Transcript ECR MarathonBattery
Marathon Site
Marathon Battery Cold Spring, NY CERCLA Cleanup
Related Documents W. Fish, Portland State University
Site Description
On the Hudson River in NY; Two components: East Foundry Cove Marsh (EFCM) Constitution Marsh 4/26/2020 W. Fish, Portland State University Click for Details
Site Map
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East Foundry Cove Marsh
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History: US Army
1952: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Constructed 1953, under Contract with the Army Signal Corps, Sonotone Corporation operated plant to produce nickel-cadmium batteries for use in the Nike missile program Run under Army ownership 1953-1962; declared “ excess proprty in 1962.
W. Fish, Portland State University Click for Data Sheet 4/26/2020
Private Owners
1962: U.S. sold it to Sonotone Corporation. 1967: Sonotone Corporation became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Clevite Corporation 4/26/2020 W. Fish, Portland State University
Marathon
1969, Clevite Corporation Merged with Gould, Inc.
1969, Gould, Inc. sold the Plant to Business Fund, Inc.; later changed its name to Marathon Battery Company (MBC) MBC operated the plant until March 1979.
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After the Battery Era
Plant inactive from 3/79 until 11/80 Battery manufacturing equipment removed and shipped to an MBC plant in Waco, Texas Sold to the current owner, Merchandise Dynamics, incorporated, for use as a book storage facility W. Fish, Portland State University Click for Details 4/26/2020
Contaminants of Concern
Cadmium: Cd Toxic to humans, animals and plants Carcinogenic Waste stream had huge amounts of Cd, mostly as Cd hydroxide (10 ’ s-100 ’ s mg/L) Also caustic wastes (pH 12-14) 4/26/2020 W. Fish, Portland State University
Original Wastewater Treatment System
A lift station and piping for transfer of all process wastewater into the Cold Spring sewer (100,000-200,000 gal/day) Discharged directly into the Hudson River Bypass Valve Was Installed When the Lift Station Was Shut down or Overloaded, direct Gravity Discharge Could Be Made into a Storm Sewer 4/26/2020 W. Fish, Portland State University Click for Detailed Schedule
Discharges to EFCM
High dissolved solids and pH 12-14 of the effluent resulted in extreme fouling within the pump and piping Pumps required shut down and maintenance Bypass valve was opened and the flow diverted to EFCM about twice a week 4/26/2020 W. Fish, Portland State University
Cadmium Load:
Approximately plant 50,000 kg (over 52 tons) of cadmium may have been discharged to the cove during the life of the About did not half the metal purchased make in into batteries
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New Sewage Plant
1965: New York State Department of Health said Cold Spring must build sewage treatment plant Battery Plant effluent could not be handled: too toxic Sonotone ordered to disconnect from sewer Entire waste flow diverted to storm sewer USACE (1966) told company to quit discharging to the Hudson 4/26/2020
Attempts at Treatment
January 1967: NY Dept of Health advised Sonotone it was in violation Plant given Jan 1, 1970 deadline to comply with state discharge regulation Sonotone installed treatment equipment Never really worked, Cd kept on flowing NY found lots of Cd in marsh, river 4/26/2020
70 Civ. 4110
Judgement of Federal Court Suit brought under Federal Water Pollution Control Administration against Marathon (pre-EPA) Enforcement then shifted to new EPA 4/26/2020
Relief Sought by U.S.
Permanent injunction against further discharge of Cd and other metals into Foundry Cove Demanded removal of Cd in sediments Sept. 1971: Complaint amended, named Sonotone, Cleveite and Gould as additional defendants 4/26/2020
Final Judgment (70 Civ.4110)
June 1972: Remove all sediment with Cd >900 ppm (mg/kg) 1971: Discharge was stopped; routed back to sewer after treatment 1972-1973: Hydraulic dredging by GOULD Design: Dr. Harry Gregor, Columbia U.
