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Smithtown Groundwater Contamination Superfund Site

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Smithtown Groundwater Contamination Superfund Site RECORD OF DECISION Smithtown Groundwater Contamination Superfund Site Smithtown Suffolk County, New York United States Environmental Protection Agency Region I1 New York, New York September 2004 DECLARATION FOR THE RECORD OF DECISION SITE NAME AND LOCATION Smithtown Groundwater Contamination Site Villages of Nissequogue, Head of the Harbor and St. James, Suffolk County, New York Superfund Identification Number: NY0002318889 STATEMENT OF BASIS AND PURPOSE This decision document presents the selected remedy for the Smithtown Groundwater Contamination Superfund Site (the Site), which was chosen in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (CERCLA), and to the extent practicable, the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). This decision document explains the factual and legal basis for selecting the remedy for the Site. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) concurs with the selected remedy. A letter of concurrence from NYSDEC is attached to this document (APPENDIX IV). The information supporting this remedial action decision is contained in the administrative record. The index for the administrative record is attached to this document (APPENDIX 111). ASSESSMENT OF THE SITE The response action selected in this Record of Decision (ROD) is necessary to protect the public health or welfare or the environment from actual or threatened releases of hazardous substances into the environment. DESCRIPTION OF THE SELECTED REMEDY The remedial action described in this document addresses contaminated groundwater at the Smithtown ~roundw'aterContamination Site. In particular, it addresses residential areas impacted by contaminated groundwater from unidentified upgradient sources. This remedial action supplements a removal action undertaken by EPA to address residential wells with chlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCs),particularly perchloroethylene, which exceeds the federal Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). Selected Groundwater Response and Alternate Water Supply Remedy The selected remedy includes an alternate water supply to homes currently and potentially affected by the groundwater contamination and long-term groundwater monitoring. The major components of the remedy include: 0 Approximately 270 homes within the affected area of the Site will be connected to either the Suffolk County Water Authority or St. James Water District for their future potable water needs. This action will provide the physical connection from the houses to the water mains near the houses. After hookup to the water mains, the residential wells will be properly abandoned (in accordance with New York State requirements) to eliminate possible risk to human health. No active groundwater remedy is being utilized. However, aquifer restoration is anticipated to occur within a reasonable time frame based on natural processes such as dispersion, dilution and volatilization. Long-term monitoring to ensure aquifer restoration will include groundwater and surface water sampling. Surface water samples will be collected in select locations along the Nissequogue River and Stony Brook Harbor. Groundwater will be sampled from selected monitoring wells to monitor the contaminant concentrations and migration over time. Additional monitoring wells will be installed as necessary to allow for effective monitoring of the contamination. 0 Institutional controls such as groundwater use restrictions (through well drilling permit restrictions) will be utilized to prevent future use of contaminated groundwater. 0 A review of Site conditions will be conducted no less often than once every five years using data obtained through the annual groundwater sampling program. The Site reviews will include an evaluation of the extent of contamination and an assessment of contamination migration and attenuation over time. The long-term monitoring program may be modified, if necessary, based on the monitoring results. The Remedial Action Objectives for groundwater are to protect human health from exposure (via ingestion and dermal contact) to VOCs in groundwater at concentrations in excess of New York State groundwater standards and Federal MCLs and also to restore the aquifer to meet these State and Federal standards in a reasonable time frame. DECLARATION OF STATUTORY DETERMINATIONS The selected remedy meets the requirements for remedial actions set forth in CERCLA S121. It is protective of human health and the environment, complies with Federal and State requirements that are legally applicable or relevant and appropriate to the remedial action, and is cost-effective. The alternate water supply component of the selected remedy satisfies the statutory preference for permanent solutions. While the groundwater component of the selected remedy