Colonie Site

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FACILITY MISSION

From 1937 to 1984, National Lead Industries owned and operated the Colonie site, first as a foundry and later as a site for manufacturing components using uranium and thorium. During the manufacturing operations, the plant released radioactive materials from its exhaust stacks. As a result, radioactive constituents were spread to 56 commercial and residential properties near the site. Fifty-three of these properties have been cleaned up. The other three properties are adjacent to the site and will be cleaned up during grounds remediation.

National Lead also buried manufacturing waste onsite in a former lake bed. Radiological and chemical characterization has indicated large areas where radionuclides, hazardous chemicals, and heavy metals are present at levels above guidelines. The National Lead building contains radioactive and chemical constituents at levels exceeding guidelines. Chemicals above Environmental Protection Agency guidelines include metals and inorganic compounds that were used during plant operations.

In 1984, Congress authorized the transfer of ownership of the Colonie Site from National Lead, Inc. to the Federal Government. Congress also authorized the cleanup of residual radioactive waste from the site and nearby private properties. Congress assigned the work to the Department of Energy, to be performed under FUSRAP. FUSRAP began work almost immediately in 1984 by taking actions to put the facility in a safe shutdown mode. Radiological surveys identified 56 vicinity properties with residual radioactivity above guidelines. Between 1985 and 1988, FUSRAP removed approximately 920 cubic meters (1,200 cubic yards) of materials (including soils and roofing) containing low levels of radioactivity from 53 vicinity properties and stored them inside the main building at Colonie for future disposition. FUSRAP also stored drums containing radioactive waste and radioactive mixed waste as defined by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Areas of residual radioactivity on the final three adjacent properties will be remediated with the Colonie Site grounds. An environmental surveillance program was initiated to determine the effect of site activities on public health and the environment. Other activities included characterization of the site grounds and caretaker maintenance of the main production facility, an 11,200­square meter (120,000­square foot) building, and four smaller outbuildings.

Before the Department of Energy assumed ownership, waste regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act was stored onsite at Colonie. As a result, a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Part A interim status permit application was on file with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. On November 8, 1992, that agency terminated Resource Conservation and Recovery Act interim status for all facilities; as a result, the Department of Energy submitted a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act facility closure plan to the state. On January 5, 1993, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation approved the closure plan, and closure activities were initiated.

Historical investigations have identified four primary sources of radioactive and chemical constituents at the site: constituents in surface and subsurface soil within the former Patroon Lake; structures, equipment, and other materials within the building, such as waste drums; radioactivity in asphalt and building surfaces; and possibly pyrophoric uranium buried beneath a loading dock on the eastern side of the main building.

No health risks are associated with soil chemicals at the site. Because the three vicinity properties that have yet to be cleaned up are uninhabited, the contamination poses little or no risk to the public. Since 1984, when environmental surveillance at the site began, analytical results have consistently shown that Colonie is not contributing significantly to radioactivity in the environment. The additional radiation dose to the offsite population attributable to the site is very close to zero.

FUTURE USE

The selection of a remedy for cleanup of the Colonie site is likely to be based on the release of the land back to the community. The cost estimate assumes light industrial/commercial, or recreational use after remediation. This is consistent with current land use in the surrounding area.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION

National Lead's previous operations resulted in the introduction of radioactive and chemical constituents into the onsite soils. The radioactive constituents found in the Colonie building, grounds, and vicinity property soils resulted from the production of items manufactured from uranium and thorium from 1958 to 1984, under license from the Atomic Energy Commission. Chemical constituents resulted from brass foundry operations at the site from 1927 through 1960. Products manufactured during the lead foundry operations consisted of brass bearing housings from babbitt metal (an alloy of lead, copper, and antimony) and other brass products. These operations have left the surface and subsurface soil with radioactive constituents and metals above federal and state guidelines for unrestricted use of the property. The ground water within the Colonie property contains radioactive constituents, metals, and volatile organic compounds at levels above federal and state drinking water standards, but these materials are not migrating beyond the site boundaries. The primary contaminants of concern at Colonie are uranium­238, thorium­232, copper, and lead.

