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NPL Site Narrative for Tri-Cities Barrel Co., Inc.
TRI-CITIES BARREL CO.
Port Crane, New York
Federal Register Notice: October 4, 1989Conditions at proposal (May 5, 1989): Tri-Cities Barrel Co., has reconditioned barrels since 1955 on a 3.5-acre site 5 miles northeast of Binghamton, Broome County, New York, near the Hamlet of Port Crane. The site is on Route 7. Interstate 88 borders the site to the north, while the rest of the site is bordered by rural residential areas and farmland.
The reconditioning process involves cleaning of the interior of the barrels with a 5- to 10-percent sodium hydroxide solution. An incinerator was also used at the site for disposal of flammable solids. Until 1980, waste water from the reconditioning was discharged into unlined lagoons and allowed to evaporate. Under a Consent Order with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), this practice was discontinued and the lagoons were pumped out and backfilled in 1981. Waste water from the reconditioning is currently stored in a holding tank and hauled off-site for disposal.
Ground water on-site is contaminated with PCB-Aroclor 1242 and chlordane above NYSDEC Drinking Water Standards, according to NYSDEC tests conducted in 1985. A soil sample also had high concentrations of several organic compounds. An estimated 3,500 people obtain drinking water from private wells within 3 miles of the site. One well is on the site.
Surface water within 3 miles downstream of the site is used for irrigation and recreational activities.
The site is not fenced, making it possible for people and animals to come into direct contact with hazardous substances.
The State has fined Tri-Cities for violating labeling and other transportation requirements of Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
This facility acquired Interim Status under RCRA Subtitle C when it filed a Notification of Hazardous Waste Activity and Part A of a permit application to treat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste. Later, it withdrew its Part A and converted to generator-only status with EPA or State approval. Hence, it satisfies a component of EPA's NPL/RCRA policy.
Status (October 4, 1989): EPA is considering various alternatives for this site.
For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.