Fairchild Republic Company

EPA Identification Number:	NYD079818555
Facility Location:	1000 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, New York
Facility Contact Name:	Michael Hodge, (703) 478-5858
EPA Contact Name:	Michael Poetzsch, (212) 637-4147, poetzsch.michael@epa.gov
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Case Manager:	Steve Scharf, (518) 402-9620 sxscharf@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Last Updated:	February 2006
Environmental Indicator Status:	Human Exposures Under Control [PDF 163.2 KB, 14 pp] has been verified. Groundwater Contamination Under Control [PDF 38.59 MB, 1 pp] has been verified.

Site Description

The Fairchild Republic Company facility is located in East Farmingdale, Long Island, New York. This facility manufactured aircraft and related parts from 1931-1987. All process units were clean closed in 1988.

The facility includes two New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) listed sites: the main plant site and the old recharge basin.

The main plant site is bounded by Route 110 (Broad Hollow Road) to the west; the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) to the north; New Highway to the east, and Republic Airport to the south.

The old recharge basin is located on the opposite side of Route 110, south of Conklin Street. The old recharge basin was used by Fairchild to discharge process waste waters and storm water. All of the former site buildings have been razed and the clean materials and site soils were used to fill in the old recharge basin.

A shopping mall is now located on the former main plant site area. The nearest down-gradient residences are about a mile away, and the closest down-gradient public water supply well field is about 1.5 miles southeast.

Site Responsibility and Legal Instrument

Order on Consent (#W1-0461-90) signed in March 1992 between NYSDEC and Fairchild Republic Company.

Permit Status

The facility has Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) interim status pursuant to State of New York (6 NYCRR) Part 373 standards for owners and operators of hazardous waste facilities.

Potential Threats and Contaminants

Soil
Soil contamination, primarily trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE), was found under the PCE tank and the vapor degreaser, which were located in Building 17. There were also elevated levels of chromium in the soil underneath Buildings 17 and 42.

Groundwater
The groundwater has been contaminated by several sources. There are two upgradient sources, one of low-level mixed volatiles and one higher level TCE source. These are both contributing to the plume from Fairchild, which moves with the groundwater in a south-southeast direction. The old recharge basin is no longer characterized as a source but has historically contaminated groundwater with volatile organic solvents, primarily trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE.) This old contamination is currently still affecting the western portion of the plume. The main human health threat posed by this contamination is considered to be ingestion, and steps have been taken to eliminate this pathway (see discussion on groundwater remediation, below).

Indoor Air
Although there are new structures built on the main plant site, the contamination at that location has both moved downgradient (per 1997 sampling) and has settled quite deeply into the upper glacial and Magothy aquifers. Ongoing soil gas sampling following the soil vapor extraction interim remedial measure showed the soil gas volatile organic solvent levels to be below the State guidance values. The plume has not reached residences downgradient of the facility, so indoor air contamination is not a threat.

Cleanup Approach and Progress

Under the tank closure program, ninety-five underground and above-ground storage tanks were removed. During the demolition of Building 17, three more previously undocumented underground storage tanks were located and removed from the main plant site.

Soil
All structures at the main plant site have been razed, and the soil contamination has been removed through two interim remedial measures that were implemented in 1996. The first interim remedial measures consisted of two soil vapor extraction systems set up to clean volatile organic solvent contamination under Building 17, and the other interim remedial measures was the excavation of chromium-contaminated soils under Buildings 17 and 42. Both of these interim remedial measures have been completed and the sources removed. The chromium-contaminated soils, which did not qualify as hazardous waste, were properly disposed of in the old recharge basin.

Groundwater
The old recharge basin was taken out of use over 15 years ago and is no longer a source of contamination. The upgradient mixed volatiles source has been remediated, although the upgradient trichloroethylene (TCE) source has not yet been identified. Residents who use private wells as drinking water supply who are within the range of the plume have been advised to connect to the public water supply. Many residents have done this. The 1998 "statement of basis" issued by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) called for a groundwater pump-and-treat system to be installed. The construction of the pump-and-treat system is being finalized following several years of design, revision, and construction.

Indoor Air
No indoor air threats are anticipated at this time.

Site Repository

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

NYSDEC Division of Solid & Hazardous Materials
625 Broadway, 8th Floor
Albany, New York 12233-7252

and

NYSDEC Region 1 Office SUNY Campus,
Loop Road, Building 40
Stony Brook, NY 11790

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