vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste And
Emergency Response
(5102G)
SUPERFUND:
EPA/540/R-93/010
December 1992
PB93-963211
Progress at
National
Priority
List Sites
GEORGIA
1992 UPDATE
Printt-d on Rt'iy. Ifd ['a
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Publication #9200.5-711B
December 1992
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST SITES:
Georgia
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Office of Emergency & Remedial Response
Office of Program Management
Washington, DC 20460 $ Em/ironmentai Protection Agency
Region 5, Library (pL-12J)
77 West Jackson Boulevard, 12th Floor
Chicago, IL 60604-3590
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If you wish to purchase copies of any additional State volumes, contact:
National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
U.S. Department of Commerce
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
(703) 486-4650
The complete set of the 49 State reports may be ordered as PB93-963250.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
A Brief Overview of Superfund v
Streamlining Superfund: The Superfund Accelerated Cleanup Model ix
How Superfund Works x
THE VOLUME
How to Use the State Book xi
A SUMMARY OF THE STATE PROGRAM
.XV
THE NPL REPORT
Progress to Date xix
THE NPL FACT SHEETS i
THE GLOSSARY
Terms used in the NPL Book G-l
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INTRODUCTION
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SUPERFUND
During the second half of the Twentieth
Century, the environmental conse-
quences of more than 100 years of industrial-
ization in the United States became increas-
ingly clear. Authors such as Rachel Carson
wrote passionately about the often-hidden en-
vironmental effects of our modern society's
widespread use of chemicals and other haz-
ardous materials. Their audience was small at
first, but gradually their message spread.
Growing concern turned to action, as people
learned more about the environment and be-
gan to act on their knowledge
The 1970s saw environmental issues burst
onto the national scene and take hold in the
national consciousness. The first Earth Day
was observed in 1970, the year that the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was
founded. By the end of the 1970s, Love Canal
in New York and the Valley of the Drums in
Kentucky had entered the popular lexicon as
synonyms for pollution and environmental
degradation.
Superfund Is Established
The industrialization that gave Americans the
world's highest standard of living also created
problems that only a national program could
address. By 1980, the U.S. Congress had
passed numerous environmental laws, imple-
mented by the EPA, but many serious hazard-
ous waste problems were slipping through the
cracks.
Responding to growing concern about public
health and environmental threats from uncon-
trolled releases of hazardous materials, the
U.S. Congress passed the Comprehensive En-
vironmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (CERCLA). Popularly known as
Superfund, CERCLA had one seemingly
simple job—to uncover and clean up hazard-
ous materials spills and contaminated sites.
A Big Job
Few in Congress, the EPA, the environmen-
tal community, or the general public knew in
1980 just how big the nation's hazardous ma-
terials problem is. Almost everyone thought
that Superfund would be a short-lived pro-
gram requiring relatively few resources to
clean up at most a few hundred sites. They
were quite mistaken.
As the EPA set to work finding sites and
gauging their potential to harm people and
the environment, the number of sites grew.
Each discovery seemed to lead to another,
and today almost 36,000 hazardous waste
sites have been investigated as potential haz-
ardous waste sites. They are catalogued in
the EPA's computerized database, CERCLIS
(for the Comprehensive Environmental Re-
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INTRODUCTION
sponse, Compensation, and Liability Informa-
tion System).
The damage to public health and the environ-
ment that each site in CERCLIS might cause
is evaluated; many sites have been referred to
State and local governments for cleanup. The
EPA lists the nation's most serious hazardous
waste sites on the National Priorities List, or
NPL. (These Superfund sites are eligible for
federally-funded cleanup, but whenever pos-
sible the EPA makes polluters pay for the
contamination they helped create.) The NPL
now numbers 1,275 sites, with 50 to 100
added each year. By the end of the century,
the NPL may reach as many as 2,100 sites.
Superfund faces some of the most complex
pollution problems ever encountered by an
environmental program. Improperly stored or
disposed chemicals and the soil they contami-
nate are one concern. More difficult to correct
are the wetlands and bays, and the groundwa-
ter, lakes, and rivers often used for drinking
water that are contaminated by chemicals
spreading through the soil or mixing with
storm water runoff. Toxic vapors contaminate
the air at some sites, threatening the health of
people living and working near by.
Superfund aims to control immediate public
health and environmental threats by tackling
the worst problems at the worst sites first.
Wherever possible, Superfund officials use
innovative treatment techniques—many de-
veloped or refined by the EPA—to correct
hazardous materials problems once and for
all. Many of the treatment techniques they use
did not exist when the program was created.
The EPA Administrator had challenged Su-
perfund to complete construction necessary
for cleanup work at 130 NPL sites by the end
of the 1992 federal fiscal year. By September
30, 1992, the end of fiscal year 1992, con-
struction had been completed at a total of 149
NPL sites. Superfund is well on its way of
meeting the Administrator's goal of complet-
ing construction at 200 NPL sites by the end
of fiscal year 1993, and 650 sites by the end
of fiscal year 2000.
Quick Cleanup at
Non-NPL Sites
Long-standing hazardous waste sites are not
Superfund's only concern. The EPA also re-
sponds to hazardous spills and other emergen-
cies, hauling away chemicals for proper treat-
ment or disposal. Superfund teams perform or
supervise responses at rail and motor vehicle
accidents, fires, and other emergencies in-
volving hazardous substances. They also
evacuate people living and working near by,
if necessary, and provide clean drinking water
to people whose own water is contaminated.
Removal crews also post warning signs and
take other precautions to keep people and ani-
mals away from hazardous substances.
Superfund employee prepares equipment for groundwater
treatment.
VI
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INTRODUCTION
Quick Cleanups, or Removals, are not limited
to emergencies. When cleanup crews at con-
taminated sites find hazardous substances that
immediately threaten people or the environ-
ment, they act right away to reduce the threat
or to remove the chemicals outright. As the
EPA implements the Superfund Accelerated
Cleanup Model (SACM), more and more sites
will undergo quick cleanups, and many of
these will be cleaned up completely without
ever being included on the NPL. (See
"Streamlining Superfund: The Superfund Ac-
celerated Cleanup Model.")
Some of Superfund's most significant gains in
public health and environmental protection
have been won by the removal program. As of
March 31, 1992, the Emergency Response
Superfund employee removing drums from a Superfund site.
Program had logged more than 2,300 removal
completions since Superfund was established.
The Public's Role
Superfund is unique among federal programs
in its commitment to citizen participation. Al-
though the EPA is responsible for determin-
ing how dangerous a site is and how best to
clean it up, the Agency relies on citizen input
as it makes these decisions.
Community residents are often invaluable
sources of information about a hazardous
waste site, its current and previous owners,
and the activities that took place there. Such
information can be crucial to experts evaluat-
ing a site and its potential dangers.
Residents also comment on EPA cleanup
plans by stating their concerns and prefer-
ences at public meetings and other forums and
in formal, written comments to Agency pro-
posals. The EPA takes these comments and
concerns seriously, and has modified many
proposals in response to local concerns. For,
ultimately, it is the community and its citizens
that will live with the results of the EPA's de-
cisions and actions; it is only fair that citizens
participate in the process.
A Commitment to
Communication
The Superfund program is very serious about
public outreach and communication. Com-
munity relations coordinators are assigned to
each NPL site to help the public understand
the potential hazards present, as well as the
cleanup alternatives. Local information re-
positories, such as libraries or other public
buildings, have been established near each
NPL site to ensure that the public has an op-
portunity to review all relevant information
and the proposed cleanup plans.
The individual State volumes contain sum-
mary fact sheets on NPL sites in each State
and territory. Together, the fact sheets provide
a concise report on site conditions and the
progress made toward site cleanups as of
March 1992. The EPA revises these volumes
periodically to provide an up-to-date record of
program activities. A glossary of key terms
relating to hazardous waste management and
Superfund site cleanup is provided at the back
of this book.
VII
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INTRODUCTION
Superfund is, of course, a public program, and
as such it belongs to everyone of us. This vol-
ume, along with other State volumes, com-
prises the EPA's report on Superfund
progress to the program's owners for the year
1992.
VIII
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INTRODUCTION
STREAMLINING SUPERFUND: THE SUPERFUND
ACCELERATED CLEANUP MODEL
Historically, critics and supporters alike
have measured Superfund's progress
by the number of hazardous waste sites de-
leted from the NPL. Although easy enough to
tally, this approach is too narrow. It misses
the major gains Superfund makes by reducing
major risks at the nation's worst hazardous
sites long before all clean-up work is done
and the site deleted. It also ignores the Re-
moval Program's contributions to meeting
Superfund's twin mandates of maximizing
public health and environmental protection.
Renewing Superfund's commitment to rapid
protection from hazardous materials, the EPA
is streamlining the program. The Superfund
Accelerated Cleanup Model, or SACM, will
take Early Actions, such as removing hazard-
ous wastes or contaminated materials, while
experts study the site. SACM also will com-
bine similar site studies to reduce the time re-
quired to evaluate a site and its threats to
people and the environment. This way, imme-
diate public health and environmental threats
will be addressed while long-term cleanups
are being planned.
Emergencies such as train derailments and
motor vehicle accidents will continue to be
handled expeditiously. Teams of highly
trained technicians will swing into action
right away, coordinating the cleanup and re-
moval of hazardous substances to ensure pub-
lic safety as quickly as possible.
Breaking With Tradition
The traditional Superfund process begins with
a lengthy phase of study and site assessment,
but SACM will save time by combining sepa-
rate, yet similar, activities. Each EPA Region
will form a Decision Team of site managers,
risk assessors, community relations coordina-
tors, lawyers, and other experts to monitor the
studies and quickly determine whether a site
requires Early Action (taking less than five
years), Long-term Action, or both.
While the site studies continue, the Decision
Team will begin the short-term work required
to correct immediate public health or environ-
mental threats from the site. Besides remov-
ing hazardous materials, Early Actions in-
clude taking precautions to keep contaminants
from moving off the site and restricting access
to the site. Early Actions could eliminate most
human risk from these sites, and Superfund
will further focus its public participation and
public information activities on site assess-
ment and Early Action.
Long-Term Solutions
While Early Actions can correct many hazard-
ous waste problems—and provide the bulk of
public health and environmental protection—
some contamination will take longer to cor-
rect. Cleanups of mining sites, wetlands, estu-
aries, and projects involving incineration of
contaminants or restoration of groundwater
can take far longer than the three to five years
envisioned for Early Actions. Under SACM,
these sites will be handled much as they are
now.
Also under SACM, the EPA will continue its
pursuit of potentially responsible parties who
may have caused or contributed to site con-
tamination. Expedited enforcement and
procedures for negotiating potentially respon-
sible party settlements will secure their par-
ticipation. Superfund personnel will continue
to oversee clean-up work performed by poten-
tially responsible parties.
IX
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INTRODUCTION
HOW SUPERFUND WORKS
Each Superfund site presents a different
set of complex problems. The same haz-
ardous materials and chemicals often con-
taminate many sites, but the details of each
site are different. Almost always, soil is con-
taminated with one or more chemicals. Their
vapors may taint the air over and around the
site. Contaminants may travel through the soil
and reach underground aquifers which may be
used for drinking water, or they may spread
over the site to contaminate streams, ponds,
and wetlands. The contaminating chemicals
may interact with each other, presenting even
more complicated cleanup problems.
Superfund's cleanup process is arduous and
exacting. It requires the best efforts of hun-
dreds of experts in science and engineering,
public health, administration and manage-
ment, law, and many other fields.
The average NPL site takes from seven to ten
years to work its way through the system,
from discovery to the start of long-term
cleanup. Actual cleanup work can take years,
decades if contaminated groundwater must
be treated. Of course, imminent threats to
public health or the environment are cor-
rected right away.
The diagram to the right presents a simplified
view of the cleanup process. The major steps
in the Superfund process are:
• Site discovery and investigation to iden-
tify contaminants and determine whether
emergency action is required;
• Emergency site work such as removing
contaminants for proper treatment or dis-
posal, and securing the site to keep people
and animals away, if warranted by condi-
tions at the site;
• Site evaluation to determine how people
living and working nearby, and the envi-
ronment, may be exposed to site contami-
nants;
• Detailed studies to determine whether con-
ditions are serious enough to add the site to
the National Priorities List of sites eligible
for federally funded cleanup under Super-
fund;
• Selection, design, and implementation of a
cleanup plan, after a thorough review of
the most effective cleanup options, given
site conditions, contaminants present, and
their potential threat to public health or the
environment.
• Follow-up to ensure that the cleanup work
done at the site continues to be effective
over the long term.
The Superfund Process
From the earliest stages, EPA investigators
work hard to identify those responsible for the
contamination. As their responsibility is es-
tablished, the EPA negotiates with these "re-
sponsible parties" to pay for cleaning up the
problem they helped create. This "enforce-
ment first" policy saves Superfund Trust Fund
monies for use in cleanups where the respon-
sible parties cannot be identified, or where
they are unable to fund cleanup work.
