Pollution/Situation Report Profile

Schemerhorn Creek
Schenectady, NY - EPA Region II
POLREP #2
Final (RV1)

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U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Schemerhorn Creek - Removal Polrep
Final Removal Polrep

EPA Emergency Response

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region II

Subject:

POLREP #2
Final (RV1)
Schemerhorn Creek
ZL
Schenectady, NY
Latitude: 42.8080940 Longitude: -73.9464700

To:

Joe Rotola, USEPA Region 02
Dan Harkay, EPA
George Zachos, USEPA Region 2 ERRD
Beckett Grealish, USEPA Region 2, ERRD, RAB
Mark Pane, USEPA Region II
Eric Wilson, EPA
Andrew Praschak, EPA
Mary Mears, USEPA, Region 2, PAD
Kristen Skopeck, PAD
Tim Grier, USEPA Headquarters 5202G
John Durnin, NYSDEC
Lori Appel, Bogdon

From:

Jack Harmon, OSC

Date:

9/25/2009

Reporting Period:

01/11/2009 - 09/25/2009

1. Introduction

1.1 Background

Site Number:	ZL	Contract Number:	EP-W-04-055
D.O. Number:	0086	Action Memo Date:
Response Authority:	CERCLA	Response Type:	Time-Critical
Response Lead:	EPA	Incident Category:	Removal Action
NPL Status:	Non NPL	Operable Unit:	RV1
Mobilization Date:	12/15/2008	Start Date:	12/15/2008
Demob Date:	9/25/2009	Completion Date:	9/25/2009
CERCLIS ID:	NYN000206220	RCRIS ID:
ERNS No.:		State Notification:
FPN#:		Reimbursable Account #:

1.1.1 Incident Category
Stabilization action for soil and sediment contamination.

1.1.2 Site Description
The Site is located in a commercial area along Edison Avenue in the City of Schenectady, New York. The Site includes a one-acre paved parcel that is currently being used as a materials storage area for Quality Roofing and Siding Supplies, Inc. (Quality). The Site is bounded to the west by the Delaware and Hudson (D&H) railroad line. A steep embankment along the railroad separates the tracks from the paved parking/storage lot on the Site. Edison Avenue borders the Site to the south and the Quality warehouse building (96 Van Guysling Avenue) borders the Site to the east. Schermerhorn Creek flows to the north on the eastern edge of the Site. The creek is situated between the roofing supply warehouse and the paved lot. There is roughly 440 feet of the creek exposed on the Site from Edison Avenue to a culvert before it goes underground for approximately 225 feet. It emerges again for about 75 feet and is culverted again on its way to the Mohawk River to the north. The water in the creek is down a very steep bank about ten feet below the surrounding grade, approximately 18-24” deep, and ten feet wide.

Historical documents indicate that the Site was owned by The Delaware and Hudson Company from 1907 until 1930 when it was transferred to The Delaware and Hudson Railroad Corporation; and then to The Delaware and Hudson Railway Company in 1968; and then to the Bankruptcy Trust in 1991; and then to CP Railroad whose name was changed to the Delaware Railway Company, Inc. Documents also indicate that by 1900, the F.W. Rankin Company operated a coal and wood storage yard at the Site. By 1914 the Site was occupied by the Crane-Veeder Company who operated a general supply store and storage area for furniture, terra cotta, fertilizer, brick, and coal. By 1953 the Site had changed occupants from the Crane-Veeder Company to Buff & Buff, Inc. who operated it as a scrap metal yard until 1993 when the Site was vacated. EPA and NYSDEC historical files seem to indicate that transformers were scrapped at the Buff & Buff facility and PCB oils were discharged onto the ground surface at the Site.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been released into the soils at the Site. These PCB contaminated soils have migrated into the sediment of Schermerhorn Creek. In addition, oil is discharging from a subsurface perched water zone present under the asphalt lot into the creek. Sampling of the soil on the Site indicates elevated levels of PCBs in the creek bed, on the creek embankment, in the soil below the asphalt lot and on the railroad embankment.

1.1.2.1 Location
The Site is an asphalt paved parking/storage lot located on the western portion of an operating commercial property owned by Quality Roofing and Siding Supplies, Inc. The address for Quality is 95 Van Guysling Avenue, Schenectady, New York, 12306 (Site maps are included as Appendix 2). The Site is approximately one acre in size and can be entered from Edison Avenue which borders the Site to the south. The western boundary is a set of D&H railroad tracks with a steep embankment separating the railroad tracks from the parking lot. Schemerhorn Creek forms the eastern boundary and separates the parking lot from a Quality warehouse (figure 3). Schemerhorn Creek is an open channel for approximately 440 feet as it flows northeast from Edison Avenue. It then enters a culvert for approximately 225 feet and emerges for approximately 75 feet before it enters another culvert. Approximately one mile from the Site, Schemerhorn Creek discharges into the Mohawk River. The Site is situated in a mostly commercial/industrial area with the nearest residence 750 feet to the east. Over 6,000 people reside within a one-mile radius of the Site.

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat
The Site is in an active commercial area. Approximately a half dozen employees work at the Site daily. These employees could be exposed to PCBs from the soil from the railroad or creek embankments on a regular basis. Wind can entrain soil particles as dust and employees or visitors on the Site could ingest or inhale these particles. Wind can also carry soil particles from the stream and/or railroad embankments to other areas on or off-Site.

