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JCI Jones Chemicals Inc. to Clean Up Superfund Site in Caledonia, New York Under Court Settlement

Release Date: 04/29/2002
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(#02027) Niagara Falls, New York – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reached an agreement with JCI Jones Chemicals Inc. on the cleanup of chemically-contaminated soil and ground water at the Jones Chemicals, Inc. Superfund site in Caledonia, New York. The Consent Decree was entered yesterday with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. Under the terms of this settlement, JCI Jones Chemicals Inc. will perform the site cleanup and reimburse EPA for its past cleanup and future oversight costs. Jones Chemical has been an active chemical manufacturing, repackaging, and distribution company since 1939. Through the plant’s operation, chemical spills contaminated the soil and ground water. The site was placed on EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) in February 1990. “The Superfund program works best when parties who are legally responsible for causing a problem participate in its cleanup,”said EPA Regional Administrator Jane Kenny. “We are pleased that the company has assumed its obligation and that the comprehensive cleanup, using proven technologies, will be undertaken shortly.” The cleanup plan calls for the in-place treatment of the contaminated soils at the location of a former above- ground solvent tank. In addition, ground water treatment systems will clean up the most contaminated ground water. Lesser contaminated areas will be addressed through the natural breakdown of the contaminants. The Agency estimates that the soil cleanup will take three years to complete and the ground water treatment system will operate approximately 15 years to achieve New York State and federal drinking water standards. The overall cost of the cleanup, including operation and maintenance of the treatment systems, is expected to be $2.3 million. Ground water contamination was first reported at the site in July 1981 in on-site wells used in the manufacturing process and in the water discharged to on-site lagoons. Following the listing of the site on the NPL, EPA signed an order with JCI Jones Chemicals Inc. requiring the company to undertake an investigation and study to determine the nature and extent of the contamination and to evaluate cleanup alternatives. In 1996, the company installed an air stripper to remove chemicals from the ground water it was using in its manufacturing process to comply with state discharge requirements. Monitoring of the discharge water indicates that the discharge complies with these requirements.