The Mohonk Road Industrial Plant sits on 15 acres in High Falls, New York. From the early 1960s through the 1970s, the property was used for metal finishing, wet spray painting, and store fixture manufacturing. Those operations left behind volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, in both soil and groundwater. A resident's well tested above safe drinking water levels for VOCs in April 1994, and EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List in January 1999.
EPA identified nine contaminants of concern across the site. Groundwater contains 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethene, and trichloroethene. Soil contains 1,2-dichloroethene, ethylbenzene, tetrachloroethene, trichloroethene, and xylene (mixed isomers). At least 70 nearby homes were affected by contaminated groundwater.
Cleanup has moved through several major phases. Between 1999 and 2000, EPA excavated about 2,567 tons of contaminated soil and waste for off-site disposal. A groundwater extraction and treatment plant came online in May 2000. By 2007, EPA had built a new public water supply system to replace temporary filtration units installed in 75 homes and businesses. A 2008 remedy update added monitored natural attenuation for the distant plume while keeping extraction and treatment running closer to the source. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation took over all operation, maintenance, and monitoring in 2011, with additional maintenance beginning in 2019. Physical construction is complete, human exposure is considered under control, and groundwater treatment remains ongoing. The most recent five-year review was completed in March 2024. The site has not yet been deleted from the National Priorities List.
The site has returned to active use. Kithkin Corp. purchased part of the property in 1993 and leases the building to several businesses, including a small woodworking company and an arts initiative. Those businesses operated throughout remediation. As of December 2024, three on-site businesses generated an estimated $64,880 in annual sales revenue. The site reached sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status in September 2012.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator. Site records are available for in-person review at the Stone Ridge Library at 3700 Main Street in Stone Ridge, New York, or at the EPA Superfund Records Center on the 18th floor of 290 Broadway in New York City.
