Background

The Colonie, New York, Site was remediated under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP). Congress established FUSRAP in 1974 to remediate sites where radioactive contamination remained from the Manhattan Project and early U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) operations.

History

National Lead Industries (NL) previously owned and operated the site as a foundry from 1937 to 1984. In 1958, NL began producing items manufactured from uranium and thorium, under licenses issued by AEC and the state of New York. The AEC contract ended in 1968; thereafter, the plant fabricated shielding components, aircraft counterweights, and artillery projectiles from depleted uranium. The New York State Supreme Court shut down the NL plant in 1984 due to airborne uranium releases. 

Congress assigned the authority to clean up the site to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). DOE subsequently acquired the site in 1984 and performed investigations and cleanup under FUSRAP from 1984 to 1997. During this period, DOE investigated the soil and groundwater, cleaned up 53 of 56 vicinity properties, removed the on-site buildings, and disposed of the waste materials generated during these actions.

In 1997, Congress transferred cleanup actions under FUSRAP to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Between 1999 and 2014, USACE completed the large-scale soil removal action at the main site and the three remaining vicinity properties, initiated a groundwater-monitoring program to measure the progress of monitored natural attenuation for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and investigated uranium dust contamination in vicinity homes and commercial properties.

Final Conditions

In April 2018, USACE issued the Colonie Site Closeout Report documenting the completion of the remedial actions. All radioactive contamination has been cleaned up to residential-use standards on the site and vicinity properties in both soil and groundwater. Metal contamination in soil has been remediated to residential-use standards, except for three discrete areas subject to environmental easement restrictions. Excavation in these easement areas will require prior notifications and compliance with the site management plan. Land use controls limit groundwater use and require investigation for vapor intrusion prior to building construction.

In September 2019, USACE transferred responsibility for long-term stewardship of FUSRAP responsibilities to the DOE Office of Legacy Management (LM). LM made the site available for beneficial reuse opportunities in cooperation with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). GSA auctioned the property in May 2022 and closed the real estate transaction in January 2023.

LM’s long-term stewardship responsibilities consist of monitoring groundwater until natural attenuation reduces VOC contamination to levels below cleanup standards, managing site records, conducting long-term periodic reviews, coordinating with the property owner, and responding to stakeholder inquiries.

For more information about the Colonie Site, view the fact sheet and story map.