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EPA Oversees Short-Term Cleanup In Monroe County

Release Date: 11/16/2005
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For Release: Wednesday, November 16, 2005

(#05137) NEW YORK – Working in partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has overseen a short-term cleanup at the Rolling Plains Development Site in the Town of Mendon, New York. EPA ordered Unisys Corporation to remove six containers, with approximately 100 cubic yards of material, consisting of drums, debris and soil contaminated with hazardous substances including acetone, trichloroethylene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, ethylbenzene, xylene, toluene and lead.

"This is a good example of EPA working with the state to address a potential threat to the community," said EPA Regional Administrator Alan J. Steinberg. "And since Unisys is performing the cleanup, very little taxpayer money is being spent on this site."

The Rolling Plains Development site is a residential development of approximately 46 homes. The site is currently owned by Kalden Construction Company, a real estate developer. In May 2005, the NYSDEC was notified that the company unearthed several 55-gallon drums during the construction of a roadway for the development. These drums contained paint sludge waste, inks, solvents and oily liquids.

With NYSDEC oversight, Kalden Construction Company excavated 103 drums, related debris and contaminated soil, and placed the material into six large containers at the Site. The property owner subsequently notified NYSDEC that it did not have the funds to complete the cleanup. In June 2005, EPA and the NYSDEC inspected the site. While the six containers were covered with tarps tied down with rope, they were located close to homes. To prevent the containers from being accessible to the public, EPA posted 24-hour site security.

EPA discovered evidence linking the Todd Division of Burroughs Corporation to material found at the site. The Burroughs Corporation merged with Sperry Corporation in 1986 to form Unisys Corporation. On July 22, EPA ordered Unisys to remove the material found within the six containers. This material was removed from the Site in mid October.

For more information about the Superfund Program, please visit the EPA Web site at https://www.epa.gov/superfund/.