The Ellenville Scrap Iron and Metal site covers 24 acres in Ulster County, New York. It operated as a scrap metal and battery reclamation facility from 1950 to 1997, and was also used briefly as a landfill and tire dump before being abandoned. The site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL), the federal Superfund program's roster of priority cleanup sites, in September 2002. About 4,000 people nearby rely on public and private drinking water supplies.
Contamination affects both soil and groundwater. Soil contains 13 metals, including lead, arsenic, cadmium, and chromium, along with several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and two polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) products, Aroclor 1254 and Aroclor 1260. Groundwater contamination includes aluminum, arsenic, chromium, cobalt, and manganese. EPA identified 28 contaminants of concern in total.
EPA carried out short-term removal work between November 2004 and April 2005, demolishing buildings, removing hazardous waste and contaminated soil, and recycling scrap materials. A remedial investigation and feasibility study then determined the full extent of contamination. In September 2010, EPA selected a final long-term cleanup plan. Workers excavated and consolidated contaminated soil on-site, installed an engineered cap over the landfill area to prevent leaching into groundwater, put up fencing, reseeded the area, and installed groundwater monitoring wells. Construction was completed by September 30, 2011.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation now handles long-term operation and maintenance. The agency inspects the landfill cap and samples groundwater on a regular basis. The cap remains intact and is functioning as designed. Institutional controls and deed restrictions are in place to limit future land use and protect the cleanup. EPA conducted five-year reviews in 2017 and 2022, and both confirmed the site continues to protect human health and the environment. Human exposure pathways are under control, and contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The site was deleted from the NPL on September 25, 2019. The next five-year review is estimated to occur between April and June 2027.
Community members with questions can contact EPA directly. Site documents are available at the Ellenville Public Library at 40 Center Street, Ellenville, NY, or at the EPA Region 2 office at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY.
