United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5502G)
EPA 520-F-94-003
Fall 1993
x> EPA Su pertu nd At Work
Hazardous Waste Cleanup Efforts Nationwide
Big D Campground
Site Profile
Site Description:
A former sand and gravel quarry in
Ashtabula County, Ohio
Site Size: 7.5 acres
Primary Contaminants:
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
including toluene diisocyanate (TDI),
and heavy metals such as barium,
chromium, lead, and nickel
Potential Range of Health Risks:
VOCs are suspected carcinogens;
heavy metals can cause liver,
kidney, and neurological effects
Nearby Population;
3,900 within 3-mile radius
Ecological Concerns:
Conneaut Creek, Lake Erie
Year Listed on NPL: 1983
EPA Region: 5
State: Ohio
Congressional District: 11
An estimated 14,000 drums containing manufacturing waste turned the quarry into a
hazardous landfill.
Success In Brief
EPA Orders Incineration of
Hazardous Chemicals
A quarter mile from the old Big D Campground, a sand and gravel
quarry in Ashtabula County, Ohio served as a landfill for solvents,
caustic chemicals and oily substances. These industrial by-products
polluted soil and ground water over a 12-year period. Olin Chemical
Corporation contributed the bulk of the waste and was liable for the ;
cleanup under the Superfund law. Olin took several early actions to
stabilize the landfill but refused to conduct a comprehensive
remediation. When negotiations stalled, EPA ordered the company to
incinerate the hazardous wastes and purify the ground water. High-
lights of the overall effort included:
Destruction of 93,000 cubic yards and 14,000 drums of hazardous
materials;
Extraction and treatment of ground water, including a 30-year
monitoring program; and
An interactive community relations program that fostered public
participation in the cleanup process.
Actions taken at the Big D Campground site demonstrate EPA's
persistence in enforcing the provisions of Superfund while designing a
remedy protective of Ohio residents.
The Site Today
By responding to local resi-
dents' concerns and familiarizing
them with activities at the site,
EPA and Olin won strong commu-
nity support for the cleanup.
Under EPA supervision, Olin is
currently destroying hazardous
contaminants in a mobile incinera-
tor and operating an on-site waste-
water treatment plant. The U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers is pro-
viding oversight support and the
state will assist in a 30-year moni-
toring program.
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Superfund At Work Big D Campground Site, Kingsville, OH Fall 1993
The Big D Campground site
is a former 7.5 acre sand and
gravel quarry in Ashtabula
County, Ohio. The site bears
the name of a defunct private
campground one-quarter mile
away, but the two have no
relationship. The quarry is less
than two miles from Kingsville
Township on Creek Road.
Between 1964 and 1976, the
quarry converted to a landfill
for the disposal of industrial
waste. Olin Chemical Com-
pany transported solvents,
caustics and oily substances to
the site from a manufacturing
plant in the county. Soil and
ground water at the site were
contaminated with volatile
organic compounds (VOCs),
A Site Snapshot
including toluene diisocyanate
(TDI), a specialty chemical used in
the fabrication of cushions, bed-
ding, and car seat foam. Heavy
metals including barium, chro-
mium, lead and nickel were
present in varying concentrations.
Surface water and sediments in
nearby Conneaut Creek, which
Big D Campground Site
Kingsville, Ohio
drains into Lake Erie, also were
contaminated with low concen-
trations of VOCs and heavy
metals. Some VOCs are sus-
pected carcinogens; long-term
exposure to heavy metals is
associated with liver, kidney,
and neurological effects.
Approximately 3,900 people
live within a three-mile radius
of the site; the closest residence
is only 500 feet away. Some
homes were connected to the
municipal water system at the
time EPA was completing site
investigations in 1988. Other
homes will be connected before
the end of 1993. Contamination
of the aquifer was fairly exten-
sive due to pollutants migrat-
ing north of the site.
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JS. EtwffoamiMal Protection Agency
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Page 2
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Superfund At Work Big D Campground Site, Kingsville, OH Fall 1993
Company Discovers
Contamination
In the early 1960s, sand and
gravel quarries across the country
degenerated into disposal pits for
demolition debris, hazardous
chemicals and industrial wastes.
