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                                                 Solid Waste and
                                                 Emergency Response
                                                 (5502G)
                                               EPA520-F-92-017
                                                     Fall 1992
                  Superfund At  Work
                  Hazardous Waste Cleanup Efforts Nationwide

 Site Description: An industrial
 park in Mclntosh, Alabama, sur-
 rounded by farm and forest land,
 and bordered by a floodplain
 Site Size: 1,500 acres
 Primary Contaminants:
 DDT, Undone and herbicides
 Potential Range of Health Risks
 Without EPA Cleanup:
 From chronic health effects to
 cancer, resulting from ingestion of
 contaminated ground water
 Nearby Population Affected:
 250 in the town of Mclntosh; 500
 within greater municipal area
 Ecological Concerns: Contamina-
 tion of Tombigbee River and
 associated wetlands.  Potential
 effects on area wildlife.
 Year Listed on the NPL:  1983
 EPA Region: IV
 State: Alabama
 Congressional District: 1
         EPA Launches Soil Cleanup at Ciba-Geigy Site
EPA's most recent cleanup plan involves the excavation and treatment of
approximately 130,000 cubic yards of DDT-contaminated soil. Workers
pictured above use a rotary rig to collect soil samples.
Success In Brief

EPA Wins Ciba-Geigy's Full

Cooperation to Clean Up Alabama Site

  On March 31,1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) reached an agreement with Ciba-Geigy Corporation in Mcln-
tosh, Alabama to clean up soil and ground water contaminated by
DDT, herbicides, and chemicals. This agreement is one of the largest
private party settlements in Superfund history, valued at approxi-
mately  $120 million. EPA activities at the site included:
  •  Conducting preliminary contamination investigations jointly
     with the Alabama Environmental Health Administration,
     beginning in 1979;
  •  Designing a multi-phased cleanup that is responsive to the
     complex nature of the contamination and reduces potential risk
     to the local population and environment; and
  •  Awarding a grant to a community group to help them participate
     in cleanup decisions.
  Ciba-Geigy, like EPA, has made consistent efforts to build and
maintain good relations with the community. The public participates
in decisions regarding the cleanup process, and maintains a dialogue
with EPA about changing site conditions. These efforts demonstrate
the increasing trend toward cooperation between industries, local
communities, and EPA at Superfund sites.

                               The Site Today
                                 The first phase of cleanup —
                               ground water treatment — is
                               operating and significantly reduc-
                               ing contamination. The company
                               continues to monitor ground
                               water to ensure contaminants do
                               not migrate from the site.  Ciba-
                               Geigy is presently drafting a
                               cleanup design workplan for the
                               second phase of work to remove
                               and treat approximately 130,000
                               cubic yards of contaminated soil.
                               Sampling and analysis for a third
                               phase of work has also begun to
                               address the extent of remaining
                                            continued on page 3

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                        Supertund At Work  •  Ciba-Geigy, Mclntosh, Alabama  •  Fall 1992
  The Ciba-Geigy Superfund
site is located on 1,500 acres in
Mclntosh, Alabama, approxi-
mately 50 miles north of Mobile.
The actual contamination is
confined to 20 acres of the
actual site. Some 250 people
live in Mclntosh, but the mu-
nicipal area serves over 500
residents. The surrounding
area is forested, providing a
habitat for wildlife and a liveli-
hood for loggers. The south-
eastern portion of the property
is located along the floodplain
of the Tombigbee River, which
flows into the Gulf of Mexico.
Immediately east of the site is a
185,000-acre wetland and forest
area, containing several habitat
types and supporting a variety
of protected and endangered
species, including the American
alligator and various migratory
birds.
  Geigy Chemical Corporation
began operations in 1952, first
producing the pesticide DDT,
and later brighteners, herbi-
cides, insecticides and other
agricultural and industrial
products. In 1970, Geigy
 A Site Snapshot