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THE VOLUME
How to Use the State Book
The site fact sheets presented in this book
are comprehensive summaries that cover
a broad range of information. The fact sheets
describe hazardous waste sites on the NPL and
their locations, as well as the conditions
leading to their listing ("Site Description").
The summaries list the types of contaminants
that have been discovered and related threats
to public and ecological health ("Threats and
Contaminants"). "Cleanup Approach" pres-
ents an overview of the cleanup activities
completed, underway, or planned. The fact
sheets conclude with a brief synopsis of how
much progress has been made in protecting
public health and the environment. The
summaries also pinpoint other actions, such as
legal efforts to involve polluters responsible
for site contamination and community con-
cerns.
The fact sheets are arranged in alphabetical
order by site name. Because site cleanup is a
dynamic and gradual process, all site informa-
tion is accurate as of the date shown on the
bottom of each page. Progress always is being
made at NPL sites, and the EPA periodically
will update the site fact sheets to reflect recent
actions and will publish updated State vol-
umes. The following two pages show a ge-
neric fact sheet and briefly describe the infor-
mation under each section.
How Can You Use
This State Book?
You can use this book to keep informed about
the sites that concern you, particularly ones
close to home. The EPA is committed to
involving the public in the decision making
process associated with hazardous waste
cleanup. The Agency solicits input from area
residents in communities affected by Super-
fund sites. Citizens are likely to be affected
not only by hazardous site conditions, but also
by the remedies that combat them. Site clean-
ups take many forms and can affect communi-
ties in different ways. Local traffic may be
rerouted, residents may be relocated, tempo-
rary water supplies may be necessary.
Definitive information on a site can help
citizens sift through alternatives and make
decisions. To make good choices, you must
know what the threats are and how the EPA
intends to clean up the site. You must under-
stand the cleanup alternatives being proposed
for site cleanup and how residents may be
affected by each one. You also need to have
some idea of how your community intends to
use the site in the future, and you need to know
what the community can realistically expect
once the cleanup is complete.
The EPA wants to develop cleanup methods
that meet community needs, but the Agency
only can take local concerns into account if it
understands what they are. Information must
travel both ways in order for cleanups to be
effective and satisfactory. Please take this
opportunity to learn more, become involved,
and assure that hazardous waste cleanup at
"your" site considers your community's
concerns.
XI
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THE VOLUME
NPL LISTING HISTORY
Provides the dates when the
site was Proposed, made Final,
and Deleted from the NPL.
SITE RESPONSIBILITY
Identifies the Federal, State,
and/or potentially responsible
parties taking responsibility
for cleanup actions at the site.
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROGRESS
Summarizes the actions to
reduce the threats to nearby
residents and the surrounding
environment and the progress
towards cleaning up the site.
SITE NAME
STATE
EPA ID# ABCOOOOOOO
EPA REGION XX
COUNTY NAME
LOCATION
Threats and Contaminants
Response Action Status
Environmental Progress
Site Repository
SITE REPOSITORY
Lists the location of the primary site repository. The site
repository may include community relations plans, public
meeting announcements and minutes, fact sheets, press
releases, and other site-related documents.
XII
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THE VOLUME
SITE DESCRIPTION
This section describes the location and history of the site. It includes descrip-
tions of the most recent activities and past actions at the site that have con-
tributed to the contamination. Population estimates, land usages, and nearby
resources give readers background on the local setting surrounding the site.
THREATS AND CONTAMINANTS
The major chemical categories of site contamination are noted, as well as
which environmental resources are affected. Icons representing each of the
affected resources (may include air, groundwater, surface water, soil, and
contamination to environmentally sensitive areas) are included in the margins
of this section. Potential threats to residents and the surrounding environ-
ments arising from the site contamination also are described.
CLEANUP APPROACH
This section contains a brief overview of how the site is being cleaned up.
®
RESPONSE ACTION STATUS
Specific actions that have been accomplished or will be undertaken to clean
up the site are described here. Cleanup activities at NPL sites are divided
into separate phases, depending on the complexity and required actions at the
site. Two major types of cleanup activities often are described: initial,
immediate, or emergency actions to quickly remove or reduce imminent
threats to the community and surrounding areas; and long-term remedial
phases directed at final cleanup at the site. Each stage of the cleanup strategy
is presented in this section of the summary. Icons representing the stage of
the cleanup process (initial actions, site investigations, EPA selection of the
cleanup remedy, engineering design phase, cleanup activities underway, and
completed cleanup) are located in the margin next to each activity descrip-
tion.
SITE FACTS
Additional information on activities and events at the site are included in this
section. Often details on legal or administrative actions taken by the EPA to
achieve site cleanup or other facts pertaining to community involvement with
the site cleanup process are reported here.
XIII
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THE VOLUME
The "icons," or symbols, accompanying the text allow the reader to see at a glance which envi-
ronmental resources are affected and the status of cleanup activities at the site.
Icons in the Threats
and Contaminants
Section
Contaminated Groundwater resources
in the vicinity or underlying the site.
(Groundwater is often used as a drink-
ing water source.)
Contaminated Surface Water and
Sediments on or near the site. (These
include lakes, ponds, streams, and
rivers.)
Contaminated Air in the vicinity of
the site. (Air pollution usually is
periodic and involves contaminated
dust particles or hazardous gas emis-
sions.)
Contaminated Soil and Sludges on or
near the site. (This contamination
category may include bulk or other
surface hazardous wastes found on the
site.)
Threatened or contaminated Environ-
mentally Sensitive Areas in the vicinity
of the site. (Examples include wet-
lands and coastal areas or critical
habitats.)
Icons in the Response
Action Status Section
Initial, Immediate, or Emergency
Actions have been taken or are
underway to eliminate immediate
threats at the site.
Site Studies at the site to determine
the nature and extent of contamination
are planned or underway.
Remedy Selected indicates that site
investigations have been concluded,
and the EPA has selected a final
cleanup remedy for the site or part of
the site.
Remedy Design means that engineers
are preparing specifications and
drawings for the selected cleanup
technologies.
Cleanup Ongoing indicates that the
selected cleanup remedies for the
contaminated site, or part of the site,
currently are underway.
Cleanup Complete shows that all
cleanup goals have been achieved for
the contaminated site or part of the
site.
XIV
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A SUMMARY OF THE STATE PROGRAM
xv
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* Major d«»s
• NPL Sites
Superfund
Activities in
Georgia
The State of Georgia is located within EPA Region
4, which includes the eight southeastern States. The
""><*> State covers 58,910 square miles. According to the
1990 Census, Georgia experienced a 19 percent increase
in population between 1980 and 1990, and is ranked elev-
enth in U.S. population with approximately 6,478,000 resi-
dents.
The Georgia Hazardous Waste Management Act of 1979,
amended in 1990, is the primary authority used by the State to compel cleanup activity at Superfund
sites. This statute allows the State either to authorize cleanup activities or make hazardous waste
generators, transporters, and owners or operators linked to site contamination liable for cleanup
activities or costs. Both the statute and the program are primarily regulatory. In practice, the State is
required to seek an agreement with polluters prior to using its enforcement authorities to compel
polluters to take responsibility for cleanup. This statute also created the Hazardous Waste Trust Fund,
which is used to fund the 10 percent contribution required by the Federal Superfund program and the
cleanup of environmental problems related to hazardous waste; it may not be used for normal operat-
ing expenses. Public participation requirements in the cleanup decision-making process were in-
creased when the statute was amended in 1990. Currently, 13 sites in the State of Georgia have been
listed as final on the NPL; one has been deleted. No new sites have been proposed for listing in 1992.
The Department of Natural Resources
implements the Superfund Program in the State of Georgia
Activities responsible for hazardous
waste contamination in the State of
Georgia include:
Storage and
Disposal Facilities
Landfills
Manufacturing
Facilities
Mining and
Metal
Production
Operations
Pesticide and
Chemical Production
Facilities
Facts about the 14 NPL sites
in Georgia:
Immediate Actions (such as removing
hazardous substances or restricting
site access) were performed at eight
sites.
Four sites endanger sensitive environ-
ments.
Eleven sites are located near residen-
tial areas.
XVII
March 1992
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GEORGIA
Most Sites Have Multiple Contaminants and
Contaminated Media:
Media Contaminated at Sites
Air
Surface
Water
Sediments
Soil
Ground-
water
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Percentage of Sites
Contaminants Found at Sites
Percentage of Sites
Heavy Metals
Pesticides/Herbicides
VOCs
PCBs
Radiation
57%
57%
43%
14%
7%
The Potentially Responsible
Party Pays...
In the State of Georgia, potentially responsible
parties are paying for or conducting cleanup
activities at 11 sites.
For Further Information on NPL Sites and Hazardous
Waste Programs in the State of Georgia Please Contact:
EPA Region 4 Public Affairs
Office
National Response Center
For information concerning
community involvement
To report a hazardous
waste emergency
The Department of Natural Resources: For information about the
Environmental Protection Division, State's responsibility in the
Hazardous Waste Management Superfund Program
Branch
EPA Region 4 Waste Management
Division
EPA Superfund Hotline
For information about the
Regional Superfund Program
For information about the
Federal Superfund Program
(404) 347-3004
(800) 424-8802
(404) 656-2833
(404) 347-5065
(800) 424-9068
March 1992
XVIII
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THE NPL REPORT
PROGRESS TO DATE
The following Progress Report lists all
sites currently on, or deleted from, the
NPL and briefly summarizes the status of ac-
tivities for each site at the time this report was
prepared. The steps in the Superfund cleanup
process are arrayed across the top of the chart,
and each site's progress through these steps is
represented by an arrow (O) indicating the
current stage of cleanup.
Large and complex sites often are organized
into several cleanup stages. For example,
separate cleanup efforts may be required to
address the source of the contamination,
hazardous substances in the groundwater, and
surface water pollution, or to clean up differ-
ent areas of a large site. In such cases, the
chart portrays cleanup progress at the site's
most advanced stage, reflecting the status of
site activities rather than administrative ac-
complishments.
O An arrow in the "Initial Response" cate-
gory indicates that an emergency
cleanup, immediate action, or initial ac-
tion has been completed or currently is
underway. Emergency or initial actions
are taken as an interim measure to pro-
vide immediate relief from exposure to
hazardous site conditions or to stabilize
a site to prevent further contamination.
O A final arrow in the "Site Studies" cat-
egory indicates that an investigation to
determine the nature and extent of the
contamination at the site currently is on-
going or planned.
O A final arrow in the "Remedy Selection"
category means that the EPA has se-
lected the final cleanup strategy for the
site. At the few sites where the EPA has
determined that initial response actions
have eliminated site contamination, or
that any remaining contamination will
be naturally dispersed without further
cleanup activities, a "No Action" rem-
edy has been selected. In these cases,
the arrows are discontinued at the
"Remedy Selection" step and resume in
the "Construction Complete" category.
O A final arrow at the "Remedial Design"
stage indicates that engineers currently
are designing the technical specifica-
tions for the selected cleanup remedies
and technologies.
O A final arrow in the "Cleanup Ongoing"
column means that final cleanup actions
have been started at the site and cur-
rently are underway.
^ A final arrow in the "Construction Com-
plete" category is used only when all
phases of the site cleanup plan have
been performed, and the EPA has deter-
mined that no additional construction
actions are required at the site. Some
sites in this category currently may be
undergoing long-term operation and
maintenance or monitoring to ensure
that the cleanup actions continue to pro-
tect human health and the environment.
/ A check in the "Deleted" category indi-
cates that the site cleanup has met all
human health and environmental goals
and that the EPA has deleted the site
from the NPL.
Further information on the activities and
progress at each site is given in the site "Fact
Sheets" published in this volume.
XIX
-------
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GEORGIA
EPA ID# GAD095840674
EPA REGION 4
Polk County
Southwest section of Cedartown
Site Description
The Cedartown Industries, Inc. site covers 7 acres in the southwestern section of Cedartown.
Originally, the site was the location of a foundry and machine shop. From 1978 to 1980,
Cedartown Industries operated a secondary lead smelter with lead from discarded automobile
batteries that were stored on the site. In 1980, the company sold the property to H & W
Transfer Co., which parks and repairs its vehicles on a portion of the site. Remaining on site
when Cedartown Industries ceased operations were an uncovered pile containing 5,000 cubic
yards of slag and flue dust from the smelting operations and a 32,000-gallon lined surface
impoundment. The Newala Limestone Formation underlies the site. It contains an aquifer
which feeds a large spring that is the sole source of water for Cedartown's water system. This
spring and a well that supplies the Polk County water system are both within 3 miles of the
site and provide drinking water to an estimated 25,700 people. The site is adjacent to Cedar
Creek, which is used for fishing and other recreational activities.
Site Responsibility: This site is being addressed through
Federal and potentially responsible
parties' actions.
NPL LISTING HISTORY
Proposed Date: 06/24/88
Final Date: 02/21/90
Threats and Contaminants
The sediments in the impoundment and the soil around the slag pile were
contaminated with lead from former site operations. People on the site could have
been exposed to lead by touching or accidentally ingesting contaminated soil.
