On July 22, 2003, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received a request from the U S Congressman, 27th District, New York to evaluate the former Roblin Steel Company Site (Site), for Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Removal Action consideration. The Site is located at 320 Roberts Road, Dunkirk, New York.
In response to this request, EPA initiated a Removal Site Evaluation (RSE) to determine if there were hazardous substances and releases at the Site, and determine if a removal action is necessary. This RSE was done by EPA in conjunction with analytical data collected by Chautauqua County. The analytical data was collected by a consultant hired by Chautauqua County, who entered into a State Assistance Contract with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to complete a Site Investigation/Remedial Alternatives Report (SI/RAR) for the Site. The SI was done pursuant to the Environmental Restoration, or Brownfields Program, component five of the NYSDEC Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act of 1996.
This SI/RAR identified areas of cleanup concern, known as operable units. EPA has identified three operable units (OU) of the SI/RAR where hazardous substances and waste are present and where a removal action will be implemented. These OU’s are identified as OU-3A, OU-3B, and OU-5.
OU - 3A is an area approximately 200 feet x 100 feet and 1 foot in depth. The waste contains approximately 750 cubic yards and is located in the former area of the bag house dust collection system. The area has visible contamination from the bag house and as a result, the waste material in this area will be classified as K061 RCRA hazardous waste. This K061 waste is defined as “Emission control dust/sludge from the primary production of steel in electric furnaces.” The K061 waste in OU-3A was sampled by Chautauqua County and found to contain hazardous substances including lead (up to 5,940 total ppm), cadmium (up to 118 total ppm), and chromium (up to 1,040 total ppm).
OU - 3B is an area approximately 60 feet x 100 feet and 1 foot in depth. The waste contains approximately 225 cubic yards and is located in the former area of the bag house dust collection system. The area has visible contamination from the bag house and as a result, the waste material in this area will be classified as K061 RCRA hazardous waste. This K061 waste is defined as “Emission control dust/sludge from the primary production of steel in electric furnaces.” The K061 waste in OU-3A was sampled by Chautauqua County and found to contain hazardous substances including lead (up to 3,900 total ppm), cadmium (up to 85 total ppm), and chromium (up to 550 total ppm).
OU - 5 - is an area approximately 20 feet x 30 feet and 3 feet high containing PCB contaminated soil, debris, and concrete. This waste totals approximately 60 cubic yards and was the former location of an electrical transformer substation at the Site. It is suspected that a PCB transformer released in this area due to the appearance of the debris. Stained concrete and debris was sampled as part of the SI/RAR and PCBs are in the debris up to 1,000 ppm.
The Site also contains PCB ballasts from lights and equipment within the site building. The ballasts are in poor condition and the equipment they are attached to has been vandalized. Mercury vapor lamps are within the site buildings and some have been broken within the suite buildings.
Small amounts of asbestos are within the main Site building. The asbestos has fell from pipe elbow wrap and has released onto the floor of the building.
EPA will remove the soil in the OU's and the asbestos, mercury vapor lamps, and PCB ballasts within the site buildings.