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1st Dredging Operation
Hydraulic dredging of “ hot ” areas Dr. Gregor instructed crew to remove all soft sediment from outfall area (~2-4 ft deep) Gravel base fairly clean In Cove, Gregor delineated with stakes 22 acres with Cd > 1000 ppm 4/26/2020
On-Site Soil Handling
Spoils dewatered in parking lot inside a temporary dike dewatering leaked all over the place Effluent settle overnight, discharge to marsh Solids mixed with limestone, scored in underground vault on site 4/26/2020
Areas Dredged
Outfall area Channel leading to the marsh Cove:Winter ’ 72 ice uprooted stakes and Gregor had to redelineate and finish in spring 1973 About 4000 cu.m. stored in vault 4/26/2020
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Satisfaction
” April 24, 1974: US Attorney issues “ satisfaction of judgment ” Site is off the hook … or isi it?
Agreement included monitoring by NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Studies by NYSDEC, EPA, NYU 4/26/2020
Whoops, There it Is
Studies showed much of area was still > 900 mg/kg Channel area was recontaminated In fact in 1973 Gregor had to have channel redredged, but he did not worry about surrounding marsh Only about 10% of Cd had been removed 4/26/2020
Dr. Theo Kneip, NYU
1974: Found the recontamination Found the 1000 ppm zone was larger 50% than Gregor ’ s zone just one year before >50,000 ppm within the area dredged the prior year! (= 5% Cd by weight) 135,000 pmm near the outfall 4/26/2020
Cd Data of Kneip et al. 1974
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MBC Internal Memos:
“ He told Jack that he was working on a Federal grant and, as a matter of courtesy wanted us to know the Cd background level of the Hudson River is higher in many cases after the dredging than before ” 4/26/2020
MBC Internal Memos
[10 days later] “ At any rate he now reports increased Cd levels in the cove and the river due to the dredging. This does not necessarily bother or surprise us, since this was our prediction and which was basically ignored by the Final Jedgment [sic].
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CERCLA
1980: CERCLA Passed 1981: First National Priority List (NPL) Prepared Guess what was one of the first sites proposed for the interim NPL?
1983 went on Final NPL Also OSHA found high Cd dust inside book warehouse 4/26/2020
CERCLA Units
1986 Record of Decision (ROD): Three “ Operating Units ” (OU ’ s) Area I: EFCM & Constitution Marsh Area II: Plant, grounds, vault Area III: Cove itself and Hudson 4/26/2020
RI/FS Findings
~8% of EFCM had >1000 mg/kg Cd 4/26/2020
Sediment Cd Profiles
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Cd Accumulation in Biota
High levels of Cd found in a number of organisms (e.g., Limnodrilus hoffmeisterii) 4/26/2020
Cd Accumulation in Muskrats
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Muskrats in Cold Spring Exhibit Odd behavior http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbh9c0noR4s 4/26/2020
ROD Plan: 1986
Dredge Hudson near old sewer outfall Dredge Cove and EFCM, dewater, haul offsite Re-vegetate EFCM Leave Constitution Marsh alone Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA) 2 other RODS issued ‘ 88, ‘ 89 4/26/2020
Final Consent Decrees
Marathon, Gould, USACE are Responsible Parties (RP ’ s) Total cost $109 million Gould $57M ACOE $43 M Marathon $9M Insurance paying much of Gould and MBC 4/26/2020
Dredging Began 1993
Dredging removed 55,000 cu.yd sediment to depth of 1 ft.
Assumed to get about 95% of Cd this way Unlike 1972-73, did not shoot for a specific target concentration Dredging completed in 1994 4/26/2020
Marsh Cleanup
1800 ’ dike, 6-7 ft high 31,000 cu.yd soil excavated, treated, shipped of site Reconstructed and revegetated the marsh 4/26/2020
Marsh Cleanup
Foundry Cove Dike Dike Drainage Treatment Stored Sludge 4/26/2020 Dewatering Pond RR Line Rail Transfer
Sediment Cd
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Fixation
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Rail Line for Removal
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DELISTING
Declared finished and delisted from NPL, October 1996 4/26/2020