2009 CPEO Brownfields List Archive

From: Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>
Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:27:01 -0700 (PDT)
Reply: cpeo-brownfields
Subject: [CPEO-BIF] New York's 421-site vapor intrusion investigation
 
[Note the link to the site list at the bottom of the press release]

News from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

DEC Reports: NY's Vapor Program Called the Most "Proactive" In Nation

400+ Investigations Launched in Three Years

ALBANY, NY (03/09/2009; 1555)(readMedia)-- New York State in 2005 decided to do something few other jurisdictions had yet considered: re-open hundreds of pollution cases to determine whether new science could shed light on old cleanups.

The state took on the task of tracking down whether chemical vapors were lingering at these sites and posing threats to public health. Three years later, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has made significant progress in tracking down and evaluating more than 400 sites around the state, DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis said today. And a leading vapor-intrusion watchdog has called New York's program the "most systematic and proactive" in the nation.

As it embarked on the initiative, New York targeted 421 sites to check for chemical vapors; the state now has launched investigations at all of them. Thus far, 147 investigations have been completed. Of those, the state found that 19 required mitigation (ventilation systems) to alleviate vapors discovered on-site or in neighboring buildings, 46 required monitoring only and 82 needed no further action (levels did not trigger mitigation or monitoring).

In addition, mitigation has been determined necessary at 11 sites where investigations are still ongoing.

"Of all the states and (U.S.) Environmental Protection Agency regions, New York has the most systematic and proactive program for identifying and addressing vapor-intrusion sites," said Lenny Siegel, Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight, a group that has monitored vapor intrusion sites around the country.

"Vapor intrusion is an issue that wasn't even on the environmental map a generation ago," Commissioner Grannis said. "But as the science has developed, New York has put together an aggressive and methodical plan for addressing potential vapor-intrusion sites. There is more work to be done and the state remains committed to attacking this issue."

New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Richard F. Daines noted that the state developed a comprehensive guidance document for investigating vapor intrusion and providing a sound basis for determining when homes and buildings need mitigation. "This program has resulted in removing the potential exposure to soil vapor from the lives of thousands of New York's citizens," Dr. Daines said."Vapor intrusion" refers to the process by which volatile chemicals move from a source below the ground surface (such as contaminated groundwater or contaminated soil) into the indoor air of overlying or adjacent buildings. Over the last decade, science about vapor intrusion has developed dramatically.

Vapors can enter buildings in two different ways. In rare cases, vapor intrusion is the result of groundwater contamination which enters basements and releases volatile chemicals into the indoor air. In most cases, vapor intrusion is caused by vapors from contaminated materials migrating through the soil directly into basements or foundation slabs.

DEC and the Department of Health (DOH) developed a joint strategy to evaluate the vapor intrusion pathway at all of the remedial sites that had been previously addressed through the Superfund, brownfields or other cleanup programs in the state. That generated the list of 421 sites to be investigated. It should be noted that the 421 sites do not necessarily represent a confirmed vapor concern. Rather, New York State proactively decided to go back and review these sites to determine if there was a vapor concern.

For sites where mitigation is needed, this generally means installing a ventilation system inside buildings to move vapors to the outside where they disperse and are no longer a concern. This has occurred at 30 sites total -- 19 completed investigations, 11 ongoing.

In addition, Grannis pointed out that DEC now investigates for vapor intrusion as a regular part of its remediation projects.

For more information, visit DEC's web page for vapor intrusion: http://www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/2588.html. For State Health Department information on vapor intrusion, go to: http://www.health.state.ny.us/environmental/indoors/vapor_intrusion/

A list of the sites is available at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/51715.html



For the original press release, go to
http://readme.readmedia.com/news/show/DEC-Reports-NYs-Vapor-Program-Called-the-Most-Proactive-In-Nation/420987

--


Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org




_______________________________________________
Brownfields mailing list
Brownfields@lists.cpeo.org
http://lists.cpeo.org/listinfo.cgi/brownfields-cpeo.org

  Prev by Date: [CPEO-BIF] Florida notification law
Next by Date: [CPEO-BIF] Community Regeneration legislation
  Prev by Thread: [CPEO-BIF] Florida notification law
Next by Thread: [CPEO-BIF] Community Regeneration legislation

CPEO Home
CPEO Lists
Author Index
Date Index
Thread Index