sites to determine the extent and type of action necessary. These actions include site inspection and ranking to establish the potential threat to human health or the environment, the immediate removal of leaking drums or toxic materials from abandoned facilities, and long-term cleanup actions at highly complex contaminated sites.

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The Removal Program

For sites that are judged to require further action, EPA decides if short term removal actions or longer-term remedial actions are needed to clean up the sites. In FY' 00, the Superfund Removal Program conducted or oversaw 36 removal actions, of which 33 were done by EPA and paid for by the Superfund Trust Fund. Responsible private parties conducted and paid for the other 3. These cleanups, which are generally completed within one year, are conducted when hazardous substances pose an imminent threat to the public or the environment. These actions were generally taken to remove leaking drums or tanks; to provide alternate water supplies or residential connections to public water supplies; to remove contaminated surface soils or sediments; or, to demolish and remove contaminated buildings or structures. The Superfund Removal Program makes sure that all elements of the response system are ready to respond immediately to virtually any emergency wherever it occurs.


In FY' 00, at abandoned or bankrupt facilities, the Removal Program removed or disposed of:


Summary of Region 2 FY 00 Removal Activity

Figure 1

The Program also conducted cleanups at 21 residential properties. Figures 1 and 2 summarize Removal Program FY'00 accomplishments.

Summary of FY 00 Removal Activity Bar Graph

Figure 2


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Removal Activities In Brownfields Pilot Locations

The Region 2 Removal Program conducted 17 removal assessments and 11 removal actions at facilities within the Region's 43 Brownfields pilot cities.

Removal assessments were conducted in:

Removal actions were conducted in:

Also, as a result of removal activities, sites became available for reuse or redevelopment in Camden and Paterson, New Jersey.

The National Priorities List

The most seriously contaminated Superfund sites are placed on EPA's National Priorities List (NPL). Sites on the NPL require extensive, long-term cleanup actions and remain on the NPL until cleanup activities have been completed. Nearly 20% of all NPL sites are in Region 2. By the end of FY'00, Region 2 had a total of 243 NPL sites, plus 3 more sites proposed for NPL listing. Eight of these NPL sites were listed in FY'00: 3 in New Jersey, 4 in New York State and 1 in Puerto Rico. Of the 6 sites proposed for listing 1 site is in NJ, 4 sites are in NY, and 1 site in PR. Three sites in Region 2 (2 in NJ and 1 in NY) were deleted from the NPL in FY 00.

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The Remedial Program

Long-term responses, also called remedial actions, involve complex and highly contaminated sites that often require several years to fully study the problem, develop a permanent remedy, and clean up the hazardous waste. After a thorough investigation of each site, EPA identifies cleanup alternatives and selects the most appropriate remedy. The remedy selection decision is documented in a Record of Decision. A total of 11 Records of Decision (10 at NPL sites and 1 at a non-NPL site) were issued by Region 2 in FY'00 at non-federal facility sites. A total of 10 Records of Decision were issued at federal facilities sites. Public participation at all stages of the process -- from remedy selection to site closure -- is a hallmark of the Superfund program.

At NPL sites, EPA, the state or parties (with EPA or state oversight) responsible for the problems, implement the selected cleanup alternative, generally by treating or removing contaminated soils and sediments, and/or preventing the spread of contaminated ground water by on-site treatment or pumping and treatment technology. During FY'00:


In FY'00, ongoing remedial actions resulted in the following environmental benefits:

Soil and Sediment Cleanup

In FY'00, Region 2:        

 Removal or Treatment Soils and Sediments

Figure 3

The cleanup actions have or will allow for use of land commensurate with future land use expectations and restoration of streams, rivers or wetlands.

Cleanup of Contaminated Ground Water

In FY'00, Region 2:

Treated Contaminated Ground Water in FY 00 at Superfund Sites in Region 2 Pie Graph (12312 bytes)

 

 

 

                              




Figure 4

These actions have been taken to prevent the spread of contaminated ground water with a goal of restoring aquifers to their beneficial use, and in some cases, to provide potable drinking water.

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In addition to the highlights above, the Region took additional response actions during FY'00. See Figure 5.


Remedial Activities

Figure 5

Providing the Public with Safe Drinking Water

26 residences were provided with alternative water supplies by the Superfund Program due to contamination or potential contamination of their drinking water. EPA typically provides impacted residences with carbon filtration or connections to public water supplies.

Addressing Toxic Landfills

Caps were placed over 116 acres of landfilled hazardous waste. The placement of hazardous waste caps and proper leachate management prevents direct exposure of human and ecosystem populations and prevents contamination of ground water.

Elimination of Unacceptable Risk Posed by Improper Waste Disposal

Over 7,113 tons and 24,525 gallons of products from abandoned sites were removed or treated.