March 1992
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Cleanup Approach
The site is being addressed in two stages: initial actions and a single long-term remedial phase
focusing on cleanup of the entire site.
Response Action Status
Initial Actions: Under a 1990 Administrative Order, the contaminated slag pile
was removed. Approximately 8,250 tons of contaminated soil were excavated and
sent to an approved hazardous waste landfill for disposal.
Entire Site: A study by the parties potentially responsible for the site
contamination began in 1990. This study, to be completed in 1992, will determine
the extent of contamination and will identify alternative technologies for the
cleanup.
Site Facts: Negotiations have been completed, and the Consent Order was signed with five
potentially responsible parties requiring them to study the nature and extent of the
contamination and to identify alternative technologies for cleanup.
Environmental Progress
After adding the Cedartown Industries site to the NPL, the EPA determined that the site
currently does not pose an immediate threat to the public or the environment while further
studies leading to the selection of the best alternatives for permanent cleanup are taking
place.
Site Repository
Cedartown Public Library, 245 East Avenue, Cedartown, GA 30125
March 1992 2 CEDARTOWN INDUSTRIES, INC.
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CEDARTOWN
MUNICIPAL
LANDFILL
GEORGIA
EPA ID# GAD980495402
Site Description
EPA REGION 4
Polk County
Cedartown
The Cedartown Municipal Landfill covers approximately 130 acres just outside of Cedartown.
The area was an abandoned iron ore mine before it was used as a municipal landfill by the
City of Cedartown from the early 1960s until late in 1980. The City owns the land and had a
permit from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to operate it as a sanitary
landfill, accepting industrial wastes from local industries. According to the City, the landfill
was covered with soil after it was closed in 1981. The City periodically stockpiles construction
rubble and soil on the site and uses it for fill material for other areas. Cedartown Spring, is
located approximately 1 1/2 miles from the site and serves as a water supply source for
approximately 8,600 Cedartown residents. The Knox and Newala Geologic Formations are
within 3 miles of the site and provide drinking water to the 25,000 residents of Polk County.
Site Responsibility: This site is being addressed through
Federal and potentially responsible
parties' actions.
NPL LISTING HISTORY
Proposed Date: 06/24/88
Final Date: 03/31/89
Threats and Contaminants
On-site groundwater and soils are contaminated with volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) including benzene and toluene from former waste disposal activities. Site
contamination poses a risk to individuals who accidentally ingest or make direct
contact with the contaminated groundwater or soils.
Cleanup Approach
The site is being addressed in a single long-term remedial phase directed at cleanup of the
entire site.
March 1992
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Response Action Status
Entire Site: The parties potentially responsible for the site contamination began a
study in 1990 to determine the extent of contamination at the site and to identify
alternative technologies for the cleanup. Upon completion of the study in 1992,
the EPA will evaluate the findings and select the final cleanup strategy for contamination.
Site Facts: Negotiations are complete, and a Consent Order was signed on March 30, 1990
with 15 parties potentially responsible for site contamination requiring them to conduct a
study of the nature and extent of contamination.
Environmental Progress
After adding the Cedartown Municipal Landfill site to the NPL, the EPA conducted
preliminary investigations and determined that the site does not pose an immediate threat to
the surrounding community or the environment while studies leading to the selection of the
best alternatives for permanent cleanup are taking place.
Site Repository
Cedartown Public Library, 245 East Avenue, Cedartown, GA 30125
March 1992
CEDARTOWN MUNICIPAL LANDFILL
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DIAMOND
SHAMROCK
CORP. LANDFJtt
GEORGIA
EPA ID# GAD990741092
Site Description
EPA REGION 4
Polk County
Cedartown
The Diamond Shamrock Corp. Landfill site is less than 1 acre in size and is located at the
intersection of West Avenue and 10th Street in Cedartown. Between 1972 and 1977, the
company buried drummed and bulk waste in five trenches approximately 6-foot deep at the
landfill. According to the company, the waste included fungicides, amides, oil, oil sludges,
esters, alcohols, and metallic salts. The unlined trenches are located in an area of permeable
soils within the flood plain of Cedar Creek, which is a major tributary of the Coosa River.
Area groundwater underlying the site is shallow. An estimated 25,000 people draw drinking
water from public wells located within 3 miles of the site. Nearby water sources include
Cedartown Spring which is a sole-source water supply for the City of Cedartown and Cave
Springs Well which serves Polk County. Cedar Creek has been used for fishing and possibly
for swimming.
Site Responsibility:
This site is being addressed through
Federal and potentially responsible
parties' actions.
NPL LISTING HISTORY
Proposed Date: 01/22/87
Final Date: 08/30/90
Threats and Contaminants
On-site groundwater and surface and subsurface soils are contaminated with heavy
metals including cadmium, chromium, copper, and zinc from wastes deposited on
the site. Potential health threats include direct contact with or accidental ingestion
of contaminated groundwater, surface water, and soils, as well as inhalation of
contaminated dust and particulates on the site.
Cleanup Approach
The site is being addressed in two stages: initial actions and a long-term remedial phase
focusing on cleanup of the groundwater and soil.
March 1992
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Response Action Status
Initial Actions: In 1990, the EPA recovered and removed 680 contaminated
drums and 400 gallons of bulk liquid waste and stored them in two bioremediation
treatment cells constructed on site. Data from the soil samples collected from the
treatment cells indicates that the bioremediation techniques are effectively reducing the
concentrations of the appropriate contaminants. Trenches also were dug and 1,500 cubic
yards of waste-contaminated soil were treated on site and discharged.
Groundwater and Soil: The party potentially responsible for the site
contamination, Henkel Corporation, began an investigation under EPA oversight
into the nature and extent of the groundwater and soil contamination at the site in
1991. The investigation also will recommend alternatives for final groundwater and soil
cleanup. The investigation is planned to be completed in 1994.
Environmental Progress
The removal of contaminated drums and liquid waste and the treatment of contaminated soil
have reduced the threat of exposure to pollutants by the surrounding community and the
environment while studies into a permanent cleanup solution are being conducted by the
Henkel Corporation.
Site Repository
Not established.
March 1992
DIAMOND SHAMROCK CORP. LANDFILL
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FIRESTONE Tl
AND RUBBER
CO. (ALBANY
GEORGIA
EPA ID# GAD990855074
EPA REGION 4
Dougherty County
Albany
Site Description
The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company (Albany Plant) has manufactured tires on this
330-acre site in Albany since 1968. Until 1980, drums of waste cement were stored on the
ground in an area covering less than an acre. Wastes were buried in a pit on another area of
the site during fire-training exercises. Groundwater in this area was found to be
contaminated. The facility received interim approval from the EPA for the management of
hazardous wastes; however, the final permit application was withdrawn. Approximately 400
people obtain drinking water from private wells located within 3 miles of the site. Wells
drawing on the contaminated groundwater also are used for irrigating 1,000 acres of cropland.
Site Responsibility: This site is being addressed through
Federal and potentially responsible
parties' actions.
NPL LISTING HISTORY
Proposed Date: 06/24/88
Final Date: 10/04/89
Threats and Contaminants
The groundwater is contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
including benzene and toluene from former waste disposal practices. Heavy metals
including zinc also have been found in the groundwater underlying the site. Direct
contact with or ingestion of the contaminated on-site groundwater could threaten
the health of residents using the resource. Use of contaminated water to irrigate
crops also could expose people to chemicals.
March 1992
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Cleanup Approach
The site is being addressed in a single long-term remedial phase focusing on cleanup of the
entire site.
Response Action Status
Entire Site: In 1992, the parties potentially responsible for the site contamination
began an investigation to determine the type and extent of contamination and to
evaluate the cleanup alternatives. Once these studies are completed, the EPA will
evaluate the findings and will select a final cleanup strategy to address groundwater
contamination and any additional contamination.
Site Facts: On March 28, 1990, the EPA sent a Special Notice letter requesting that the
potentially responsible parties conduct an investigation identifying contamination at the site.
Environmental Progress
After adding the Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. (Albany Plant) site to the NPL and
performing a preliminary investigation, the EPA determined that the site does not present an
immediate threat to the neighboring community or to the environment while studies are
taking place.
Site Repository
Dougherty County Public Library, 300 Pine Avenue, Albany, GA 31701
March 1992 8 FIRESTONE TIRE AND RUBBER CO.
(ALBANY PLANT)
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HERCULES
009 LANDFIL
GEORGIA
EPA ID# GAD980556906
Site Description
EPA REGION 4
Glynn County
Brunswick
Other Names:
009 Landfill
The Hercules 009 Landfill site occupies a 16 1/2-acre parcel of land. The landfill itself is 7
acres in size. The company manufactured the insecticide toxaphene and disposed of
approximately 19,300 tons of solid wastes from its Brunswick plant on this now inactive site.
The landfill began operations in 1976 with a State permit, which was revoked in 1980 because
of well contamination. Hercules fenced the landfill, covered the area with clean soil,
contoured it to prevent runoff, and planted vegetation on it. The closest residence is 200
yards from the site. Private wells are located within 1/4 mile of the site. Residential wells in
the area generally tap the shallow aquifer underlying the site. The landfill is in a marshland
and is 1 mile away from coastal wetlands.
Site Responsibility: This site is being addressed through
Federal and potentially responsible
parties' actions.
NPL LISTING HISTORY
Proposed Date: 09/08/83
Final Date: 09/21/84
Threats and Contaminants
The shallow and deep groundwater, sediments in a drainage ditch, and soil are
contaminated with toxaphene. People who come in direct contact with or
accidentally ingest contaminated groundwater, sediments, or soil may be at risk.
However, the levels of toxaphene found in private wells are below the EPA limit
for this chemical in drinking water.
March 1992
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Cleanup Approach
This site is being addressed in two long-term remedial phases focusing on cleanup of the
entire site and provision of a drinking water supply.
Response Action Status
Groundwater: The potentially responsible parties began an investigation into the
nature and extent of the contamination in the groundwater. This investigation,
expected to be completed in late 1992, will recommend alternatives for permanent
cleanup of the groundwater.
Drinking Water Supply: Because groundwater flow from the site is in the
direction of several homes with private wells, an interim remedy was selected in
1991. The interim remedy includes connecting the affected residents to a
municipal water supply. This interim activity was initiated in early 1992 and is expected to be
completed later in the year.
Site Facts: Hercules and the EPA agreed, under a Consent Order in 1988, that the
company would conduct a detailed study of the extent of contamination at the site. Hercules
and EPA agreed, under a Consent Decree in 1991, that the company would extend existing
municipal water lines to the affected residents.
Environmental Progress
Earlier actions, before the site was listed on the NPL, reduced risks of direct contact and of
migration of contaminants. Since several private wells are threatened by groundwater
contamination from the site, plans are underway to connect local residences to the municipal
water supply in 1992. This action will protect residents near the Hercules 009 Landfill site
while studies leading to cleanup actions are taking place.
Site Repository
Brunswick-Glynn County Regional Library, 208 Glouchester Street, Brunswick, GA 31523
March 1992 10 HERCULES 009 LANDFILL
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LUMINOUS
PROCESSES
GEORGIA
EPA ID# GAD990855819
EPA REGION 4
Clarke County
Athens
Site Description
The 1-acre Luminous Processes site is a defunct manufacturing plant. The company was
operational from 1952 to 1978 and used radioactive isotopes to paint watch and clock dials.
The site was abandoned by the owners in 1980. Radioactive contamination was left behind in
the soil and the building on the site. The site originally was licensed by the U.S. Atomic
Energy Commission.
Site Responsibility: This site was addressed through
Federal and State actions.
NPL LISTING HISTORY
Deleted Date: 12/30/82
Threats and Contaminants
The soil was contaminated with radium-226 and tritium from former manufacturing
processes.
Cleanup Approach
The site was addressed in a long-term remedial phase that focused on cleanup of the entire
site.
11
March 1992
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Response Action Status
Entire Site: Site cleanup began in mid-1982. State workers excavated
approximately 18,000 cubic feet of contaminated soil, shipped more than 2,400
drums, and disposed of nearly 500 millicuries of radium-226. They backfilled the
excavated areas, seeded them with grass, and closed access to the public. The next step was
removing contaminated structures from inside the building and cleaning up polluted areas
outdoors that had not been previously identified. The site also was fenced, and warning signs
were posted. The entire cleanup, including site restoration, was completed in five months.
Site Facts: The Luminous Processes site was placed on the Interim Priorities List in October
1981. In April 1982, the EPA and the State entered into a Cooperative Agreement for
cleanup actions to be conducted in three phases. All cleanup actions at the site were
completed before the first proposed NPL was established.
Environmental Progress
As a result of the cleanup activities described above, the Luminous Processes site has been
restored to a safe condition and no longer poses a threat to the neighboring community or
the surrounding environment.
Site Repository
Information is no longer available.
