NY Investigating Possible Pollution In Tappan

TAPPAN, NY — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will soon begin investigating possible pollution in Tappan. The area between Oak Tree Road and the New Jersey border is under scrutiny because chlorinated solvent has apparently migrated in the ground water from the Danzig Flooring Machine Company in New Jersey.

The 43-acre study area is bordered on the west by Livingston Street, on the south by the New York/New Jersey border, on the north by Oak Tree Road, and on the east by the Joseph B. Clarke Rail Trail. It includes a mix of single-family residences and commercial businesses. Sparkill Creek is close by.

The reason: The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection recently determined that chlorinated solvent contamination in the groundwater may have migrated north into New York. NYSDEC will investigate the extent of the contamination.

Tetrachloroethene (PCE) and its byproducts may be present in the site’s subsurface. PCE is a contaminant often associated with dry cleaning operations and in the manufacture of metal parts. PCE and its byproducts are volatile organic compounds which means the contamination in the groundwater can volatilize into a gas and cause vapor intrusion issues.

Key components of the investigation work include:

1.  Collecting soil vapor, sub-slab soil vapor and indoor air samples of structures within the study area. DEC will be reaching out to individual property owners to arrange access to perform this sampling. Should any structures be identified as requiring mitigation, DEC will arrange for mitigation systems, such as a sub-slab depressurization system (similar to a radon mitigation system) to be installed.
2.  Installing and sampling groundwater wells to help define the extent of the plume that has migrated into New York.
3.  Sampling the Sparkill Creek to determine any impacts from groundwater recharge.

The investigation is part of the state's Superfund Program. The site, called the Danziger Groundwater Plume, is currently listed as a Class “P" site. A Class P (potential) classification is used for sites where preliminary information indicates that a site may have contamination that makes it eligible for consideration for placement on the Registry of Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites (commonly referred to as the list of State Superfund Sites).

NYSDEC and the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) will oversee the investigation. You can access project documents online.