merged with Ciba Industry,
forming Ciba-Geigy Corporation.
The company ceased producing
DDT in the mid-1960s. The
suspected carcinogen was banned
by EPA in 1972. Ciba-Geigy
currently produces resins and
additives for the plastics industry,
as well as other chemical prod-
ucts. Adjacent to the Ciba-Geigy
property  is another chemical
manufacturer, Olin-Mathieson,
which began producing chlorine
and caustic soda in 1953. Olin-
Mathieson is itself a Superfund
site because of mercury contami-
nated soil, ground water and
surface water.  Together, Ciba-
Geigy and Olin-Mathieson are
major employers in Washington
County, providing over half of
the jobs for people in the Mcln-
tosh area.
  Prior to 1965, Geigy discharged
its wastewater directly into the
Tombigbee River. After 1965, the
company began neutralizing its
wastewater before discharging it
into the river in accordance with
state and federal standards. Ciba-
Geigy also disposed of its waste
in several on-site areas, resulting
in extensive soil and ground
water contamination.  Asa
result of these disposal prac-
tices, the Tombigbee River
floodplain may also be affected.
The primary contaminants
include: chlorinated pesticides
(including DDT), manufac-
tured pesticides (lindane,
atrazine, and some volatile
organic compounds), heavy
metals (including lead, chro-
mium, copper and arsenic),
and cyanide.
  Potential contamination of
the Tombigbee River floodplain
poses an undetermined threat
to local wildlife and their
habitat. Pathways of potential
exposure to hazardous sub-
stances include drinking con-
taminated ground water, eating
the meat of wildlife that feed in
the affected area, and contami-
nation of workers at the site
through direct contact. Al-
though the aquifer beneath the
contaminated soil is not a
current source of drinking
water, its future use could be
endangered if contaminated soil
is not permanently cleaned up.
  Ciba-Geigy Site Timeline
                                 • Geigy begins to neutralize and
                                  treat wastewater before release
                                  into river
                                 1 Geigy halts DDT production
                                 Local
                                 reports of
                                 diazinon
                                 release and
                                 fish-kill
             Disposal of DDT and insecticides into
                      Tombigbee River
                                1 DDT banned from the U.S. market
                                   • Geigy merges with
                                    Ciba Industry
 1952
                          1965
         1968    1970    1972
                                            Page 2

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                          Superfund At Work  •  Ciba-Geigy, Mclntosh, Alabama  •  Fall 1992
   Cleanup at the Ciba-Geigy site
represents a huge effort on the
part of the company, which has
complied with EPA requirements
at all stages of the process. Suc-
cessful decontamination of the site
represents an equally strong effort
on the part of EPA's Superfund
program. Throughout the pro-
cess, channels of communication
between EPA, Ciba-Geigy and the
community have been open,
enabling the complex cleanup to
proceed smoothly.

Site Discovery Leads
to EPA Action
   From the mid-1950s to the early
1960s, some Mclntosh residents
detected fumes emanating from
the Geigy site. They were reas-
sured by plant personnel that the
fumes were not harmful. In 1968,
community members also noted a
large fish-kill resulting from an
accidental release of diazinon, a
widely used pesticide, into the
Tombigbee River. At that time,
people were unaware of the risks
associated with most chemicals.
   In the late 1970s and early
1980s, several members of the
Mclntosh community became
concerned about potential health
risks associated with ground
water contamination. Some felt
they lacked sufficient information
on contamination of this potential
drinking water source to satisfy
their concerns. In 1979, when
mercury poisoning from the Olin-
Mathieson Company was discov-
ered in local fish, EPA and the
State Health Administration
began sampling ground and
surface water. Through this
preliminary investigation, a
variety of hazardous chemicals
other than mercury were de-
tected, implicating Ciba-Geigy as
the source of contamination.
DDT, chloroform and chloroben-
zene were found in nearby sur-
face  and ground water.
   In August 1982, EPA con-
ducted another investigation of
the Olin-Mathieson Company.
As part of this investigation, EPA
sampled a water well on Ciba-
Geigy property. These studies
indicated the presence of hazard-
ous substances that warranted
                 • EPA and the Alabama Department of Environmental
                 Management begin investigating surface and ground
                 water at the site
                      • Superfund program enacted
                      • EPA conducts preliminary investigations at
                      Ciba-Geigy
                              • EPA discovers contaminated ground
                              water on Ciba-Geigy property
                               m • Ciba-Geigy is placed on the
                               I    National Priorities List
                                  Site Today
                                  continued from page 1
                                  contamination in soil, sediments,
                                  water, fish and wildlife. In July
                                  1992, in consultation with
                                  Alabama's  Department of Envi-
                                  ronmental Management, EPA
                                  selected a remedy for the fourth
                                  and final cleanup phase, a con-
                                  taminated bluffline area.
         • EPA issues Ciba-Geigy a permit specifying cleanup of
          surface and ground water as well as determining extent of
          contamination    ^
                           1 EPA issues first formalized cleanup plan
                                                         r
                                    • EPA issues second cleanup plan
                                                                         • Ciba-Geigy signs $120 million
                                                                          agreement to clean up
                                                                          soil and begins remedial
                                                                          design workplan to
                                                                          accomplish cleanup
            1979 1980    19821983

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                          Superfund At Work  •  Ciba-Geigy, Mclntosh, Alabama  •  Fall 1992
at Ciba-Geigy. In September
1983, the site was added to the
National Priorities List (NPL), a
roster of the nation's waste sites
eligible for comprehensive
cleanup under the Superfund
program.

