United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
Publication 9320.7-071
October 1992
&EPA Descriptions of Nine Sites
Proposed for the National
Priorities List in October 1992
Office of Emergency and Remedial Response
Hazardous Site Evaluation Division (OS-5204G)
Intermittent Bulletin
Volume 2, Number 2
This document consists of descriptions of the nine sites proposed for the National Priorities List (NPL) in October
1992. The size of the site is generally indicated, based on information available at the time the site was scored using the
Hazard Ranking System. The size may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of
contamination. Sites are arranged alphabetically by State (two-letter abbreviations) and by site name within the State.
CLEANING UP UNDER SUPERFUND
The Superfund program is managed by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is
authorized by the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA),
enacted on December 11, 1980, as amended by the
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act
(SARA), enacted on October 17, 1986. In October
1990, SARA was extended to September 30, 1994. The
Hazardous Substance Response Trust Fund set up by
CERCLA as amended pays the costs not assumed by
responsible parties for cleaning up hazardous waste sites
or emergencies that threaten public health, welfare, or
the environment; Superfund also pays for overseeing
responsible parties conducting cleanup.
Two types of responses may be taken when a
hazardous substance is released (or threatens to be
released) into the environment:
Removal actions emergency-type responses
to imminent threats. SARA limits these actions
to 1 year and/or $2 million, with a waiver
possible if the actions are consistent with remedial
responses. Removal actions can be undertaken by the
private parties responsible for the releases or by the
Federal government using the Superfund.
Remedial responses - actions intended to
provide permanent solutions at uncontrolled
hazardous waste sites. Remedial responses are
generally longer-term and more expensive than
removals. A Superfund-financed remedial
response can be taken only if a site is on the
NPL. EPA published the first NPL in September
1983. The list must be updated at least annually.
EPA's goals for the Superfund program are to:
Ensure that polluters pay to clean up the problems
they created
Work first on the worst problems at the worst
sites, by making sites safe, making sites clean,
and bringing new technology to bear on the
problem
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REMEDIAL RESPONSES
The money for conducting a remedial response at
a hazardous waste site (and a removal action, as well)
can come from several sources:
The individuals or companies responsible for the
problems can clean up voluntarily with EPA or
State supervision, or they can be forced to clean
up by Federal or State legal action.
A State or local government can choose to
assume the responsibility to clean up without
Federal dollars.
Superfund can pay for the cleanup, then seek to
recover the costs from the responsible party or
parties.
A remedial response, as defined by the National
Contingency Plan (the Federal regulation by which
Superfund is implemented), is an orderly process that
generally involves the following steps:
Take any measures needed to stabilize conditions,
which might involve, for example, fencing the
site or removing above-ground drums or bulk
tanks.
Undertake initial planning activities to scope out
a strategy for collecting information and analyzing
alternative cleanup approaches.
Conduct a remedial investigation to characterize
the type and extent of contamination at the site
and to assess the risks posed by that
contamination.
Conduct a feasibility study to analyze various
cleanup alternatives. The feasibility study is often
conducted concurrently with the remedial
investigation as one project. Typically, the two
together take from 18 to 24 months to complete
and cost approximately $1.3 million.
Select the cleanup alternative that:
- Protects human health and the environment
Complies with Federal and State
requirements that are applicable or relevant
and appropriate
Uses permanent solutions and alternative
treatment technologies or resource recovery
technology to the maximum extent
practicable
Considers views of State and public
Is "-cost-effective" 4hat4s,-affords.iesults
proportional to the costs of the remedy
Design the remedy. Typically, the design phase
takes 6 to 12 months to complete and costs
approximately $1.5 million.
Implement the remedy, which might involve, for
example, constructing facilities to treat ground
water or removing contaminants to a safe disposal
area away from the site.
EPA expects the implementation (remedial action)
phase to average out at about $25 million (plus any costs
to operate and maintain the action) per site, and some
remedial actions may take several years complete.
