February 2003 Meeting Abstract

February 2003 Meeting Information

The Buffalo Association of Professional Geologists, Inc. is pleased to announce that the next monthly dinner meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 19, 2003 at Eddie Ryan's Restaurant located on Central Avenue in the village of Lancaster. The topic of presentation and discussion will be "DNAPL Remediation at Three Fractured Rock Sites in Niagara Falls, New York" presented by Mr. Martin P. Derby, P.G., CPG of Earth Tech (formerly TAMS Consultants, Inc.).

Since 1987, the Niagara River has been the focus of attention for four environmental agencies in the United States and Canada. In a Declaration of Intent, the four parties committed to reducing toxic chemicals inputs into the Niagara River. Twenty six (26) hazardous waste sites were considered the most significant non-point source of toxins to the river. The 26 sites are responsible for over 99% of the estimated input from the U.S. side of the basin.

The Hyde Park, S-Area, and Necco Park Landfills are three of the 26 sites that lie within the Niagara River basin. The Hyde Park Landfill and the S-Area are owned by Occidental Chemical Corporation's (OCC), formerly Hooker Chemical and Plastic Corporation, and Necco Park is owned by DuPont. The three sites contain significant source of dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPL) and all three sites overlie the fractured Lockport Dolomite. Remediation at the three sites commenced as early as 1978, and continue to present day.

The Hyde Park Landfill is a 15 acre landfill in the Northwest Niagara Falls, less than one-half mile from the Niagara River. OCC disposed of approximately 80,000 tons of chemical wastes (primarily chlorobenzenes) at the Hyde Park Landfill from 1953 to 1975. Containment at the point source in the overburden includes a series of source control (collection of DNAPL and contaminated groundwater) wells and a drain collection system. Bedrock groundwater remediation currently includes: installation of wells to contain DNAPL by creating an inward hydraulic gradient across the bedrock DNAPL plume boundary; to collect DNAPL from the bedrock, and a bedrock monitoring program to monitor the effectiveness of the remedial systems.

The S-Area Landfill is an eight acre landfill on OCCs Buffalo Avenue Plant in Niagara Falls and is located 200 yards north of the Niagara River. From 1947 to 1961 OCC disposed of approximately 63,000 tons of organic and inorganic chemicals. Chemicals deposited include: chlorobenzenes, organic phosphates, acid chlorides, phenol tars, chlorendic acid, trichlorophenol, and others. Containment at the point source in the overburden includes: installation of a groundwater drain system and collection wells, and the installation of a slurry barrier wall around the perimeter of the site. Bedrock groundwater remediation to date includes: installation of wells to contain DNAPL by creating an inward hydraulic gradient across the bedrock DNAPL plume boundary; and to collect DNAPL from the bedrock, and a bedrock monitoring program to monitor the effectiveness of the remedial systems.

The Necco Park Landfill is an inactive industrial waste landfill on approximately 24 acres in Niagara Falls. It is surrounded on three sites by the BFI Sanitary Landfill and the CECOS site, and is located approximately 1.5 miles from the Niagara River. The following chemicals are known, from disposal records, to have been disposed at the site: carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorobutadiene, PCE and TCE. Bedrock groundwater remediation currently includes a series of groundwater collection wells and an upgradient bedrock grout curtain wall.

This presentation will include a historical review of the site remedial activities at the three sites, highlighting how the DNAPL is currently being contained at the sites. The complex nature of the fractured Lockport Dolomite will also be discussed, and will include the techniques for evaluating the fractured bedrock. It is currently anticipated that the remedial activities for the Hyde Park and S-Area Landfills will be completed in 2003. The current target date for Necco Park is June 2005. When the final bedrock remediation activities are completed, it is anticipated that hydraulic and DNAPL containment at the three sites will have a significant reduction in the contaminant loadings to the Niagara River.

Mr. Martin P. Derby, P.G., is a Principal Geologist/Associate with TAMS Consultants, Inc. (recently acquired by Earth Tech). Mr. Derby received his Associates Degree in Civil Engineering Technology from Hudson Valley Community College in 1981, his Bachelors Degree in geology from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1984, and his Masters Degree in geoscience from Montclair State University in 1992. Mr. Derby has over 19 years experience in the remediation of hazardous waste sites, and specializes in the delineation and containment of chlorinated wastes in fractured bedrock. Mr. Derby is a licensed professional geologist in the states of Pennsylvania, Illinois and Alaska.

Please be sure to join the BAPG on February 19th for this interesting and timely presentation.

Francine Cohen

BAPG Executive Vice-President