Dewey Loeffel Landfill

Town of Nassau, Rensselaer County, NY

In December of 2011, the UNCAGED group (United Neighbors Concerned About GE Dewey Loeffel Landfill) was awarded a Technical Assistance Grant for the Dewey Loeffel Landfill Superfund Site. Environmental Stewardship Concepts, LLC is now serving as the Technical Advisor for UNCAGED and we will be reviewing and analyzing data on EPA proposed testing, remediation and health assessments for the site. We will also be working closely with the community via public meetings, reports, and informational sheets to help ensure that the most appropriate cleanup methods and actions are being taken for the best interests of the community.

This roughly 20 acre site was formerly used as a hazardous waste dump site by several companies, including General Electric (GE), Bendix Corporation and Schenectady Chemicals. While dumping was stopped by the State of New York in 1968, the EPA estimates more than 46,000 tons of waste materials were disposed of in the area including solvents, waste oils, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), etc. The site was designated a Superfund site in March of 2011, and there have been ongoing efforts to clean up the site since 1980 by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and, later, the EPA.

Some of the hazardous substances, specifically PCBs, have now migrated and contaminated local ground and surface waters. Local sediments and several species of fish have also been contaminated, resulting in Nassau Lake and Valatie Kill fisheries being closed due to PCB contamination. Of particular concern are the residents of the Town of Nassau, approximately 4-5 miles away from the landfill site and 1.7 miles of wetlands located within the zone of contamination.

Related Websites

EPA

Town of Nassau

ESC Resources & Documents

Pictures from Peter’s initial site visit-Landfill site, looking west
Landfill looking North toward wetlands
Landfill looking South
downriver from dam
The Dewey Loeffel Dam
Lake admidst residences