Alcoa Incorporated

Other (Former) Names of Site: Aluminum Company of America

EPA Identification Number:	NYD002232304
Facility Location:	45 County Route 42, Massena, New York
Facility Contact Name:	Rick Esterline, (315) 764-1996
EPA Contact Name:	Andy Park, (212) 637-4184, park.andy@epa.gov
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Case Manager	Gregg Townsend, (315) 781-2614, gtownsend@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Last Updated:	August 2003
Environmental Indicator Status:	Human Exposures Under Control [PDF 271.1 KB, 20 pp] has been verified. Groundwater Contamination Under Control [PDF 170.6 KB, 23 pp] has been verified.

Site Description

ALCOA's Massena operations are located on 2,700 acres in the Town of Massena, St. Lawrence County, New York. The facility is bordered on the north by the St. Lawrence River, on the southwest by the Massena Power Canal and on the southeast by the Grasse River. Aluminum and aluminum products have been manufactured at the plant continuously since 1903. As a result of these manufacturing activities, industrial and hazardous wastes have been disposed of at various locations throughout the facility. Eighteen areas of concern have been identified, which include landfills, lagoons, spent-potliner piles, the storm water drainage system and other areas. Municipal water was provided to nearby residents in 1994.

The facility currently has interim status under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) program and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's (NYSDEC's) Division of Environmental Remediation has the lead for corrective action at this site.

Site Responsibility and Legal Instrument

In January 1985, NYSDEC and EPA separately entered into Consent Orders with ALCOA to investigate and remediate all areas of hazardous and industrial waste at the facility. Records of Decision (RODs) detailing the remedial work required at the facility were prepared by EPA and DEC in March of 1991 and January of 1992.

Potential Threats and Contaminants

The primary contaminants, which are found in both soil and the groundwater at the site, are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), metals, fluoride and cyanide. Groundwater contamination has been identified in both the bedrock and the area above the bedrock. Shallow groundwater has been found to discharge to surface water, including the Massena Power Canal, Robinson Creek, the Grasse River, and the onsite lagoons and marsh.

Past releases and storm water runoff from the site have contaminated sediments in drainage ditches, wetlands, the Massena Power Canal, Robinson Creek and the Grasse River. Analysis of fish in the Grasse River revealed high levels of PCB contamination. As a result, a fish consumption advisory has been issued by the New York State Department of Health.
Cleanup Approach and Progress

In January 1985, NYSDEC entered into a Consent Order with ALCOA to investigate and remediate all areas of hazardous and industrial waste at the facility. Investigations at the site were conducted from 1985-1991. During the investigations, ALCOA implemented several interim remedial measures (IRMs), including a collection system for leachate, the liquid that percolates down through a landfill; and the excavation of PCB-contaminated sediments in the West Marsh and a tributary.

A total of 18 solid waste management units and areas of concern were identified, including landfills, lagoons, spent potlining piles, areas effected by storm water drainage, etc. The NYSDEC issued several Records of Decision to address these areas. Most of the remedial actions were conducted from 1992 through 2000. A Groundwater Environmental Indicator Environmental Assessment for this site, which determined that groundwater migration at this facility is under control, was successfully completed in May 2001.

In addition to on-site issues, ALCOA has also entered into a Consent Order with EPA to address PCB-contaminated sediments in the Grasse River. ALCOA has completed a remedial investigation and a feasibility study. In the summer of 1995, ALCOA completed an interim remedial measure (IRM) that removed contaminated sediments from an area near the facility's State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES)-permitted wastewater discharge outfall.

ALCOA has also submitted a pilot treatability study to install a thin layer cap over a portion of the river bed. The exact construction of the cap has not yet been determined, but according to EPA and Army Corps of Engineers' guidance, it will essentially be made of 12 inches of a mixture of sand and topsoil to mimic natural sediments. To date a remedy has not been selected for the river sediments.

A revised risk assessment using current federal guidelines has been submitted and is under review. The initial risk assessment, completed in 1993, indicates that there are several potential pathways for human exposure regarding the river, including: direct skin contact, eating of fish and the inadvertent ingestion of water or sediments by recreational users. EPA approved an updated baseline risk assessment in September 2002 to incorporate more recent information and guidance. The updated risk assessment indicated that fish consumption is the only human exposure pathway. As mentioned above, fish consumption advisories have been issued for the Grasse River.

Permit Status

The facility permit status is certified closed, that is, there are no hazardous waste activities presently conducted at the facility that require a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permit. ALCOA is presently operating as a RCRA regulated generator only. On March 1, 1994, In accordance with RCRA regulations, ALCOA announced - and sought public comment on -- its intent to cease all RCRA permit related treatment, storage and disposal activities at the facility. Building 79 received closure certification by NYSDEC on November 9, 1994.

Site Repository

Copies of supporting technical documents and correspondence cited in this site fact sheet are available for public review at:

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Bureau of Radiation and Hazardous Site Management
Division of Solid & Hazardous Materials
625 Broadway, 8th Floor
Albany, New York 12233-7251
Contact: Larry Alden
Phone: (518) 402-9774

NYSDEC - Region 6 Office
State Office Building
Watertown, New York 13601

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) makes its public records available for a review under the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL).