General Electric disposed of industrial waste in a pit on this Moreau, New York property from 1958 to 1968. That waste contaminated soil, surface water, and groundwater. The site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL), the federal government's roster of priority hazardous waste sites, on September 8, 1983. It has not yet been removed from that list.
The main contaminants are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) found in soil, and trichloroethylene along with its breakdown products 1,2-dichloroethylene and vinyl chloride found in groundwater. PCB-contaminated soils were excavated, consolidated, and capped. A vertical soil-bentonite barrier wall and clay cap were built over the disposal pit in 1985 to contain the remaining contamination. An air stripping system on Reardon Brook treats contaminated groundwater before it reaches surface water, processing roughly 215 million gallons per year. About 100 nearby homes were connected to a public water supply, and local regulation restricts groundwater withdrawal near the contaminated plume. In 2021, a phytohydraulic system using 50 to 60 hybrid poplar trees and solar-powered pumping was added to help manage water from the containment area.
GE carried out the main remedial action between September 1987 and January 1990 and continues to operate and maintain the remedy today. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has confirmed that human exposure is under control, groundwater migration is under control, and physical construction of the cleanup is complete. Groundwater still exceeds federal cleanup levels for several chemicals, but there are no current exposure pathways that pose unacceptable risks to the public. The air stripping system is expected to run for more than 200 years.
The most recent five-year review, completed in April 2023, found that cleanup actions protect human health and the environment in the short term. Long-term protectiveness depends on completing an investigation into whether the bedrock aquifer has been affected. EPA and GE are preparing a plan to install three bedrock monitoring wells. A new remedial investigation for a second operable unit covering alternate water and natural flush areas is scheduled to begin in June 2025. The next five-year review is expected between April and June 2028.
Land use is restricted to cleanup-related activities under a permanent easement. Groundwater withdrawal near the contaminated plume is restricted under Local Law No. 2 of 2023, adopted by the Town of Moreau. Community members can review site records at Crandall Library in Glens Falls, Moreau Town Hall in South Glens Falls, Fort Edward Library in Fort Edward, or at the EPA Region 2 Superfund Records Center in New York City.
