Karin Klock – Garlock Brownfield Clean-up

     We were pleased today to welcome Karin Klock to our weekly lunch meeting.  Ms Klock spoke to us about the brownfield cleanup project recently completed by Garlock.  The company began in Palmyra in 1887.  The first expansion at the current location on Division Street was in 1907; the last new construction there was in 1956.  A modernization of the plant began in 2005.  One can imagine what sort of damage to the surrounding environment could occur over that time.
     Garlock decided to participate in the NYS DEC Brownfield Cleanup Program.  The program uses tax incentives to encourage the private sector to clean up contaminated properties themselves.  The company must identify extent and type of contamination, and then proposes a remediation solution to the DEC.  Once the plan is approved by DEC work can begin; DEC oversees all remediation activities.  At the Garlock facility there were storage tanks with miles of pipes; vacant land at the east end of the property had been used for landfill; there were several types of plating in place; and 13 separate discharges into Red Creek.
     A thorough investigation of the 40 acre site, including soil borings and groundwater sampling/monitoring took place to determine the extent of the pollution and its type.  Most was related to the use of the solvent toluene.  With a budget of $5 million, work began to clean the area.  Much of the soil was hauled away for cleaning, where the contaminants would be oxidized away.  12 of the Red Creek discharges are now gone, and the area has been declared clean by the DEC.  The tax credits will continue, which is how Garlock will recoup some of the costs of the cleanup.  Going forward, groundwater in the area must be monitored and reported quarterly to the DEC.
     Ms. Klock concluded her presentation with some photos of the area, taken on the grounds of the plant.  They showed what a lovely setting the plant is in, with the creek and the wooded areas around it.  Garlock is rightly proud of the fact that it has cleaned up the area around them, which will be beneficial to all concerned.

Pictured, l-r: Club President Dianne Sloan, Project Manager Karin Klock, presenter Nancy Schrader