Removal of Drums and Above- and Underground Storage Tanks

1,709 drums, 38 underground storage tanks and 15 above ground storage tanks were removed from Region 2 Superfund sites.

Restoration of Wetlands

Actions completed during fiscal year 2000 resulted in the restoration of approximately 3.85 acres of wetlands.


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Status of Region 2 Superfund Sites

Of the Region's 243 Superfund sites and 3 proposed sites, 97 sites (39.4%) have been cleaned up and deleted from the NPL or have all construction completed and are undergoing long-term remediation. Long-term remedies usually mean that continued pumping of contaminated ground water is required. Cleanup progress is evident considering that at the end of FY'96 there were 42 sites completed and by the end of FY'99 there were 85 sites that were complete.

Figure 6: Pie Graph of FY 00 Status of Region 2 Superfund Sites

 

 

 

 

 

 


  Figure 6


In FY'00, Region 2:

Cleanup activities, either design or construction, were under way at approximately 44% of the 246 sites.

Approximately 16% of the Region's NPL sites are under study or are awaiting study. The sites awaiting study have generally just been listed on the NPL or are currently proposed for inclusion. (See Table 1 and Figure 6).

Table 1 - Status of Region 2 National Priorities List Sites

State or Territory Number of NPL Sites,
Total / Proposed		 Deleted From NPL or Construction Complete Under Construction or in Design Stage Under Study or Proposed to NPL
New Jersey 129 /2 45 63 23
New York 100 / 1 44 43 14
Puerto Rico 12 / 0 8 2 2
Virgin Islands 2 / 0 0 1 1
Total 243 /3 97 109 40


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Funding for Superfund Cleanup

Under the Superfund Program, responsible parties are required to clean up and/or pay for contamination at particular sites. However, in emergency situations, or when those responsible cannot be found, will not cooperate, or are not capable of performing the work, EPA responds. In these circumstances, EPA finances the cleanups from the Superfund Trust Fund and pursues the responsible parties through enforcement action. Since the inception of the Superfund Program in 1980, Region 2 Superfund Program expenditures and settlements total approximately $4.41 billion. The funds are used to remediate hazardous waste sites, with about half funded by the federal government and half funded by the responsible parties. Figure 7 illustrates the cumulative funding for Region 2 Superfund site cleanup activities.

Figure 7: Superfund Expenditures and Settlements Line Graph


Figure 7

Last fiscal year, Region 2 obligated approximately $185.73 million. Of this total, $99.05 million was for remedial actions; $16.63 million for removal actions, and $70.05 million for remedial designs, remedial investigation/feasibility studies, Brownfields and support to Region 2 states. As a part of the Agency's effort to utilize unspent funds, Region 2 recovered almost $45.72 million from expired contracts, cooperative agreements, and inter-agency agreements. These funds were applied to fund national priorities within Region 2, including completion of site cleanups.

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Enforcement Activities

EPA has adopted an "enforcement first" policy for the cleanup of CERCLA sites. When viable potentially responsible parties for a site are identified, EPA will first require them to conduct the site cleanup rather than conduct the cleanup with Superfund money. During fiscal year 2000, cost recovery settlements with responsible parties totaled $24.6 million. In addition, the value of the work agreed to by responsible parties was $40.7 million. The value of the work agreed to by responsible parties is obtained from the estimated dollar value of settlements EPA has with responsible parties. These settlements require the responsible parties to fund and implement response actions such as remedial investigations/feasibility studies, remedial designs, remedial actions, or long-term response actions at Region 2 Superfund sites. In addition, Region 2 continued to implement the Administrative Reforms relating to enforcement, as highlighted below:

DeMinimis Settlements

EPA entered into Consent Decrees with low volume waste contributors at the Caldwell Trucking and Batavia Landfill sites. These settlements eliminated the Superfund liability for 83 eligible parties at these 2 sites.

Special Accounts

Special Accounts are site specific funds, which are dedicated to specific site cleanups. In FY'00, there were special accounts set aside at 3 sites, for a total of over $2.38 million.

Orphan Share

In FY'00, Region 2 made orphan share offers at 2 sites, valued at over $1.7 million. Offers are made at sites where insolvent or defunct responsible parties have been identified. Region 2 also finalized 4 settlements which resulted in over $7.9 million in compensation for the parties settling with EPA. The final settlements included sites where orphan share offers were made to responsible parties in a prior fiscal year.

Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know (EPCRA) Settlements

EPCRA is a statute designed to improve community access to information about chemical hazards and to facilitate the development of chemical emergency response plans by State and local governments. EPCRA and its regulations establish the following four types of reporting obligations for facilities which store or manage specified chemicals: emergency planning; emergency notification; community right to know; and toxic chemical release reporting. In FY'00, there were 103 EPCRA inspections conducted and 6 complaints issued. There were 8 complaints settled for a total value of $234,030.

