EPA proposes modified cleanup plan for Olean, New York, Superfund site

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Monday it is proposing a modified cleanup plan for soil and groundwater volatile organic compound (VOC) contamination at the AVX property at Cattaraugus County’s Olean Well Field Superfund Site in New York.

The plan was originally proposed in 1996, and the EPA’s modifications would utilize existing barriers, like pavement and buildings, and create a collection trench to address the groundwater contamination. The agency will hold a public meeting at Olean’s Jamestown Community College on June 23 to discuss the modifications and will be accepting public comments until July 15.

VOCs, which can cause cancer depending on the extent of contamination and the length of exposure, were first discovered on the site in 1981. The site was added to the Superfund list in 1983. The site features 53 wells, homes and manufacturing facilities. The Allegheny River and Olean and Haskell creeks flow through it. The property currently houses an industrial facility where electronic components are manufactured by AVX Corp.

The original cleanup plan is being modified due to higher levels of contamination beneath the AVX property, which makes excavation a disruptive method until the property’s use changes from manufacturing operations, which would need to be shut down. The modified plan will focus on containment until excavation becomes a viable option.