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EPA Makes Modified Cleanup Final for Contaminated Materials in Two Lagoons at the General Motors Superfund Site in Massena, New York

Release Date: 06/07/2000
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(#00115) NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized its modified cleanup plan for the removal of approximately 11,700 cubic yards of chemically-contaminated materials from two inactive lagoons at the General Motors (GM) Superfund site in Massena, New York. GM is expected to complete the cleanup by the end of the summer, with EPA acting in an oversight capacity. The change only affects how the contaminated materials to be excavated from the inactive lagoons at the site will be handled. The cleanup levels established for the site and the lagoons remain the same. "EPA received positive feedback from the community on the change, which GM developed and presented to EPA,"explained Mr. Richard Caspe, Director of EPA’s Regional Superfund program. The proposal was discussed in detail at EPA meetings with the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe and New York State and both expressed their support for the change. "The off-site disposal of this contaminated material better addresses the concerns of this community when compared to the original remedy," Mr. Caspe added. The 1990 cleanup plan called for excavating materials contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) greater than 10 parts per million (ppm) from the inactive lagoons, treating the excavated materials on-site by thermal desorption to reduce the PCB concentrations and disposing of the treated material on-site. Under the new plan, all the materials with PCB concentrations greater than 10 ppm will still be excavated from the inactive lagoons; however, the materials will then be solidified on-site to prevent the release of PCBs and shipped off-site to a secure disposal facility. No treated material will be disposed of on-site. GM has operated an aluminum die-casting plant at the site since 1959. Until 1980, PCBs were a component of hydraulic fluids used in die-casting machines at the GM facility. PCBs provided protection against fire and thermal degradation in the high temperature environment of the die casting machines. GM no longer uses the die-casting process or PCBs at the facility; however, PCB-contaminated materials remain at the site.