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EPA Proposes to Delete Katonah Superfund Site from the National List of Hazardous Waste Sites

Release Date: 01/20/2000
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(#00016) NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that cleanup work has been completed at the Katonah Municipal Well Superfund site in Westchester County, New York, removing any threat to human health and the environment. The Agency is proposing to delete the site from the National Priorities List (NPL) of hazardous waste sites and is seeking public comment on this proposal. The Westchester County Department of Health (WCDOH) first discovered chemical contamination in the Katonah Public Water Supply Municipal Well in 1978. The well was taken out of service and an alternate public water supply was provided for the affected residents. In 1979, the groundwater contamination, which consisted primarily of tetrachloroethyelene, was linked to four dry-cleaning operations. These dry cleaners discharged the liquid used in their operations into individual septic systems, which released the contaminants into the groundwater. Maintenance activities at the nearby pump house for the municipal well, which was part of the Bedford Water and Storage System, also contributed to contamination of the groundwater. In addition, the area surrounding the well and pumphouse had been historically used for the disposal of street cleaning debris. WCDOH worked with the dry cleaners to modify their disposal practices and remove the contaminated liquids from the septic tanks. In1984, EPA placed the Katonah Municipal Well Superfund site on the NPL after the New York State Department of Conservation requested EPA assistance in addressing the groundwater contamination at the site. In 1987, EPA selected a cleanup plan for the site that included the following actions: · filling and sealing the existing abandoned public supply well; · installation of a new Katonah Municipal Well to replace the abandoned public supply well; · installation and operation of a new water treatment facility, including both an air stripper and disinfectionsystem, to treat the groundwater for distribution through the Bedford Public Water System; · monitoring of the site groundwater and the Katonah Municipal Well drinking water supply, and · a recommendation to the Town of Bedford that trash and debris in vicinity of the pumphouse be removed and that this disposal practice be discontinued. "All of the cleanup work done at the Katonah site represents another success story for the Superfund program, and we are pleased to propose to the community that this site be removed from the nation's list of hazardous waste sites," said Richard Caspe, Director, Emergency and Remedial Response Division, EPA Region II. In June 1988, EPA entered into a Consent Order with the Town of Bedford to carry out the technical design of the cleanup plan. In September 1988, EPA issued a Unilateral Administrative Order to the four other potentially responsible parties to assist the Town in the completion of the design. Under the terms of a February 1990 Consent Decree with EPA, the Town agreed to clean up the site. All the construction and installation work included in the cleanup plan was completed in July 1992. The treated groundwater is being discharged to the Bedford Consolidated Water District distribution system for public use. Based on a comprehensive review of the Superfund cleanup and several post cleanup inspections, EPA and the State of New York concluded that all the appropriate construction work has been completed and that the monitoring wells and treatment system should continue to be maintained and operated. Deletion of a site from the NPL does not make the site ineligible for later cleanup actions. If such actions prove necessary, they can be taken without renominating the site to the NPL. The public is invited to comment on the proposed decision to delete this site from the NPL. The 30-day public comment period will begin on January 19, 2000 and extend to February 17, 2000. Written comments should be addressed to: Damian J. Duda, USEPA, 290 Broadway, 20th floor, New York, New York, 1007-1866. Written comments can also be faxed to Mr. Duda at (212) 637-3966 or e-mailed to [email protected].