NYSDEC letter re: Con-Edison release report at 7 WTC substation,

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Environmental Remediation, Region 2 Spill Prevention and Response 47-40 21^^ Street, Long Island City, NY 11101-5407 Phone: (718)482-4973 ■ Fax:(718)482-4098 Erin M. Crotty Commissioner

November 19, 2001

Ivtr. Randy Price Vice President - Environment. Health & Safety Con Edison Company of New York, Inc. 4 Irving Place New York, NY 10003

Re: 7 World Trade Center (Trade Center Substation) Investigation Plan

Dear Mr. Price:

NY'SDEC has reviewed the Subsurface Investigation Work Plan for the referenced site submitted by Con Edison on November 16, 2001. The Plan’s Introduction (page I) identified die release of lOO.OOO-gallons of transfonner oil but only mentions an unquantified amount of cable dielectric fluid. Based on information provided by Con Edison, the following releases occuiTed; • 100,105 gallons of transformer oil • 5,300 gallons of cable dielectric fluid from the WTC substation reservoir ’ 2,000 gallons of cable dielectric fluid from the Farragut substation reservoir • 15,300 gallons of cable dielectric fluid from the five feeders running between Farragut and WTC substations • 3,672 gallons of capacitor oil Ai documented by Con Ed’s Chern Lab, transformer oil has been identified in the Verizon building located at 140 West Street and has impacted of Verizon’s cable vault. The same oil was also confinned by Con Ed’s Chem Lab to be present in Verizon’s manholes and trenches located on Washington Street, Barclay Street and Vesey Street.

In addition to Con Ed's oil, there was a roa.ximuin loss of 12J)OOj|alIoa£qfdie^l OwnJy^_undergTound storage tanks registered at 7WTC. To date, EP.A and DEC have recovered approximately 20,000 gallons V . from the other two intact 11,600 salloa underground fuel oil storage tanks at 7WTC.

The Work Plan submitted to address the 126,377 gallons of various dielectric oils released from the Con Ed’s World Trade Center Substation is conditionally approved by the department, pending inclusion of the following comments:

1. The Work Plan as written is dependent on EPA’s assistance. There is a brief window of opportunity to utilize EPA’s contractors to assist in Con Ed’s product recovery efforts. However, IVYSDEC cannot guarantee EPA’s assistance. The plan will be implemented by Con Edison. Any assistance which EPA can p.^ovide will be at EPA’s discretion. This applies to any references in the work plan to EPA’s assistance (i.e., well development, product recovery, waste disposal, etc.). 3. If NY’C DDC is unable or unavailable to provide a crew and equipment to break up the concrete for

NYC-WTC_000165927