United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5502G)
EPA 520-F-93-011
Summer 1993
x>EPA Superfund At Work
Hazardous Waste Cleanup Efforts Nationwide
Site Description: An inactive
transformer salvage facility, one mile
northeast of Chehalts, Washington
Site Size: Eight acres
Primary Contaminants: Polychiori-
nated biphenyls (PCBs), asbestos,
dioxin, and heavy metals (copper
and lead)
Potential Range of Health Risks:
Dermatitis, central nervous system
disorders or cancer from direct, long-
term exposure to soil, oils and
sediments
Nearby Population: Approximately
6,670 people within a two-mile radius
Ecological Concerns: Damage to
the Coat Creek f Joodplaln and
nearby wetlands
Year Listed on NPL: N/A
EPA Region: 10
State; Washington
Congressional District; 3
Using a rotary rig, cleanup workers determine the presence of underground storage
tanks and leakage at Coal Creek site.
Success In Brief
EPA Gains Cooperation of 86 Parties
to Clean Up Coal Creek
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designed a rem-
edy that will permanently remove polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),
lead, and copper from the Coal Creek site in Chehalis, Washington.
Through careful negotiations, EPA secured the participation of all 86
waste contributors to conduct the cleanup, valued between $13 and
$15 million. These accomplishments involved:
• Designing a two-phased cleanup plan to remove and destroy
contaminants, ensuring the long-term safety of local residents
and sensitive ecosystems;
• Facilitating cooperation among the responsible parties, leading to
the formation of the Coal Creek Steering Committee, which
agreed to perform the cleanup; and
• Working with the State of Washington to evaluate site conditions
and involve the community in the selection of the remedy.
The Coal Creek site illustrates the need for a federal enforcement
program to ensure that waste contributors conduct comprehensive
cleanups that protect citizens and the environment. EPA took the lead
in coordinating cleanup activities, an important intervention at a time
when the state did not yet have its own hazardous waste cleanup law.
The Site Today
The site is stable and immediate
threats have been eliminated. The
first phase of the cleanup began in
March 1993 and is now complete.
This effort involved decontamina-
tion, demolition, and removal of *
asbestos-contaminated buildings.
Underground storage tanks were
pumped and removed, their con-
tents stored for future incineration.
The second cleanup phase is sched-
uled to begin in the fall of 1993.
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Superfund At Work • Coal Creek, Chehalis, WA • Summer 1993
The eight-acre Coal Creek
site is located one mile north-
east of Chehalis, Washington in
an area surrounded by light
commercial activity and rural
residences.The site is bordered
on two sides by Coal Creek
and lies partly within the
creek's floodplain. In addition,
wetlands in the western por-
tion of the site serve as habitat
for a variety of birds. Approxi-
mately 6,670 people live in the
City of Chehalis, and the
nearest residence is one eighth
of a mile from the site.
The site has been owned
primarily by public utilities
since the early 1900s and is
presently owned by the Lewis
County Public Utility District.
Between 1946 and 1983, utility
companies used the site for
manufacturing, repairing and
recycling, and permitted their
lessors to scrap electrical equip-
ment, including transformers,
on site. During salvage opera-
tions, transformer fluid con-
taining PCBs was drained or
spilled onto the site. Dioxins
A Site Snapshot
and heavy metals (lead and
copper) also were present due to
the handling and disposal of
scrap metal equipment, ash, and
oil. In addition, an on-site shop
building contained asbestos.
PCB, lead and copper
contamination pose
the most significant
threats to the environment
and surrounding
community
Prior to the initial cleanup, the
most extensive contaminants
were sludges confined to under-
ground storage tanks and a
mound that covered one-quarter
of the site. This mound contained
soil, ash, coal remains, mixed
debris and tainted ground water,
and was formed by improper
waste disposal practices, includ-
ing the dumping and spilling of
waste oil. A drainage ditch ex-
tended from the mound to a
wetlands area that discharged
into Coal Creek, and the shop
building sat atop a contami-
nated oil pool.
Perched ground water
trapped in the mound was
contaminated with low levels of
PCBs and chlorobenzenes, but
was not a source of drinking
water for the city. The surround-
ing environment was not signifi-
cantly affected by discharges of
contaminants from the site. The
total volume of contaminated
soil is estimated at 17,300 cubic
yards; the volume of liquid
contaminants and affected
ground water is several thou-
sand gallons. This waste will be
incinerated in the fall of 1993.
