Robintech, Inc./National Pipe Co.

Overview

The Robintech, Inc./National Pipe Co. site covers 12 acres in the Town of Vestal, Broome County, New York. It operated as a manufacturing facility producing aircraft engine mounts, automotive cables, and PVC pipe from 1966 into the early 2000s. EPA added it to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1986. The site is divided into three operable units (OUs), which are separate cleanup areas targeting different problems: groundwater, soil, and source control.

Groundwater at the site is contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, benzene, and vinyl chloride, as well as metals such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, and nickel. Soil contained chlorinated solvents including 1,1,1-trichloroethane, trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and chloroform, along with lead and other organic chemicals.

EPA selected an initial cleanup remedy in 1992 and revised it in 1997 after finding more extensive contamination. About 10,000 tons of contaminated soil were excavated, treated through thermal desorption (a heat process), and backfilled by 2001, completing physical construction across the site. Bedrock groundwater was pumped and treated until 2014. EPA then began evaluating alternative in-situ (in-place) treatment methods. A vapor intrusion assessment found no actions were needed, though a 2018 decision added institutional controls requiring structures to be evaluated for vapor intrusion risk and monitored or mitigated as appropriate. Institutional controls are land-use restrictions that prevent exposures while cleanup continues.

Human exposure is currently under control. Contaminated groundwater migration has been stabilized, and EPA has determined it will remain within its original area with ongoing monitoring. The most recent five-year review was completed in July 2021, with the next estimated for mid-to-late 2026. The site has not yet been deleted from the NPL and has not achieved sitewide ready-for-reuse status, meaning some cleanup goals or restrictions remain. As of December 2024, two businesses are operating on-site.

Community members with questions can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator. For technical questions, contact the Remedial Project Manager. Site documents are available at the EPA Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, or at the Town of Vestal Public Library at 320 Vestal Parkway East in Vestal, New York.