New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

FACT SHEET
Site Name: New York Air Brake Company DEC Site #: 623003 Site Address: Starbuck Avenue Watertown, NY 13601

State Superfund Program

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Public Availability Session and Public Meeting will be held to discuss the New York Air Brake Site, Watertown, New York
A Public Availability Session will be held on November 7, 2012 from 4 6 pm in the North Elementary School gymnasium, 171 East Hoard Street, Watertown, NY 13601. Representatives from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) will be available to meet with individual members of the public who may have concerns about the former New York Air Brake Site. A Public Meeting will be held on November 7, 2012 from 7 9 pm, at the same location, to present the history, the current status and future activities that are occurring in and around the former New York Air Brake Site and answer questions.
State Superfund Program: New York States Superfund Program (SSF) identifies and characterizes suspected inactive hazardous waste disposal sites. Sites that pose a significant threat to public health and/or the environment go through a process of investigation, evaluation, cleanup and monitoring. For more information about the SSF, visit: http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/84 39.html

Highlights of the Public Availability Session: The NYSDEC and NYSDOH will be available for one-on-one discussions with individual members of the public about: 1. Historic, current or future cleanup activities at the New York Air Brake Site; 2. Health concerns in the vicinity of the New York Air Brake Site. Highlights of the Public Meeting: The NYSDEC and NYSDOH will present: 1. A history of the New York Air Brake Site Remedial Investigation process; 2. A summary of the cleanup program that has been conducted; 3. A summary of the soil vapor intrusion study conducted in 2007-2010; 4. A discussion on the current status and future activities planned for the site; 5. A panel will answer questions from meeting attendees.
Next Steps It is the intention of NYSDEC and the NYSDOH to gather information concerning the New York Air Brake Site and health related concerns in order to reevaluate the past and future cleanup and monitoring programs. The evaluation will insure that human health and the environment are being protected and to determine if any additional measures are appropriate to insure the future protection of human health and the environment.

Background Location: The New York Air Brake (NYAB) Site is located on the north side of the City of Watertown in a mixed residential, commercial and industrial area. The site is approximately 230 acres in size and is bounded by Pearl Street to the south side, Starbuck Avenue to the west, by Purdy Avenue to the east and by fallow farmlands and wooded areas to the north. Site Features: The site is occupied by numerous large brick buildings that were originally part of the NYAB Facility. Three large landfills are located to the north, south and east of the site. The majority of the site, excluding the landfills, is covered with structures, pavement or concrete slabs. Current Use: NYAB occupies over 50% of the site and manufactures braking systems for railroad cars. The Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency (JCIDA) occupies many of the buildings located in the central portion of the site toward the northern end of the former NYAB operations. The JCIDA leases the buildings to numerous small commercial operations. Historic Uses: NYAB has operated a foundry, die-cast facility, machine shop, hydraulic testing facility and other small operations in support of the air-brake manufacturing process for the rail-road industry. Use of chlorinated solvents, metals, PCBs and other industrial wastes has contributed to onsite contamination. After conducting a preliminary field investigation in the early 1980s the site was listed in the New York State Inactive Hazardous Waste Site Registry as a Class 2 Site (Significant threat to the public health or environment - action required). NYAB and NYSDEC entered into a Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study (RI/FS) Consent Order on February 8, 1990. The RI/FS was completed, and a Record of Decision (ROD) was signed by the Department on March 30, 1994 describing how the cleanup of the site was to be done. This work was completed in October of 1999. The Site was cleaned up in three separate identifiable parts, called Operable Units. Operable Units: Operable Unit No. 1 (OU1) contains the majority of the sites areas of concern (AOCs). The AOCs include: 1) Industrial Landfill, 2) Purdy Avenue Landfill, 3) Pearl Street Landfill, 4) Chip Storage Area, 5) Burned Paint Basket/Northern Foundry Area, 6) Foundry Area, 7) Buried Liquid Storage Tank Area, 8) Drum Disposal Area at the Industrial Landfill, 9) Drum Handling Area, 10) Plant Production Well, 11) Liquid Waste into the Storm Sewers, 12) Kelsey Creek and 13) Oily Creek. OU2 is comprised of the vapor intrusion study area and sub-slab depressurization system installation program site wide. OU3 is the Allison Test Room area identified after the March 30, 1994 Record of Decision signed. Site Geology and Hydrology: The site is underlain by a mix of native soil and fill material directly over limestone bedrock. Groundwater flows toward the northwest and is located in the joints of the bedrock. The depth to bedrock varies between 6 and 12 feet below grade. Additional site details, including environmental and health assessment summaries, are available on NYSDEC's website at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/cfmx/extapps/derexternal/haz/details.cfm?pageid=3&progno=623003

FOR MORE INFORMATION Where to Find Information Project documents are available at the following location to help the public stay informed. Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library 229 Washington Street Watertown, New York 13601 315-785-7705

Who to Contact Comments and questions are always welcome and should be directed as follows:
Environmental inquiries Peter S. Ouderkirk, P.E. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Region 6 Environmental Quality Division of Environmental Remediation 317 Washington Street Watertown, New York 13601 315-785-2523 psouderk@gw.dec.state.ny.us For site related inquiries and exposure concerns contact Mr. Gregory Rys Senior Public Health Sanitarian New York State Department of Health Herkimer District Office 5665 State Route 5 Herkimer, New York 13350 315-866-6879 gar02@health.state.ny.us For health inquiries Jim Bowers New York State Department of Health Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology Empire State Plaza Corning Tower Room 1787 Albany, NY 12237 518-402-7950 beei@health.state.ny.us

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