IBM Endicott Plume Update

9/27/2012 (Updated 11:00:37 PM)

Endicott residents and former IBM workers have been concerned about the effects of a chemical spill dating back to the '70s.
   
On Thursday night the Western Broome Environmental Stakeholders Coalition held a meeting to update the community on a study that is in progress.

The project is documenting the effect on former employees of the Endicott plant as well as potential threats to their children.  The DEC says that while the amount of chemicals left is decreasing,  the main concern is still the level of TCE.

"The main plume component we're concerned with, because of health concerns, is called TCE: tri-chloroethylene.  That plume has shrunk by 25% in aerial extent. That's actually the lowest number. Some components have shrunk by as much as 97%," said Alex Czeuhanich, Engineering Geologist for the NYS DEC.

The results of the study will be released sometime next year.