# BERNCOLORS
> **Judicial** · FY1982 · — · Final Order With Specified Cost Recovery
## Case
- **Activity ID:** `1845`
- **Case Number:** 02-1982-0031
- **Type:** Judicial
- **Lead:** EPA
- **Outcome:** Final Order With Specified Cost Recovery
- **Penalty assessed:** —
- **Cost recovery:** $70K
- **Compliance action $:** —
- **Multimedia (multi-env):** N
## Defendants
- BERNCOLORS - POUGHKEEPSIE, INC (complaint) (settlement)
## Summary

BERNCOLORS OPERATED A DYE MANUFACTURING PLANT IN POUGH-    KEEPSIE, N.Y., ON THE WEST BANK OF THE HUDSON RIVER.  ON     JANUARY 14 1982, THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION AND A FIRE AT THE    SITE WHICH DESTROYED A LARGE PART OF THE FACILITY.  SINCE    THE DYE MANUFACTURING PROCESS USES A LARGE NUMBER OF HAZARD- OUS MATERIALS (REACTIVE, IGNITABLE AND TOXIC), THE RUNOFF    RESULTING FROM THE WATER USED TO FIGHT THE FIRE WAS HAZARD-  OUS AS WELL.  THIS RUNOFF WAS FLOWING DIRECTLY INTO THE      HUDSON.  THE COAST GUARD WAS ALERTED BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES &  PROMPLTY RESPONDED TO THE INCIDENT, USING SUPERFUND MONIES   TO EXTINGUISH THE BLAZE AND TO ABATE THE RELEASE OF CONTAMI- NATED RUNOFF.                                                  ONCE THE IMMEDIATE THREAT OF A DISCHARGE WAS ABATED, THE   COAST GUARD, WITH THE HELP OF EPA & SEVERAL OTHER AGENCIES,  ADDRESSED ITSELF TO THE CONTAMINATED RUBBLE THAT WAS LEFT    ON SITE.  THIS RUBBLE CONSISTED OF THE REMAINS OF THE BUILD- ING, NOT DESTROYED BY THE EXPLOSION AND FIRE, AS WELL AS AN  INDETERMINABLE AMOUNT OF CHEMICALS.  SINCE THE FACILITY WAS  LOCATED IN THE HUDSON RIVER FLOOD PLAIN, THERE WAS A GREAT   LIKELIHOOD THAT THERE WOULD BE FURTHER RELEASE OF CONTAMI-   NATED MATERIAL BECAUSE AT THE TIME THE HUDSON WAS CHOKED W/  ICE, THREATENING TO FLOOD AND INUNDATE THE SITE.  A DETERMI- NATION WAS THEREFORE MADE TO SHIP ALL MATERIALS WHICH WERE   OR MIGHT HAVE BEEN CONTAMINATED TO THE CECOS FACILITY IN UP- STATE N.Y. FOR ULTIMATE DISPOSAL.     

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*Source: [EPA ECHO](https://echo.epa.gov/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*