Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation - Seventh North Service Center

Other (Former) Names of Site: None

EPA Identification Number:	NYD000730382
Facility Location:	7437 Henry Clay Boulevard, Liverpool, New York 13088
Facility Contact Name:	James F. Morgan, (315) 428-3101
EPA Contact Name:	Samuel Ezekwo, (212)637-4168, ezekwo.sam@epa.gov
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Case Manager:	Steve Malsan, (518) 402-8598, sgmalsan@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Last Updated:	October 2008
Environmental Indicator Status:	Human Exposures Under Control [PDF 109.84 KB, 8 pp] has been verified. Groundwater Contamination Under Control [PDF 71.06 KB, 7 pp] has been verified.

Site Description

Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation (NMPC) - Seventh North Service Center is located on an approximately 119 acre-parcel of property located in the Town of Clay, Onondaga County, New York. The facility is located in an industrially zoned area, and is bordered by residential apartments and commercial properties. The facility was constructed in the late 1950s, and was utilized for equipment storage and satellite collection for its hazardous waste operations.

Beginning in 1993, NMPC conducted a series of investigations at the facility, to determine the nature and extent of hazardous waste releases to the environment, and to determine if there was a continuing source of contamination. Hundreds of samples of soils, sediments, surface water, groundwater and aquatic organisms were collected and analyzed.

A Closure Certification Report was submitted for clean closure of the regulated units (hazardous waste tanks and a drum storage area) in March 2000. These units were verified clean closed in June 2000.

In January 2002 Niagara Mohawk was sold to National Grid Company which currently owns and operates the facility.

Site Responsibility and Legal Instrument

NYS Part 373 Corrective Action Permit expired in June 1999.

Permit Status

RCRA permit expired in September 1999.

Potential Threats and Contaminants

During the investigation, elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), metals, volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds were discovered to have contaminated on-site soils, sediments and groundwater. The groundwater contamination that is present is low level and does not appear to have moved off-site.

Cleanup Approach and Progress

The majority of the Corrective Action cleanup was completed at this facility by December 1997, although additional cleanup measures (see below) were taken between August and December 2001. Corrective Action included:

Excavation of 12,300 cubic yards of sediment (approximately a 2.5-acre portion) located within the boundary of a federal wetland area.
Excavation and replacement of the storm sewer system, which was the primary source and pathway of contamination to the site drainage ditches.
Excavation and removal of PCB-impacted surface soils, subsurface soils, and sediments, and shipment to appropriate off site disposal landfills.
The wetland was regraded and revegetated with native plants and is currently thriving.
Recent monitoring of biota (fish and frog) showed a decrease in polychlorinated biphenyl levels after the remediation, indicating real progress has been made in making the site safer, although the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Corrective Action goal of 0.1 ppm for PCB tissue concentration for resident biota in remediated wetlands has not yet been met.

Additional Corrective Measures were completed (report approved December 2002) to address the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls in the water samples collected at Outfall A of the side-wide stormwater system.

Continued monitoring of the remediated areas will measure the continued success of these measures.

Final Cleanup Status or Projection

Final Remedy Decision (RCRAInfo database code CA400) has been achieved.
Final Remedy Construction (RCRAInfo database code CA550) has been achieved.

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

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