THE CITY OF WHITE Gedney Way

PLAINS Landfill Closure

City of White Plains
White Plains, NY

Public Announcement
Public Information Session June 9, 2011 for
DEPARTMENT OF Landfill Closure Plan for Gedney Way Landfill
PUBLIC WORKS
The City of White Plains (the City), under direction of The New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), has developed and will soon
PUBLIC MEETING begin implementation of a Landfill Closure Plan for remediating the environmental
NOTICE impacts associated with the former Gedney Way landfill (the Site) and covering the
JUNE 9, 2011 site with an appropriate landfill cap. On June 9, 2011, at 7:00 pm, an information
session will be offered where the City’s consultant will review the Landfill Closure
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Plan, and the public can ask the NYSDEC, the New York State Department of Health
WHITE PLAINS (NYSDOH), the City of White Plains, and its consultants questions about the project,
PERFORMING ARTS and provide input related to the Closure Plan. The information session will be held at
CENTER (ACROSS FROM the White Plains Performing Arts Center (3rd Floor) in White Plains, New York.
CITY HALL)
Background:
11 CITY PLACE, 3RD
FLOOR The City was reported to have initiated disposal of residual ash from the City-
WHITE PLAINS, NY 10601 operated municipal solid waste incinerator at the Site in 1948. A figure showing the
Site and the landfill boundary is attached for reference. At various times during the
THE CITY OF WHITE disposal history, municipal solid waste, construction and demolition (C&D) debris,
PLAINS AND ITS and other miscellaneous wastes were deposited at the site, although it was primarily
used for the disposal of ash fill. Waste disposal at the facility was reported to have
ENVIRONMENTAL
ceased in 1979. City reports indicated the facility was converted to a leaf storage and
CONSULTANT WILL processing facility in 1980. On July 21, 1978, the NYSDEC issued a sanitary landfill
HOLD A PUBLIC permit to the City, which allowed the facility to accept “household bulk waste, tree
MEETING TO PRESENT trimmings and leaves” on an existing incinerator residue landfill. The permit was
AND RESPOND TO renewed in 1981 and the renewal included a requirement for the City to submit to the
QUESTIONS ABOUT A NYSDEC an acceptable landfill closure plan six months prior to ceasing waste
LANDFILL CLOSURE acceptance activities. The City subsequently placed a soil cap over the footprint of
PLAN FOR THE FORMER the landfill. Since disposal operations were ceased in 1979, the facility has been used
GEDNEY WAY LANDFILL to process leaves, yard waste, stumps and brush generated within City limits. The
SITE. REPRESENTATIVES facility has also been used for storage of materials, including guard rails, curbing,
OF NEW YORK STATE gravel, highway barriers, drain pipes and snow plows and spreaders to support
Department of Public Works (DPW) operations.
DEPARTMENT OF
CONSERVATION AND Subsurface Investigation:
NEW YORK STATE Investigations completed in conjunction with the NYSDEC were initiated in 1986
DEPARTMENT OF and documented an area of solvent-contaminated soil in the southern end of the
HEALTH WILL ALSO BE landfill area and four drum disposal areas adjacent to the stream bank along the
PRESENT. SITE southeastern side of the facility. The City’s consultant AKRF, and environmental
consulting firm, completed an extensive investigation to confirm the status of the
INVESTIGATION DATA
historical areas of concern, to determine if contamination exists anywhere else on the
AND LANDFILL property, and to document landfill conditions in order to complete the necessary
CLOSURE PLAN ARE closure requirements.
SUMMARIZED IN THIS
FACT SHEET.
For more information about The investigation determined that solvent contamination in soil from the historical
the Gedney Way site, release was below the State’s most stringent clean-up criteria for unrestricted use.
contact: Solvent contamination found in one drum disposal area was excavated and removed
from the site. Low-level PCB, pesticide, and metals contamination found in a second
Joseph Nicoletti
drum disposal area was of the type and concentration normally associated with
City of White Plains
municipal solid waste and will be placed beneath the landfill cap.
Department of Public
Works Solvent contamination in groundwater was found to extend from the historical release
Municipal Building, area to the southern property boundary where concentrations of trichloroethene, 1,1-
225 Main Street, White dichloroethane, cis-1,2 dichloroethene, and vinyl chloride have been detected at
Plains, NY 10601 concentrations that exceed the applicable ground quality standards. Similar solvent-
914-422-1206 related contaminants were also detected in the southern stormwater line that runs
jnicolet@whiteplainsny.gov through the landfill at concentrations that exceed the applicable water quality
standards. An off-site investigation indicated groundwater quality beyond the
southern property boundary met the applicable water quality standards for solvent
Additional questions about compounds. Landfill perimeter sampling of groundwater indicated a pattern of
the Gedney Way site may be groundwater contamination including elevated concentrations of typical leachate
directed to: indicators such as ammonia, alkalinity, hardness, total dissolved solids, manganese
and iron, which are typical for unlined municipal solid waste landfills. Other
Mr. Martin Brand inorganic parameters exceeding applicable standards in one or more downgradient
NYSDEC monitoring point included boron, lead, sulfate and nitrate. Sediment and surface water
Division of Materials sampling documented that the solvent plume was not significantly impacting the
Management adjacent stream, and that there were no hot spots for landfill leachate parameters.
Region 3 Office Elevated concentrations of iron were present in the iron floc deposits occurring in
21 South Putt Corners areas where leachate-impacted groundwater discharges to the stream, and dissolved
Road concentrations of iron in surface water exceeded the surface water standard for
New Paltz NY 12561 NYSDEC Class C streams. Stormwater sampling indicated that leachate-impacted
