Little Valley

Overview

The Little Valley Superfund site sits in Cattaraugus County, New York, where a trichloroethylene (TCE) plume stretches roughly eight miles southeast from Little Valley to the edge of Salamanca. The site affects more than 200 residential properties and small industrial facilities in a rural, agricultural area. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in June 1996, which triggered a formal cleanup process. The site has not yet been deleted from the NPL.

TCE is the only contaminant of concern identified at the site. It has been found in groundwater across the site and in soil within the source control area. EPA determined that TCE poses an unacceptable risk to human health and the environment, requiring cleanup action. TCE was first detected in private wells in 1982 during an investigation near a manufacturing facility on Route 353.

Cleanup was divided into three operable units (OUs). For water supply protection, EPA installed treatment units on more than 90 affected private wells. Air strippers were completed by 1997 and later replaced with granular activated carbon units starting in 2002 as TCE levels dropped. For source control, roughly 3,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil were identified at the Cattaraugus Cutlery Area. In-situ soil vapor extraction ran from 2006 through 2013, reducing contaminated soil to about 20 cubic yards, followed by excavation of 25 cubic yards in 2014. Subslab mitigation systems were installed at four residences where vapor intrusion was a concern. Institutional controls require notification of groundwater contamination and vapor intrusion evaluation for any future development over the plume.

Overall construction was completed in September 2006, and the site reached sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status in June 2015. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation took over operation and maintenance from EPA in September 2017, with state-performed maintenance expected to continue through October 2027. EPA has conducted five-year reviews in 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017, and January 2022, each concluding that the cleanup remains protective of human health and the environment. The next five-year review is estimated for January through March 2027. Human exposure and groundwater migration are both currently under control.

Community members with questions can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager directly. Site records are available at the Town of Little Valley Municipal Building, the Salamanca Public Library, and the EPA Region 2 Superfund Records Center in New York City, which can be reached at (212) 637-4308.