March 1992 12 LUMINOUS PROCESSES
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MARINE CORP
LOGISTICS B
GEORGIA
EPA ID# GA7170023694
EPA REGION 4
Dougherty County
5 miles southeast of Albany
Other Names:
USMC Logistic* Base 555
MCLB
Site Description
The Marine Corps Logistics Base (MCLB) site is divided into three areas: MCLB (the
facility), the Boyette Housing Area, and the Branch Clinic. Work in support of the base
mission includes maintenance, repairs and rebuilding of ground combat and combat support
equipment, fuel storage, and motor transport. Maintenance activities at MCLB over the years
generated a variety of materials that were disposed of on the facility. These materials include
construction debris; miscellaneous industrial wastes including waste fuel, oil paints, thinners,
and solvents; and municipal wastewater treatment plant sludge. Current disposal practices are
monitored regularly for conformance with local, State, and Federal regulations. Fourteen
potential sources of contamination have been identifled within the area of the site. The base
is surrounded by agricultural, residential, and commercial lands. Four aquifers underlie MCLB
and the Albany area. From shallow to deep, these aquifers are: the Ocala, Tallahatta,
Clayton, and the Providence. The 4,200 military personnel and dependents living on the base
obtain drinking water from three multi-aquifer artesian wells tapping the three upper
aquifers.
Site Responsibility: This site is being addressed through
Federal actions.
NPL LISTING HISTORY
Proposed Date: 07/14/89
Final Date: 11/21/89
Threats and Contaminants
ZEJ
In 1986, the Marine Corps found the pesticides DDE and DDT and
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediments from the bottom of a drainage ditch
that formerly had received hazardous substances. A study completed in 1987
indicated high levels of arsenic, chromium, lead, methylene chloride, and
trichlorethylene (TCE) in shallow soils. A 1989 sampling showed TCE and trace
amounts of metals in monitoring wells near the sludge drying beds of the industrial
waste treatment plant. There currently are no data that indicate immediate threats
to the environment or human health; however, a risk assessment will be an initial
step in the study to determine the nature and extent of contamination.
13
March 1992
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Cleanup Approach
The site is being addressed in two stages: initial actions and a single long-term remedial
phases focusing on cleanup of the entire site.
Response Action Status
Initial Actions: The Marine Corps cleaned up the sludge drying beds in
accordance with a permit issued under Federal regulation. Workers removed
contaminated materials from the beds and transported them to an EPA-approved
disposal facility. The beds then were covered with a 12-inch concrete cap in 1988. Part of the
site closure plan requires six test wells to be installed to pump groundwater to the surface,
followed by treating it to remove contaminants. Three test wells have been installed to date,
and additional wells may be installed depending on the success of the current treatment.
Entire Site: Twelve potential sources of contamination have been grouped based
on geographical proximity, similarity of contamination source, and other factors.
Studies into the nature and extent of contamination in the Landfill Disposal Areas,
Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant, Ordnance Disposal Area, Domestic Wastewater
Treatment Plant, and PCB Disposal Area were begun in 1991. Appropriate cleanup remedies
will be selected upon completion of these studies.
Site Facts: A Federal Facilities Agreement for remedial action has been negotiated between
the Navy/MCLB, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, and the EPA. The Base is
participating in the Installation Restoration Program, a specially funded program established
by the Department of Defense (DOD) in 1978 to identify, investigate, and control the
migration of hazardous contaminants at military and other DOD facilities.
Environmental Progress
By removing the contaminated sludge from the drying beds, capping the beds, and installing
monitoring wells, the Navy/Marine Corps has significantly reduced the potential for exposure
to hazardous materials at the Marine Corps Logistics Base while further studies into potential
health risks and cleanup strategies for the site are taking place.
Site Repository
Dougherty County Public Library, 300 Pine Street, Albany, GA 31701
March 1992 14 MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE
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MARZONE INC.
CHEVRON
CHEMICAL C
GEORGIA
EPA ID# GAD991275686
EPA REGION 4
Tift County
Tifton
Site Description
The now-defunct Marzone, Inc. pesticide plant was established in 1950 at this roughly 1 1/2-
acre site in Tifton, at the junction of Golden Road and the Georgia Southern and Florida
Railroad line. The facility operated until 1982, when a new owner began using its warehouse
as a distribution center. Chevron Chemical Co. started blending dry powders at the site in the
1950s and constructed a building for formulating liquids some time during 1963 through 1964.
This owner also added a drum storage facility, three 10,000-gallon solvent tanks, one 12,000-
gallon toxaphene (insecticide) tank, and a wastewater pond. The site has changed ownership
five times since 1970; four of these owners were agricultural chemical companies. The
Georgia Environmental Protection Division's records show numerous environmental problems
at the site starting in 1973. In May 1984, the EPA and the State inspected the site and found
that pesticides were present in the soils and groundwater. Within 3 miles of the site are 28
private wells tapping the shallow, contaminated aquifer. These wells are the sole source of
drinking water for the residents in the area.
Site Responsibility: This site is being addressed through
Federal and potentially responsible
parties' actions.
NPL LISTING HISTORY
Proposed Date: 06/24/88
Final Date: 10/04/89
Threats and Contaminants
ZGJ
The groundwater and soils are contaminated with pesticides including toxaphene,
lindane, and endrin from the site disposal areas. Discoloration of the soil and
numerous dead birds on the site indicated the spread of contamination. Imminent
threats to public health that existed at the site from direct contact with and
inhalation of pesticide residues found in the groundwater and soils have since been
removed. Gum Creek, located 250 yards south of the site, receives the bulk of the
drainage from the site and could potentially be polluted.
15
March 1992
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Cleanup Approach
The site is being addressed in two stages: emergency actions and a long-term remedial phase
focusing on cleanup of the groundwater.
Response Action Status
Emergency Actions: In 1984, EPA emergency workers conducted an extensive
cleanup to eliminate the immediate threats at the site. The actions performed
were: removal and disposal of stored wastes; decontamination of buildings and
equipment; excavation of contaminated surface soils; drainage of water and accumulated
sediments in a truck-loading area near the railroad tracks; and transport of 1,700 tons of
waste materials to an EPA-regulated disposal facility. Chevron Chemical Co., responding to a
1985 agreement with the EPA, agreed to help clean up the site. The company subsequently
excavated the wastewater lagoon, a drainage ditch, and a railroad ditch; filled them in; and
transported the contaminated soil to an EPA-approved disposal facility. Other owners also
undertook cleanup actions in the early 1980s, before the site came to the EPA's attention. In
1984, Kova Fertilizer removed 49 drums of pesticide wastes. These initial actions have
stabilized conditions at the site while the EPA pursues alternatives for final site cleanup.
Groundwater: Under EPA monitoring, the parties potentially responsible for
groundwater contamination at the site initiated investigations in 1990 into the
nature and extent of the contamination. These investigations are planned to be
completed in 1993, at which time a cleanup remedy will be selected. At the same time, the
potentially responsible parties are studying the need for any temporary remedies to control
groundwater contamination while a final remedy is selected.
Site Facts: Under a Consent Agreement with the EPA signed in April 1985, Chevron
agreed to conduct initial cleanup actions to stabilize the site. Notice letters were sent on
March 10, 1989 to the potentially responsible parties. The public is concerned about possible
contamination of private water wells. A Consent Order was signed in September of 1990 with
four parties potentially responsible for site contamination, requiring them to conduct a study
of the nature and extent of contamination.
Environmental Progress
The emergency actions to remove wastes and excavate soils and sediments from the
Marzone/Chevron site have greatly reduced the immediate threats to the surrounding
community and the environment until final cleanup actions can be performed.
Site Repository
Tifton-Tift County Public Library, One Library Lane, Tifton, GA 31794
March 1992 16 MARZONE INC./CHEVRON CHEMICAL CO.
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MATHI^ W±t&&L EPA REGION 4
IVIM I n I O V7 Walker County
BROTHERS
LANDFILL
(SOUTH MARB
TOP ROAD)
GEORGIA
EPAID#GAD980838619
Site Description
The privately owned Mathis Brothers Landfill (South Marble Top Road) operated on this 20-
acre parcel in Lafayette, 1 1/2 miles north-northwest of Kensington. Only 5 acres of the
hilltop property were used for waste disposal. The landfill operated from 1974 to 1980 and
had a permit from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to accept non-hazardous
wastes. Operators buried approximately 3,000 tons of hazardous wastes in unlined trenches
while the landfill was in business. Records from one generator, Velsicol Chemical Corp.,
indicated that their wastes contained arsenic, organic chemicals, and herbicides. The landfill
was abandoned some time after 1980. The landfill is unprotected from the elements, and
leaking, rusted drums lie on the site surface. Most of the land use within a mile of the site is
pasture and forest. The Kensington Water and Sewer Authority provides drinking water to
approximately 4,300 people from wells 1 1/2 miles south of the site, and a private well lies
1,900 feet away. An estimated 75 people live within a 1-mile radius. Three homes are
located within 1,000 feet of the site, and 25 are within 1/2 mile. Surface water within 3 miles
downstream of the site is used for fishing and irrigation. The soil under the wastes is
permeable, a condition that facilitates movement of contaminants into groundwater, 40 feet
below the soil surface.
Site Responsibility: This site is being addressed through NPL LISTING H|STORY
Federal and potentially responsible
parties' actions.
Proposed Date: 01/22/87
Final Date: 03/31/89
17 March 1992
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Threats and Contaminants
On-site contaminants found in the soil include various residues from herbicide
production and latex waste from carpet manufacture. To date, private wells have
shown no evidence of contamination; however, as a result of the soil
characteristics, the potential exists for the groundwater serving these wells to
become polluted. Although preliminary sampling results have not revealed
contamination in area water bodies, local residents have reported fish kills.
Cleanup Approach
The site is being addressed in a single long-term remedial phase directed at cleanup of the
entire site.
Response Action Status
Entire Site: A potentially responsible party completed an intensive study of
pollution problems in 1992. An additional study of the effectiveness of proposed
remedies is underway remedies for site contamination and scheduled for
completion late in 1992, at which time the remedy will be selected.
Site Facts: In 1988, the EPA signed an Administrative Order on Consent with a potentially
responsible party to accept financial responsibility for conducting the study of site
contamination.
Environmental Progress
The EPA determined that the Mathis Brothers Landfill (South Marble Top Road) does not
pose an immediate threat to local residents or the environment while studies leading to
selection of the cleanup technologies for a permanent remedy at the site are being
conducted.
Site Repository
LaFayette County Commissioners Office, Highway 136, LaFayette, GA 30728
March 1992 18 MATHIS BROTHERS LANDFILL
(SOUTH MARBLE TOP ROAD)
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MONSANTO
(AUGUSTA P
GEORGIA
EPA ID# GAD001700699
Site Description
EPA REGION 4
Richmond County
In Augusta on Marvin Griffin Road
Two small landfills are the areas of concern at the 75-acre Monsanto Corp. (Augusta Plant)
site on Marvin Griffin Road in Augusta. The landfills, each about 6 feet deep, received
hazardous waste containing about 5 percent arsenic trisulfide. Workers disposed of
phosphoric acid sludge containing approximately 725 pounds of arsenic in the first landfill
from 1966 to 1971, when the landfill was closed. The second landfill, active from 1972 to
1974, received plastic drums of sludge containing over 800 pounds of arsenic. The second
landfill was closed in 1977. In 1979, the company began collecting data from two monitoring
wells, one downgradient from each site, and detected arsenic contamination in the
groundwater. The Tuscaloosa Aquifer, underlying the site, supplies most of the drinking
water used by area residents. Most residents near the site use private wells. The Town of
Gracewood, 21/2 miles from the site, uses the aquifer to supply the water for its population
of 1,500. The closest home is a mile from the site. Butler Creek lies 1,180 feet southeast of
the site, and Phinizy Swamp is 4,570 feet northeast of the landfills.
Site Responsibility:
This site is being addressed through
Federal and potentially responsible
parties' actions.
NPL LISTING HISTORY
Proposed Date: 09/01/83
Final Date: 09/24/84
Threats and Contaminants
Groundwater is contaminated with arsenic from former disposal practices at the
landfills on the site. Potential threats include ingestion of contaminated
groundwater.
Cleanup Approach
The site is being addressed in two stages: initial actions and a single long-term remedial phase
focusing on cleanup of the entire site.
19
March 1992
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Response Action Status
Initial Actions: Approximately 830 pounds of arsenic wastes from the landfills
were excavated, deposited in steel-lined drums, and disposed of off site at a
permitted waste management site. In 1983, Monsanto excavated the landfills, and
the remaining waste material was removed off site to a permitted waste disposal site. The
landfills subsequently were sampled, backfilled with clay, and replanted.
Entire Site: Under EPA monitoring, the potentially responsible parties
completed an intensive study of site contamination in 1990. The study identified
the nature and extent of the groundwater contamination. The cleanup remedy
selected by the EPA in 1990 calls for quarterly groundwater monitoring and possible pumping
and treatment of groundwater, with discharge to a wastewater treatment plant, depending on
compliance with groundwater protection standards. The engineering designs for the remedy
began in 1991 and cleanup is expected to begin in late 1992.
Site Facts: The potentially responsible parties signed an Administrative Order on Consent
on April 24, 1989, to perform the study of site contamination. The Order was modified
March 28, 1990, to include design of cleanup activities and quarterly monitoring.
