Environmental Cleanup of 24 Seneca Avenue

Background

The City of Rochester is currently completing an Environmental Site Investigation at the privately owned brownfield property located at 24 Seneca Avenue on the north side of the City of Rochester (Site Location Map). The site is located in a commercial/industrial area and consists of one single-story, masonry and wood factory warehouse. Since the 1920s various commercial uses of the Site have included manufacturing non-ferrous castings (zinc, aluminum, and brass), heat treating operations, welding and machining operations, coating processes, waste incineration, gasoline underground fuel storage, and building construction. The investigation is being completed under a court ordered Temporary Incident of Ownership (TIO), and is funded in part from a grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). The purpose of the investigation is to identify the nature and extent of contaminants present on-site, assess the potential risks to public health and/ or the environment and to develop a Remedial Alternatives Report (RAR) identifying strategies for site clean-up and redevelopment. Investigation tasks have included:

  • Site Utility Survey 
  • Asbestos Survey and collection of asbestos samples 
  • Geophysical Survey 
  • Collection of surface soil samples 
  • PCB Assessment and collection of wipe samples 
  • Test Trench investigation and collection of subsurface soil samples 
  • Geoprobe investigation and collection of subsurface soil samples 
  • Integrity assessment of existing monitoring wells 
  • Installation of bedrock monitoring wells 
  • Collection of two Site wide rounds of groundwater samples 
  • Soil Gas investigation 
  • Health and Safety and Community Air Monitoring, and 
  • Management and Handling of Investigation-Derived Waste

Results from the initial investigation indicated soil and groundwater at the Site have been impacted with petroleum contaminants, chlorinated solvents and metals, above regulatory guidelines, as a result of former facility operations. Supplemental Investigations were completed in 2011 and 2012 including an on and off-site vapor intrusion study and additional subsurface soils and groundwater testing, in order to fill data gaps and to determine if any off-Site environmental or health impacts were present.

A Supplemental Remedial Investigation Report was completed in May 2012. The findings indicated that additional off-site soil vapor testing was warranted to ensure that known contaminant vapors were not impacting off-Site properties. Additional testing was approved by the NYSDEC in September 2012 and is expected to be completed by the Spring 2013. Tne investigation findings will be reported in a Final Remedial Investigation Report. A Remedial Alternatives Analysis Report (RI/RAR) is anticipated by summer 2012. Once completed, the RI/RAR will be reviewed by the NYSDEC and a Preliminary Remedial Action Plan (PRAP) will be developed. Following a period of public comment, the NYSDEC will issue a Record of Decision (ROD) detailing how the proposed corrective actions for the site will be achieved.

Documents

Listed below are documents detailing the current Site status. Additional documents will be posted as they become available:

Looking Ahead to Redevelopment

Once the NYSDEC ROD is published, the City of Rochester will evaluate the costs associated with property acquisition and Site clean up as well as the potential for redevelopment of the Site and seventeen (17) additional City owned properties east of the Site on Bremen Street.

The Site could be well suited for manufacturing, offices, warehouses, and other commercial uses.

If you have additional questions about the project contact the City’s project manager at:

Jane MH Forbes, Environmental Specialist, City of Rochester Division of Environmental Quality
(585) 428-7892. E-mail: forbesj@cityofrochester.gov.