The HS Finishing Products Site consisted of one, single-story building, approximately 160 by 100 feet in size, located at 1768 to 1784 Dean Street, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York. The facility was operated by H.S. Finishing Products Corporation, performing electroplating and coating operations, until apparently being abandoned in June or July 2001.
Responding to a report of a water leak at 1768 Dean Street in Brooklyn on 2/2/03, FDNY discovered a large quantity of unsecured drums and containers of flammable, combustible and corrosive materials, as well as ten vats containing acidic and caustic liquids.
Based on a request from NYSDEC, EPA responded during the morning of February 3, 2003 in order to perform an Expedited Removal Assessment (ERA) at the Site. An initial inventory of containers discovered in the building included methyl ethyl ketone, trichloroethylene, sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid. Several small containers labeled ‘cyanide’ were found in the building, and at least one of the vats was suspected to contain cyanide. The Site also contained several hundred five-gallon containers and one-gallon containers labeled as flammables, corrosives and oxidizers. In addition, ten vats were discovered, and several of them contained liquids that are labeled as caustics, nitric acid and chromic acid.
Based on this evaluation, a verbal authorization to conduct an emergency removal action was approved on February 3, 2003. NYPD provided site security until EPA was able to provide 24-hour security service through the ERRS contractor on February 4, 2003.
Field activities were completed when the last shipment of hazardous wastes was received at the disposal facility on April 14, 2003.
The progress of removal activities can be found in the POLREPs, located in the "Documents" section below.
