By Liz McBreen
In 1986, the Environmental Protection Agency added the property to its Superfund list. Superfund is a federally funded program that cleans up sites such as the Genzale factory, which pose environmental and health risks.
The Superfund program began the cleanup, and it was near completion about three years ago when additional contaminants were found in the soil near the site.
As a result of these additional findings, the EPA, which runs the Superfund program, resumed the cleanup of the site. Beginning on May 6, the building was demolished. More sampling will now be conducted to determine the extent of contamination.
Two weeks ago, the Agency installed a soil vapor extraction unit to clean up previously inaccessible contaminated soil, according to Patrick Hamblin, the EPA's remedial project manager. The system will remove contaminated soil vapors by drawing contaminated air from the soil and filtering it through perforated pipes lined with carbon filters.
When the vapors have been removed, the soil will be excavated from under the concrete slab foundation, because "there will still be contaminants in the soil that the soil vapor extraction unit will not remove," said Hamblin. The process could take anywhere from six months to a year.
Groundwater at the site is also contaminated. Hamblin said that the EPA, along with the Army Corps of Engineers, is currently designing a groundwater treatment system. "Implementation of the system will be contingent on when the soil excavation is complete," said Hamblin.
However, since all residents are connected to municipal water supplies, and down-gradient groundwater is not affected, there is no current health risk.
At a public hearing last September, residents raised concerns about contaminants such as chromium and nickel in their water supply. Franklin Square Water District representative Dennis Kelleher said, "If the groundwater were tested, it is possible that contaminants would be found, but we constantly test to make sure that they are not in the public water supply."
Earlier cleanup actions by the EPA also included excavation and disposal. The agency, along with the Army Corps of Engineers, completed a soil cleanup behind the former facility in 1997. When the company ceased operation in 2000, the EPA sampled the soil and groundwater under the vacated building and determined that additional soil cleanup was required. Air monitoring in the building and nearby residences found elevated levels of contaminants, and air filtration systems were installed in three homes to ensure safe air for the residents.
"I know residents were glad to see the building go, and now that it is gone, we can finish the job at this site," said EPA Regional Administrator Jane Kenny. "EPA has already installed filtration systems in the homes affected by soil vapors, but we also want to remove the remaining source of contamination once and for all."
The Genzale Plating Company currently still owns the site. Once the EPA is finished cleaning it up, the property will be ready to go on the market. "Once we are finished excavating and addressing the contaminants in the soil, most of the property can be developed," said Hamblin. A portion of the land will still be occupied by the system that will be removing contaminants from the groundwater. Hamblin estimates that this process should be complete by September 2004.
