The IBM Plume

Through the Sustainable Communities Master's of Science program at Binghamton University, the community response to industrial pollution was studied through two case studies: the Navy/Grumman Plume of Bethpage, NY and the IBM Plume of Endicott, NY. Keep reading this Story Map for a summary of the IBM Plume timeline, an analysis of the community response, and research outcomes from this project.

The timeline was compiled using information from local news outlets ( Press Connects ,  WBNG ,  WSKG ), government agencies such as the  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,  Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,  NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) , and  NY Department of Health (DOH) . The  Binghamton University Libraries  and  Google  were used to find additional sources, such as  Facebook  and  Reddit  groups, organizational webpages, published journal articles, and books. The book  Toxic Town: IBM, Pollution, and Industrial Risks  was especially useful in researching this plume.

To analyze the community response to the industrial pollution, three stakeholders were interviewed. These stakeholders were either residents of Endicott, worked at IBM, were involved in remediation efforts, or a combination of these. Then, additional data was analyzed using online platforms  EJScreen: Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool ,  DECinfo Locator ,  DataUSA , and  Census Reporter .

IBM was located on a 140 acre property in Endicott, a village in the Southern Tier of New York with about 13,500 residents. Endicott has a majority white population and a mix of homeowners and renters. Since 2013, the homeownership rate of Endicott residents remained within the 40-45% percent range, lower than the average of 55% in the surrounding area. The median household income was found to be $42,035 in 2021. One interviewee noted growing racial and class tensions in recent years. The IBM Plume reached 300 acres in the aquifer flowing south that discharges into the Susquehanna River.

By 2015, 800,000 pounds of TCE and other toxic chemicals were removed. The DEC claimed that 80% of the spill under homes south of the IBM campus had been remediated but were continuing to operate their treatment systems. One interviewee described IBM as “writing blank checks” for whatever remediation efforts the DEC or other agencies requested. They also called IBM “progressive” for experimenting with thermal remediation.

All three interviewees were confident that IBM was responsible for the plume and remediation. One interviewee described IBM as “writing blank checks” for whatever remediation efforts the DEC or other agencies requested. They also called IBM “progressive” for experimenting with thermal remediation.

They also explained how there are many mixed feelings in the community. “I think the alarm of the IBM contamination was a bit more concerning because of the scale and size and uncertainties around the chemicals that were being used in that plant…” this interviewee stated when discussing residents’ feelings relative to the previous legacy pollution of the Endicott-Johnson Tannery. “It's still not totally clear to me how much residents in the late seventies, early eighties, were really made aware of what had happened… The public awareness and visibility of the problem, you know, really didn't really come into full force, right, until they really sold off their facility.”

Many residents and former employees felt that their cancer was caused by the IBM Plume.  A CDC study released in 2008  found that IBM workers had increased mortality due to melanoma, lymphoma, kidney cancer, brain cancer, and breast cancer.  A follow up study in 2014  found that the incidences of cancer were lower overall for employees of IBM Endicott in relation to the general population, but there were higher incidences of rectal cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, mesothelioma, pleural cancer, and testicular cancer. This study examined records from 34,494 former employees of IBM from 1969-2001. It did not assess individual circumstances and could not linked illnesses directly to exposure. Also in 2014, another study was released that  associated low birth rates and maternal cardiac issues with the TCE exposure .

This interviewee continued to explain how residents were not discouraged by these results, but put their energy into monitoring remediation efforts instead. Another interviewee explained that different stakeholders were confused about how at risk they were for health problems since some worked at IBM, some lived nearby, and others were exposed at work and home.

Many residents have dealt with property devaluation of their homes. The median property value in Endicott was found to be $102,000 in 2022, which is almost $40,000 less than the median property value of the surrounding area. To compensate for property devaluation, IBM offered $10,000 payouts to residents who lived above the plume if they agreed not to sue.

Another interviewee suggested that many elderly residents felt pressured to take the payout in case they couldn’t see the class action lawsuit through. This interviewee even claimed that the elderly population was the most affected by the plume as they may have experienced costly health issues and home devaluation while living on fixed retirement or social security checks.

Since IBM left Endicott, other industries have attempted to move in and have been very closely “scrutinized”, as described by an interviewee. In 2018, it was announced that SungEel MCC Americas would recycle lithium-ion batteries iM3NY’s manufacturing. Residents expressed concerns about toxic contamination that could come from these operations over the following two years. Despite the DEC approving the plans and experts reassuring the public, residents with concerns about perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) contamination protested. The Endicott Board of Trustees then passed a local law prohibiting recycling facilities in industrial zones in 2021.

Since then, Phoenix Investors purchased the former IBM campus from Huron Real Estate Associates, LLC. They began renovating buildings for the new businesses at the campus. iM3NY brought lithium-ion battery manufacturing to the campus with plans to employ 1000 people in the surrounding area. BAE Systems, also located at the campus, won contracts to provide electric hybrid propulsion systems for transit buses in New York City and Broome County. Ubiquity Solar announced plans to manufacture solar panels at this site. The same interviewee who claimed that new businesses were being scrutinized, also claimed that they were being “welcomed”. When asked why, they responded, “Well because we need the jobs. This is a very poor area. There’s a big demand on food donations.” In 2022, 29.5% of Endicott residents were found to be living below the poverty line. This rate is 1.5 times higher than the surrounding area and double the average rate of poverty in New York State.

Several community groups arose in response to the IBM plume and remediation. The DOH facilitated the creation of the Residents Action Group of Endicott (RAGE). An interviewee recalled that the group started with about 15 residents at a public meeting.

RAGE even began their own investigation of another toxic waste spill on the campus by EIT in 2006. They filed a lawsuit against IBM in 2008. Another group called Citizens Acting to Restore Endicott’s Environment (CARE) was started by Bernadette Patrick and Sharon Oxx whose daughters both had illnesses they attributed to the IBM plume. Later, a few members from RAGE and CARE joined the Western Broome Environmental Stakeholders Coalition (WBESC), an organization the DOH helped to facilitate. By 2014, all members were working with state and federal agencies to facilitate remediation and research the cancer rates of former IBM employees. One interviewee stated, “I think the agencies listened to us, and we really didn't work directly with IBM… I believe, IBM followed what the agencies wanted and so that was our influence”. They continued to explain how IBM representatives never responded to their meeting invitations.

Each interviewee concluded their interview with advice. One recommended that concerned stakeholders should keep up with reports and read them carefully. Another suggested that new industries should organize meetings with the public to show them what their process is and how they could be affected. They also noted the importance of reporters being able to build onto one cohesive story, instead of putting out short stories without context. The third interviewee stressed that the tenant notification bill must be properly enforced to protect new residents moving into Endicott and wanted stakeholders to understand that “dilution is the solution”.

Based on the results of the IBM Plume case study described above and the  Navy/Grumman Plume , the following recommendations can be made.

• Industrial leaders should take a proactive stance in addressing contamination to avoid bad press, legal fees, and the high costs of remediation.
• Industrial leaders should have an economic development plan in place to provide job opportunities and essential businesses for the surrounding area if they leave.
• Government officials should use their positions to hold responsible parties accountable and provide a platform for stakeholders to participate.
• Government officials are essential in writing and passing new legislation that will prevent the same issues happening again in the future.
• Community stakeholders are most effective when they organize into groups. This can foster relationships between community members, industrial leaders, and government officials to improve communication and remediation of industrial pollution.

•  Navy/Grumman Plume Story Map 
•  Full Research Paper