PCBs in the soil on the western bank of the creek or on the railroad embankment could also migrate with surface water runoff. Existing contamination in the creek shows the impact of previously migrating soils. PCBs released to the creek can adversely impact the riparian ecosystem locally and/or could be transported downstream into the Mohawk River ecosystem. Current impacts to the stretch of Schermerhorn Creek on the Site have already been documented. NYSDEC’s 2006 biological assessment of the creek revealed an impaired macro invertebrate community on the Site. Diversity was reduced and the invertebrate community was dominated by worms and non-biting midges tolerant of high levels of pollution. Sampling of the tissues of the invertebrates from the Site showed elevated levels of PCBs up to 5 times the NYSDEC level of concern. In addition, the continued seep of oil into the creek threatens the overall quality of the creek environment.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results
The removal assessment of the Site took place between November 2007 and February 2008. During the removal assessment field work, EPA collected 66 samples from the creek bed and along its western bank and 123 soil samples from below the asphalt parking lot. Twelve samples were also collected from the embankment west of the asphalt lot leading up to the railroad tracks. A total of 4 surface water and 201 soil/sediment samples were collected during the assessment. Results from the analysis of the samples indicate PCBs are present in elevated concentrations in the soil in all three areas. Concentrations of PCBs found were as high as 860 ppm in the creek bed, 670 ppm on the creek embankment, 4,100 ppm in the soil below the asphalt lot and 980 ppm on the railroad embankment. Elevated concentrations in the soil beneath the lot seem to be constrained to the upper five feet of fill material. Lead was also found in these soils at up to 2,120 ppm. Surface water samples did not show any detection of PCBs.

The results of the sampling indicate an area approximately 75 x 200 and 5 feet deep underneath the asphalt and along the creek bank is contaminated with significantly elevated levels (>50 ppm) of PCBs. These PCBs have migrated into the creek sediment on the Site. PCB concentrations above 50 ppm are found in the creek sediments over a 75 foot stretch of the creek north from footbridge that leads to the Quality warehouse. In addition, a subsurface perched water table contaminated with an oil waste is located at 10 to 15 feet BGS under the asphalt lot and is discharging petroleum contamination to the creek at the creek water level. The area beneath the asphalt lot impacted by the oily waste is approximately 50 by 75 feet and is located between the footbridge and a point on the creek bank 75 feet north of the footbridge.

2. Current Activities

2.1 Operations Section

2.1.1 Narrative

Removal activities conducted as part of a stabilization action at the Site included the construction of a railroad embankment fence to prevent access to PCB contaminated soil; placement of a creek embankment fabric cover to prevent migration of PCB contaminated soil into the creek; and the continuation of boom maintenance and monitoring for the existing NYSDEC spill response boom in Schermerhorn Creek. These activities are considered an interim step to stabilize the conditions at the Site and temporarily mitigate the current risk to human health and the environment. In addition to these interim construction activities, further investigation of the nature and extent of the PCB contamination on the railroad embankment and the subsurface oil contamination beneath the parking lot will be conducted to better define the scope of an upcoming larger scale response (RV2).

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date
In February 2009, the RST contractor conducted a sampling event to further delineate PCB contamination in soil on the railroad embankment and to investigate the presence of the oily sheen on the groundwater. During this sampling event, 24 test pits were excavated within the railroad embankment from which 66 soil samples were collected. In addition, 15 soil borings were advanced into the asphalt parking lot and one soil boring was advanced into the base of the railroad embankment. Eight monitoring wells and two piezometers were also installed during this sampling event. A total of 15 subsurface soil samples and ten groundwater samples were collected.

During the week of September 14, 2009, the ERRS contractor subcontracted drilling services to confirm vertical boundaries of PCB concentrations of 1.0 mg/kg or less. The locations selected for the soil borings were based upon previous soil boring results where PCBs were identified in concentration above 1.0 mg/kg. Six soil borings were advanced, via four-inch diameter hollow stem augers, into a clay layer that was previously identified at approximately 15 fbgs as well as into a sand layer immediately beneath the clay. Representative soil samples were collected via split-spoon samplers. A total of nine soil samples were collected from both the clay and the sand layers.

On September 25, 2009, the condition of the existing absorbent boom deployed in Schemerhorn Creek was checked. This represented the last of the site activities for RV1 and therefore its completion date.

Results from all the removal assessment activities indicate that the estimated area that requires PCB remediation is 30,000 square feet. PCB concentrations of 50 mg/kg or greater are limited within the upper most five feet. Concentrations of PCBs less than 1.0 mg/kg are present in depths less than 15 feet. The oil sheen encompasses an area approximately 5,000 square feet and groundwater is uniformly at ten fbgs.

2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
EPA has sent CERCLA 104 (e) information request letters to several parties including: D&H Railway, General Electric Corporation, the City of Schenectady, National Grid, NYSE&G and Westinghouse. It has also interviewed Jonathan Buff (son of Marvin Buff, owner of Buff & Buff, Inc.).

2.1.4 Progress Metrics
N/A

2.2 Planning Section

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities
Beginning on December 15, 2008, removal activities were conducted as part of a stabilization action at the Site that included the construction of a railroad embankment fence to prevent access to PCB contaminated soil; placement of a creek embankment fabric cover to prevent migration of PCB contaminated soil into the creek; and the continuation of boom maintenance and monitoring for the existing NYSDEC spill response boom in Schemerhorn Creek. These activities were considered an interim step to stabilize the conditions at the Site and temporarily mitigate the current risk to human health and the environment. In addition to these interim construction activities, further investigation of the nature and extent of the PCB contamination on the railroad embankment and the subsurface oil contamination beneath the parking lot was conducted to better define the scope of an upcoming larger scale response.

2.2.1.2 Next Steps
The interim stabilization measures and investigations into the nature and extent of the PCB contamination are complete. Results from investigations were evaluated and a plan for ameliorating the PCB contamination has been proposed in an action memorandum for RV2.

2.2.2 Issues
None

2.3 Logistics Section