Former Geneva Foundry Site

City of Geneva, Ontario County

DEC Project ID B00019 

DEC Project ID C835027 

DEC Project ID C835027A 

Historical operations of the former foundry located on Jackson Street in Geneva, New York, resulted in the contamination of the foundry site as well as soils in the surrounding area. In 2018, the City of Geneva completed on-site remediation and re-grading of the on-site area in preparation for future redevelopment. DEC completed cleanup activities of the off-site area in July 2024. The cleanup was completed as part of New York State’s Superfund (SSF) and Brownfield Cleanup programs (BCP) to address contamination from the former foundry’s operations and protect the health of Geneva residents and the environment.

The city of Geneva is a New York State-designated disadvantaged community and a DEC potential environmental justice area. Environmental justice areas and disadvantaged communities bear the disproportionate burdens of negative public health effects, environmental pollution, and the impacts of climate change. These historically under-resourced areas historically experience higher instances of environmental damage from commercial and industrial developments in or near their communities. To learn more, visit the DEC’s Office of Environmental Justice web page.  

Site Description

Location and Background

The site is located just north of downtown Geneva, New York. The on-site area, the site of the former foundry's operations, includes two parcels located along Jackson Street between Exchange Street and the Finger Lakes Railway line. The off-site area includes 244 individual properties, mostly residential but also including several churches, businesses, and a public park. The off-site area extends from properties located south of Lewis Street to properties north of State Street, and from properties west of Genesee Street to properties east of Wadsworth Street (see map on this page).

The Geneva Foundry and its predecessor operated on the Jackson Street site from about 1868 until 1988. Part of the site was a coal yard prior to the 1940s. To melt iron and cast-iron objects, the foundry burned coal, and later, coke, mixed in layers with iron (unrefined and scrap metal) and flux in a cupola-type furnace. The first air emissions controls were installed on the Geneva Foundry stack in 1970 and were inadequate. Air emissions of ash particles from the foundry stack settled on the surrounding neighborhood in the vicinity of the foundry. The fly ash particles contained variable concentrations of metals, of which lead and arsenic are the contaminants of concern. For more information about metalworking in Geneva, visit the Geneva Historical Society's website (link leaves DEC's website).

Summary of Site Operable Units

The project is divided into three operable units as listed below.
An operable unit (OU) represents a portion of a remedial program for a site that for technical or administrative reasons can be addressed separately to investigate, eliminate or mitigate a release, threat of release or exposure pathway resulting from the site contamination.

• OU1: 23 Jackson Street (On-Site Area South of Jackson Street)
• OU2: 44 Jackson Street (On-Site Area North of Jackson Street)
• OU3: Off-Site Remedial Area

Site History

OU1 and OU2 (On-site Areas)

Operations at the Geneva Foundry ceased in 1988. The City of Geneva acquired the property in 1998 and entered the Environmental Restoration Program. The city subsequently removed drums and other containers of wastes and hazardous substances and removed buildings from the site in 2005, leaving concrete slabs and foundation walls.

The results of soil sampling conducted in 2006 in 2008 were used to inform more detailed soil sampling by DEC in 2015, at which time new technology expedited DEC's ability to define the boundary of the off-site area. In January 2017, DEC issued a Record of Decision that presents the remedy selected to address contamination for both the on- and off-site areas associated with the former Geneva Foundry.

For OU1, the primary soil contaminants were polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chromium, lead, and mercury. For OU2, the primary soil contaminants were chromium and mercury. Investigation did not identify any impacts to groundwater from OU1 or OU2.

In 2017, the City of Geneva became a volunteer in the Brownfield Cleanup Program and in 2018 completed on-site remediation meeting the requirements of DEC's ROD. Soil that did not meet the standards for restricted residential use was removed from the site and replaced with clean soil. The clean soil was used to establish a two-foot-thick cover across the site, in combination with native soils that met SCOs. Asphalt pavement was used as cover in a small area.

The City of Geneva recorded an Environmental Easement on the site, which restricts the site's future use to restricted residential use, though commercial or industrial use could be permitted based on local zoning. DEC and DOH approved the city's Site Management Plan (SMP) and Final Engineering Report and issued a Certificate of Completion in March 2019. The site is being managed by the city under the approved SMP, with DEC oversight.