PCB, lead and copper con-
tamination posed the most
significant threats to the envi-
ronment and surrounding
community. Potential health
effects from long-term direct
exposure to these contaminants
include dermatitis, neurological
disorders, and an increased risk
of cancer. To date, no health
problems have been reported
from those who live near the
Coal Creek site.
Coal Creek
Site Timeline
* Ross Beeiric atenetons site
* Lewis County PUD stabilizes site
> Congress enacts Suptrfund
^Congress enacts Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) •
Early manufacturing
activities begin
Transformer scrap operations begin,
causing PCB contamination
>
1900s
1946
1976
1880
Page 2
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Superfund At Work • Coal Creek, Chehalis, WA • Summer 1993
Waste Contributors Clean Up Coal Creek
Complaints Lead to State and Ross Electric to clean up the site.
Federal Actions Ross Electric only partially
In 1983, the Washington State satisfied the order. EPA issued
Department of Ecology and EPA additional notices of violation
conducted a joint inspection of and levied penalties against the
the operating Coal Creek site for company. In September 1983,
compliance with state and Ross Electric abandoned the
federal pollution standards. The property and moved its opera-
operator of the site, Ross Electric tions. From that point on, the
Corporation, and the owner, Lewis County PUD assumed
responsibility for the site. At the
direction of the state, Lewis
County PUD stabilized the site
Lewis County Public Utility
District (PUD), were found to be
in violation of state and federal
regulations,
including
the fed-
eral Toxic
Substances
Control
Act (TSCA).
The State of
Washington
issued a violation
Coal Creek
Chehalis,
Washington
by covering
portions of
the waste
mound with
plastic, dam-
ming the
drainage
ditch, install-
ing ground
water monitoring
notice and an order requiring wells, and erecting a fence.
Although Coal Creek was
not placed on the NPL,
EPA remained involved
in coordinating the
cleanup activities
Some Non-NPL Sites Deserve
Federal Attention
Because the primary intent
of TSCA is to regulate and
manage the use of toxic sub-
stances — not to clean up
abandoned hazardous waste
sites — enforcement authority
was transferred to the Super-
fund program.
The site then was assessed
and scored according to criteria
that rank the nation's poten-
tially hazardous waste sites.
Those that are placed on the
National Priorities List (NPL)
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Superfund At Work • Coal Creek, Chehalis, WA • Summer 1993
are eligible for comprehensive
cleanup and funding under the
Superfund program. But the Coal
Creek site did not satisfy the
criteria for placement on the NPL.
At non-NPL sites, EPA normally
removes the primary hazards at
the site, and leaves the long-term
cleanup to the state. However, at
the time the Coal Creek site was
scored, the State of Washington
had not yet established a program
for abandoned waste sites.
In light of the potential long-
term threats at the site and ex-
pressed community concerns, the
Superfund program remained
involved and took the lead in
coordinating the cleanup activi-
ties.
EPA Organizes Cleanup
In early 1985, Lewis County
PUD failed to respond to an EPA
order requiring a study of the
immediate hazards at the site, and
so EPA initiated a site assessment.
In 1986, EPA issued notices to 86
parries who contributed contami-
nants to the site, informing them
of their cleanup responsibilities.
At the Agency's suggestion, these
parties formed the Coal Creek
Steering Committee, which
served as a decision-making body
to communicate with EPA.
The Coal Creek Steering
Committee served as a
decision-making body for
the waste contributors
In February 1988, following
negotiations with the steering
committee, EPA signed a consent
order with 66 of these parties,
requiring them to conduct a
comprehensive investigation of
the site. EPA used the data from
Former Superfund site manager Bill Glasser being interviewed by a local news
station regarding the Coal Creek's transformer and scrapping operations.
this study to calculate health risks
posed by the site and as the
technical basis for selecting its
final cleanup remedy for the site.
With the cooperation of the state
Department of Ecology, EPA
issued a proposed cleanup plan
in May 1990. A combination of
treatment and containment
remedies was selected to meet
these health-based standards,
including the following:
• Removing asbestos and
demolishing on-site struc-
tures;
• Excavating and incinerating
contaminated soil, sediment
and water trapped in the fill
area and on-site container
liquids and sludges, to
permanently destroy PCBs;
• Capping incinerator ash and
remaining soil and debris;
• Constructing trenches to
divert surface water; and
• Monitoring ground water
for five years.
These measures were designed
to prevent contaminants from
migrating into the ground water,
surface water, or air. In addition,
EPA and local authorities will
————— page 4 —————
restrict future land and ground
water use to ensure the integrity
of the cap.
In June, EPA held a public
meeting to discuss this plan and
to invite public comment. EPA's
preferred cleanup method was
finalized, with state concurrence,
and embodied in the Agency's
October 1990 Record of Decision.
