The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), with the concurrence of the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), has selected a remedy for the Trimmer Road Landfill Site. Following a February 26 public meeting, a final selection of a remedial plan was chosen - Alternative 3 from the Proposed Remedial Action Plan.

The Trimmer Road Landfill site is a 60-acre former landfill that was privately owned and operated between 1952 and 1974. The disposal of municipal and industrial wastes took place into unlined shallow excavations. The site has been designated as Class 2, a classification assigned to sites where contamination poses a significant threat or potentially significant threat to human health or the environment.

Chemical analyses of groundwater samples indicate the presence of chlorinated volatile organic compounds such as vinyl chloride, dichloroethene and chlorobenzene, and elevated levels of metals including arsenic, selenium and thallium. The most significant ground water contamination is found in the northwest corner of the site.

The elements of the selected remedy are as follows:

•A soil mixture with added organic material will be placed on the upper flat portion of the landfill and contoured to improve runoff and eliminate ponding of rain water and snow melt.

•The soil mixture will be planted with vegetative cover consisting of hybrid poplar trees. During the summer, the trees will respire water from the ground to the air, reducing infiltration and reducing or eliminating leachate generation and groundwater contamination. During the winter, the improved runoff will reduce infiltration.

•Before construction, a three-year pilot study will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of this remedy and collect information for the final design.

•Planting an area northwest of the site that overlies contaminated ground water. Hybrid poplar trees are known to break down volatile organic compounds such as those found in shallow groundwater leaving the site.

•Implement a long-term monitoring program to confirm that the remedy is working, and seek the institutional control of a deed restriction from the present landowner to protect the remedy and users of the site.

The estimated total cost to carry out the remedy is $2,525,200. This cost includes long-term monitoring of groundwater. It is expected that the cost will be funded through the New York State Superfund, when re-authorizing legislation is passed and funding becomes available.