The State government can participate in a
remedial response under Superfund in one of two ways:
The State can take the lead role under a
cooperative agreement, which is much like a
grant in that Federal dollars are transferred to the
State. The State then develops a workplan,
schedule, and budget, contracts for any services
it needs, and is responsible for making sure that
all the conditions in the cooperative agreement are
met. In contrast to a grant, EPA continues to be
substantially involved and monitors the State's
progress throughout the project.
EPA can take the lead under a Superfund State
Contract, with the State's role outlined. EPA,
generally using contractor support, manages work
early in the planning process. In the later design
and implementation phases, contractors do the
work under the supervision of the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers. Under both arrangements,
the State must share in the cost of the
implementation phase of cleanup.
CERCLA requires that EPA select the remedy.
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&EPA
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPL
OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington. DC 20460
NAVAL AIR STATION ADAK
Adak Island, Alaska
The Naval Air Station (NAS) Adak covers approximately 64,000 acres in Alaska on Adak Island, near the western end of the
Aleutian Islands. Adak Island became a military base in 1942, and in 1950 the Navy took control of all defense facilities on
the island. The island is characterized by high winds and frequent storms. The southern half of the island is a Federally
designated wilderness area, and the entire island is part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.
In 1986, the Navy completed an Initial Assessment Study that identified 32 areas that potentially received hazardous substances
including chlorinated solvents, batteries, and transformer oils containing PCBs over a 40-year period. These areas include
landfills, storage areas, drum disposal areas, spill sites, and pits for waste oil and fire-fighting training. Although only 22 areas
were recommended for further action or investigation, all 32 are considered part of the NPL site.
Further investigations at 19 areas in 1988 found PCBs, lead, and silver in sediments, surface water, and soil in several locations
on NAS Adak. The Navy recommended seven areas for further study and three for immediate action. A number of buried
storage tanks and abandoned drums were removed from the three areas.
The contamination poses a threat to the sensitive environments both on and off the island, including the Wildlife Refuge,
migratory pathways, spawning areas and feeding areas for fish, State land designated for game management, and wetlands.
In addition, a wide variety of marine mammals inhabit the near-shore areas of Adak Island. Surface waters are used for sport,
subsistence, and commercial fishing. Parts of the site are easily accessible to fishermen and other members of the public. An
estimated 2,000 people live within 1 mile of hazardous waste sources at NAS Adak.
The Navy, EPA, and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation will be negotiating a Federal Facilities Agreement
under CERCLA Section 120 that will detail further investigation and possible cleanup actions.
(The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the lime the site was scored. The description may change as additional information
is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See FR 5600, February 12, 1991 or subsequent FR notices.)
Superfund hazardous waste site listed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended Revised
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&EPA
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPL
OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington. DC 20460
WATERLOO COAL GASIFICATION PLANT"
Waterloo, Iowa
The Waterloo Coal Gasification Plant manufactured gas for lighting and heating purposes during 1901-56 in Waterloo,
Blackhawk County, Iowa. The site is approximately 30 feet north of the Cedar River in an area that is primarily active and
abandoned light industry to the east and west with a residential area located to the north.
The site was owned in succession by Waterloo Gas and Electric Co., Citizens Gas and Electric Co., Central Iowa Power and
Light Co., and Iowa Public Service Co. When operational, the plant encompassed 4.5 acres. The plant was dismantled during
1965-67. The site is located north and south of Sycamore Street between Union and Elm Streets and has a railroad right-of-way
running through it.
An EPA inspection in December 1988 and June 1989 revealed that surface and subsurface soils from portions of the site are
contaminated with cyanide generated from plant purifier wastes and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including
naphthalene and 2-methylnaphthalene, from plant coal tar and oils. PAHs and cyanide have also been documented in on-site
monitoring wells drawing from the shallow alluvial aquifer. This aquifer is hydrologically connected to the deeper Silurian-
Devonian aquifer system. Both supply drinking water to area residents.
An estimated 74,800 people obtain drinking water from public and private wells within 4 miles of the site, the nearest a
Waterloo municipal well 1.75 miles south of the site. These wells serve Elk Run Heights, Raymond, and Hudson. Waterloo
municipal water is also used for commercial food preparation.