Negotiations Completed in Four
Months
In February 1991, the Coal
Creek Steering Committee en-
tered into further negotiations
with EPA and the U.S. Depart-
ment of Justice. Four months
later, two separate agreements
were reached in which all 86 of
the contributing parties agreed to
pay for the cleanup, valued
between $13 and $15 million.
Under the first agreement, 63
of the site's large waste contribu-
tors agreed to perform the
cleanup and to fully reimburse
EPA for oversight and monitoring
costs. The second agreement
required 23 de minimis parties
(companies or individuals who
contributed hazardous materials
continued on page 5
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Superfund At Work • Coal Creek, Chehalis, WA • Summer 1993
Waste
Contributors
Cleanup
continued from page 4
that were minimal in both volume
and toxicity) to put their share of
the costs into a trust fund estab-
lished for the cleanup. The pooled
resources help to ensure that the
cleanup remains on schedule.
Planned Cleanup Tailored to
Contamination
The first phase of cleanup
began in March 1993 and is
now complete. This work in-
volved decontaminating on-site
buildings by removing asbestos
and waste oil, and demolishing
them. Underground storage tanks
were pumped, removed, and
their contents temporarily stored
on site. Rainwater run-off controls
were installed and contaminated
3" Oil/Watej/ •
Separator
Discharge Line
t
N
(Not To Scale)
The Coal Creek site as it appeared before cleanup
water is currently being treated.
The second, more complex,
cleanup phase is scheduled to
begin in the fall of 1993 and is
expected to take nine months. The
focus of this phase is the excava- continued on page 6
tion and incineration of soil and
wastes temporarily stored during
the initial phase. Ground water
trapped inside the waste pile also
State Authority of Non-NPL Sites
Since the passage of the
Superfund law in 1980, states
have become Mcreasingiy
involved in working with EPA
to cocsrdtaate site cleanups. As
of 1992,29 states and US.
territories have enfoKBment
authority and the resources to
conduct removal and remedial
actions at non-NPL sites.
Twelve other states have
passed legislation to conduct or
compel private party cleanups
of non-NPL sites/ but have
undertaken limited cleanup
activities. The remaining 11
states and territories lack either
enforcement authority or
funds, Only Nebraska and the
District of Columbia do not nave
their own cleanup programs.
State 'SttperfuneT laws autho-
rize a broad range of activities at
non-NPL sites. State programs
vary, but often share the follow-
ing characteristics:
* Procedures for emergency
response actions and long-
term cleanup of hazardous
wastes;
* ftovMcaisforafundor
financing mechanism to pay
for studies and cleanup; and
* Enforcement authority to
compel responsible parties
to do the work
When the cleanup began at
Coal Creek, the State of WashSng-
Pages
ton did not yet have its own
hazardous waste cleanup law,
so WA took the lead to ensure
that the site would be cleaned
mp. In 1988, the State of Wash-
ington passed the Model
Toxics Control Act, authoriz-
ing two accounts for funding
state cleanup of hazardous
waste sites, enforcement
meehamtsms to compel
cleanup, and pubEe participa-
tion procedures. As a result,
Washington now has the
authority to ccaoapR^ensively
address hazardous waste sites
and respond to cornmtmity
concerns.
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Superfund At Work • Coal Creek, Chehalis, WA • Summer 1993
Cleanup
continued from page 5
will be incinerated. Engineers will
assemble a temporary, on-site
incinerator to burn liquids,
sludge, and soil.
All 86 of the contributing
parties agreed to conduct
the cleanup
The incinerator will destroy
virtually all of the hazardous
materials and toxins in the wastes,
including PCBs. The resulting ash
will be tested for metal content to
determine whether it can safely
be landfilled or placed on the site
under an impermeable cover.
Ash, which has the potential to
leach metals into the environ-
ment, will be solidified to pre-
vent dispersion into soil and
ground water before it is land-
filled.
After the cleanup, the respon-
sible parties will monitor ground
water for a minimum of five
years and will ensure that no
drinking water wells are drilled.
A fence has been constructed
around the property and will be
maintained indefinitely as part of
long-term site security. Locally-
enforced deed restrictions will
limit other future uses of the site.
Success at
Coal Creek
By taking the lead in
coordinating cleanup actions
at Coal Creek, EPA's Super-
fund program reached two
agreements with all 86 waste
contributors to treat and
contain contaminants.
These actions wiE ensure
that hazardous chemicals do
not further contaminate
ground water or spread off
site, protecting the long-
term safety of local residents
and the environment.
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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
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