Sealand Restoration, Inc. operated a 210-acre hazardous waste disposal facility in Lisbon, New York. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shut it down in 1980 after finding permit violations. EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. The NPL is the federal list of contaminated sites that need formal investigation and cleanup.
EPA identified 34 contaminants of concern at the site. They were found in groundwater and surface water. The list includes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as trichloroethene, benzene, vinyl chloride, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane. Heavy metals include arsenic, lead, chromium, mercury, cadmium, and others. Additional contaminants include acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate. Soil and surface water also showed low levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, heavy metals, and phenols.
Cleanup work is organized into two operable units (OUs), which are distinct phases or areas of cleanup. OU01 work ran from April 1989 through February 1990 and involved removing surface wastes, buried drums, and contaminated soil. OU02 was more complex. It included a remedy selection in 1995, followed by design and construction work that ran into 2009. A key step came in 2005, when EPA installed a permeable reactive barrier using activated carbon to filter contaminants from groundwater as it flows through naturally. The disposal cell was backfilled with clean soil and sealed under a multilayered cap. Construction across the entire site was declared complete on October 17, 2005.
The site reached "sitewide ready for anticipated reuse" status in March 2013. That means all cleanup goals have been met for current and future land uses, required land-use controls are in place, and no unacceptable risks remain. Contaminated groundwater has been stabilized in its original area. Monitoring wells are still sampled twice a year. The most recent five-year review, completed in February 2023, confirmed that cleanup continues to protect human health and the environment. The next review is estimated between February and April 2028. The site has not yet been deleted from the NPL.
Community members who want to learn more or get involved can contact EPA directly. Site records are available for public review at EPA's Superfund Records Center in New York City and at Lisbon Town Hall. Two Records of Decision, one from 1990 and one from 1995, are part of the public administrative record.