EPA Uses Two Environmental
Statutes to Regulate Cleanup
  Generally, Superfund sites are
subject to the guidelines of one
statute, the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Com-
pensation and Liability Act
(CERCLA), commonly known as
Superfund. CERCLA regulates
the cleanup of waste generated in
the past, by both active and inac-
tive facilities. Prior to the enact-
ment of CERCLA in 1980, the
Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976
served as the regulatory standard
for tracking hazardous substances
from generation to disposal.
RCRA requires procedures to be
used in treating, storing, and
disposing of hazardous wastes at
currently operating facilities.
   EPA evaluated various cleanup
alternatives at the Ciba-Geigy site
and decided to control contami-
nation through both RCRA and
CERCLA. RCRA laws govern the
cleanup standards for ground
water (since production at the
facility is on-going), and CERCLA
provides the federal standard for
soil, sludges and chemical resi-
dues from past disposal activities.

Contaminated Ground Water is
the First Focus of Cleanup
   Cleanup at the site began in
October 1985, when EPA issued
Ciba-Geigy a RCRA permit and
corrective action plan, directing
them to: (1) clean up contami-
nated surface and ground water;
(2) conduct a detailed investiga-
tion to determine the scope of soil
   Technician uses a splitspoon sampling device to collect soil samples along the
   floodplain of the Tombigbee River.
 contamination; and (3) close ten
 waste holding and transport units
 at the site.
   hi 1987 and pursuant to the
 1985 corrective action plan, Ciba-
 Geigy installed a $3 million
 pumping system for the intercep-
 tion and removal of contaminated
 ground water from the shallow
 aquifer underneath the site.  Also
 in 1987, Ciba-Geigy began using
 an above-ground waste water
 treatment system, valued at $73
 million, which involves the use of
 bacteria and other biological
 organisms to treat waste water.
 In 1988, Ciba-Geigy began using
 an innovative ground water
 treatment, involving the use of
 bacteria and other biological
 organisms, to control ground
 water contamination. The waste
 water treatment system also
 treats process water from the
 operating facility as well as the
 first inch of storm flow runoff
 from the site. The company
 installed four corrective action
 monitoring wells downstream of
 the pumping wells to monitor the
 effectiveness of the removal
 system. Today, the ground water

-^—— Page 4  —————
treatment system continues to
significantly reduce contaminants
in the water.

EPA Undertakes a Multi-Faceted
Soil Cleanup
  In 1989, EPA Superfund issued
its first technical plan, endorsing
the continuation of the treatment
system for the shallow aquifer, hi
addition, EPA evaluated the
alternatives and risks posed by
the contaminants as they relate to
the Superfund portions of the site
(i.e., those areas no longer in
active use by Ciba-Geigy), and
outlined three future cleanup
activities for the site. These
activities will address:
  • Contamination of soil at ten
     of the eleven former waste
     management areas;
  • Contamination within the
     floodplain of the Tombigbee
     River close to the site; and
  • Contamination of soil in
     former waste management
     Area #8, which was ad-
     dressed separately. The
     debris at this location and a
     separate bluffline required a
     different technical approach.
               continued on page 5

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                         Superfund At Work  •  Ciba-Geigy, Mclntosh, Alabama  •  Fall 1992
Cleanup

Commitment
continued from page 4
  Throughout 1990 and into
1991, EPA, the State of Alabama
and Ciba-Geigy worked together
to develop a comprehensive
cleanup plan for approximately
130,000 cubic yards of contami-
nated soil.
  In September  1991, following a
period of public  comment, EPA
formalized this cleanup strategy
by issuing its second technical
plan. EPA's goals for this phase
of soil cleanup were to:  (1) reduce
or eliminate the threat of direct
contact with contaminants by
removing the first 12 inches of
contaminated soil; (2) remove
contaminated soil that endangers
the aquifer; (3) develop a flexible
strategy, including thermal
treatment, to clean up soil with
varying levels of contamination,
and at varying depths above and
below 20 feet; and (4) restrict
future land and ground water use
at and around the site. EPA and
the company are now finalizing
the engineering plan and  detailed
designs.
  Once soil is excavated,  it will
be treated by different methods,
depending on the type and
severity of contamination. EPA
has left its treatment plan flexible
to accommodate the use of inno-
vative technologies such as
bioremediation and vacuum
extraction.  Bioremediation in-
volves the use of microorganisms
to consume toxic compounds.
Vacuum extraction removes
contaminants from the soil by
means of a vacuum or forced air
device, and is generally used with
other technologies.
  Excavated soil and sludge with
high levels of contamination —
approximately 65,000 cubic yards
— will be thermally treated on-
site.  An additional 62,000 cubic
yards of moderately contami-
nated soil and sludge will be
treated by stabilization/solidifica-
tion. This process involves mix-
ing the soil with hardening
agents, such as cement, to immo-
bilize the contaminants. Treated
soil and ash from the thermal
treatment process and treated
material from any other process
will be disposed of at an on-site,
approved facility. Sampling and
analysis of the floodplain began in
May 1992. At this time, EPA's
proposed cleanup for Area #8
was also presented to the Mcln-
tosh community.

