WPCNR THE DUMP NEWS. By John F. Bailey. Special to WPCNR From the Department of Environmental Conservation Press Office. March 18, 2011:
The Department of Environmental Conservation is having an investigation conducted into the quality of air in citizen residences near the city landfill that has been contaminated by TCEs since the mid-1970s.
The DEC reported this new phase of their investigation of city dump pollution today exclusively to WPCNR. The investigation of residential air quality adjacent to the dump has not been completed yet, and no information has been issued on how many homes are being sampled, and for how long and what seasons they will be tested further. WPCNR awaits more details from the DEC.
The information was disclosed in an update to WPCNR on where the clean-up of the dump stands after six years of the DEC negotiations with the city.
The DEC also reports a major six-month “capping” plan will begin in the White Plains Gedney Landfill under DEC supervision in July,and continue into 2012, according to Wendy Rosenbach, spokesperson for the New York State Department of Conservation which this week was to have toured the landfill with White Plains officials.
The city closure plan though still has not met DEC expectations and further “tweaks” to the plan are required to be resubmitted to the DEC next month, according to Ms. Rosenbach’s latest update issued exclusively to WPCNR Friday afternoon.
Ms. Rosenbach said that White Plains will hold a public information meeting on the constuction to be conducted on the dump.
The Mayor’s Office has declined to confirm to WPCNR despite daily requests that a “walk-through” inspection of the dump reported by the top DEC facilities management official, scheduled this week took place and the results of it,or whether it took place at all.
This is the first the DEC has reported inquiries into the dump’s pollution affects into the air at populated area around the city dump,though residents and users of city ball fields have smelled nauseous fumes coming from the dump for decades.
According to Ms. Rosenbach on Monday, Martin Brand of the DEC was to tour the dump with city officials this week. John Callahan, city Chief of Staff, did not know of such a meeting when contacted Monday. According to Rosenbach, the DEC update on the dump situation will see cleanup and capping beginning in July.
Previously, on a plan that was unacceptable to the DEC in the fall, Commissioner of Public Works Joseph Nicoletti estimated the cost of clean-up and cap to be between $8 Million and $10 Million. Nicoletti submitted a revised plan in February. This week’s walk-through was to discuss that plan apparently. Nicoletti was supposed to discuss his and the city consultant’s revised plan with the DEC this week. Rosenbach of the DEC estimates six months of clean-up and capping will begin in July.
Apparently, according to Ms. Rosenbach’s statement which follows, the plan still needs work. The city has already authorized over $1 Million in fees to a consultant to prepare the closure plans. H
Here is the DEC statement from Ms. Rosenbach today:
Statement of Wendy Rosenbach:
“Below is information I received from Solid Waste staff here in the regional office re: the Gedney Way Landfill (including background information):
The facility is a 52.4 acre complex located at 87 Gedney Way, in the City of White Plains. The site was used for the disposal of incinerator ash from a municipal waste incinerator from approximately 1948. The site is operated by the Department of Public Works and is currently used for the composting of yard and leaf wastes, collection of recyclables, and storage of DPW equipment and material.
Pursuant to a June 19, 2007 DEC Consent Order, White Plains was directed to investigate the environmental conditions at the site and close the landfill under Part 360 (DEC Solid Waste regulations). Two phases of investigation were conducted in 2007 and 2008, and a supplemental off-site investigation was initiated in November 2010.
These investigations have included groundwater and surface water sampling, soil gas sampling, and an indoor air investigation of several residences located near the landfill. Results on the latest investigation are pending.
Regarding closure, a preliminary (conceptual) closure plan was approved in June 2010 by DEC.
The plan includes the capping of the landfill with a synthetic cap in some areas and soil covers in others areas.
A Design Plan, including detailed plans and specifications, was submitted to DEC regional staff on February 15, 2011.
This plan is under review.
Additional submissions and revisions, leading to a final closure plan, are expected in April 2011.
The tentative schedule is for DEC approval in May or June 2011.
DEC anticipates the project will go to construction in July or August 2011.
White Plains plans to hold a public information meeting to announce and describe the construction activities. While DEC expects significant areas to be capped this summer, construction is likely to go until early 2012 for all aspects of the project.
At around 5 PM we received a 911 call about a vehicle accident into a tree around 44 Dekalb. First unit on the scene found a male victim in drivers seat suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper torso.