does not satisfy the statutory preference to reduce the toxicity, mobility, or volume of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants through treatment, the groundwater contamination will continue to decrease through natural processes such as dispersion, dilution, and volatilization. Thus, aquifer restoration is expected within a reasonable time frame. The use of a treatment technology would not result in a significant decrease in the toxicity, mobility or volume of the hazardous substances within in a reasonable time frame . Because this remedy will result in hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants remaining on-site above levels that allow for unlimited use and unrestricted exposure, and it will take more than five years to attain remedial action objectives for groundwater contaminants, a review will be conducted no less often than once every five years after start of the construction of the remedial action components for the Site to ensure that the remedy is, or will be, protective of human health and the environment. ROD DATA CERTIFICATION CHECKLIST The Decision Summary of this ROD contains the remedy selection information noted below. More details may be found in the administrative record file for this Site. Chemicals of concern and their respective concentrations (see ROD, pages 9 through 22, and tables 3 through 12); Baseline risk represented by the chemicals of concern' (see ROD pages 25 through 38, and tables 18 through 19) ; Cleanup levels established for chemicals of concern and the basis for these levels (see ROD page 38, and tables 1 and 5); Current and reasonably anticipated future land use assumptions and current and potential future beneficial uses of groundwater used in the baseline risk assessment and ROD (see ROD pages 24 through 27) ; Potential land and groundwater use that will be available at the Site as a result of the selected remedy (see ROD pages 57 and 58) ; Estimated capital, annual operation and maintenance, and total present worth costs, discount rate, and the number of years over which the remedy cost estimates are projected (see ROD pages 53 and 57, and Table 20); and, Key factor(s) that led to selecting the remedy (i.e., how the selected remedy provides the best balance of tradeoffs with respect to the balancing and modifying criteria, highlighting criteria key to the decision) (see ROD pages 59 through 62). AtrrHORIZING SIGNATURE George Pavlou, Division Director dEmergency and Remedial Response Division ROD FACT SHEET SITE Site name: Smithtown Groundwater Contamination Site Site location: Smithtown, Suffolk County, New York EPA Region: HRS score: Site ID #: ROD Date signed: September 30, 2004 Operable Unit: OU-1 Selected Remedy: Alternate Water Supplies/Long-Term Monitoring/Institutional Controls Capital Cost : $ 3,462,104 Annual 0 & M Cost: $ 46,820 Present-Worth Cost: $ 4,061,219 LEAD United States Environmental Protection Agency Primary Contact: Syed M. Quadri (212) 637-4233 Secondary Contact: Kevin M. Lynch (212) 637-4287 WASTE Waste type: Chlorinated Volatile Organic Compounds Particularly, Perchloroethylene (PCE) Waste origin: Unknown Contaminated media: Groundwater DECISION SUMMARY Smithtown Groundwater Contamination Superfund Site Smithtown Suffolk County, New York United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 11 New York, New York September 2004 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page SITE NAME. LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION ............................ 1 SITE HISTORY AND ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES ........................ 1 HIGHLIGHTS COMMUNI PARTICIPATION SCOPE AND ROLE OF RESPONSE ACTION .............................. 4 SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS ............................ -5 CURRENT AND POTENTIAL FUTURE LAND AND RESOURCE USERS ..........24 SUMMARY OF SITE RISKS ......................................... 25 REMEDIAL ACTION OBJECTIVES ....................................38 SUMMARY OF REMEDIAL ALTERNATIVES ...............................39 EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES ....................................45 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF REMEDIAL ALTERNATIVES PRINCIPAL THREAT WASTES SELECTED REMEDY ............................................... 54 STATUTORY DETERMINATIONS ....................................... 58 DOCUMENTATION OF SIGNIFICANT CHANGES .......................... 62 ATTACHMENTS APPENDIX I . FIGURES ......................................... APPENDIX I1 . TABLES .......................................... APPENDIX I11 . ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD INDEX ..................... APPENDIX IV . STATE LETTER OF CONCURRENCE ..................... APPENDIX V . RESPONSIVENESS SUMMARY .......................... SITE NAME, LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION The Smithtown Groundwater Contamination Superfund
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