Largest  Single
Private Party Agreement in
Superfund History
  On March 31,1992, Ciba-Geigy
signed an agreement to perform
the second phase of work, and to
pay for 100% of EPA's past costs.
This single agreement, presently
valued at approximately $120
million, represents the largest
single private party settlement in
Superfund history.  The company
has already spent $75 million
for ground water treatment. In
addition, Ciba-Geigy will reim-
burse EPA for oversight costs and
will pay for all future expenses
associated with the site, including
$50 million for the cleanup of
Area #8. The cost of the third
phase of cleanup (the flood-
plain), if required, has yet  to be
determined.
EPA and Ciba-Geigy
Promote Strong
Community
Relations

  The Ciba-Geigy site pro-
vides an encouraging example
of a local population and an
industry who are successfully
bridging their differences.
EPA facilitates communication
links between the company
and the neighboring commu-
nity.
  In 1970, Ciba-Geigy began
publishing a monthly newslet-
ter for employees and commu-
nity neighbors about company
operations. During the 1970s,
Ciba-Geigy held open houses,
inviting groups to tour the
plant facilities. Ciba-Geigy
holds regular, advisory
meetings with Mclntosh
community members to
discuss the on-going cleanup
process. Ciba-Geigy kept
Mclntosh residents and
elected officials informed
through regular informational
mailings.
  EPA has a vigorous com-
munity relations program in
Mclntosh which aims at
keeping the residents as well-
informed as possible. Toward
this end, EPA holds regular
meetings with citizens, city
council members, and other
elected officials. As part of
these meetings, EPA invites
local residents to comment on
cleanup plans.  In addition,
EPA uses local newspapers,
radio, and direct mail to
announce events.
                                             Pages

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                           Superfund At Work  • Ciba-Geigy, Mclntosh, Alabama  •  Fall 1992
EPA Technical Assistance Grants Give
Communities Greater Access to Information
   In May 1992, the Mclntosh
Community Action Committee
was awarded a Technical Assis-
tance Grant (TAG), and is now in
the process of hiring a technical
advisor to assist them in under-
standing the actions taken at the
site. They will be better equipped
to make an informed assessment
of the potential health and envi-
ronmental effects associated with
the on-going cleanup activities at
the site.

What is a Technical Assistance
Grant (TAG)?
  As part of the Superfund
Amendments and Reauthoriza-
tion Act (SARA) of 1986, EPA
identified the need to involve
communities affected by
Superfund sites. The TAG Pro-
gram provides up to $50,000 in
funds to assist qualified local
groups in hiring independent
technical advisors.  These advisors
help residents interpret technical
elements of hazardous sites, so
that they may comment on a
range of cleanup decisions that
directly affect their community.
The group contributes 20 percent
of the total cost of the project in
matching funds, and will typically
manage the TAG for an average
of three years.  Only one TAG is
awarded per Superfund site.
  Detailed information on appli-
cations and eligibility require-
ments is outlined in the Superfund
  Success at Ciba-Geigy
     The Ciba-Geigy Mclntosh
  Plant site provides a positive
  example of how the
  Superfund program is de-
  signed to work—namely,
  getting private parties to
  voluntarily clean up hazard-
  ous waste sites. EPA and
  Ciba-Geigy have successfully
  coordinated efforts to com-
  municate with the affected
  community and build an
  atmosphere of trust.
Technical Assistance Grant Hand-
book and The Citizens' Guidance
Manual for the Technical Assistance
Grant Program, both available
through EPA Regional Superfund
or Grants offices.
   If you wish to be added to our mailing list or to comment on this bulletin's
   content, length or format, please call (703) 603-8984, or send a letter to
    Superfund At Work (5502G), 401 M Street SW, Washington, DC 20460
                  For additional copies of this or other Superfund At Work updates, contact the
                  National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, 5285
                     Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161, telephone (703) 487-4650.
 v EPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency
5502G
Washington, D.C. 20460

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