C&J DISPOSAL
TOWN OF EATON, MADISON COUNTY, NEW YORK
The C&J Disposal National Priority List (NPL) site is in the Town of Eaton in Madison County, New York. The site consists of a trench that was dug and filled with paint sludges and solid and liquid industrial wastes, including 75-100 barrels, in the mid-1970s. The primary waste-related contaminants are phthalates, which were found in on-site soils and groundwater. A preliminary health assessment for the site was completed in February 1991 and concluded that the site posed a potential human health concern to users of private wells downgradient of the site. Additionally, contamination of Woodman Pond which is about 3,000 feet downgradient of the site, was also identified as a potential concern as it is a supplemental potable water supply source for the Village of Hamilton. The preliminary health assessment included a recommendation that the site be secured and the soil cap maintained.
In the past, the potential exposure pathways at this site included: (1) ingestion of and dermal contact with contaminants in groundwater; and (2) direct contact, incidental ingestion and inhalation exposure to contaminated surface soils and soil particulates on and near the site. However, the site has been remediated; analyses of water from private wells in the area and the pond south of the site have not detected contamination.
A record of decision (ROD) for this site was signed on March 29, 1991. No human exposures to site contaminants have been confirmed and no health outcome studies have been completed. Based on the information reviewed, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the New York State Department of Health have concluded that this site poses a no apparent public health hazard because the available data do not indicate that humans are being or have been exposed to levels of contamination that would be expected to cause adverse health effects, nor is it likely that exposure to site contaminants will occur in the future. Based on the information reviewed, the ATSDR Health Activities Recommendation Panel has determined that no follow-up public health actions are needed at this time.
A. Site Description and History
The C&J Disposal site is in the Town of Eaton in Madison County, New York, near the intersection of Routes 12B and 46, north of the Village of Hamilton (refer to Figure 1, Appendix A). The site consists of a narrow trench situated between a cornfield and a former New York, Ontario, and Western Railroad bed (refer to Figure 2, Appendix A). During the mid-1970's, the trench was dug and reportedly used for the disposal of solid and liquid industrial waste materials. In March 1976, C&J Leasing of Patterson, New Jersey, dumped what appeared to be paint sludges and other liquid industrial waste materials in the trench. The site was never permitted as a landfill for waste disposal purposes. The site was inspected by the New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH), the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC), and the Village of Hamilton engineer. On March 22, 1976 NYS DEC staff and the village engineer saw about 75 to 100 drums in a pool of liquid wastes in the trench. The trench was later covered with soil, reportedly by C&J Leasing, burying the drums.
The site is situated at the intersection of three land parcels, one of which is owned by C&J Leasing. The site can be accessed by entering a New York State Department of Transportation (NYS DOT) storage area at the intersection of Routes 12B and 46, and following the former railroad bed about 800 feet to the south. A small pond, on the C&J property, lies to the south within 100 feet of the disposal trench (Figure 2, Appendix A). The pond borders a wetland to the west and ultimately drains into Woodman Pond which is about 3,000 feet south of the site and serves as a supplemental drinking water source for the Village of Hamilton.
Soil was sampled by representatives of NYS DEC in 1985 and by representatives of the NUS Corporation, a contractor for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) in 1986. Surficial soil samples from the site contained phenolic compounds, phthalates, and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate was detected in sediments from the adjacent pond.
Thirteen residences are within 1800 feet of the site. Currently, twelve residences are using private wells as their source of drinking water (Figure 3, Appendix A). In 1986, NUS sampled drinking water from two private wells downgradient of the site and did not detect any contamination. In September of 1988, NYS DOH sampled four private wells downgradient of the site and no contamination was found. Additional sampling of residential wells near the site during the Remedial Investigation (RI) confirmed prior findings that no contamination from the site had migrated to these wells. The site was placed on the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in March of 1989.
In April 1989, the site was excavated, without permission, by C&J Leasing. Nearby residents reported hearing heavy equipment movement at the site during the night. Dump trucks, presumably loaded with excavated soils and wastes, were observed leaving the site and returning about one half hour later. Most of the drums believed to have been buried on-site had apparently been excavated and removed from the site. As a result of this removal action, two stockpiles of soil and waste material accumulated within the trench and one stockpile of soil and waste material accumulated outside the trench.
The RI was initiated in May 1989 and field investigations began in October 1989. Between October 1988 and February 1990, a survey of private wells near the site was conducted as part of the RI.
A preliminary health assessment was completed for the C&J Disposal site in February 1991, by the NYS DOH through a cooperative agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). The preliminary health assessment stated that the site posed a potential human health concern to users of private wells downgradient of the site. The potential for contaminants to migrate to Woodman Pond was evaluated; because Woodman Pond serves as a supplemental drinking water supply for the Village of Hamilton, human exposure to contaminants in surface water at Woodman Pond was also considered a possible human exposure pathway. The potential for workers involved with site remediation activities to be exposed to contaminants was also identified as a potential human exposure pathway. Recommendations in the preliminary health assessment were to secure the site and maintain the soil cover.
The site was secured in February of 1990 upon completion of the RI field activities; in December 1990, a chain-link fence was installed around the site to limit access to the disposal trench. In addition, the external soil pile was moved back into the trench. All piles of soil and waste material were covered with protective covers to prevent contaminated soil transport to off-site areas. A US EPA Record of Decision (ROD) was signed for this site on March 29, 1991 with the following remedial requirements:
In January 1992, US EPA sampled eight residential wells near the site to establish baseline data for post-remediation groundwater monitoring. Toluene was found in six of the samples at concentrations ranging from 1.0 micrograms per liter (mcg/L) to 15.0 mcg/L. The current NYS DOH maximum contaminant level (MCL) for toluene in public water supplies is 5.0 mcg/L and two residential wells showed toluene above this level at 10.0 mcg/L (RW07) and 15.0 mcg/L (RW01).