These materials invariably pol-
luted the soil, ground water, and
surrounding habitat. Laws pre-
venting irresponsible waste
disposal practices wouldn't be
written for another 20 years.
One such quarry in Ashtabula
County, Ohio served as a landfill
for more than 12 years. Olin
Chemical Corporation, a major
contributor of waste to the site,
transported an estimated 14,000
drums containing manufacturing
wastes to the quarry. These
drums were buried under con-
secutive layers of dirt; the landfill
eventually encompassed 7.5 acres.
In 1978, Olin investigated possible
contamination problems while
stabilizing the landfill, badly
eroded by rain and snow. Olin
collected water samples from
three ground water monitoring
wells; analysis revealed the
presence of volatile organic com-
pounds (VOCs). In response to
complaints from local residents,
the State of Ohio Environmental
Protection Agency (OEPA) con-
ducted investigations and con-
firmed the ground water contami-
nation. In 1982, the state notified
EPA, requesting assistance under
the new Superfund program.
Two years earlier, Congress
had enacted the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Com-
pensation, and Liability Act
(CERCLA) establishing the
Superfund program to address
thousands of hazardous waste
sites nationwide. CERCLA
empowered EPA to compel
those responsible for contami-
nating sites to undertake pre-
scribed cleanup actions. In
September 1983, EPA added the
Big D Campground site to the
National Priorities List (NPL), a
roster of hazardous waste sites
requiring cleanup under the
Superfund program.
Earlier that spring, erosion of
the landfill's surface exposed
buried drums. In response, Olin
covered them over with clay and
reinforced the base of the slope.
Olin also dug a collection trench
to remove rainwater from the
EPA conducts comprehensive studies
r'
\ EPA sdects comprehensive remedy
/ .Public mflfltina
r
EPA orders OHn to design and
conduct cleanup
/ -Open house and tours of site
Excavation ml I
Ground water deanup begins
1988 1989 1990
1S92 1993 1994
Page3
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Superfund At Work Big D Campground Site, Kingsville, OH Fall 1993
covered area, and installed eleven
monitoring wells to measure the
presence of any off-site move-
ment of polluted ground water.
EPA ordered Olin to
conduct both phases of
the work
Site Investigations Determine
Cleanup Design
From late 1983 to early 1986,
EPA had a difficult time negotiat-
ing with Olin to conduct field
investigations; the company
ultimately refused to participate.
Using Superfund resources, EPA
performed the studies in Novem-
ber 1986 and analyzed a number
of alternatives to clean up the
Big D Campground site. EPA
sampled soil, surface and ground
water, sediment, and wastes at
the site to determine the type,
quantity, and location of contami-
nants and the rate of migration.
After this evaluation, EPA pro-
posed a remedy consisting of two
phases: on-site incineration of
bulk wastes and contaminated
soil, and treatment of ground
water at an on-site wastewater
treatment plant. The cleanup
proposal reflected an attempt to
permanently eliminate rather
than merely contain or move
contaminated materials.
EPA presented cleanup options
at a public meeting and incorpo-
rated community concerns when
selecting the remedy for the site.
In September 1989, EPA entered
into negotiations with Olin to
perform the cleanup work, but
once again, Olin refused to volun-
tarily cooperate. In response, in
March 1990, EPA issued a unilat-
eral administrative order requiring
Olin to design and perform both
phases of the cleanup. Failure to
comply with such an order could
have resulted in fines of up to
$25,000 per day. If EPA conducted
the cleanup, Olin could have been
sued for up to three times the
actual cleanup cost. Five weeks
after the order was issued, Olin
sent EPA a notice of intent to
comply by agreeing to pay for,
design, and perform the site
cleanup at an estimated cost of $39
million.
Incineration Will Safely Destroy
Site Hazards
A series of preliminary test
burns was conducted in August
and September 1992. These "mini-
burns" established the incine-
rator's optimum operating range.
