DEC report recommends cleanup at former Bernzomatic in Medina
This aerial map shows the former Bernzomatic facility on the east side of Medina.
MEDINA – A report about contamination at the former Bernzomatic site in Medina recommends cleanup of the property.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation is reviewing the Remedial Investigation Report for the former Bernzomatic. The report was submitted by Irwin Industrial Tool Company, c/o Newell Brands Inc., which used to operate a manufacturing plant at the site.
The report lists the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface soils; metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in groundwater; Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) in sub-slab vapor; and metals in sediment.
The DEC said the data indicates that past manufacturing operations at the site appear to have resulted in the release of VOCs, metals, and PAHs. All impacts are contained on-site with the greatest concentrations found in the former machining area, according to the DEC.
The DEC will complete its review, make any necessary revisions and, if appropriate, approve the investigation report, the agency said.
Irwin Industrial Tool may then develop a cleanup plan, called a “Remedial Work Plan.” This plan describes how contamination will be addressed, with the DEC and the state Department of Health overseeing the work. The DEC will present the draft cleanup plan to the public for its review and comment during a 45-day comment period.
The DEC will keep the public informed throughout the investigation and cleanup of the site, the agency said.
The site is located at 1 Bernzomatic Drive in the Village of Medina. The property includes two connected buildings, approximately 160,000 square feet in size, paved parking lots, and a man-made pond on the southwest corner of the site.
The western building consisted of assembly, packaging, and warehouse/storage. The eastern building was used for machining, parts washing, and materials storage. Industrial use at the site began in approximately 1915 and included canneries, food processing, machining and manufacturing. The site was recently purchased and the proposed reuse is for warehousing and manufacturing.
