SDMS Document 109661 REUSE ASSESSMENT AND CONCEPTUAL PLAN FOR THE PETER COOPER GOWANDA SUPERFUND SITE Conceptual Plan for Gateway to the Zoar Valley Multi-Use Area Site Contamination and Decay Former Manufacturing Plant 1904 -1985 Prepared by: Center for Integrated Waste Management 300787 December 2002 J This document is a Summary of the Reuse Assessment and Concept Plan for the Peter ^ Cooper Gowanda Site. The Full-Text of the report is contained on the CD-Rom found at the J} end of this document, or by contacting the Village of Gowanda at (716) 532-3353. The Full-Tejit is also available on-line at httD://www.enq.buffalo.edu/ees/aowanda/pcQ.htm The Superfund Redevelopment Initiative of the Environmental Protection Agency provided ^ financial support for this project. The findings and views expressed herein are not to be j attributed to the Environmental Protection Agency nor should any official endorsement be inferred. Project Team Project Director: Michael Hutchinson, Public Works Superintendent, Village of Gowanda Community Planner: Louis Zicari, Assoc. Director, UB Center for Integrated Waste Management Support Personnel: o Jean Balent, Research and Production o Kathy Mohawk, Administrative Support o Jane Warfield, Administrative Support o Catherine A. Watennan-Kulpa, Concept Illustration Acknowledgements We would like to express our appreciation to the following people for their input and support of this project, and for their concern about the Gowanda-area community. o iVIembers of the Cattaraugus Creek Basin Task Force Crystal Abers, Catt. Co. Legislature Jim Ellis, Catt. Co. Legislature Harry Ackley, Town of Persia Michael Hutchinson, Village of Gowanda Gordon Bently, Town of Dayton Donald Lazar (Chair), former Mayor of Gowanda Karen Byrne, Village of Gowanda Lisa Maybee, Seneca Nation of Indians # Elliot Ellis, Catt. Co. Legislature Bruce Musacchio, Municipal Attorney o Richard L. Klancer, Mayor of Gowanda o Trustees of the Village of Gowanda (current and former) Ed Austin John Dedloff Barbara Nephew Carol Sheibley Karen Byrne Ed Kota John Pierce o Alan Rabideau, UB Department of Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering o Martin Doster and Maurice Moore, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation o Dale W. Hartlieb, Gowanda Central.School District, and his students o John Harris, National Program Coordinator and Melissa Friedland, Coordinator, EPA Superfund Redevelopment o Daniel Forger, Carol Hemington, Sherrel Henry and Kevin Lynch of EPA Region 2 • o All those who participated in the public opinion survey, attended public meetings, or provided verbal/written comments on the plan Dedication On June 20, 2002 the Gowanda community lost one of it's most determined and effective environmental advocates. This report is dedicated to Bruce W. Musacchio, former Attorney for the Village of Gowanda and several surrounding municipalities, and one of the founding members of the Cattaraugus Creek Basin Task Force. The report and subsequent remediation efforts are a testament to his unrelenting commitment to improve the environment and quality of life in Gowanda and the surrounding areas. Though Bruce has left us, his vision and personal determination continue to be an inspiration to his friends, family and the community he loved. The things you do for yourself die with you, but the things you do for others live on. 'J 300788 Summary of the Reuse Assessment and Concept Plan Peter Cooper Gowanda (PCG) Superfund Site 1) Introduction This is an important question in the Superfund remediation process as assumptions about future use of the site, referred to as the "reasonably anticipated future land use" by the USEPA, weigh heavily in decisions that may have long- term impacts on the neighborhoods and communities that surround Superfund sites. The "reasonably anticipated future land use" at Superfund sites is used at the risk assessment stage and subsequently in the final decision on the extent of remediation that will take place on the site. The USEPA has noted that: "Cun-ent land use is critical in detennining whether there is a current risk associated with a Superfund The Peter Cooper Gowanda (PCG) site, and future land use is important in Superfund Site is a twenty-six acre parcel of estimating potential future threats." property that once housed s large glue factory, reported at one time to be the biggest in the world. The factory played an important role in the history of the Village of Gowanda, New York as it was one of the area's largest industrial employers for the better part of the 20* century (1904 -1985) and helped establish the Village as the commercial and residential hub of the primarily rural region of central-western New York. The factory, however, also left a legacy of environmental