General Motors Central Foundry Division

⚠ Superfund · Cleanup underway

The remaining areas that require cleanup are two PCB-contaminated Tribal properties located adjacent to the former GM facility. The properties were not addressed during an earlier phase of cleanup because access was not provided. When granted access, RACER collected samples on properties in 2021.

Location

CityMassena
CountySt Lawrence County
StateNew York
Coordinates44.98389, -74.73278

Contaminants of concern

Contaminated media

Cleanup timeline

  1. Initial Assessment Completed — 09/01/1983
  2. Proposed to the National Priorities List — 09/08/1983
  3. Finalized on the National Priorities List — 09/21/1984
  4. Remedial Investigation Started — 03/30/1984
  5. Remedy Selected — 12/17/1990
  6. Remedial Action Started — 06/14/1995
  7. Construction Completed — Not Yet Achieved
  8. Deleted from National Priorities List — Not Yet Achieved
  9. Most Recent Five-Year Review — 12/19/2025
  10. Achieved Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Reuse — Not Yet Achieved

EPA references

Other Superfund sites in St Lawrence County

EPA-regulated facilities nearby

Understanding this Superfund site

General Motors Central Foundry Division is a federal Superfund site in New York. The Superfund program, created by Congress in 1980, addresses sites where hazardous substances have been released or threaten release into the environment. EPA scores potential sites using the Hazard Ranking System; those that score high enough are placed on the National Priorities List.

Current status: Cleanup underway. Active cleanup is underway, meaning EPA has approved a remediation plan and work is in progress. Cleanup timelines vary widely — some sites take decades depending on contamination depth, groundwater involvement, and funding availability.

EPA has identified 8 contaminants of concern at this site, including 1,2-dichloroethene (cis and trans mixture), chloroethene (vinyl chloride), phenol. Contamination has been detected in groundwater, soil, sludge, solid waste, sediment.

If you live near this site and have health concerns, your state health department can provide site-specific guidance. EPA maintains a community involvement program for most NPL sites, and site documents — including the Record of Decision, five-year reviews, and public health assessments — are typically available through EPA's Superfund site profile.