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EPA Adds Holley to Superfund List

Release Date: 07/21/2004
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(#04114) NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced the listing of the Diaz Chemical site in Holley, New York, on its National Priorities List (NPL) of the most contaminated hazardous waste sites, making it eligible for federal cleanup dollars. The Agency is currently addressing the immediate risks at the site and has funded the relocation of residents who left their homes after an accidental chemical release from the facility. "The addition of Diaz to the National Priorities List is an essential step toward cleaning up the site," said EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny. "EPA is already working with the community, and we plan to be there to address any ongoing threats to the public and the environment." The Agency conducted sampling in the residential area and on portions of the site, and evaluated the materials that Diaz left behind when it abandoned the facility. The Agency found approximately 5,000 drums and containers of various chemicals, and about 1.5 million pounds and more than 60,000 gallons of hazardous materials that required removal to protect the surrounding community in the future. To date, EPA has removed 2,400 drums and 40,000 gallons of bulk chemicals from the site. The Diaz Chemical Corporation site was home to a chemical manufacturing facility with a long history of spills and chemical releases. From 1974 to June 2003, Diaz manufactured and stored industrial organic chemicals and specialized in the production of halogenated aromatic compounds. The company declared bankruptcy and abandoned the facility in June 2003, leaving behind thousands of drums and tanks containing hazardous chemicals. After an accidental release of 2-chloro-6-flourophenol on January 5, 2002, impacted families were forced to leave their homes. EPA picked up the costs of their temporary relocation after Diaz ceased to provide the necessary funding. Residents relocated from their homes continue to receive assistance from EPA. EPA has also listed another New York site the Peninsula Boulevard Ground Water Plume site in Hewlett, Long Island on the NPL. The addition of these sites brings the total number of federal Superfund sites in New York to 92. For more information about the Cidra Ground Water Contamination site or to obtain a copy of the notice or a detailed site description, contact the RCRA/Superfund Hotline at 1-800-424-9346 or 703-412-9810.