contamination that the community Is struggling to resolve. Beginning in1971 the site became a concem to environmental regulatory agencies, culminating in its inclusion on the National Priorities List (Federal Superfund) in 1998. In July 2001 the Village of Gowanda The Village identified several goals and commissioned the University at Buffalo objectives it hoped to accomplish with the Center for Integrated Waste Management to resources made available through the SRI cany out this Reuse Assessment and program, including: Concept Plan for the PCG site. The United » Development of a reuse plan that fits States Environmental Protection Agency both long and short-range community (USEPA) has provided financial support for needs; the project through its Superfund « To increase the opportunity for public Redevelopment Initiative (SRI) program. involvement and consensus building; « Enhance development of adjacent The central purpose of this report is to help property; and the Village and the USEPA answer the « Insure that the form of remediation is question "What does the future hold for compatible with the future use needs the Peter Cooper Gowanda Superfund of the community. University at Buffalo Center for Integrated Waste Management and Village of Gowanda, New York ~~~ 300789 Summary of the Reuse Assessment and Concept Plan Peter Cooper Gowanda (PCG) Superfund Site foundry. In 1869 a tannery was opened that became the area's largest industrial employer. In 1904 Richard Wilhelm began construction of the Eastern Tanners Glue Company, which eventually became known as the Peter Cooper Corporation. The company produced animal-based glue products until the eariy 1970's. The facility produced synthetic glue products until its closure in 1985. The Peter Cooper Gowanda site is approximately 26 acres in size and is situated directly on Cattaraugus Creek, which makes up the site's northern border. Across the Creek from the site is a scenic The Village of Gowanda (population 2842) is bluff that signals the beginning of the Zoar located in the central-westem region of New Valley. To the south of the site is Palmer York State. The Village lies approximately 30 Street, a Village road. The site is bordered miles south of the City of Buffalo and 35 on the west by residences and a wetland miles north of the New York/Pennsylvania area, and on the east by residences. The state line. Gowanda is bisected by PCG site is approximately one-third mile Cattaraugus Creek, with the northem portion from the historic commercial center of the of the Village located in Erie County, N.Y. Village. and the southern portion in Cattaraugus County, N.Y. The Seneca Nation of Indians Cattaraugus Reservation is directly to the west of the Village. The Gowanda area is defined by its major natural resources, which includes Cattaraugus Creek and the Zoar Valley; as well as abundant undeveloped lands outside of the Village. The importance of Gowanda's natural features can be seen in the name of the Village itself, which is a Seneca name meaning "A Valley among the Hills". Gowanda was settled because of its Beginning at the eastem end, the strategic location near natural resources manufacturing facility took up the majority of such as fertile land for agriculture, plentiful the 2700 foot-long site. The western end of timber for logging, and Cattaraugus Creek the site was used for above ground storage for industrial waterpower. Several industries and landfill of a manufacturing by-product were built in the Village during the 1 SCO's to known as "cookhouse sludge". Cookhouse take advantage of these resources and the sludge was produced when fleshings and transportation networi<s that had been chrome-tanned hides from tanneries were developed in the region - including roads, put through a cooking process to extract railroads and the Erie Canal. The eariy protein ingredients for glue making. The industries included gristmills, a furnace cookhouse sludge has been shown to maker, a plow and stove manufacturer, a contain elevated levels of chromium, arsenic, wagon and carriage factory, and an axe zinc, and some organic compounds. University at Buffalo Center for Integrated Waste Management and Village of Gowanda, New Vo^ 300790 Summary of the Reuse Assessment and Concept Plan Peter Cooper Gowanda (PCG) Superfund Site 3) Site Assets one of the few undeveloped at-grade access points to the Creek in the Village. The advantages and disadvantages of the Cattaraugus Creek and its tributaries have site for future development were analyzed by been identified as a Priority Project in the project personnel, and were discussed with New York State Open Space Plan, which numerous project stakeholders such as states: governmental officials and business * "This stream system is the single most