Environmental Progress
The actions taken to remove the arsenic wastes and to cover the landfills have reduced the
potential for exposure to contaminated materials at the Monsanto Corp. (Augusta Plant) site
while designs for the cleanup alternatives are being conducted.
Site Repository
Not established.
March 1992 20 MONSANTO CORP. (AUGUSTA PLANT)
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EPA REGION 4
pegch c
OITC &" ^ '. * 3 Powersville
GEORGIA
EPA ID# GAD980496954
Site Description
The Powersville Site is a landfill that covers 15 acres in the community of Powersville.
Beginning in the 1940s, the site was used as a borrow pit to provide sand and fill for local
construction projects. In 1969, Peach County began using the pit and the surrounding area
as a sanitary landfill for municipal and industrial waste. The County built a separate waste
disposal area at the landfill for pesticides and other hazardous materials in 1973, under a
request by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. The landfill was closed in 1979,
after State officials concluded that it was no longer an acceptable site for waste disposal.
Residents became concerned about the unusual taste of their well water and, in 1983,
groundwater from an adjacent church well was found to be contaminated. The landfill is
situated in the recharge zone of three aquifers, one of which is a major source for local water
supplies. Approximately 40 to 50 residences, housing an estimated 150 people, are within a
mile of the site. The area primarily is agricultural, with general crop farming, cattle and dairy
farms, and orchards.
Site Responsibility: This site is being addressed through Proposed Date: 09/08/83
Final Date: 09/21/84
Federal and potentially responsible
parties' actions.
Threats and Contaminants
The groundwater is contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as
vinyl chloride; heavy metals including copper, zinc, and lead; and pesticides such as
dieldrin and lindane from the former waste disposal activities. Soil in the waste fill
area is contaminated with heavy metals and pesticides such as alpha chlordane
from the pesticide disposal activities. The site has numerous erosion channels and
gullies. If erosion continues, contaminants may be transported to other areas and
may pose a health hazard to those who come in direct contact with the
contaminated soil. Because the groundwater contains contaminants, people using
well water may be at risk. In addition, cattle or crops may accumulate
contaminants if farmers use well water for irrigation or watering livestock.
21 March 1992
-------
Cleanup Approach
The site is being addressed in a single long-term remedial phase focusing on cleanup of the
entire site.
Response Action Status
Entire Site: In 1987, the EPA selected a remedy to clean up the site, which
includes: (1) covering the hazardous waste and municipal fill areas with a synthetic
material or clay to prevent rainwater from coming into contact with buried
contaminants; (2) grading the area so water drains away from the cover into natural drainage
channels; (3) closing the landfill according to Federal procedures; (4) installing additional
monitoring wells to determine whether the contamination is moving from the covered areas;
and (5) extending the municipal Ft. Valley water supply to residences affected by
contaminated well water. In addition, the site deed will include provisions to ensure that the
cleanup is not affected by future construction and that water wells are not drilled near the
site. The site will be inspected to ensure that erosion or settling is not occurring. The design
phase was completed and cleanup work began in early 1991. The landfill cover and the
extension of the alternate water supply are expected to be completed in 1992.
Site Facts: In 1988, a Consent Decree was lodged in the U.S. District Court, calling for
cleanup of the site, including placing a soil cover on the site and providing alternate water
supplies for residential and industrial needs.
Environmental Progress
After placing the Powersville Site on the NPL, the EPA conducted a preliminary evaluation
and determined that the site does not pose an immediate threat to the community or the
environment while the final cleanup activities are taking place.
Site Repository
Not established.
March 1992 22 POWERSVILLE SITE
-------
ROBINS AIR
FORCE BASE
(LANDFILL #4/
SLUDGE LAGO
GEORGIA
EPA 1D# GA1570024330
EPA REGION 4
Houston County
East of the City of Warner Robins
Site Description
Robins Air Force Base covers 8,855 acres and is situated east of the City of Warner Robins
in the Coastal Plain of Georgia. The area includes a 1,200-acre wetland. Two distinct areas
make up this NPL site: Landfill #4 and an adjacent sludge lagoon. Landfill #4 operated
from 1965 to 1978, and the lagoon operated from about 1962 to 1978. General refuse,
garbage, and industrial wastes were disposed of in the landfill. The lagoon received wastes
from two industrial waste treatment plants and other waste chemicals. The water supplies for
the base and the City of Warner Robins come from the Coastal Plain Aquifer. More than
10,000 people could be affected by contaminants that have been detected in the groundwater
near the site and in the surface water on site. However, the general groundwater flow is to
the east, away from the City of Warner Robins and the base wells. The site is adjacent to a
mixed hardwood swamp along the western border of the Ocmulgee River flood plains.
Site Responsibility: This site is being addressed through
Federal actions.
Threats and Contaminants
NPL LISTING HISTORY
Proposed Date: 10/15/84
Final Date: 07/22/87
ZlAJ
Heavy metals including cadmium, lead, and cyanide and volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) including trichloroethylene (TCE) and benzene from the
former waste disposal practices have been detected in the groundwater. The
leachate from the site also contains heavy metals and VOCs, along with the
pesticide DDT and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Pesticides such as
chlordane, DDT, and dieldrin have been detected in the sediments from a
drainage ditch. Heavy metals and VOCs have been detected in the soil, and TCE
and phenols have been detected in the surface water on site. People could be
exposed to the contaminants by coming into direct contact with contaminated
surface and groundwater. People also may be exposed to toxic chemicals by eating
plants and animals that contain bioaccumulated contaminants from the wastes on
site. The spread of hazardous materials from the site could pose a threat to the
adjacent wetland.
23
March 1992
-------
Cleanup Approach
The site is being addressed in three long-term remedial phases directed at stabilization and
source control and assessment of the wetlands and of the groundwater.
Response Action Status
Stabilization and Source Control: In 1991, the Air Force selected remedies to
cleanup the contamination at landfill #4 and the adjacent sludge lagoon.
Remedies selected include the following: development of a flow control system
onto the landfill; sludge lagoon solidification; landfill leachate collection; landfill cover
renovation; and a sludge lagoon groundwater recovery system. To date the, the deign for the
landfill run-on control is complete. Design of the recovery system is complete with the sludge
lagoon groundwater recovery wells in place and construction of the recovery system expected
to begin in mid-1992. Cleanup activities are scheduled to be completed in 1995.
Wetlands: The Air Force is conducting a study of the wetlands area to determine
the nature and extent of contamination from site activities. The study is planned
to be completed in 1993.
Groundwater: The Air Force began studying groundwater contamination at the
site in 1991. Upon completion of the study in 1992, the best cleanup alternative
will be selected.
Site Facts: Robins Air Force Base is participating in the Installation Restoration Program, a
specially funded program established by the Department of Defense (DOD) in 1978 to
identify, investigate and control the migration of hazardous contaminants at military and
other DOD facilities. Under this program the Air Force completed a records search and a
preliminary survey. A Federal Facility Agreement between the Air Force, the Georgia
Environmental Protection Division, and the EPA was completed and executed on
September 25, 1989. An agreement between the Air Force and the State to recover costs for
the investigation was completed at the same time. The agreement contains schedules for
conducting the current study to determine the nature and extent of contamination and to
identify alternatives for cleanup.
Environmental Progress
An initial investigation by the Air Force has determined that there is no potential for
exposure to hazardous materials while the Robins Air Force Base site begins cleanup
activities at the stabilization and source area and still undergoes additional investigations
leading to the selection of alternatives for final cleanup of the wetlands and groundwater
areas.
March 1992 24 ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE
(LANDFILL #4/ SLUDGE LAGOON)
-------
Site Repository
Nola Brantly Memorial Library, 721 Watson Boulevard, Warner Robins, GA 31093
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE
(LANDFILL #4/ SLUDGE LAGOON)
25
March 1992
-------
T. H. AGRICULT
& NUTRITION C
(ALBANY PLA
GEORGIA
EPA ID# GAD042101261
Site Description
EPA REGION 4
Dougherty County
In the suburbs of Albany
The T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition Co. prepared and packaged pesticides on this 7-acre site in
Albany. The site is in an agricultural area of the State. The company purchased the facility
in 1967 from a previous operator. The company's operations continued until 1982. The
facility served as a warehouse/distribution center until 1982, when it was closed. During the
1970s, and possibly in the late 1960s, the company operated under the name Thompson-
Hayward Chemical Co. and took the present name in 1981. An estimated 3,300 Lee County
residents within 3 miles of the site obtain drinking water from private wells which are drilled
into an aquifer that may be affected by activities at the site. However, the direction of
groundwater flow is not toward Lee County.
Site Responsibility:
This site is being addressed through
Federal, State, and potentially
responsible parties' actions.
NPL LISTING HISTORY
Proposed Date: 06/24/88
Final Date: 03/31/89
Threats and Contaminants
The groundwater and soil are contaminated with pesticides including toxaphene,
lindane, DDT, and methyl parathion from former pesticide production and disposal
activities at the site. The health of people who accidentally ingest or come in
direct contact with the contaminated groundwater or soil could be adversely
affected. Kinchafoonee Creek is less than 1 mile northeast of the site and joins
Muckalee Creek and the Flint River, which are dammed to form Lake Worth.
Lake Worth is used for recreational activities and to generate electricity.
Cleanup Approach
The site is being addressed in two stages: initial actions and a long-term remedial phase
focusing on cleanup of the entire site.
26
March 1992
-------
Response Action Status
Initial Actions: In 1984, the T.H. Agriculture & Nutrition Co. transported
contaminated soils, debris, and building rubble from the site to an approved
hazardous waste facility. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division oversaw
the action. In 1992, after an investigation identified high levels of soil contamination across
the western parcel, a second removal action was initiated and is currently ongoing. The
action included demolition and removal from the western parcel of several on-site structures
and the excavation and removal of soil and debris. Excavated areas are to be backfilled and
a clay cover will be placed over the facility grounds. Over 20,000 tons of soil have been
removed and shipped to a hazardous waste landfill. Approximately 3,000 tons of soil remain
on site and require thermal treatment. The thermal treatment is expected to be completed in
mid-1993.
Entire Site: An investigation began in 1990 to determine the type and extent of
the contamination at the site and to identify measures for cleaning up the site.
This investigation, conducted by the potentially responsible parties under EPA
monitoring, is expected to be completed in 1993.
Site Facts: The EPA sent out special notices in March 1990 to the parties potentially
responsible for the site contamination. The EPA invited them to participate and assume
responsibility for the site investigation process. An Administrative Order on Consent between
the EPA and T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition was signed in July 1990. In March 1992, the
EPA issued a Unilateral Administrative Order to the potentially responsible parties to remove
additional soil and debris from the site.
Environmental Progress
By removing contaminated materials from the T. H. Agriculture & Nutrition Co. (Albany
Plant) site, the immediate threat of exposure to hazardous substances has been reduced,
while investigations into alternatives for a permanent cleanup are taking place.
Site Repository
Dougherty County Public Library, 300 Pine Avenue, Albany, GA 31701
T. H. AGRICULTURE & NUTRITION CO. 27 March 1992
(ALBANY PLANT)
-------
WOOLFOLK
CHEMICAL
WORKS, INC.
GEORGIA
EPA ID# GAD003269578
Site Description
EPA REGION 4
Peach County
Fort Valley
The Woolfolk Chemical Works, Inc. site covers 18 acres near the center of Fort Valley. The
company began operation in 1910 as a lime-sulfur plant and has evolved into a full-line
pesticide plant manufacturing pesticides in liquid, dust, and granular forms for the
agricultural, lawn, and garden markets. The methods of handling these products over the
years have resulted in extensive contamination at the site. State records indicate numerous
instances of untreated industrial waste being discharged into surface waters. During a routine
inspection in 1979, the EPA discovered that the facility was discharging unauthorized
wastewater from the production of pesticides into Bay Creek. Records indicate that the
majority of the wastewaters were discharged into a storm sewer on the site. The waste would
flow into an open ditch located south of the plant and then into Big Indian Creek. Three of
the five Fort Valley municipal water supply wells are within 1,000 feet of the facility. This
system is the sole source of water in the area. Late in 1986, the EPA found arsenic and lead
in two of the wells. The contamination did not, however, exceed Federal drinking water
standards. An estimated 10,000 people obtain drinking water from municipal wells within 3
miles of the site.
Site Responsibility:
This site is being addressed through
Federal and potentially responsible
parties' actions.
NPL LISTING HISTORY
Proposed Date: 06/24/88
Final Date: 08/30/90
Threats and Contaminants
Contaminants in the groundwater and soil consist of heavy metals including lead
and arsenic; volatiles and semi-volatiles; and pesticides including chlordane, DDT,
lindane, and toxaphene from former process wastes. The surface water of the site
was contaminated with arsenic, lindane, and toxaphene during a storm. The
municipal wells near the site potentially are contaminated and may pose a possible
health threat through the consumption of groundwater.
28
March 1992
-------
Cleanup Approach
The site is being addressed in two stages: initial actions and a single long-term remedial phase
focusing on cleanup of the entire site.
