cleanup · Cattaraugus County
Randolph Foundry
Randolph
Small former foundry and machine-shop property beside a rail corridor. After the foundry closed around 1986, investigations found asbestos, drums, waste foundry sand, and other industrial debris requiring cleanup and long-term management.
The documented story
What happened here?
The Former Randolph Foundry was a small foundry and machine-shop property beside a rail corridor in the Village of Randolph. Metal casting produced waste foundry sand, scrap, oils, and other residues typical of a compact industrial operation.
After the foundry closed around 1986, investigation found deteriorated buildings, asbestos, drums, foundry sand, and industrial debris. The cleanup combined demolition and removal with controls for material left safely in place.
A small-town foundry left a full industrial cleanup in miniature
Randolph removed buildings, asbestos, drums, and foundry sand before reuse
333 tonsapproximately, waste foundry sand removed off site
Foundry era-1986
Casting and machining concentrated industry on a compact village parcel
Metal production generated waste foundry sand, scrap, oils, and process residues beside the rail corridor. Operations ended around 1986, but the buildings and outdoor material preserved that history.
2008-2009
Demolition exposed and removed the remaining source areas
Controlled work removed about 180 tons of asbestos-containing debris, approximately 333 tons of foundry sand, drums, chemicals, equipment, and material from pits and sumps. A six-inch clean-soil cover completed the physical response.
2012-present
Certification enabled commercial use with continuing rules
DEC certified the commercial-use cleanup in 2012. An environmental easement, groundwater restriction, excavation plan, cover maintenance, and site-management requirements remain attached to the property.
Chemical guide
Chemicals named in this record
These links explain potential hazards and exposure pathways. A chemical named in a record does not establish that anyone was exposed or harmed.
Chronology
Timeline
- Foundry era
Metal casting and machine-shop operations occupied the rail-adjacent property.
- Circa 1986
Foundry operations ended.
- Investigation
State work documented asbestos, drums, waste foundry sand, and industrial debris.
- 2008–2009
The foundry building was demolished, wastes and foundry sand were removed, subsurface conditions were investigated, and the property received a six-inch clean-soil cover.
- 2012
DEC certified that the commercial-use cleanup requirements had been achieved.
- Present
The completed site remains subject to groundwater-use, land-use, soil-management, and site-management requirements.
Environmental record
Documented impacts
- Waste foundry sand and industrial debris were present across portions of the property.
- Drums and petroleum or process materials required characterization and removal where necessary.
- Asbestos in former industrial structures required controlled abatement.
Response
Cleanup and controls
- Controlled demolition removed approximately 180 tons of asbestos-containing debris and other unsafe building material.
- Approximately 333 tons of foundry sand were excavated and disposed of off site; drums, miscellaneous chemicals, equipment, pits, and sumps were also removed or cleaned.
- A six-inch clean-soil cover, environmental easement, groundwater-use restriction, commercial-use restriction, excavation controls, and site-management plan govern residual material.
Then and now
The site today
The former foundry is a completed cleanup with continuing controls appropriate to its residual industrial fill. The rail corridor and neighboring parcels should be interpreted separately unless investigation connects them.
Atlas connections
Connected places
These collections explain documented material, facility, waterway, ownership, or cleanup relationships. Inclusion does not imply that every place shares one contaminant source or plume.
Southern Tier small-industry cleanups
Foundries, furniture and veneer works, machining plants, dry cleaners, and rural disposal sites show that Western New York's cleanup history extends well beyond its largest waterfront factories.
Farwell Road represents a managed hazardous-waste landfill outside the major urban industrial corridors.
Municipal landfillCarroll LandfillCarroll connects local waste disposal to wetlands, Conewango Creek, and long-term treatment.
Tool-manufacturing complexD.C. Rollforms / Proto ToolProto Tool brings electroplating, heat treatment, degreasing, and river-edge remediation into the collection.
Small solvent siteC&B Dry CleanersThe dry cleaner demonstrates how a very small parcel can create a consequential subsurface cleanup.
Coatings and solvent siteEssex / Hope SiteEssex / Hope documents a long-running coatings property with an amended remedy and a separately investigated downgradient area.
Chlorinated-solvent groundwater cleanupDowcraft — South Dow StreetDowcraft connects former manufacturing and vapor degreasing to continuing groundwater treatment and monitoring.
Municipal and industrial-waste landfillJamestown City LandfillThe former city landfill preserves Jamestown's documented municipal and industrial-disposal history while clearly stating its current Class 3 status.
Bronze foundry cleanupEllison Bronze CompanyEllison Bronze adds metal-bearing foundry material, stabilization, containment, and continuing management to the Falconer record.
Petroleum and veneer worksBush IndustriesBush Industries layers early petroleum use with later wood-products manufacturing.
Foundry and machine shopRandolph FoundryRandolph adds discarded foundry sand, drums, and asbestos to the southern-tier industrial record.
Die-casting and machining plantLexington MachiningLexington documents solvent use and long-term groundwater management at a smaller manufacturing plant.