The state Department of Environmental Conservation has reclassified the former Kodak Hawkeye Plant in Rochester as a Class 2 state Superfund site after contaminants were found in soil, groundwater and soil vapor.
The site underwent a collection and laboratory analysis of soil, groundwater and perimeter soil gas samples between 2023 and 2024. The testing found chlorinated compounds in the subsurface soil, mainly trichloroethene — commonly used as a degreaser. The chlorinated compounds were found in groundwater samples at monitoring wells and in soil vapor. The vapor was detected in all eight onsite buildings.
While the new Class 2 designation from the DEC indicates a threat, it does not mean that people are currently being exposed to contamination.
It does, however, increase the level of oversight, investigation and cleanup at the site.
The DEC will complete a remedial investigation to define the nature and extent of the contamination, assess exposure pathways and evaluate cleanup options. It will include installing and sampling soil borings, collecting soil vapor and indoor air samples, installing and monitoring groundwater wells to monitor impacts on- and off-site.
The Hawkeye site is located at the intersection of St. Paul Street and Avenue E, backing up to the Genesee River. It was locked down last November following seven arrests for burglary and trespassing in September 2025 alone. The two St. Paul Street parcels that comprise the complex were sold in April to Linked Home Investment, LLC for $745,000. The total assessment for the properties was $1.29 million.
There are five classifications for superfund sites in New York, with 1 representing an imminent danger to causing irreversible or irreparable damage to the environment and 5 representing a site that has been properly closed and does not require further action.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Contamination found at former Kodak Hawkeye site in Rochester
