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EPA Proposes Hopewell Junction Site for the Superfund List

Release Date: 09/23/2004
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(#04147) NEW YORK -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed to add the Hopewell Precision Area Contamination site in Hopewell Junction, New York to its National Priorities List (NPL) of the most hazardous waste sites, making it eligible for federal Superfund dollars. "The federal Superfund program provides a mechanism for dealing with contamination that has crept into people's communities, posing a threat to their health and their environments," said EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny. "By proposing the Hopewell Precision site for the National Priorities List, we've begun a process whereby a thorough investigation of the contamination and an evaluation of cleanup options can be performed." The Hopewell Precision Area Contamination site is in a predominantly residential area, which is served by private wells and septic systems. In February 2003, EPA began sampling tap water of homes served by private wells in the vicinity of Hopewell Precision, Inc., a manufacturer of sheet metal parts and assemblies. The Agency found volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including Trichloroethylene (TCE), at concentrations up to 250 parts per billion, which is above the federal drinking water standard of 5 parts per billion. Additionally, the TCE levels found in the drinking water at 37 homes were either above or close to the federal drinking water standard. To address the immediate threat at the 37 homes, EPA installed carbon filter treatment systems for removing VOCs from the well water. EPA also sampled the indoor air at residences where VOCs could enter the homes from underneath the house slab. Based on the concentrations of TCE under the homes, EPA installed ventilation systems at 17 residences, and is continuing to evaluate the need to install additional ventilation systems. EPA periodically proposes sites to the NPL and, after responding to public comments, designates proposed sites as final. Sites that are designated as final are eligible for funds to conduct long-term cleanups. The addition of this site would bring the total number of federal Superfund sites in New York to 92.