Response Action Status
Initial Actions: From 1986 to 1987, a former owner capped an area of
contamination, removed 3,700 yards of contaminated soils, and destroyed and
removed major contaminated structures to an off-site disposal facility.
Entire Site: The potentially responsible parties are conducting a study of the type
and extent of groundwater contamination and will evaluate the cleanup
alternatives. This evaluation is expected to be completed in 1992, at which time
the EPA will select the appropriate remedies for final site cleanup.
Environmental Progress
The initial actions to remove contaminated soils and to prevent further site contamination by
capping the disposal areas have reduced the immediate threats to area residents and the
surrounding environment. The EPA has determined that no additional actions are required to
protect public health while studies leading to selection of the final site remedy are conducted.
Site Repository
Thomas Public Library, 213 Persons Street, Fort Valley, GA 31030
WOOLFOLK CHEMICAL WORKS, INC.
29
March 1992
-------
GLOSSARY
Terms Used in the NPL Book
This glossary defines terms used throughout the NPL Volumes. The terms and
abbreviations contained in this glossary apply specifically to work performed
under the Superfund program in the context of hazardous waste management. These
terms may have other meanings when used in a different context. A table of common
toxic chemicals found at NPL sites, their sources, and their potential threats is located
on page G-l5
Acids: Substances, characterized by low pH
(less than 7.0), that are used in chemical manu-
facturing. Acids in high concentration can be
very corrosive and react with many inorganic
and organic substances. These reactions possi-
bly may create toxic compounds or release
heavy metal contaminants that remain in the
environment long after the acid is neutralized.
Administrative Order On Consent: A
legal and enforceable agreement between the
EPA and the parties potentially responsible for
site contamination. Under the terms of the
Order, the potentially responsible parties (PRPs)
agree to perform or pay for site studies or
cleanups. It also describes the oversight rules,
responsibilities, and enforcement options that
the government may exercise in the event of
non-compliance by potentially responsible
parties. This Order is signed by PRPs and the
government; it does not require approval by a
judge.
Administrative Order [Unilateral]: A
legally binding document issued by the EPA,
directing the parties potentially responsible to
perform site cleanups or studies (generally, the
EPA does not issue Unilateral Orders for site
studies). This type of Order is not signed by the
PRPs and does not require approval by a judge.
Aeration: A process that promotes breakdown
of contaminants in soil or water by exposing
them to air.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Dis-
ease Registry (ATSDR): The Federal
agency within the U.S. Public Health Service
charged with carrying out the health-related
responsibilities of CERCLA.
Air Stripping: A process whereby volatile
organic chemicals (VOCs) are removed from
contaminated material by forcing a stream of air
through the contaminated material in a pressur-
ized vessel. The contaminants are evaporated
into the air stream. The air may be further
treated before it is released into the atmosphere.
Ambient Air: Any unconfined part of the
atmosphere. Refers to the air that may be
inhaled by workers or residents in the vicinity of
contaminated air sources.
Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate
Requirements (ARARs): Federal, State, or
local laws which apply to Superfund activities at
NPL sites. Both emergency and long-term
actions must comply with these laws or provide
sound reasons for allowing a waiver. ARARs
must be identified for each site relative to the
characteristics of the site, the substances found
at the site, or the cleanup alternatives being
considered for the site.
G-1
-------
GLOSSARY
Aquifer: An underground layer of rock, sand,
or gravel capable of storing water within cracks
and pore spaces, or between grains. When
water contained within an aquifer is of sufficient
quantity and quality, it can be tapped and used
for drinking or other purposes. The water
contained in the aquifer is called groundwater.
A "sole source aquifer" supplies 50 percent or
more of the drinking water of an area.
Artesian (Well): A well made by drilling into
the earth until water is reached, which, due to
internal pressure, flows up like a fountain.
Asbestos: A mineral fiber that can pollute air
or water and is known to cause cancer or
asbestosis when inhaled.
Attenuation: The naturally occurring process
by which a compound is reduced in concentra-
tion over time through adsorption, degradation,
dilution, or transformation.
Background Level: The amount of a sub-
stance typically found in the air, water, or soil
from natural, as opposed to human, sources.
Baghouse Dust: Dust accumulated in
removing particulates from the air by passing it
through cloth bags in an enclosure.
Bases: Substances characterized by high pH
(greater than 7.0), which tend to be corrosive in
chemical reactions. When bases are mixed with
acids, they neutralize each other, forming salts.
Berm: A ledge, wall, or a mound of earth used
to prevent the migration of contaminants.
Bioaccumulate: The process by which some
contaminants or toxic chemicals gradually
collect and increase in concentration in living
tissue, such as in plants, fish, or people, as they
breathe contaminated air, drink contaminated
water, or eat contaminated food.
Biological Treatment: The use of bacteria
or other microbial organisms to break down
toxic organic materials into carbon dioxide and
water.
Bioremediation: A cleanup process using
naturally occurring or specially cultivated
microorganisms to digest contaminants and
break them down into non-hazardous compo-
nents.
Bog: A type of wetland that is covered with
peat moss deposits. Bogs depend primarily on
moisture from the air for their water source, are
usually acidic, and are rich in plant residue [see
Wetland].
Boom: A floating device used to contain oil
floating on a body of water or to restrict the
potential overflow of waste liquids from
containment structures.
Borehole: A hole that is drilled into the
ground and used to sample soil or ground-water.
Borrow Pit: An excavated area where soil,
sand, or gravel has been dug up for use else-
where.
Cap: A layer of material, such as clay or a
synthetic material, used to prevent rainwater
from penetrating and spreading contaminated
materials. The surface of the cap generally is
mounded or sloped so water will drain off.
Carbon Adsorption: A treatment system in
which contaminants are removed from ground-
water and surface water by forcing water
through tanks containing activated carbon, a
specially treated material that attracts and holds
or retains contaminants.
Carbon Disulfide: A degreasing agent
formerly used extensively for parts washing.
This compound has both inorganic and organic
G-2
-------
GLOSSARY
properties, which increase cleaning efficiency.
However, these properties also cause chemical
reactions that increase the hazard to human
health and the environment.
Carbon Treatment: [see Carbon Adsorp-
tion].
Cell: In solid waste disposal, one of a series of
holes in a landfill where waste is dumped,
compacted, and covered with layers of dirt.
CERCLA: [see Comprehensive Environmen-
tal Response, Compensation, and Liability Act].
Characterization: The sampling, monitoring,
and analysis of a site to determine the extent and
nature of toxic releases. Characterization
provides the basis for acquiring the necessary
technical information to develop, screen, ana-
lyze, and select appropriate cleanup techniques.
Chemical Fixation: The use of chemicals to
bind contaminants, thereby reducing the poten-
tial for leaching or other movement.
Chromated Copper Arsenate: An insecti-
cide/herbicide formed from salts of three toxic
metals: copper, chromium, and arsenic. This
salt is used extensively as a wood preservative
in pressure-treating operations. It is highly toxic
and water-soluble, making it a relatively mobile
contaminant in the environment
Cleanup: Actions taken to eliminate a release
or threat of release of a hazardous substance.
The term "cleanup" sometimes is used inter-
changeably with the terms remedial action,
removal action, response action, or corrective
action.
Closure: The process by which a landfill stops
accepting wastes and is shut down under Federal
guidelines that ensure the protection of the
public and the environment.
Comment Period: A specific interval during
which the public can review and comment on
various documents and EPA actions related to
site cleanup. For example, a comment period is
provided when the EPA proposes to add sites to
the NPL. Also, there is minimum 3-week
comment period for community members to
review and comment on the remedy proposed to
clean up a site.
Community Relations: The EPA effort to
establish and maintain two-way communication
with the public. The goals of community
relations programs include creating an under-
standing of EPA programs and related actions,
assuring public input into decision-making
processes related to affected communities, and
making certain that the Agency is aware of, and
responsive to, public concerns. Specific com-
munity relations activities are required in
relation to Superfund cleanup actions [see
Comment Period].
Comprehensive Environmental Re-
sponse, Compensation, and Liability
Act (CERCLA): Congress enacted the
CERCLA, known as Superfund, in 1980 to
respond directly to hazardous waste problems
that may pose a threat to the public health and
the environment. The EPA administers the
Superfund program.
Confluence: The place where two bodies of
water, such as streams or rivers, come together.
Confined Aquifer: An aquifer in which
groundwater is confined under pressure that is
significantly greater than atmospheric pressure.
G-3
-------
GLOSSARY
Consent Decree: A legal document, ap-
proved and issued by a judge, formalizing an
agreement between the EPA and the parties
potentially responsible for site contamination.
The decree describes cleanup actions that the
potentially responsible parties are required to
perform, or the costs incurred by the govern-
ment that the parties will reimburse, and the
roles, responsibilities, and enforcement options
that the government may exercise in the event of
non-compliance by potentially responsible
parties. If a settlement between the EPA and a
potentially responsible party includes cleanup
actions, it must be in the form of a Consent
Decree. A Consent Decree is subject to a public
comment period.
Consent Order: [see Administrative Order
on Consent].
Containment: The process of enclosing or
containing hazardous substances in a structure,
typically in a pond or a lagoon, to prevent the
migration of contaminants into the environment.
Contaminant: Any physical, chemical,
biological, or radiological material or substance
whose quantity, location, or nature produces
undesirable health or environmental effects.
Contingency Plan: A document setting
out an organized, planned, and coordinated
course of action to be followed in case of a
fire, explosion, or other accident that releases
toxic chemicals, hazardous wastes, or radioac-
tive materials into the environment.
Cooperative Agreement: A contract
between the EPA and the States, wherein a State
agrees to manage or monitor certain site cleanup
responsibilities and other activities on a cost-
sharing basis.
Cost Recovery: A legal process by which
potentially responsible parties can be required
to pay back the Superfund program for money
it spends on any cleanup actions [see Poten-
tially Responsible Parties].
Cover: Vegetation or other material placed
over a landfill or other waste material. It can
be designed to reduce movement of water into
the waste and to prevent erosion that could
cause the movement of contaminants.
Creosotes: Chemicals used in wood pre-
serving operations and produced by distilla-
tion of tar, including polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons and polynuclear aromatic
hydrocarbons [see PAHs and PNAs]. Con-
taminating sediments, soils, and surface
water, creosotes may cause skin ulcerations
and cancer through prolonged exposure.
Culvert: A pipe used for drainage under a
road, railroad track, path, or through an embank-
ment.
Decommission: To revoke a license to
operate and take out of service.
Degradation: The process by which a chemi-
cal is reduced to a less complex form.
Degrease: To remove grease from wastes,
soils, or chemicals, usually using solvents.
Deletion: A site is eligible for deletion from
the NPL when Superfund response actions at the
site are complete. A site is deleted from the
NPL when a notice is published in the Federal
Register.
De minimis: This legal phrase pertains to
settlements with parties who contributed small
amounts of hazardous waste to a site. This
process allows the EPA to settle with small, or
de minimis contributors, as a single group rather
than as individuals, saving time, money, and
effort.
Dewater: To remove water from wastes, soils,
or chemicals.
G-4
-------
GLOSSARY
Dike: A low wall that can act as a barrier to
prevent a spill from spreading.
Dioxin: An organic chemical by-product of
pesticide manufacture which is known to be one
of the most toxic man-made chemicals.
Disposal: Final placement or destruction of
toxic, radioactive, or other wastes; surplus or
banned pesticides or other chemicals; polluted
soils; and drums containing hazardous materials.
Disposal may be accomplished through the use
of approved secure landfills, surface impound-
ments, land farming, deep well injection, or
incineration.
Down gradient: A downward hydrologic
slope that causes groundwater to move toward
lower elevations. Therefore, wells downgradi-
ent of a contaminated groundwater source are
prone to receiving pollutants.
Ecological Assessment: A study of the
impact of man-made or natural activity on living
creatures and their environment
Effluent: Wastewater, treated or untreated,
that flows out of a treatment plant, sewer, or
industrial outfall. Generally refers to wastes
discharged into surface waters.
Emission: Pollution discharged into the
atmosphere from smokestacks, other vents, and
surface areas of commercial or industrial facili-
ties.
Emulsifiers: Substances that help in mixing
materials that do not normally mix; e.g., oil and
water.
Endangerment Assessment: A study
conducted to determine the risks posed to public
health or the environment by contamination at
NPL sites. The EPA or the State conducts the
study when a legal action is to be taken to direct
the potentially responsible parties to clean up a
site or pay for the cleanup. An endangerment
assessment supplements an investigation of the
site hazards.
Enforcement: EPA, State, or local legal
actions taken against parties to facilitate
settlements; to compel compliance with laws,
rules, regulations, or agreements; or to obtain
penalties or criminal sanctions for violations.
Enforcement procedures may vary, depending
on the specific requirements of different
environmental laws and related regulatory
requirements. Under CERCLA, for example,
the EPA will seek to require potentially
responsible parties to clean up a Superfund
site or pay for the cleanup [see Cost Recov-
ery].
