Cleanup of S. Hope site could cost $10 million, take 30 years

HOPE — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has spent $2 million on a preliminary investigation into contamination at Union Chemical Co. in South Hope.

According to a report issued Thursday by EPA officials at the Hope Elementary School, the total cleanup program could cost as much as $10 million and take as long as 30 years to complete.

So far, former chemical company operator Raymond Esposito has not paid a cent toward the cleanup, according to Michael Jasinski, remedial project manager of the Superfund project.

Jasinski said the EPA won a court decision in U.S. District Court in April that stated Esposito was responsible for cleanup costs. But the judge will not specify how much Esposito owes until the project is complete, Jasinski said.

Esposito is declining to reveal financial information requested by the EPA. “He is being very tough,” Jasinkski said. “But we are still pursuing him.”

Of the $2 million spent, the EPA has recovered about $1.9 million from the Potentially Responsible Parties, or the firms which used the Hope site for disposal of chemicals.

At the Thursday meeting, EPA officials said they may demand deed restrictions on surrounding property to drilling of deep wells.

But Jasinski said those restrictions will not affect a plan by the Camden-Rockland Water Co. to pump water for public consumption from Fish and Hobbs Ponds. Fish Pond is less than a mile from the plant. Contamination linked to the plant has been found in the Gus Johnson well, a few feet from Fish Pond. The town is fighting vigorously any attempt to use Fish and Hobbs Ponds.

David Wright of the DEP explained that wells are much deeper than the bottom of the ponds. Drastic pumping of a deep well could attract contaminated water from the chemical company site toward the well, he said.

EPA officials have steadfastly maintained that the contamination at the site has been limited by Quiggle Brook. But neighbors at the Thursday hearing said that wells beyond Quiggle Brook have shown traces of contamination.

“That is not from the site,” Jasinski said.

The aim of the cleanup program is to restore air, water and ground contamination to “residential levels,” Jasinski said. He was confident that the soils could be treated and contaminants removed to an acceptable level. But he admitted that treating the groundwater, even from 12 to 31 years, would still leave “some uncertainty” about making the water safe for drinking.

The plan as outlined by EPA and DEP officials on Thursday would:

Excavate and treat an estimated 8,500 cubic yards of contaminated dirt on site, a process estimated to take two years.

Pump out and treat contaminated groundwater and discharge it into Quiggle Brook, which could take from 12 to 31 years to complete.

Raze and remove all buildings on the site after decontamination, which could take from one to two years to complete.