CURRENT PROJECT

The leak originated in an underground tank located just south of 3 Washington Square Village. The specific cause has yet to be determined. However, the tank has been emptied, cleaned and will be removed as part of the cleanup effort.

We estimate the total amount of lost oil at approximately 16,000 gallons. We have recovered about 4,005 gallons so far. The texture of No. 6 oil is tar like and needs to be heated in order to be fluid. The majority of the oil appears to be concentrated in the soil surrounding the tank.

As soon as the problem was identified, NYU contacted and worked closely with NYC Department of Health, NYC Office of Emergency Management, NYC Department of Environmental Protection, US Coast Guard, the Fire Department, and NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, to assess the extent of the leak, start clean-up efforts and to develop an effective remediation plan.

Since New Yorkers get their drinking water from municipal water from upstate reservoirs, there will be no impact to potable water supplies.

The tanks serving Washington Square Village 1, 2 and 4 have been decommissioned and no longer contain oil.

There are four components to the remediation process:

1. The cleaning and removal of the tank: The tank that was servicing 3WSV will be dismantled and removed. The metal will be shipped to a recycling plant. Under the tank, there is a concrete slab that supported the equipment. This slab must be removed in order to access the contaminated soil underneath. This will require the use of a pneumatic hammer and will be the noisiest part of this process. It is anticipate that the removal of the slab will take approximately two days.
2. Soil Removal: The soil underneath and surrounding the tank and boiler room will be excavated to the extent practical, loaded directly into dump trucks, and transported to an off-site disposal facility that is permitted to accept this material. Once the excavation process is complete, the excavated area will be backfilled with environmentally clean soil. The University will work with local residents to design new landscaping for the impacted area.
3. Soil Vapor Extraction: Due to structural and spatial limitations inside the building, bulk excavation of all petroleum-impacted soil is not feasible. Petroleum-impacted soil that cannot be removed via excavation will be treated via a soil vapor extraction system. The intent of the system is to mitigate the potential of the fuel oil release to impact groundwater by removal of its soluble component.
4. Oil Recovery: Following completion of the excavation, recovery wells will be installed and monitored on a quarterly basis. Any oil that was not recovered during the excavation and has accumulated in these wells will be removed using a vacuum truck. This process will continue on a quarterly basis until recoverable oil has been removed from the soil.

One tree will need to be removed to allow for the removal of tank #3. Once the remediation process begins, a determination will be made whether or not tank #4 also needs removal. If it does, another tree will be taken down. The University will work with local residents to create a new landscape design for the area that will include replacement trees.

There will be general construction noise associated with this process (i.e., construction vehicles backing up, diesel generators and engines, etc.). Additionally, the nosiest part will be the removal of the concrete slab underneath tank #3. The breaking and removing of the slab is anticipated to take approximately two days.

Residents may smell oil during the cleanup. Air monitoring will be performed in accordance with the NYSDOH Community Air Monitoring Program and will be constant and ongoing. Should the readings exceed any NYSDOH action levels, the excavation will be immediately backfilled with at least one foot of clean soil and work will cease until engineers evaluate next steps and develop a mitigation plan that is acceptable to NYSDEC and NYSDOH.

During work hours, an evergreen scented mist will be released to mitigate potential odors. During off hours, the excavation site will be sealed with either clean soil, unscented latex or water-based foam to contain odors until the next work day.

The structural integrity of the building's foundation has not been compromised nor will be during remediation.

Heat and hot water for Washington Square Village is principally supplied by the University's Central CoGeneration Plant. Additionally, the buildings can be heated utilizing natural gas.

Inquiries about any of NYU's construction projects can be directed to NYU's Client Services Center @ 212-998-1001, contactcsc@nyu.edu.

However, should a dangerous or emergency situation arise, please call 911.