Erosion: The wearing away of land surface
by wind or water. Erosion occurs naturally
from weather or surface runoff, but can be
intensified by such land-related practices as
farming, residential or industrial develop-
ment, road building, or timber-cutting. Ero-
sion may spread surface contamination to off-
site locations.
Estuary (estuarine): Areas where fresh
water from rivers and salt water from
nearshore ocean waters are mixed. These
areas may include bays, mouths of rivers, salt
marshes, and lagoons. These water ecosys-
tems shelter and feed marine life, birds, and
wildlife.
Evaporation Ponds: Areas where sewage
sludge or other watery wastes are dumped and
allowed to dry out.
Feasibility Study: The analysis of the
potential cleanup alternatives for a site. The
feasibility study usually starts as soon as the
remedial investigation is underway. In this
volume, the feasibility study is referred to as a
site study [see also Remedial Investigation].
G-5
-------
GLOSSARY
Filtration: A treatment process for remov-
ing solid (particulate) matter from water by
passing the water through sand, activated
carbon, or a man-made filter. The process is
often used to remove particles that contain
contaminants.
Flood Plain: An area along a river, formed
from sediment deposited by floods. Flood
plains periodically are innundated by natural
floods, which can spread contamination.
Flue Gas: The air that is emitted from a
chimney after combustion in the burner
occurs. The gas can include nitrogen oxides,
carbon oxides, water vapor, sulfur oxides,
particles, and many chemical pollutants.
Fly Ash: Non-combustible residue that results
from the combustion of flue gases. It can
include nitrogen oxides, carbon oxides, water
vapor, sulfur oxides, as well as many other
chemical pollutants.
French Drain System: A crushed rock drain
system constructed of perforated pipes, which is
used to drain and disperse wastewater.
Gasification (coal): The conversion of soft
coal into gas for use as a fuel.
General Notice Letter: [See Notice Letter].
Generator: A facility that emits pollutants
into the air or releases hazardous wastes into
water or soil.
Good Faith Offer: A voluntary offer, gener-
ally in response to a Special Notice letter, made
by a potentially responsible party, consisting of
a written proposal demonstrating a potentially
responsible party's qualifications and willing-
ness to perform a site study or cleanup.
Groundwater: Water that fills pores in soils
or openings in rocks to the point of saturation.
In aquifers, groundwater occurs in sufficient
quantities for use as drinking and irrigation
water and other purposes.
Groundwater Quality Assessment: The
process of analyzing the chemical characteris-
tics of groundwater to determine whether any
hazardous materials exist.
Halogens: Reactive non-metals, such as
chlorine and bromine. Halogens are very
good oxidizing agents and, therefore, have
many industrial uses. They are rarely found
by themselves; however, many chemicals
such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),
some volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
and dioxin are reactive because of the pres-
ence of halogens.
Hazard Ranking System (HRS): The
principal screening tool used by the EPA to
evaluate relative risks to public health and the
environment associated with abandoned or
uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. The HRS
calculates a score based on the potential of
hazardous substances spreading from the site
through the air, surface water, or groundwater
and on other factors such as nearby popula-
tion. The HRS score is the primary factor in
deciding if the site should be on the NPL.
Hazardous Waste: By-products of society
that can pose a substantial present or potential
hazard to human health and the environment
when improperly managed. Hazardous waste
possesses at least one of four characteristics
(ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxic-
ity), or appears on special EPA lists.
Heavy Metals: Metallic elements with high
atomic weights, such as arsenic, lead, mercury,
and cadmium. Heavy metals are very hazardous
even at low concentrations and tend to accumu-
late in the food chain.
Herbicide: A chemical pesticide designed to
control or destroy plants, weeds, or grasses.
G-6
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GLOSSARY
Hot Spot: An area or vicinity of a site contain-
ing exceptionally high levels of contamination.
Hydrocarbons: Chemical compounds that
consist entirely of hydrogen and carbon.
Hydrology: The properties, distribution, and
circulation of water.
Hydrogeology: The geology of groundwater,
with particular emphasis on the chemistry and
movement of water.
Impoundment: A body of water or sludge
confined by a dam, dike, floodgate, or other
barrier.
Incineration: A group of treatment technolo-
gies involving destruction of waste by controlled
burning at high temperatures, e.g., burning
sludge to reduce the remaining residues to a
non-burnable ash that can be disposed of safely
on land, in some waters, or in underground
locations.
Infiltration: The movement of water or
other liquid down through soil from precipita-
tion (rain or snow) or from application of
wastewater to the land surface.
Influent: Water, wastewater, or other liquid
flowing into a reservoir, basin, or treatment
plant.
Injection Well: A well into which waste
fluids are placed, under pressure, for purposes
of disposal.
Inorganic Chemicals: Chemical sub-
stances of mineral origin, not of basic carbon
structure.
Installation Restoration Program: The
specially funded program established in 1978
under which the Department of Defense has
been identifying and evaluating its hazardous
waste sites and controlling the migration of
hazardous contaminants from those sites.
Intake: The source from where a water supply
is drawn, such as from a river or water body.
Interagency Agreement: A written agree-
ment between the EPA and a Federal agency
that has the lead for site cleanup activities,
setting forth the roles and responsibilities of the
agencies for performing and overseeing the
activities. States often are parties to interagency
agreements.
Interim (Permit) Status: Conditions under
which hazardous waste treatment, storage,
and disposal facilities, that were operating
when regulations under the RCRA became
final in 1980, are temporarily allowed by the
EPA to continue to operate while awaiting
denial or issuance of a permanent permit. The
facility must comply with certain regulations
to maintain interim status.
Lagoon: A shallow pond or liquid waste
containment structure. Lagoons typically are
used for the storage of wastewaters, sludges,
liquid wastes, or spent nuclear fuel.
Landfarm: To apply waste to land or incor-
porate waste into the surface soil, such as
fertilizer or soil conditioner. This practice
commonly is used for disposal of composted
wastes and sludges.
Landfill: A disposal facility where waste is
placed in or on land. Sanitary landfills are
disposal sites for non-hazardous solid wastes.
The waste is spread in layers, compacted to the
smallest practical volume, and covered with soil
at the end of each operating day. Secure chemi-
cal landfills are disposal sites for hazardous
waste. They are designed to minimize the
chance of release of hazardous substances into
the environment [see Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act].
Leach, Leaching [v.t.]: The process by
which soluble chemical components are dis-
solved and carried through soil by water or
some other percolating liquid.
G-7
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GLOSSARY
Leachate [n]: The liquid that trickles through
or drains from waste, carrying soluble compo-
nents from the waste.
Leachate Collection System: A system
that gathers liquid that has leaked into a landfill
or other waste disposal area and pumps it to the
surface for treatment.
Liner: A relatively impermeable barrier
designed to prevent leachate (waste residue)
from leaking from a landfill. Liner materials
include plastic and dense clay.
Long-term Remedial Phase: Distinct,
often incremental, steps that are taken to solve
site pollution problems. Depending on the
complexity, site cleanup activities can be
separated into several of these phases.
Long-term Response Action: An action
which requires a continuous period of on-site
activity before cleanup goals are achieved.
These actions typically include the extraction
and treatment of groundwater and monitoring
actions.
Marsh: A type of wetland that does not
contain peat moss deposits and is dominated by
vegetation. Marshes may be either fresh or
saltwater and tidal or non-tidal [see Wetland].
Migration: The movement of oil, gas, con-
taminants, water, or other liquids through porous
and permeable soils or rock.
Mill Tailings: [See Mine Tailings].
Mine Tailings: A fine, sandy residue left from
mining operations. Tailings often contain high
concentrations of lead, uranium, and arsenic or
other heavy metals.
Mitigation: Actions taken to improve site
conditions by limiting, reducing, or controlling
toxicity and contamination sources.
Modeling: A technique using a mathematical
or physical representation of a system or theory
that tests the effects that changes on system
components have on the overall performance of
the system.
Monitoring Wells: Special wells drilled at
specific locations within, or surrounding, a
hazardous waste site where groundwater can be
sampled at selected depths and studied to obtain
such information as the direction in which
groundwater flows and the types and amounts of
contaminates present.
National Priorities List (NPL): The
EPA's list of the most serious uncontrolled or
abandoned hazardous waste sites identified
for possible long-term cleanup under Super-
fund. The EPA is required to update the NPL
at least once a year.
Natural Attenuation: [See Attenuation].
Neutrals: Organic compounds that have a
relatively neutral pH, complex structure and,
due to their organic bases, are easily absorbed
into the environment. Water is the most
commonly known neutral, however, naphtha-
lene, pyrene, and trichlorobenzene also are
examples of neutrals.
Nitroaromatics: Common components of
explosive materials, which will explode if
activated by very high temperatures or pres-
sures; 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a
nitroaromatic.
Notice Letter: A General Notice Letter
notifies the parties potentially responsible for
site contamination of their possible liability. A
Special Notice Letter begins a 60-day formal
period of negotiation during which the EPA is
not allowed to start work at a site or initiate
enforcement actions against potentially respon-
sible parties, although the EPA may undertake
certain investigatory and planning activities.
G-8
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GLOSSARY
The 60-day period may be extended if the EPA
receives a good faith offer from the PRPs
within that period. [See also Good Faith Offer],
On-Scene Coordinator (OSC): The
predesignated EPA, Coast Guard, or Depart-
ment of Defense official who coordinates and
directs Superfund removal actions or Clean
Water Act oil- or hazardous-spill corrective
actions.
Operation and Maintenance: Activities
conducted at a site after a cleanup action is
completed to ensure that the cleanup or
containment system is functioning properly.
Organic Chemicals/Compounds:
Chemical substances containing mainly
carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
Outfall: The place where wastewater is
discharged into receiving waters.
Overpacking: Process used for isolating
large volumes of waste by jacketing or encap-
sulating waste to prevent further spread or
leakage of contaminating materials. Leaking
drums may be contained within oversized
barrels as an interim measure prior to removal
and final disposal.
Pentachlorophenol (PCP): A synthetic,
modified petrochemical that may be used as a
wood preservative because of its toxicity to
termites and fungi. It is a common component
of creosotes and can cause cancer.
Perched (groundwater): Groundwater
separated from another underlying body of
groundwater by a confining layer, often clay or
rock.
Percolation: The downward flow or filtering
of water or other liquids through subsurface
rock or soil layers, usually continuing down-
ward to groundwater.
Pesticide: A substance or mixture of sub-
stances intended to prevent, destroy, or repel any
pest. If misused, pesticides can accumulate in
the foodchain and contaminate the environment.
Petrochemicals: Chemical substances
produced from petroleum in refinery operations
and as fuel oil residues. These include
fluoranthene, chrysene, mineral spirits, and
refined oils. Petrochemicals are the bases from
which volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
plastics, and many pesticides are made. These
chemical substances often are toxic to humans
and the environment.
Phenols: Organic compounds that are used in
plastics manufacturing and are by-products of
petroleum refining, tanning, textile, dye, and
resin manufacturing. Phenols are highly poison-
ous.
Physical Chemical Separation: The
treatment process of adding a chemical to a
substance to separate the compounds for further
treatment or disposal.
Pilot Testing: A small-scale test of a pro-
posed treatment system in the field to determine
its ability to clean up specific contaminants.
Plugging: The process of stopping the flow of
water, oil, or gas into or out of the ground
through a borehole or well penetrating the
ground.
Plume: A body of contaminated groundwater
flowing from a specific source. The movement
of the groundwater is influenced by such factors
as local groundwater flow patterns, the character
of the aquifer in which groundwater is con-
tained, and the density of contaminants [see
Migration].
Pollution: Generally, the presence of matter
or energy whose nature, location, or quantity
produces undesired health or environmental
effects.
G-9
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GLOSSARY
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons or
Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs):
PAHs, such as pyrene, are a group of highly
reactive organic compounds found in motor oil.
They are a common component of creosotes and
can cause cancer.
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs): A
group of toxic chemicals used for a variety of
purposes including electrical applications,
carbonless copy paper, adhesives, hydraulic
fluids, microscope immersion oils, and caulking
compounds. PCBs also are produced in certain
combustion processes. PCBs are extremely
persistent in the environment because they are
very stable, non-reactive, and highly heat
resistant. Chronic exposure to PCBs is believed
to cause liver damage. It also is known to
bioaccumulate in fatty tissues. PCB use and
sale was banned in 1979 with the passage of the
Toxic Substances Control Act
Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons
(PNAs): PNAs, such as naphthalene, and
biphenyls, are a group of highly reactive organic
compounds that are a common component of
creosotes, which can be carcinogenic.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC): A plastic made
from the gaseous substance vinyl chloride. PVC
is used to make pipes, records, raincoats, and
floor tiles. Health risks from high concentra-
tions of vinyl chloride include liver cancer and
lung cancer, as well as cancer of the lymphatic
and nervous systems.
Potable Water: Water that is safe for drink-
ing and cooking.
Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs):
Parties associated with a Superfund site who
may be liable for the cost of remedying the
release of hazardous substances. This may
include owners or operators of the site or trans-
porters who disposed of materials at the site.