Oil Program

The Oil Program helps to prevent and respond to oil spills that occur within the region. EPA responds to oil spills to ensure proper cleanup, and investigates reports of discharges of oil from facilities as well as reports of improperly stored oil. EPA also inspects commercial, industrial and government facilities for compliance with federal oil storage and emergency response regulations. The Region 2 Oil Program conducted 208 Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) inspections, 79 Facility Response Plan reviews (FRP), and approved 12 FRP plans. Eight unannounced drills were done at facilities that must have a Facility Response Plan under the Clean Water Act, with one complaint issued from these drills. Five SPCC/FRP complaints were issued, with four cases being settled for $175,500.


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Superfund Redevelopment InitiativeAbandoned Commercial Facility (235906 bytes)

Redevelopment of Park at Pepe Field Superfund Site
EPA completed the restoration of a community park and little league ball field at the Pepe Field superfund site located in Boonton, New Jersey. The three-acre park, nestled in a suburban community of 90,000 residents, was closed after EPA named Pepe Field a federal Superfund site in 1982. The property had been used from the 1920s to the 1950s as a landfill for wastes from the manufacture of edible oils and cleaning products for household and industrial uses.

EPA designates six new pilots in Region 2
EPA designated six new pilots in Region 2 under the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative. As pilots, communities will be aided in their efforts to assess or encourage future productive use of a local superfund site. The designated communities are: Camden, N.J. for the Martin Aaron Site; Glen Cove, N.Y. for the Li Tungsten Site; Gowanda, N.Y. for the Peter Cooper Site; Newark, N.J. for the White Chemical Site; West Winfield, N.Y. for the Hiteman Leather Site; and Saratoga Springs, N.Y. for the Niagara Mohawk Site. As a result of being named a pilot, the City of Newark N.J. was awarded a $100,000 cooperative agreement to develop a site reuse assessment for the White Chemical Superfund Site. This reuse assessment will be used to encourage development of the site and to coordinate development plans with the remedial design and remedial actions taken by EPA at the site.

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Region 2 Superfund Ombudsman

A Superfund Ombudsman was established in each Region in 1996 to serve as a direct contact for the public on Superfund concerns and questions. In Region 2, the Office of the Superfund Regional Ombudsman (OSRO) addresses citizens' concerns and complaints that cannot be resolved through informal procedures. The OSRO also provides information and guidance to the public on those issues and/or questions where answers are not readily available.

Since the inception of the Program, the OSRO has received 1,319 calls for assistance and information from the public. In FY'00, the OSRO responded to 367 such requests. From these, 289 (79 percent) were resolved within 24 hours and 363 (99 percent) were concluded by the end of the FY.

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Brownfields Economic Redevelopment InitiativeUndisplayed Graphic

Many communities in our nation have grappled with the challenge of abandoned, idled or under-used industrial and commercial facilities. EPA Region 2 implementation of the Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is a multi-faceted program providing technical, legal and information resources and direct assistance to regional Brownfields stakeholders, including state agencies, counties, cities and community organizations.

At the centerpiece of the Initiative are the Region's 43 Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilots, 21 of which are in New York, 20 in New Jersey and 2 in Puerto Rico. Each Pilot is funded at $200,000 for a two year period. Funding may
be used for assessment and related activities, such as site identification, stakeholder involvement and reuse planning. Each pilot has an EPA staff person designated to provide assistance as well as to facilitate access to EPA engineering, science and emergency response resources. The Camden, Trenton, Buffalo, Glen Cove and Puerto Rico pilots have direct assistance from EPA staff on location. The Region 2 Initiative includes federal agency coordination to support the pilots and Brownfields Showcase Communities, national models that demonstrate the positive results of public and private collaboration.

The Region supports 5 Brownfields Job Training and Development Demonstration Pilots grants, which are funded at $200,000 each for a two year period. Job training pilots provide training for residents of communities affected by Brownfields in order to facilitate the cleanup of Brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental field. In addition, the Region has implemented 5 Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Funds (BCRLF) funded at $500,000 per recipient for a five year period. The BCRLF grant enables pilots to establish a loan fund that developers of Brownfields can borrow from, generally at low interest rates, to perform environmental cleanup activities in the pilot area.

In FY'00, the Region 2 Brownfields Program awarded:

In FY'00, the Region 2 Brownfields Program established:

Brownfields 2000 National Conference

The National Brownfields 2000 conference was held October 10 - 13, 2000 in Atlantic City. 

The Region 2 Brownfields Program hosted the conference and provided extensive coordination of the activities.  In addition, Region 2 displayed posters, a slide show and an interactive GIS system where visitors could access photographs and fact sheets on the Regional Pilots. The Region's Mobile Lab van was also exhibited during the conference.

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