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Site Type: RCRA Corrective Action 
STRATFORD ARMY ENGINE PLANT
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| STRATFORD, Connecticut |
| Fairfield County |
| Street Address: | 550 South Main Street |
| Zip Code: | 06497 |
Congressional
District(s): |
03 |
| EPA ID #: | CTD001181502 |
| Site ID #: | 0101823 |
| Site Alias: | |
| Environmental Indicators Status: | Current Human Exposures Under Control = Insufficient Data, Groundwater Release Under Control = Insufficient Data |
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Description
This site is considered both a RCRA Corrective Action (RCRA) site and a Site Awaiting National Priorities List (NPL) Decision (SAND).
The Army Engine Plant/Stratford (AEP/S) property is located at 550 South Main Street in Stratford, Fairfield County, Connecticut. The 126-acre AEP/S property is occupied by a U.S. government-owned, contractor-operated manufacturing facility comprising numerous manufacturing buildings. The operator is Textron Lycoming, a Division of AVCO Corporation, a contractor to the U.S. Army Aviation Systems Command. The AEP/S property is bordered by industrial properties to the north; the Housatonic River to the east; a marsh (formerly used as a landfill area) to the south; and Sikorsky Memorial Airport to the west.
Prior to 1927, the AEP/S property was farmland. The property was developed in 1927 for Sikorsky Aircraft and was owned by the Air Force through 1976. In 1976, ownership was transferred to the U.S. Army. Aircraft and engines have been manufactured at the AEP/S facility since 1929, using general metal working, plating, metal finishing, and metal cleaning processes. The wastes generated by AEP/S included waste oil, fuels, solvents, and paints. An on-site chemical waste treatment plant is used to treat waste generated at the AEP/S facility, which releases effluent to the Housatonic River under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Beginning in 1980, lagoons on the AEP/S facility were regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and part of a Treatment, Storage, or Disposal Facility. The lagoons were closed under RCRA during the 1980s. The AEP/S facility was cited in 1983 for violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act regarding reporting of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-containing transformers.
In 1987, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completed a Preliminary Assessment of the AEP/S property; in 1988, EPA completed a Site Inspection of the AEP/S property; and in 1992, a contractor to EPA completed a RCRA Facility Assessment of the AEP/S property. Numerous additional investigations have been performed by contractors to Textron Lycoming and the U.S. Army, including subsurface investigations in 1981, 1983, 1985, and 1986; a 1991 Environmental Baseline Survey/Preliminary Assessment Screening; a 1993 Remedial Investigation Report; and a 1996 Environmental Baseline Survey Report. These investigations have identified the following areas of environmental concern: Intertidal Flats where runoff and effluent have contaminated sediments with PCBs and metals; a Shoreline Fill Area where subsurface soil and groundwater are contaminated with fuel-related and halogenated volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and metals; the Plating and Manufacturing Area, where “greenish-blue” groundwater pumped from the area has been documented to contain metals (including chromium and lead), halogenated VOCs, PAHs, and cyanide; the Building B-2/North Parking Lot/West Parking Lot area, where subsurface soils comprise ash and cinder fill and contain PAHs and groundwater is contaminated with halogenated VOCs; Building B-65, where chromium- and petroleum-contaminated soils were discovered; the Research and Development Area, where subsurface soil and groundwater contamination is suspected; the South Parking Lot/Chemical Waste Treatment Plant/Closed Lagoons area, where halogenated VOCs and metals have been detected in groundwater; and the Testing Area, where subsurface soils are contaminated with fuel-related and halogenated VOCs and PAHs, and groundwater is contaminated with halogenated VOCs. The remedial investigation of the facility is ongoing, with regular reporting to the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection of newly-discovered or confirmed threats to the environment.
The depth to groundwater in overburden is 4 to 11 feet below ground surface and groundwater flow direction beneath the AEP/S property is northeast, toward the Housatonic River, where groundwater discharges to surface water. The nearest private groundwater supply is estimated to be located between 2 and 3 miles from the AEP/S property. The number of people who rely on groundwater sources located within 4-radial miles of the AEP/S property for drinking water is less than 100,000. Numerous monitoring wells are located downgradient of the sources on the AEP/S property. Samples collected from the monitoring wells have detected fuel-related and halogenated VOCs and metals attributable to releases from the AEP/S property.
The AEP/S property is located within the 100-year floodplain of the Housatonic River. Runoff from the AEP/S property flows to the Housatonic River. The Housatonic River discharges within one-half mile downstream of the AEP/S property to Long Island Sound. No surface water intakes are located downstream of the AEP/S property. Recreational and commercial fisheries are located downstream of the AEP/S property. Habitats for State-protected species and wetlands occur within the 15-mile surface water pathway. Surface water and sediment samples have been collected downstream of the AEP/S property, which document contamination with halogenated VOCs, PCBs, and metals.
Approximately 120 workers are currently present on the AEP/S property. Access to the property is completely restricted by fences and gates. The nearest residence to the AEP/S property is located 2,500 feet south of the AEP/S property. Shallow soil samples collected on the AEP/S property document the presence of hazardous substances, including, VOCs, PAHs, PCBs, and metals in soils on the property.
Less than 100,000 people live within 4-radial miles of the former AEP/S property. Habitats for species with Federal-or State-protection status and many acres of wetlands are located within 4-radial miles of the AEP/S property. AEP/S has several air discharge permits. Inspections by CT DEP have indicated occasional violations of the Clean Air Act due to vapor degreaser emissions and excess emissions of chromic acid. Further, the on-site remediation of VOC-contaminated soils may result in the release of VOCs to the atmosphere.
Current Status
All manufacturing operations at the facility have ceased. Some office space is leased to the Defense Contracting Auditing Agency and presonnel involved with site security, building maintenance, and site remediation are present on site. Investigation of the site to characterize the nature and extent of releases, evaluate risks, and determine a cleanup strategy are ongoing. The Connecticut department of Environmental protection has the lead role in oversight of the remediation of this site.
Photos
Links to Other Information
Public Record Locations
EPA New England Records Center, One Congress Street, Boston, MA 02114 (617) 918-1440
Contacts
| Ernest Waterman |
| EPA Project Manager |
| Address: | One Congress Street, Suite 1100 (HBT), Boston, MA 02114-2023 |
| Phone #: | 617-918-1369 |
| E-Mail Address: | waterman.ernest@epa.gov |
| Additional Comments: | RCRA Corrective Action Contact |
| Ken Feathers |
| State Contact |
| Address: | CTDEP, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106-5127 |
| Phone #: | 860-424-3770 |
| E-Mail Address: | |
| Wes Laparl |
| Facility Contact |
| Address: | 550 S. Main Street, Stratford, CT 06497 |
| Phone #: | 203-385-4316 |
| E-Mail Address: | |
| EPA Site Assessment Manager | Don Smith |
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| Address: | One Congress Street, Suite 1100 (HBS), Boston, MA 02114-2023 |
| Phone #: | 617-918-1433 |
| E-Mail Address: | smith.donald@epa.gov |
| Additional Comments: | Superfund Program Contact |
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