PRPs may admit liability, or liability may be
determined by a court of law. PRPs may sign a
Consent Decree or Administrative Order on
Consent to participate in the site cleanup without
admitting liability.
Precipitation: The removal of solids from
liquid waste so that the solid and liquid portions
can be disposed of safely; the removal of
particles from airborne emissions. Electro-
chemical precipitation is the use of an anode or
cathode to remove the hazardous chemicals.
Chemical precipitation involves the addition of
some substance to cause the solid portion to
separate.
Preliminary Assessment: The process of
collecting and reviewing available information
about a known or suspected waste site or release
to determine if a threat or potential threat exists.
Pump and Treat: A groundwater cleanup
technique involving the extracting of contami-
nated groundwater from the subsurface and the
removal of contaminants, using one of several
treatment technologies.
Radionuclides: Elements, including radium
and uranium-235 and -238, which break down
and produce radioactive substances due to their
unstable atomic structure. Some are man-made,
and others are naturally occurring in the envi-
ronment. Radon, the gaseous form of radium,
decays to form alpha particle radiation, which
cannot be absorbed through skin. However, it
can be inhaled, which allows alpha particles to
affect unprotected tissues directly and thus cause
cancer. Radiation also occurs naturally through
the breakdown of granite.
RCRA: [See Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act].
Recharge Area: A land area where rainwater
saturates the ground and soaks through the earth
to reach an aquifer.
G-10
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GLOSSARY
Record of Decision (ROD): A public
document that explains which cleanup
alternative(s) will be used to clean up sites
listed on the NPL. It is based on information
generated during the remedial investigation
and feasibility study and consideration of
public comments and community concerns.
Recovery Wells: Wells used to withdraw
contaminants or contaminated groundwater.
Recycle: The process of minimizing waste
generation by recovering usable products that
might otherwise become waste.
Remedial Action (RA): The actual con-
struction or implementation phase of a
Superfund site cleanup following the remedial
design [see Cleanup].
Remedial Design: A phase of site cleanup
where engineers design the technical specifi-
cations for cleanup remedies and technolo-
gies.
Remedial Investigation: An in-depth
study designed to gather the data necessary to
determine the nature and extent of contamina-
tion at a Superfund site, establish the criteria
for cleaning up the site, identify the prelimi-
nary alternatives for cleanup actions, and
support the technical and cost analyses of the
alternatives. The remedial investigation is
usually done with the feasibility study. In this
volume, the remedial investigation is referred
to as a site study [see also Feasibility Study].
Remedial Project Manager (RPM): The
EPA or State official responsible for oversee-
ing cleanup actions at the site.
Remedy Selection: The selection of the
final cleanup strategy for the site. At the few
sites where the EPA has determined that
initial response actions have eliminated site
contamination, or that any remaining con-
tamination will be naturally dispersed without
further cleanup activities, a "No Action"
remedy is selected [see Record of Decision].
Removal Action: Short-term immediate
actions taken to address releases of hazardous
substances [see Cleanup].
Residual: The amount of a pollutant re-
maining in the environment after a natural or
technological process has taken place, e.g.,
the sludge remaining after initial wastewater
treatment, or the particulates remaining in air
after the air passes through a scrubber.
Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act (RCRA): A Federal law that established
a regulatory system to track hazardous sub-
stances from the time of generation to dis-
posal. The law requires safe and secure
procedures to be used in treating, transport-
ing, storing, and disposing of hazardous
substances. RCRA is designed to prevent
new, uncontrolled hazardous waste sites.
Retention Pond: A small body of liquid
used for disposing of wastes and containing
overflow from production facilities. Some-
times retention ponds are used to expand the
capacity of such structures as lagoons the
store waste.
Runoff: The discharge of water over land
into surface water. It can carry pollutants
from the air and land and spread contaminants
from its source.
Scrubber: An air pollution control device
that uses a spray of water or reactant or a dry
process to trap pollutants in emissions.
Sediment: The layer of soil, sand, and
minerals at the bottom of surface waters such
as streams, lakes, and rivers, that absorbs
contaminants.
G-11
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GLOSSARY
Seeps: Specific points where releases of
liquid, usually leachate, form from waste
disposal areas, particularly along the lower
edges of landfills.
Seepage Pits: A hole, shaft, or cavity in
the ground used for the storage of liquids,
usually in the form of leachate, from waste
disposal areas. The liquid gradually leaves
the pit by moving through the surrounding
soil.
Septage: Residue remaining in a septic tank
after the treatment process.
Sinkhole: A hollow depression in the land
surface in which drainage collects; associated
with underground caves and passages that
facilitate the movement of liquids.
Site Characterization: The technical pro-
cess used to evaluate the nature and extent of
environmental contamination, which is neces-
sary for choosing and designing cleanup mea-
sures and monitoring their effectiveness.
Site Inspection: The collection of informa-
tion from a hazardous waste site to determine
the extent and severity of hazards posed by the
site. It follows, and is more extensive than, a
preliminary assessment. The purpose is to
gather information necessary to score the site,
using the Hazard Ranking System, and to
determine if the site presents an immediate
threat that requires a prompt removal action.
Slag: The fused refuse or dross separated
from a metal in the process of smelting.
Sludge: Semi-solid residues from industrial
or water treatment processes that may be
contaminated with hazardous materials.
Slurry Wall: Barriers used to contain the flow
of contaminated groundwater or subsurface
liquids. Slurry walls are constructed by digging
a trench around a contaminated area and filling
the trench with an impermeable material that
prevents water from passing through it. The
groundwater or contaminated liquids trapped
within the area surrounded by the slurry wall
can be extracted and treated.
Smelter: A facility that melts or fuses ore,
often with an accompanying chemical change,
to separate the metal. Emissions from smelters
are known to cause pollution.
Soil Gas: Gaseous elements and compounds
that occur in the small spaces between par-
ticles of soil. Such gases can move through
or leave the soil or rock, depending on
changes in pressure.
Soil Vapor Extraction: A treatment
process that uses vacuum wells to remove
hazardous gases from soil.
Soil Washing: A water-based process for
mechanically scrubbing soils in-place to remove
undesirable materials. There are two ap-
proaches: dissolving or suspending them in the
wash solution for later treatment by conven-
tional methods, and concentrating them into a
smaller volume of soil through simple particle
size separation techniques [see Solvent Extrac-
tion].
Stabilization: The process of changing an
active substance into inert, harmless material,
or physical activities at a site that act to limit
the further spread of contamination without
actual reduction of toxicity.
Solidification/Stabilization: A chemical
or physical reduction of the mobility of
hazardous constituents. Mobility is reduced
through the binding of hazardous constituents
into a solid mass with low permeability and
resistance to leaching.
G-12
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GLOSSARY
Solvent: A substance capable of dissolving
another substance to form a solution. The
primary uses of industrial solvents are as
cleaners for degreasing, in paints, and in
Pharmaceuticals. Many solvents are flam-
mable and toxic to varying degrees.
Solvent Extraction: A means of separating
hazardous contaminants from soils, sludges,
and sediment, thereby reducing the volume of
the hazardous waste that must be treated. It
generally is used as one in a series of unit
operations. An organic chemical is used to
dissolve contaminants as opposed to water-
based compounds, which usually are used in
soil washing.
Sorption: The action of soaking up or
attracting substances. It is used in many
pollution control systems.
Special Notice Letter: [See Notice Let-
ter].
Stillbottom: Residues left over from the
process of recovering spent solvents.
Stripping: A process used to remove volatile
contaminants from a substance [see Air Strip-
ping].
Sumps: A pit or tank that catches liquid
runoff for drainage or disposal.
Superf und: The program operated under the
legislative authority of the CERCLA and
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization
Act (SARA) to update and improve environ-
mental laws. The program has the authority to
respond directly to releases or threatened re-
leases of hazardous substances that may endan-
ger public health, welfare, or the environment
The "Superfund" is a trust fund that finances
cleanup actions at hazardous waste sites.
Surge Tanks: A holding structure used to
absorb irregularities in flow of liquids, including
liquid waste materials.
Swamp: A type of wetland that is dominated
by woody vegetation and does not accumulate
peat moss deposits. Swamps may be fresh or
saltwater and tidal or non-tidal [see Wetlands].
Thermal Treatment: The use of heat to
remove or destroy contaminants from soil.
Treatability Studies: Testing a treatment
method on contaminated groundwater, soil, etc.,
to determine whether and how well the method
will work.
Trichloroethylene (TCE): A stable, color-
less liquid with a low boiling point. TCE has
many industrial applications, including use as
a solvent and as a metal degreasing agent.
TCE may be toxic to people when inhaled,
ingested, or through skin contact and can
damage vital organs, especially the liver [see
Volatile Organic Compounds].
Unilateral [Administrative] Order: [see
Administrative Order].
Upgradient: An upward hydrologic slope;
demarks areas that are higher than contaminated
areas and, therefore, are not prone to contamina-
tion by the movement of polluted groundwater.
Vacuum Extraction: A technology used to
remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
from soils. Vacuum pumps are connected to a
series of wells drilled to just above the water
table. The wells are sealed tightly at the soil
surface, and the vacuum established in the soil
draws VOC-contaminated air from the soil
pores into the well, as fresh air is drawn down
from the surface of the soil.
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GLOSSARY
Vegetated Soil Cap: A cap constructed with
graded soils and seed for vegetative growth, to
prevent erosion [see Cap].
Vitrification: The process of electrically
melting wastes and soils or sludges to bind the
waste in a glassy, solid material more durable
than granite or marble and resistant to leaching.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs):
VOCs are manufactured as secondary petro-
chemicals. They include light alcohols, acetone,
trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene,
dichloroethylene, benzene, vinyl chloride,
toluene, and methylene chloride. These poten-
tially toxic chemicals are used as solvents,
degreasers, paints, thinners, and fuels. Because
of their volatile nature, they readily evaporate
into the air, increasing the potential exposure to
humans. Due to their low water solubility,
environmental persistence, and widespread
industrial use, they are commonly found in soil
and groundwater.
Waste Treatment Plant: A facility that
uses a series of tanks, screens, filters, and
other treatment processes to remove pollut-
ants from water.
Wastewater: The spent or used water from
individual homes or industries.
Watershed: The land area that drains into a
stream or other water body.
Water Table: The upper surface of the
groundwater.
Weir: A barrier to divert water or other liquids.
Wetland: An area that is regularly saturated
by surface or groundwater and, under normal
circumstances, is capable of supporting
vegetation typically adapted for life in satu-
rated soil conditions. Wetlands are critical to
sustaining many species of fish and wildlife.
Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes,
and bogs. Wetlands may be either coastal or
inland. Coastal wetlands have salt or brackish
(a mixture of salt and fresh) water, and most
have tides, while inland wetlands are non-
tidal and freshwater. Coastal wetlands are an
integral component of estuaries.
Wildlife Refuge: An area designated for
the protection of wild animals, within which
hunting and fishing are either prohibited or
strictly controlled.
G-14
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GLOSSARY
Some Common Contaminants at NPL Sites
Contaminant
Category
Example
Sources
Potential Health
Threats*
Polychloririated
Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium,
Cadmium, Cobalt, Copper,
Chromium, Lead, Manga-
nese, Mercury, Nickel,
Silver, Selenium, Zinc
Trichloroethylene (TCE),
Perchloroethylene (PCE),
Acetone, Benzene,
Ketone, Methyl chloride,
Toluene, Vinyl Chloride,
Dichlorethylene
Chlordane, DDT 4-4, DDE,
Heptachlor, Aldrin, Endrin,
Atrazine, Dieldrin, Toxa-
phene
Polyaromatic hydrocar-
bons (PAHs), Polynuclear
aromatics (PNAs),
Phenolic Tars, Pentachlo-
rophenol (PCP)
Radium-226, Radon,
Uranium-235, Uranium-
238
Electroplating, batteries,
paint pigments, photogra-
phy, smelting, thermom-
eters, fluorescent lights,
solvent recovery
Solvents and degreasers,
gasoline octane enhanc-
ers, oils and paints, dry
cleaning fluids, chemical
manufacturing.
Agricultural applications,
pesticide and herbicide
production
Electric transformers and
capacitors, insulators and
coolants, adhesives,
caulking compounds,
carbonless copy paper,
hydraulic fluids.
Wood preserving, fossil
fuel combustion
Mine tailings, radium
products, natural decay of
granites
Tumors, cancers, and kidney,
brain, neurological, bone and
liver damage
Cancers, kidney and liver
damage, impairment of the
nervous system resulting in
sleepiness and headaches,
leukemia
Various effects ranging from
nausea to nervous disorders.
Dioxin is a common by-product
of the manufacture of pesti-
cides and is both highly toxic
and a suspected carcinogen.
Cancer and liver damage.
Cancers and skin ulcerations
with prolonged exposure
Cancer
Sources:
Toxic Chemicals^What They Are, How They Affect You (EPA, Region 5)
Glossary of Environmental Terms (EPA, 1988)
'The potential for risk due to these contaminants is linked to a number of factors; for example, the length and level of exposure
and environmental and health factors such as age.
*U.S. G.P.O.: 1993-341-835:81025
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