The test burns were followed by a
trial burn in September 1992 that
simulated actual burning condi-
tions. "We take a series of steps:
you don't just flip a switch,"
explained the Remedial Project
Manager, Kevin Turner.
EPA required that this incinera-
tor achieve a 99.99% "destruction
and removal efficiency." During
the trial burns, operators continu-
ously monitored emissions from
the incinerator to ensure safety
and optimum efficiency. Standard
EPA procedures require that the
entire process be continuously
monitored.
Olin completed excavation of
hazardous materials and drums
from the landfill in October 1993.
EPA supervised this effort with
help from the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers. Incineration will
continue through next spring.
An on-site, mobile
incinerator destroys the
hazardous materials
Three Steps to Clean Ground
Water
Under terms of the remedial
plan, Olin constructed a waste
water treatment plant at the site
to serve two functions. Cur-
rently, the plant treats contami-
nants from the emission control
devices in the incinerator and
rainwater that collects in exca-
vated areas of the landfill.
When the incineration is
completed, the treatment plant
will clean polluted ground water
using both carbon filter and air
stripping systems. Olin will
install a recharge trench and
eight extraction wells near the
site to draw up the contaminated
ground water for removal of
VOCs and heavy metals; clean
water will be discharged into
nearby Conneaut Creek. Com-
prehensive ground water treat-
ment is scheduled to begin in
the spring of 1994 and will
continue for 30 years. Through-
out this period, 70 monitoring
wells will help to ensure that the
cleanup continues to be effective.
The use of ground water at the
site will be restricted through
legal deeds.
Page 4
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Superfund At Work Big D Campground Site, Kingsville, OH Fall 1993
f
emptied and shredded drums. -. <,,
The incinerator's two combus- "' chemicals.
stack releases
pors and steam
The incinerator operates 24
* * v ~, * *f * * '
EPA Heeds Local Concerns
Community involvement has
been a successful aspect of EPA's
efforts at the Big D Campground
site. EPA and Olin representa-
tives have spent many hours
providing area residents and
local officials with information
on site conditions and cleanup
activities. Information about the
site and cleanup progress is
updated regularly and available
to the public through a toll-free
hotline: 1-800-626-SITE.
Concerns about the effects on
the community were aired with
EPA and Olin officials at both
formal meetings and "availabil-
ity sessions" held in the area.
Olin representatives discussed
site activities in meetings with
the mayor and city council, and
EPA staff visited residents in
their homes to learn about par-
ticular concerns.
Some residents questioned the
use of conventional wells for
sampling ground water near
homes, fearing property damage
and disruption of routine activi-
ties. EPA approved a simpler
"direct push" technique for
taking ground water samples.
Using a hydraulic rig, engineers
drive into the ground a tempo-
rary, small diameter sampling
tube called a penetration rod, that
is removed after the sample is
collected. The property is left
virtually undisturbed and the
borehole fills back in immediately.
(See graphic on page 6.)
On May 30,1992, the RPM and
EPA Community Relations Staff,
Olin engineers, and state officials
conducted tours and showed
visitors the incinerator and other
equipment to be used in the
cleanup. Keeping the community
informed lead to local acceptance
and satisfaction that the remedy
would be expeditiously executed.
Pages
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Superfund At Work Big D Campground Site, Kingsville, OH Fall 1993
Engineers collected ground water
samples under homes near the Big D
Campground site.
Success at Big D Campground
State and EPA discovery of hazardous materials and contami-
nated ground water lead to a responsible cleanup of this Ashtabula
County landfill. Using legal authority provided under the
Superfund law, EPA ordered Olin Chemical Company to under-
take comprehensive cleanup activities. Hie company complied
by starting incineration of soil and other materials in late 1992;
that effort should be completed by the spring of 1994 Partial
treatment of ground water is scheduled to start in late 1993;
monitoring will continue for 30 years.
A further provision of Superfund allows EPA to initiate a cost
recovery claim against Olin to recover funds expended during the
site investigation and for oversight costs incurred during the
cleanup. Regional staff are currently working with the U.S.
Department of Justice on this action.
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