The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed adding the Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics site in the Village of Hoosick Falls, New York. to its Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) of the country’s most hazardous waste sites.
Groundwater at the Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics facility is contaminated with Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Trichloroethylene. Groundwater supplying the village’s public water supply wells is contaminated with PFOA as well as Vinyl Chloride and 1,2-Dichloroethylene. PFOA does not break down easily and therefore is very persistent in the environment. Its toxicity and persistence in the environment can pose adverse effects to human health and the environment. The Village of Hoosick Falls has added carbon filtration to its public water supply, thereby providing clean water to local residents.
The McCaffrey Street facility was built in 1961, and had been used to manufacture circuit board laminates, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-coated fiberglass and other PTFE products. In 1999, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics purchased the facility and began operations there, using PFOA in its manufacturing process. PFOA belongs to a group of chemicals used to make household and commercial products that resist heat and chemical reactions and repel oil, stains, grease and water.
PFOA was widely used in non-stick pots and pans, stain-resistant carpets, and water-resistant outerwear. In 2006, the EPA reached a nationwide agreement with eight manufacturers to phase out the production and use of PFOA. These manufacturers stopped using PFOA in 2015.
- In January 2016, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation added the Saint-Gobain site to the state’s Superfund list and nominated the site for inclusion in the federal Superfund list.
- In April 2016, the EPA installed groundwater monitoring wells near the Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics facility.
- In early May 2016, the EPA conducted groundwater sampling at and around the Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics facility.
- In mid-May, the EPA conducted drinking water sampling at drinking water wells used by the Village of Hoosick Falls.
- After testing in Hoosick Falls, the EPA determined that inclusion in the federal Superfund program was an effective course of action to address the contamination.
Published in the December 2016 Edition of American Recycler News