Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Pride Solvents and Chemicals Incorporated in West Babylon, New York
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Site Responsibility
Cleanup Status
Contamination associated with the Pride Solvents site was first identified by the Suffolk County Department of Health. Various investigations were conducted by Pride Solvents under the New York Stated Department of Conservation (NYSDEC) Hazardous Waste Management Program. Pride Solvents declined to implement a cleanup program and the NYSDEC State Superfund Program took over the cleanup activities and completed the remedial investigation in 2013.
Pride Solvents has previously removed twelve underground tanks, abandoned in place and filled with concrete four other underground storage tanks, and removed fifty cubic yards of soil from around the tanks. Two sanitary systems and one drywell were cleaned out. These had been shown to contain elevated levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi volatile organic compounds (SVOCs).
A final cleanup program was chosen for the site in a NYSDEC Record of Decision in March 2013. The cleanup of the site is focused in two areas, designated as Operable Units (OU). OU-1 consists of shallow groundwater and soil down to 20 feet below ground surface, and OU-2 is deep groundwater greater than 20 feet below ground surface.
Air sparging and soil vapor extraction will be used to treat shallow groundwater and soil. The process physically removes contaminants by injecting air into wells that have been installed into the groundwater, extracting soil vapor from other wells that have been installed into the soil above the groundwater, and treatment of the vapor before it is discharged to the atmosphere. The soil vapor extraction system will address buildings impacted by vapor intrusion. The air sparging and soil vapor extraction system was installed and is being tested, modified and expanded to attain the design requirements. A permeable reactive barrier will be used to treat deep groundwater. This is accomplished by injecting treatment materials into the subsurface to degrade the contaminants. A design plan for the cleanup of deep groundwater is being prepared.
The cleanup program includes monitoring of the groundwater, soil vapor and indoor air to assess the performance and effectiveness of the cleanup, a provision for implementing additional actions to address soil vapor intrusion, and an environmental easement that restricts the use and development of the property and groundwater. The NYSDEC State Superfund Program is developing a design plan and implementing the final cleanup program.
Site Description
Pride Solvents and Chemicals, Inc. (Pride Solvents) is located at 78 and 88 Lamar Street within the West Babylon Industrial Area of Suffolk County, New York. The site consists of two buildings, adjacent parking lots, and a loading dock on a 1.38-acre parcel. It is surrounded by other businesses such as machine shops, woodworking shops, metal finishers, electronics manufacturers, and plastic molding companies. Approximately 700 feet west of the site is the Babylon Town Landfill.
Pride Solvents operated a chemical and solvent distribution and reclamation facility from 1960 to the late 1990’s/early 2000’s. The facility received and stored waste solvents and then reclaimed the material via a filtration and distillation process. The property is owned by 78 - 88 Lamar Street Realty Corporation and is currently leased to a roll-off container distributing company and an auto body shop.
Contaminants at this Facility
There have been known releases of commercial solvents and other chemicals into the soil and groundwater beneath the site from Pride Solvents’ operations. The known releases include those through the facility’s sanitary system, through storm drains (drywells) at the property, possibly through leaking underground storage tanks, and to the ground from various other sources.
Based upon investigations conducted, the contaminants of concern in soil, groundwater, soil gas and indoor air at the site include tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE), 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA), and their break down products.
The area is served by a public water supply that is not affected by this contamination. The site is covered by asphalt and buildings and there is no contact with contaminated groundwater or residual soil contamination. Volatile organic compounds in the groundwater or soil may move into the soil vapor (air spaces within the soil), which in turn may move into overlying buildings and affect the indoor air quality.
Site Responsibility at this Facility
The site is being cleaned up by the New York State Department of Conservation (NYSDEC) Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Site Program, also known as the State Superfund Program, pursuant to the New York State Environmental Conservation Law and Title 6 of the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York (6 NYCRR) Part 375.
Pride Solvents was formerly permitted by NYSDEC to operate a hazardous waste management facility under 6NYCRR Part 373. All facility operations have ceased, hazardous waste is no longer managed at the site, and the permit expired in 2005.