EPA Filed Water Contaminated Lawsuit Against The Town Of Moreau

The ground water and surface water were contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The soil was contaminated with VOCs and PCBs. People could have been at risk it they touched or accidentally ingested contaminated soil or water.

Cleanup Approach

This site is being addressed in two stages: initial actions and a longterm remedial phase focusing on the cleanup of the entire site.

Response Action Status

Initial Actions: As a result of GE's testing program, as a temporary measure, activated carbon filter systems were installed in homes contaminated with VOCs.

Entire Site: In 1985, GE installed a slurry wall and cap (the containment system) around the disposal pit and an air stripper to treat contaminated groundwater where it discharges to surface water. Under an EPA Administrative Order, GE placed PCB contaminated soil within the containment system.

Following the performance of a remedial investigation and feasibility study to determine the nature and extent of the contamination related to the site and to evaluate remedial alternatives, on July 13, 1987, EPA issued a Record of Decision, selecting the following actions to clean up the site: (1) using the existing containment system to prevent the migration of ground water contamination from the source; (2) continuing to monitor 18 downgradient wells to determine the effectiveness of the slurry wall and monitoring at 33 wells to determine if changes are occurring in the size and direction of the contaminant plume; (3) continuing treatment of the contaminated ground water by air stripping where it exits at Reardon Brook; (4) removing 8,600 cubic yards of PCB contaminated soil adjacent to the disposal site and placing the soil within the slurry wall; (5) providing a public water supply for affected residences; and (6) reviewing the cleanup action at least every five years to assure that human health and the environment are protected. Cleanup actions at the site were completed in 1990. Maintenance and monitoring are ongoing to ensure the effectiveness of the remedy.

In February 1994, EPA issued an Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) for enhancement of the containment system. The enhancement called for removing water through a well inside the containment system and treating it to create an inward gradient across the slurry wall and thereby reduce exfiltration. Also in February 1994, EPA issued a Five-Year Review Report, which stated that the remedy, along with the planned enhancement, continued to be protective of human health and the environment. In October 1994, EPA completed an evaluation of the selected remedy for the clean up of the ground water and issued an ESD, waiving cleanup standards for ground water within the plume, based on the technical impracticability of attaining those standards within a reasonable time period. The waiver does not change the cleanup standards required for Reardon Brook after treatment by the air stripper.

On March 31, 1997, EPA issued a Preliminary Close-Out Report to document the completion of construction activities at the site, including completion of the containment system enhancement in February 1997. On September 28, 1998, EPA completed a second Five-Year Review and issued a report stating that the remedy remains protective of human health and the environment. EPA will conduct another Five-Year Review on or before September 2003.

Site Facts: EPA filed a lawsuit against the Town of Moreau to gain access to property controlled or owned by the Town so that GE could install water mains and provide individual hookups to the Village of South Glens Falls public water supply system.

Cleanup Progress

(Construction Completed; Ground Water Remediation Underway)

All cleanup actions have been or are being implemented at the GE/Moreau site. The site no longer poses a threat to nearby residents or the environment. GE is required to operate, maintain, and monitor the remedy at the site. EPA will review site conditions every five years to ensure that the remedy remains protective of human health and the environment.

Approximately 100 residences were connected to the public water supply system. A slurry wall and cap were installed around the disposal pit and approximately 14,000 tons of PCB contaminated soil were disposed of within the containment system before it was closed. During enhancement of the containment system, approximately 4.3 million gallons of contaminated water were removed from inside the slurry wall, treated, and disposed of off-site. The air stripper at Reardon Brook treats approximately 215 million gallons per year of contaminated water and is expected to operate for more than 200 years.