The Colonie Site is being cleaned up under authority granted to the Department of Energy under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. Key regulators for the site are the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Environmental Protection Agency Region II. Cleanup includes two Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act removal actions, one for the site buildings and one for the site grounds. Two Engineering Evaluations/Cost Analyses constitute the compliance documentation to support these removal actions. The Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis for the site buildings was approved and is being implemented. The site grounds Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis is expected to be finalized in November 1996.

ASSESSMENT

This report assumes that all assessment activities are complete at this site.

National Lead and the Department of Energy have performed numerous site characterization activities at Colonie, including surface feature investigations, walkover surveys to detect gamma radiation, and sampling of environmental media such as surface and subsurface soil, sediment, surface water, ground water, and air. In 1978, National Lead performed a radiological survey to assess the conditions of the plant and make recommendations regarding corrective measures. In 1980 and 1981 National Lead conducted additional radiological characterization to determine the extent of surface soil contamination at the site and its vicinity properties as a result of stack emissions and to determine the extent of subsurface contamination. In 1981, the Department of Energy performed investigations to define soil and sediment background activity levels.

The Department of Energy conducted a preliminary geological investigation of the site after its transfer in 1984 and began a routine environmental monitoring program, which is still in place. In 1988, the Department conducted a radiological designation survey of the Conrail vicinity property. More recently, additional Department of Energy characterization studies have involved soil-gas, soil, sediment, surface-water, and ground-water sampling, in addition to estimating the volume of soil containing radioactive and chemical constituents.

An environmental surveillance program has been in place at the site since 1984. The Department of Energy periodically samples air, ground water, and soil to detect the presence of radiological and chemical constituents at levels above background. An annual report presents a compilation and interpretation of the previous year's monitoring and sampling data. During activities such as building dismantlement or residential excavations, the Department conducts additional monitoring to prevent the spread of radioactive and chemical constituents.

REMEDIAL ACTION

The scenario used for the Baseline Environmental Management Report cost estimate assumes building remediation [limited­scope decontamination and full dismantlement of the 11,200­square meter (120,000­square foot) building and demolition of four smaller outbuildings], soil excavation, and disposal at an existing out­of­state commercial disposal facility. Cleanup of the site includes two Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act removal actions to address the former National Lead buildings and the site property. The first removal action addresses the main plant building; the second will involve remediation of the site property and the remaining three vicinity properties.

The volume of waste to be addressed under FUSRAP is estimated at 41,300 cubic meters (53,900 cubic yards) of soils and building rubble. During building remediation, additional disposal of waste and recycled materials included approximately 1,900 cubic meters (2,500 cubic yards) of low­level radioactive and mixed waste; 23,500 liters (6,200 gallons) of low­level liquid waste and mixed liquids; and 1.1 million kilograms (2.5 million pounds) of steel.

Pollution control activities during building decontamination consisted of using a 560­cubic­meter­per­minute (20,000­cubic­foot­per­minute) High-Efficiency Particulate Air filtration ventilation system to exhaust the interior. The Department is using water misting as a dust suppressant during building dismantlement. Building materials such as brick and concrete will be reduced in a rock crusher. A National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants calculation for radionuclide emissions during building dismantlement activities indicated concentrations of radionuclides below Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.

The Department has closed the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act portion of the site under an approved closure plan in accordance with applicable site closure regulations; the Department shipped associated waste to an out­of­state commercial disposal facility. Mixed waste treatment at the site has consisted of low­temperature thermal desorption, alkaline chlorination, nitric acid oxidation, reagent oxidation, air stripping, solvent extraction, and stabilization. After acceptable processing through the above treatment, the Department shipped the waste to an out­of­state disposal facility via highway transportation. The Department completed this work in September 1995.

In 1994, the Department shipped all vicinity property soils stored onsite out of state for disposal. In 1995, site buildings were dismantled in accordance with supporting environmental documentation, which consists of an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis. The Department is treating the remaining waste associated with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act activities and expects to disposition it during FY 1996 and FY 1997.

FUNDING ESTIMATE

The following table presents estimated funding information for the Colonie Site.