Seneca Army Depot

Overview

The former Seneca Army Depot sits on 10,587 acres in Romulus, New York. It operated as a military facility from 1941 until 2000, handling munitions storage, explosives disposal, open burning of munitions, and refuse incineration. Those activities left soil and groundwater contaminated with lead, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including trichloroethylene (TCE), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pesticides, and explosives residue. The EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in August 1990. Cleanup is guided by a Federal Facility Agreement among the Army, EPA, and the State of New York.

The site is divided into 18 operable units (OUs), each covering a distinct area or contamination problem. Most have finished active cleanup. About 50,000 tons of lead-contaminated soil were excavated at the Open Burning Grounds, with 45,000 tons stabilized and disposed of off-site. At the Ash Landfill, 35,000 tons of soil received thermal treatment, completed in June 1995, and reactive treatment walls were installed to address VOCs in groundwater, with construction finished in 2008. Cleanup at the Fire Training Pad and Pit, Deactivation Furnaces, and several other areas is also complete. Two units remain active: OU 17, the SEAD-45 Ordnance Disposal Grounds, with remedial action expected to begin in fall 2028, and OU 18, the 5 Site PFAS location, where field investigation concluded in October 2023 and no completion date has been set.

PFAS contamination is a current focus. The Army investigated five fire training and airfield sites where aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) was used, plus 34 other potential PFAS release areas. Groundwater at fire training areas reached concentrations as high as 92,900 parts per trillion, far above the EPA Health Advisory Level of 70 ppt in effect at that time. In 2018, the New York State Department of Health sampled 22 private drinking water wells within one mile of the depot and found no PFAS above federal advisory levels. Fish collected from Kendaia Creek in 2019 showed elevated PFAS levels. The EPA has asked the Army to survey and sample all private drinking water wells within one mile of the depot boundary. Farmland designated for future agricultural use has been flagged as potentially at risk from PFAS-contaminated groundwater.

Human exposure at the site is currently assessed as under control. Groundwater migration status remains uncertain due to insufficient data on whether contaminated groundwater movement has stabilized. Physical construction across the entire site is not yet complete, and the site has not achieved ready-for-reuse status. The most recent five-year review was completed on August 17, 2021, and the next is expected between August and October 2026. Institutional controls restrict land uses such as residential development at contaminated areas.

Community members can review site documents at the Army's public repository at Activity Building 125 on the former depot grounds or online at senecaarmydepotar.com. The EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator and Remedial Project Manager are available to answer questions and direct inquiries to relevant records.