OU3 (Off-Site Remedial Area) 

The primary contaminants of concern for OU3, the off-site remedial area, are lead and arsenic. Lead and arsenic associated with deposition of particulate matter from air emissions at the foundry are found in surface soil in the surrounding area extending up to approximately 1,300 feet from the site. Other sources of lead and arsenic that are not site-related (lead-based paint, coal ash and other historical fill, internal combustion engine exhaust, other industrial operations, etc.) also contribute to off-site lead and arsenic concentrations.

Under the SSF Program, remedial construction activities on properties in the off-site remedial area began in 2017, following the remedy presented in the January 2017 ROD. Detailed soil sampling is conducted on each off-site property, and all impacted soils with lead and/or arsenic concentrations exceeding residential SCOs for lead and arsenic, as defined by 6 NYCRR Part 375-6.8, were excavated and transported off-site for disposal. The majority of impacted soil was beneficially reused as alternate operating cover at the disposal facility.

Cleanup activities for the 2024 remedial construction season ended in July 2024. In 2024, the final five properties were addresses, bringing the total completed properties to 244. A total of 23 properties were determined to not require active cleanup while 217 required excavation and removal of contaminated soil. As part of the clean-up work, approximately 15,000 soil samples from nearly 3,200 soil boring locations were collected and tested for lead and arsenic to define the extent of the cleanup, over 94,000 tons of contaminated soil and debris were removed from neighborhood properties, and a total of 48.3 acres of land were remediated including 244 private and community properties.

As part of the cleanup, DEC coordinated with the city of Geneva to improve Genesee Park with newly constructed sidewalks, additional seating areas, and a new community stage. Mature trees important to the character of the park were protected. In addition, a certified arborist identified both high-value and invasive trees. Trees of importance were saved whenever feasible, while invasive tree species were removed. The use of native plant species was emphasized during property restoration. Various green remediation best management practices were also implemented to reduce the environmental footprint of cleanup activities.

The offsite cleanup offered by DEC was voluntary with only four private parcels deciding to not participate in the cleanup program. Remediated properties were located throughout the project area and in 2024 included the primary project office and staging area on State Street. Landscaping of properties where remediation was done in 2023, but could not be completed before the winter months, was also completed in 2024.

Watch a video highlighting offsite cleanup activities. 

DEC announced the completion of the comprehensive cleanup of the former Geneva Foundry site and neighboring properties in downtown Geneva through the State Superfund and Brownfield Cleanup Programs. The extensive cleanup effort also advanced environmental justice by removing 94,000 tons of contaminated soil from a community designated as disproportionately impacted by pollution and climate change. View the video on YouTube. 

Map showing Former Geneva Foundry Operable Units and status of cleanup actions.

Public Involvement

For more information on Public Involvement, past events, communications, meetings, fact sheet newsletters, and more site information, visit the DECinfo Locator.

To learn more about the remedial construction process, review these informational posters:

The Remedial Construction Process, What to Expect During Construction, and Sample Remediation Photos (PDF, 2.6MB)

Document Access Information

Decision Documents, Work Plans, and Other Documents

Project documents are available at these locations to help the public stay informed:

• Geneva Public Library
  244 Main Street
  Geneva, NY 14456
  315-789-5303
• NYSDEC, Region 8 Office
  6274 East Avon-Lima Road
  Avon, NY 14414
  Call ahead for an appointment
  585-226-5324

Additional information about the project may be obtained by:

1. Accessing the DECinfo Locator, an interactive map that lets you access DEC documents and public data about the environmental quality of specific sites in New York State.
2. Reviewing DEC's online Document Folder for the project.

Project Management Contact Information

For project-related questions, contact the DEC Project Manager:

David Chiusano
NYSDEC Division of Environmental Remediation
625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-7017
(518) 402-9813
[email protected]

For project-related health questions, please contact the DOH Project Manager:

Tony Perretta
NYSDOH
Bureau of Environmental Exposure Investigation
Empire State Plaza - Corning Tower Room #1787, Albany, NY 12237
(518) 402-7860
[email protected]

For other inquiries, please contact DEC's Community Liaison:

Bob Gibson
Ecology and Environment Engineering and Geology, P.C.
(716) 462-2301
[email protected]