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Site Name:	Willsboro Black Ash Pond
DEC Site #:	516009   
Address:		School Street
				Willsboro, NY  12996
FACT SHEET
State Superfund
Program
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April 2015
Have questions?
See
"Who to Contact"
Below
NYSDEC Certifies Cleanup Requirements Achieved at State Superfund Site
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has determined that the cleanup requirements to address contamination related to the Willsboro Black Ash Pond site (“site”) located at School Street, Willsboro, Essex County under New York's State Superfund Program have been or will be met. Please see the map for the site location.

NYSDEC has approved a Final Engineering Report and issued a Certificate of Completion regarding the site. A copy of the report and Notice of the Certificate of Completion are available at the location(s) identified below under "Where to Find Information."

The cleanup activities were performed by Georgia-Pacific, LLC with oversight provided by NYSDEC.

Completion of Project

Black ash material was excavated along the bank of the Boquet River to reshape and stabilize the bank and the material was moved to the upland soil cover area and consolidated.  Portions of the bank were reinforced with riprap underlain with a geotexile fabric.  An inlet/outlet scructure was constructed to reconnect the site floodplain with the river. The site was graded to divert stormwater around the upland soil cover area and a cover system consisting of on-site fill material and topsoil was then placed over the black ash material.  The Town of Willsboro has granted an Environmental Easement to NYSDEC which limits use of the property to restricted residential use (which includes recreational use), regulates digging into the black ash material, and regulates future use of groundwater underlying the property.
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Final Engineering Report Approved
The NYSDEC has approved the Final Engineering Report, which:

	1) Describes the cleanup activities completed.
	2) Certifies that cleanup requirements have been or will be achieved for the site.
	3) Describes any institutional/engineering controls to be used.
	4) Certifies that a site management plan for any engineering controls used at the site has been approved by NYSDEC.

Institutional and Engineering Controls
Institutional controls and engineering controls generally are designed to reduce or eliminate exposure to contaminants of concern. An institutional control is a non-physical restriction on use of the site, such as a deed restriction, when contamination left over after the cleanup action makes the site suitable for some, but not all uses. An engineering control is a physical barrier or method to manage contamination such as a cap or vapor barrier.

The following institutional controls have been or will be put in place on the site:

-Site Management Plan
-Monitoring Plan
-Operation and Maintenance Plan
-Land Use Restriction
-Groundwater Use Restriction
-Environmental Easement

The following engineering controls have been or will be put in place on the site:

-Cover System

Next Steps
With the issuance of a Certificate of Completion, the Town of Willsboro will be able to move ahead with enhanced recreational opportunities for the public at this site.  In addition, the remedial party has no liability to the State for contamination at or coming from the site, subject to certain conditions.

A Certificate of Completion may be modified or revoked if, for example, there is a failure to comply with the terms of the order or agreement with NYSDEC.

Background
Location:  The Willsboro Black Ash Pond site is located at the end of School Street in the Town of Willsboro, County of Essex.  The Boquet River is found on the north and west sides of the site.  The site is located approximately 2 miles west of Lake Champlain.  Lands owned by the Adirondack Nature Conservancy (ANC) are found to the east and lands owned by ANC and the Town of Willsboro are located to the south.
  
Site Features:  Part of the Town wastewater treatment plant complex and a public boat launch are located along the Boquet River on the east end of the site.  A NYSDEC fishing access parking area is located to the west of the site and along the river.  The site is located within the floodplain of the Boquet River.

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Current Zoning/Use(s):  The current zoning for the site and its surroundings is “Land Conservation- River District.”  The site is used primarily for recreational purposes.  The river bank at the site is used by the public for fishing.  The Town uses a portion for municipal purposes.

Historical Use(s):  From 1884 until 1964, the Champlain Fibre Company, later known as the Willsboro Pulp Mill, operated a pulp mill on the opposite side of the Boquet River from the black ash pond site. In 1964 the mill property was purchased by Georgia Pacific. The property was deeded to the Town of Willsboro in 1966 by the Georgia-Pacific Corporation. 

During the operation of the paper mill, the black ash pond area was used as a deposition area for spent black liquor used in the making of paper pulp. The black liquor was a combination of soda ash, chemical lime, wood fiber and soft coal. The black ash is the residue of spent black liquor combustion dumped in a basin area approximately 900 ft long and 400 ft wide. The waste accumulated to a depth of up to 16 feet within the basin during the years of paper mill operation, however, over time the dike constructed to retain the waste eroded away in some locations exposing the ash to the river.  

The Town of Willsboro completed a site investigation/remedial alternatives report (SI/RAR) under the NYSDEC Environmental Restoration Program to determine the nature and extent of any contamination by hazardous substance. Based on these documents the NYSDEC issued a Record of Decision (ROD) in March of 2007. The remedy was implemented in 2012 by Georgia-Pacific, following the issuance of an Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) in August 2011.
 
Site Geology and Hydrogeology:  Consistent with the topography of the area, stormwater runoff percolates through the permeable black ash overburden and seeps into the Boquet River through a berm and eventually into Lake Champlain. The soils in the vicinity of the Site are comprised primarily of mine spoils and urban land/fill. The unconsolidated soils in the vicinity of the Site consist of a thin layer of lacustrine silt and clay overlain by riverine sandy loam, sands, and gravels. The unconsolidated soils are likely underlain by glacial till. River sediment type soils were found beneath the black ash materials at the site.

Additional site details, including environmental and health assessment summaries, are available on NYSDEC's website at:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/cfmx/extapps/derexternal/haz/details.cfm?pageid=3&progno=516009

 State Superfund Program: New York's State Superfund Program (SSF) identifies and characterizes 
 suspected inactive hazardous waste disposal sites. Sites that pose a significant threat to public health 
 and/or the environment go through a process of investigation, evaluation, cleanup and monitoring.

 NYSDEC attempts to identify parties responsible for site contamination and require cleanup before 
 committing State funds.

 For more information about the SSF, visit: http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8439.html
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FOR MORE INFORMATION

Where to Find Information
Project documents are available at the following location(s) to help the public stay informed.
Willsboro Town Hall
5 Farrell Road, P.O. Box 370
Willsboro, NY  12996
phone:  (518) 963-8668 
Project Related Questions 
John Swartwout
Department of Environmental Conservation
Division of Environmental Remediation
625 Broadway 
Albany, NY  12233-7015
518-402-9620
john.swartwout@dec.ny.gov

Site-Related Health Questions 
Wendy Kuehner
New York State Department of Health 
Empire State Plaza Corning Tower Room 1787
Albany, NY  12237
518-402-7860
BEEI@health.ny.gov
Who to Contact 
Comments and questions are always welcome and should be directed as follows:
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