groundwater was infiltrating two stormwater lines and stormwater manholes beneath
845-256-3123
mdbrand@gw.dec.state.ny.us the site.
The investigation determined that methane existed at concentrations above 100% of
Ms. Kristin Kulow the lower explosive limit (LEL) in the central and southern portions of the landfill.
NYSDOH Soil borings and test pits in the landfill area indicate that the subsurface materials
Bureau of Environmental contain a high volume of organic material, ash, and C&D debris. Soil gas points
Exposure Investigation around the perimeter of the landfill indicated that methane production is localized
28 Hill Street, Suite 201 within the landfill area. Elevated solvent compounds were detected on the Gedney
Oneonta, NY 13820 Way property in subsurface soil vapor at sampling locations located on the southern
(607)-432-3911 end of the site. These subsurface locations were overlying the area where solvent
beei@health.state.ny.us compounds were detected in groundwater. Soil vapor samples were collected from
below the foundation floor at five houses adjacent to the southern property boundary
Press inquiries may be for Gedney Way. Indoor air samples were also collected at each of the five residents.
made to the appropriate The soil vapor and indoor air sampling indicated that soil vapor intrusion is not
offices of the City of White occurring.
Plains Investigation data documented that the edge of ash fill follows the facility’s eastern
property boundary from Gedney Way to the Our Lady of Sorrows (OLS) property,
extends onto the OLS property to approximately 40 to 45 feet east of the baseball
field, continues along the eastern Gedney Way boundary near Gedney Circle, follows
the edge of the slope near the stream bank to the southeast, the edge of the slope to
the south, and the railroad bed on the west side of the site. The extent of waste fill
material is depicted on the attached figure.
Landfill Closure Plan Key Requirements:
The goals of landfill closure include utilization of a landfill cap to prevent direct
contact with the fill material, minimize water infiltration and leachate generation,
prevent degradation of groundwater and surface water, eliminate preferential
 For a complete summary of
the investigation and landfill
closure plan, please attend
the information session,
which will be held on June 9,
2011 at 7:00 pm at the White
Plains Performing Arts
Center (3rd Floor) in White
Plains, New York.
pathways for contaminant migration through storm drains, and provide for
management of methane gas production. A secondary goal of the closure plan is to
allow the continuation of activities that are vital to the City’s DPW operations in a
manner which does not adversely affect the effectiveness of landfill closure. These
activities include leaf removal and storage, composting, storage of snow plows, salt
spreaders, curbing, and other items needed for road improvements. The closure plan
requirements include:
! Closure of the southern end of the landfill with a geosynthetic cover system
based on a Part 360 design approach, which includes a vegetative cover, topsoil
layer, barrier protection layer, barrier layer and gas venting.
! Closure of the remaining landfill area with a minimum of two feet of clean soil
cover.
! Soil outside of the modified Part 360 capped area will include a surface asphalt
layer, but gas venting will be required for asphalt sections overlying areas where
methane gas is present.
! Install liners in the two northernmost stormwater lines and seal manholes and
eliminate preferential pathways at termination points of each stormwater line.
! Install liners in the two northernmost stormwater lines similar to the re-lining and
sealing of the southernmost stormwater line, which was completed in Spring
2006. Evaluate and implement measures to seal manholes and eliminate
preferential pathways at termination points of each stormwater line.
In addition to the landfill cap design and layout, the Landfill Closure Plan includes
measures to provide erosion control during cap construction, establishes handling
requirements for moving landfill material, includes contingencies to address buried
drums, hazardous wastes or solvent-contaminated soil if discovered during the
closure work, and specifies the air monitoring procedures along the perimeter of the
site and in the work zone to ensure that the surrounding community and workers are
protected during landfill closure.
After the landfill is closed, a Post-Closure Monitoring and Maintenance Plan will be
implemented to provide the information needed to effectively monitor and maintain
the facility during and after a 30-year post-closure period. The plan will include a
description of all environmental control systems and set guidelines, procedures, and
frequency to conduct inspections, maintenance, and groundwater and soil gas
monitoring.
The closure plan measures will also isolate the solvent contamination source area and
most of the groundwater plume beneath the landfill cap and serve as the remediation
measure for the plume in conjunction with monitored natural attenuation. The post-
closure groundwater sampling will be used to monitor the effectiveness of the landfill
cap and the natural attenuation process to remediate the groundwater plume.
Construction Phases:
The anticipated landfill closure construction schedule has been phased to address the
OLS school schedule, the fall leaf collection requirements for the City, and general
Public Works activities conducted at the site. Construction is anticipated to be
initiated in July 2011, and will commence at the OLS School in order to complete the
cap installation prior to the start of the 2011/2012 school year. The second phase is
anticipated to include grading in the southern portion of the site and installation of the
Part 360 cap to allow time for the vegetative cover to be established during the
growing season. This will allow the existing composting area to remain in operation
during the fall leaf removal. The third phase will include closure of the remaining
landfill areas outside of the Part 360 area. The project is expected to take
approximately 6 months to complete.