On April 24, 1992, the two residential wells with toluene above 5 mcg/L were resampled by the Occidental Chemical Corporation, the potentially responsible party (PRP) for the site. Toluene was not detected in either of the two private water supply samples.
Site remediation activities began in August 1992 and included assembly of the dewatering treatment system and excavation of soils from the trench. Site remediation activities continued through the fall and also included sampling of on-site monitoring wells. During trench excavation activities, soil and groundwater samples were also collected.
Due to concerns with the data for residential drinking water samples collected by US EPA in January 1992 and the follow-up sampling conducted by the PRP in April 1992, NYS DOH collected additional samples of drinking water from seven residences downgradient (south) of the site for analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in January 1993. None of the well samples contained VOCs, including toluene.
On June 9, 1993, a representative of the Madison County Health Department (MCHD) resampled the seven residential wells which were sampled by NYS DOH in January. These samples were analyzed for trace metals. Iron was reported at 435 mcg/L in one water sample; this is above the standard of 300 mcg/L for taste and odor concerns, but is not a public health concern. The other results for all well water were within drinking water standards.
Remediation was completed in January 1993; US EPA inspected the excavated waste disposal trench at the site and confirmed that waste material and soil was removed from the disposal trench. Backfilling of the trench with clean fill was completed in February 1993. Groundwater samples were collected from two on-site monitoring wells (MW-025 and MW-35) to evaluate if the excavation activities at the site affected groundwater quality. About 2,400 cubic yards of contaminated soil from the site were sent to an off-site disposal facility. Quarterly groundwater monitoring and residential well sampling were initiated in June 1993 and analytical results are pending. The final site inspection was performed by US EPA on June 29, 1993.
B. Actions Completed During the Health Assessment Process
NYS DOH personnel visited the site during the October 1988 residential well sampling. The site is well vegetated including the trench area. Immediately west of the site is an active farm. Mature trees and heavy undergrowth are to the north. A dirt trail (the former railroad bed) borders the site to the east. A small pond south of the site drains all local surface water. Subsequently, water in this pond flows to a wetland area which drains to Woodman Pond, about 3,000 feet south of the site.
On January 12, 1993, Claudine Jones Rafferty and Susan Van Patten of the NYS DOH met with a representative of the NYS DEC at the site to evaluate current site conditions and collect samples of drinking water from nearby residences. At the time of the site visit, the weather was cold and a light rain was falling. Conditions of the site and surrounding area were difficult to confirm as there was about 1 foot of snow cover on the ground. A chain link fence, about 10 feet in height, completely enclosed the site and access onto the site was being monitored by on-site workers. The disposal trench had been excavated to a depth of about eight feet and about two feet of standing water was in the pit. Excavated soils were being stockpiled on the north side of the pit, inside the fence line. Two on-site trailers were being used by workers.
NYS DOH and NYS DEC personnel collected samples of drinking water from three residences along Woodman Pond Road and from four homes along Route 12B to confirm the results obtained by US EPA in January 1992. A detailed discussion of the sampling activities, analysis and results are presented in the Environmental Contamination and Other Hazards section of this public health assessment.
D. Demographics, Land Use, and Natural Resource Use
The C&J Disposal site is in the Town of Eaton, Madison County, New York. The Town of Eaton is a rural, central New York community. The 1980 population of the Town of Eaton was 5,182, with an average rural density of 55 persons per square mile, outside of incorporated villages. The neighboring Town of Hamilton is the closest population center to the site, about 1.5 miles to the southeast. The Town of Hamilton has a total population (1980) of 6,027, and an average rural density of 39 persons per square mile, outside of incorporated villages.
A small pond which lies about 100 feet south of the disposal trench, ultimately drains to Woodman Pond. The small pond is part of a NYS DEC-designated wetland. A second state-designated wetland is 1,800 feet west of the site. These two wetland areas are known as "Fiddler's Green." The area forms the drainage basin of the Chenango River, which is a major tributary to the larger Susquehanna River Basin. Surface drainage at the site is toward the small pond and wetland.
The homes near the site are single-family homes. The census tract data for this area include the Town of Hamilton which may not be representative of this much smaller residential area. There are thirteen residences on Route 12B and Woodman Pond Road between the site and Woodman Pond, to the south. The residential dwelling nearest to the site is currently unoccupied. The other twelve residences are served by private wells. Woodman Pond, about 3,000 feet south of the site, is a supplemental water supply for the Village of Hamilton.
The NYS DOH maintains several health outcome data bases which could be used to generate site specific data, if warranted. These data bases include the cancer registry, the congenital malformations registry, the heavy metals registry, the occupational lung disease registry, vital records (birth and death certificates) and hospital discharge information.
The primary community health concern expressed to state personnel has been the potential for site contaminants to affect local water supplies. Residents near the site fear their water supplies may become contaminated if the site is not remediated. The water supplies include the nearby residential wells and the Town of Hamilton's supplemental surface water supply, Woodman Pond.
Another concern raised by residents of Woodman Pond Road is the unauthorized excavation in 1989. Because the trucks in this operation returned to the site within about one-half hour, residents and town officials assume that the excavated waste was illegally dumped within 15 minutes of the site.
At the February 13, 1991, public meeting held by US EPA, several community concerns were
raised relating to financial responsibilities for remediation of the site, selection of remedial
alternatives, quarterly monitoring of groundwater at the site and of nearby residential wells and
the schedule for site remediation. No specific or community health concerns were raised.
