Hopewell Precision Area Contamination

Overview

Hopewell Precision has made sheet metal parts in Hopewell Junction, New York since the early 1970s. Past painting and degreasing operations used chemicals including trichloroethene (TCE) and 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA). Those chemicals were disposed of directly on the ground, creating a contamination plume in groundwater that stretches about 1.5 miles southwest of the facility. EPA placed the site on the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in April 2005. The NPL is the federal list of the most serious hazardous waste sites in the country.

Three contaminants are the focus of cleanup work: arsenic, tetrachloroethene, and trichloroethene. All three have been found in groundwater across the site and in an alternate water line area. Trichloroethene has also turned up in surface water at the site. Because nearby residents rely on private drinking water wells, protecting the water supply has been a top priority.

EPA and its partners have completed several major cleanup actions. A new public water supply system was built between 2018 and June 2021, connecting 302 properties and properly closing all private wells for those homes. Point-of-entry treatment systems were installed in 41 homes to filter contaminants from drinking water. Sub-slab ventilation systems, which pull contaminated vapors from beneath homes before they can enter living spaces, were installed in 53 homes and are currently maintained in 54 homes. Sampling completed in June 2013 confirmed that deep bedrock private well water is free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are chemicals that evaporate easily and can be harmful.

For long-term groundwater cleanup, EPA completed a Remedial Design in September 2010. The agency is now evaluating whether monitored natural attenuation, a process that relies on naturally occurring microorganisms to break down contaminants over time, can restore groundwater to drinking water standards. A feasibility study covering this approach is expected to wrap up between September and November 2026, with remedial design work to follow through the end of 2026 or into early 2027. Human exposure is currently under control, but groundwater migration status remains uncertain because EPA does not yet have enough data to confirm that contaminated groundwater has stabilized. The site has not been deleted from the NPL.

One business is currently operating at the site, employing 22 people and generating about $4.66 million in annual sales. Community members can review site documents at the Town of East Fishkill Community Library at 348 Route 376 in Hopewell Junction, or at the EPA Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th Floor in New York City. For questions, residents can reach Community Involvement Coordinator Olivia Cappo or Remedial Project Manager Ashley Similo.