Superfund Today
A of Fact Sheets Highlighting the Superfund Program of Today and Tomorrow
SEPA
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Office of Emergency
and Remedial
Response
Outreach and Special
Projects Staff
Periodic Report
Fall 1995
9200.2-22I
PB95-963209
EPA540-R-94-072 {,
Communication Facilitates
Relocation at the Ralph Gray
Trucking Co. Site
EPA's Community Involvement Pilot
When contamination
poses an immediate
threat to the health and safety of
residents at or near a hazardous
waste site, the EPA arranges for
the relocation of affected resi-
dents. Relocation is usually
temporary, but permanent relo-
cation has sometimes been
necessary. To protect residents
''from severe hazards and threats,
EPA has relocated over 10,000
people from sites throughout all
10 regions since 1980.
While EPA excavates waste
found buried in backyards, ap-
proximately 50 families living
at the Ralph Gray Trucking Co.
site in Westminster, California
have been relocated to extended-
stay hotels and rented houses at
the government's expense. A
Community Involvement/Tem-
porary Relocation Site Office was
established to provide informa-
tion. All relocated residents have
been assigned to one of sev-
eral relocation specialists.
Site information and
the schedule of tem-
porary relocation
are quickly
communi-
In This
Issue...
EPAbWftlsittheRalphGray
TnjdingCo. ale promoted ear-
tier ptiie invohwnsnt in clean-
up decisions and ertited inno-
vative wmmurfetion tools to
ing
«p erprorwental
justed tit com-
mwrtiy,awlsfti-peteed risk.
cated through one-on-one meet-
ings with EPA staff, community
meetings, newsletters, guidance
pamphlets, fact sheets, toll-free
information numbers, and ex-
tensive press releases, as well as
constant interaction with EPA
relocation specialists.
Early and ongoing communi-
cation with the affected families
has made the relocation process
proceed smoothly and quickly.
Residents were successfully re-
located starting in August 1994
and will return to their homes
once EPA has determined the
hazardous waste threat has been
removed. Q
• Fall 1995-
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Superfund Today-Ralph Gray Trucking Co. Site Community Involvement Pilot
Residents Find a Mess in Their Backyard
To the residents in West-
minster, California, the Ralph
Gray Trucking Co. hazardous
waste site is literally a mess in
their backyards. In the early
1930's, the Ralph Gray Trucking
Co. dumped petroleum waste
products into four open pits on
land owned by his company. In
1936, Mr. Gray was convicted of
maintaining a public nuisance
after numerous complaints were
filed with local health officials
and the Westminster Chamber
of Commerce. Hewasfined$100
and ordered to "abate the nui-
sance" within 30 days. The
wastes were never removed al-
though the county health inspec-
tor continued to receive com-
plaints'.
Sowed
Ave.
In 1958, a housing developer de-
cided to build homes at this location.
He dug two trenches in the shape of
a "T" and reburied the wastes from
the original, uncovered pits. He then
built homes with their backyards on
top of the trenches. Almost immedi-
ately, black sludge, began seeping
up through the yards, pools, decks,
room additions, and patios of these
residents. The waste and soil con-
tain benzene, polyaromatic hydro-
carbons, and sulfur compounds.
These toxic wastes are suspected
of being the cause of headaches,
nausea, and respiratory problems
occurring among the residents.
Ralph Gray has since died, his
company no longer exists, and no
descendants can be found. The de-
veloper is deceased with no succes-
sors. In 1992, the site was added
to the National Priorities List
(NPL), EPA's roster of the
nation's most serious, uncon-
trolled or abandoned hazardous
waste sites that are eligible for
cleanup underthe Superfund pro-
gram. The cleanup (staking place
in two phases addressing each
trench separately. It has required
the temporary relocation of ap-
proximately 50 families, and will
cost $20 million to complete.
Buried wastes and contaminated
soil have been excavated and
disposed of in an EPA-approved
hazardous waste disposal site.
Once alt traces of the contami-
nation have been removed,
resident's backyards will be re-
stored to their original state. Q
Security Fence
Hazardous waste buried In the backyards of c/feens at the Ralph Gray Trucking Co. site.
The site
60 years
ago...
WESTMINSTER HERALD!
August 20,1936
RESIDENTS COMPLAIN
ABOUT GAS ODOR
Petitions are being circulated,I
which when filled in, wii! bef
presented to the County Board '•
of Supervisors for attention.
The petition asks the Super-|
visors to take some necessary
steps to have removed from this j
vicinity the open oil pools and/|
or the attending fumes and gasf
which are damaging crops and '•
foods, and causing illness and /
disease to those who must ,*
breath&Jhem.
Federal and State Agencies Involved in
Cleanup of the Ralph Gray Trucking Co. Site
EPA - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Became the lead agency
for the site in January 1992 at the request of the California Department of
Toxic Substances Control.
ATSDR • Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry: Com-
pleted a Public Health Assessment in 1992 and determined that the site
was a public health hazard.
DTSC - (California) Department of Toxic Substances Control: Con-
ducted a Public Health Assessment under an agreement with ATSDR and
identified contaminants of concern.
USBR - U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: Assisting EPA with environmental
sampling, engineering studies, temporary relocation services, and con-
struction management.
•Fall 1995
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Superfund TodayRalph Gray Trucking Co. Site Community Involvement Pilot
Specially-Tailored Communication
Tools Ease the Burden of Relocation
Relocating residents of a
community during a
Superfund cleanup is a formi-
dable task for both the affected
families and EPA staff. To help
with the process, EPA officials
at the Ralph Gray Trucking Co.
site used numerous communica-
tion tools specially designed to
both obtain information about
the community and to help the
community understand the pro-
cess.
Items If
-
To gain insight into the needs
of the community during the re-
location process, EPA conducted
interviews with citizens using
an extensive questionnaire. In-
terviewees responded to inquires
regarding a variety of topics such
as work shift, direct contact with
waste, respiratory problems,
physical disabilities, rental prop-
erties, pets, schools, occupations,
community meetings, and media
coverage. Data collected from
the Ralph Gray Community In-
terview Questionnaire allowed
community relations staff and
relocation specialists to meet the
specific needs of families af-
fected by the two-phased, two-
year excavation process.
One of the results of the ques-
tionnaire was the discovery that
several of the affected families
were not English-speaking. EPA
saw the need to communicate to
the community in their own lan-
guages and established toll-free
message lines in English, Viet-
namese, and Spanish. EPA also
provided Vietnamese language
coordinators on the project team
and produced fact sheets in both
English and Vietnamese.
and silver a» not left behind. In
addlort, EPA has made videos of
the ourrertt condition of residents'
tones, !nelu£lr«j ptreonai
In the houses. CPA
A copy of fif vidiotap Is given to
;«Khorwjiiner-and EPA keeps
fit ortppi.1 .;Qthej seeyrity mea-
- detectors, •
A six-page fact sheet entitled
"Temporary Relocation Infor-
mation" was published by the
EPA in January 1994 in both
English and Vietnamese. The
fact sheet described activities
taking place at the site which
necessitated the relocation pro-
cess, announced a community
meeting, and invited residents to
preview temporary housing
accommodations. It also ex-
plained who would be tempo-
rarily relocated, provided a site
map, described the temporary
accommodations, and discussed
site security and insurance. In
addition, it answered general
questions residents might have
about the relocation.
A Resident's Guide to Tem-
porary Relocation written by
EPA and the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation was published in
July 1994. This 27-page book-
let, published in English and
Vietnamese, updates residents
on relocation activities as dis-
cussed in the January fact sheet,
and also details the relocation
schedule, accommodations, and
preparations for relocation, in-
cluding moving and storage,
tack-curt -tees and
seeyi% livtets,
are being pro-
vided at each
house: Secu-
rity parts
expenses covered, security, mail,
pets, and many other issues.
Also in July, a ground-break-
ing ceremony occurred at which
participants met with the con-
tractor cleaning up the site, and
were updated on the relocation,
project and restoration sched-
ules. Facts sheets have been
published announcing each
major stage of the Superfund
process, including proposal to
the NPL, finalization on the NPL,
and the 30-day comment period
on cleanup alternatives. In
addition, newsletters are pub-
lished periodically, updating
residents on all site activities,
with an emphasis on relocation
information. G
•Fall 1995»
-------
Superfund Today-Ralph Gray Trucking Co. Site Community Involvement Pilot
Next Steps
After the last family has returned to its
home and restoration is complete, the
EPA will continue to monitor soil vapor
for approximately five years. Ground-
water is being investigated for contami-
nation; however, drinking water is not
affected by the contamination. Studies
are expected to be completed in 1995
and a final cleanup remedy should be
selected in 1996.
Even once the excavation of the bur-
ied wastes is complete, and while long-
term investigations are underway, resi-
dents will continue to have access to
EPA Community Involvement staff for
as long as they may be needed. G
FOR MORE
INFORMATION ON...
THE SITE: Fraser Felter, Community
Relations Coordinator, Region 9 -
(415)744-2181
THE SUPERFUND PROGRAM: The
EPA Superfund Hotline, (800) 412-9810
TO REPORT A HAZARDOUS
WASTE EMERGENCY...
Call the National Response Center at
(800) 424-8802
Ralph Gray Trucking Co. Site Timeline
Fall 1995 Cleapdfcexpected to be complete and all
ned to their homes
Spring 1995/2nd phase ofXxcavation and relocation
August J(f94 1st phase of excavation and relocation
1st periodic commun
newsletter issued
breaking ceremony
4ecisiort on cleanup action
per od on cleanup
c mducted
unity relations
buries waste;
; operations
Co. dumped
lucts
SEPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Mail Code 5201G
Washington, DC 20460
Printed on recycled paper
•Fall 1995
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