The Cedar River is used for recreational activities and may be receiving hazardous substances from the site due to the site's
nearness to the river and the known subsurface contamination potentially migrating from ground water to surface water.
However, no sampling has been conducted to support this speculation.
(The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the lime the site was scored. The description may change as additional information
is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See FR 5600, February 11, 1991 or subsequent FR notices.)
Superfund hazardous waste site listed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended Revised
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&EPA
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPL
OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington, DC 20460
SPECTRON, INC.
Elkton, Maryland
Spectron, Inc., covers approximately 8 acres at 111 Providence Road in Elkton, Cecil County, Maryland. The area is primarily
rural. From the 1800s until 1946, the site was occupied by several paper manufacturers. In 1961, Galaxy Chemicals, Inc.,
began recovering organic solvents from wastes generated by the electronics, pharmaceutical, paint, lacquer, coatings and
chemical process industries. In 1975, the company went bankrupt. In 1976, Solvent Distillers, Inc., began operations at the
property. In 1978, the company changed its name to Spectron, Inc. The facility closed in August 1988, and Spectron is
currently in bankruptcy proceedings.
Throughout the years, several lagoons reportedly were in use. The location of one evaporation lagoon can be documented.
During a joint EPA/Maryland Water Resources Administration inspection at the site in 1979, approximately 1,500 drums were
found in the area of the former evaporation lagoon. Approximately 500 of these drums were damaged, rusting, open, and
leaking. Adjacent to this lagoon was a sludge pit that received solid residues. It had been filled in June 1969. Also located
on the site were between 50 and 73 tanks holding 582,000 gallons of hazardous substances, including chlorinated solvents, other
organic compounds, and heavy metals.
Spectron has been inspected many times by both EPA and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). In 1979,
MDE sampled cooling water discharges into Little Elk Creek. Results indicated elevated levels of chlorinated solvents, benzene,
ethylbenzene, toluene, and xylenes. In 1989, EPA detected similar contaminants in leachate seeps entering Little Elk Creek
and also in water samples of the creek downstream of the facility.
Little Elk Creek and Elk River are used for recreational fishing and are designated by the State for protection or maintenance
of aquatic life. Little Elk Creek wetlands within 15 miles are also potentially threatened by air pollution. The site has a long
history of complaints from nearby residents of odors apparently emanating from the lagoon and sludge pit. Various county,
State, and Federal actions were taken against the facility, one leading to its closure in August 1988.
In 1980, MDE installed seven monitoring wells on-site. EPA sampling in March 1981 detected high levels of organic
contaminants in several of the wells. EPA sampling in November 1987 confirmed the earlier results. The nearest private wells
are within several hundred feet of the site. Approximately 5,200 people obtain drinking water from private wells within 4 miles
of the site. Wells are also used for watering livestock.
In May 1989, EPA used CERCLA emergency funds to stabilize the site, preventing the release of contaminants that would be
an imminent threat to human health or the environment.
In August 1989, under an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) with the potentially responsible parties (PRPs) issued under
CERCLA Sections 106(a) and 122, EPA removed and disposed of wastes and cleaned the tanks, berms, and dikes. In April
1990, EPA negotiated a second AOC to ensure that the PRPs had the opportunity to remove certain materials from the site,
and in September 1991, EPA negotiated a third AOC calling for the PRPs to control releases from seeps or ground water at
the site that are entering Little Elk Creek.
(The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the lime the site was scored. The description may change as additional information
is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See FR 5600, February 11, 1991, or subsequent FR notices.)
Superfund hazardous waste site listed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended Revised
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&EPA
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPII
OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington, DC 20460
LAKE ELMO AIRPORT GROUND WATER COIMTAMINATIO
Baytown Township, Minnesota
The Lake Elmo Airport Ground Water Contamination site is defined by 34 contaminated wells (31 of which provide drinking
water) in Baytown Township, Washington County, Minnesota. The county is one of the seven-county metropolitan area
surrounding the Twin Cities.
In June 1987, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) sampled wells in the area surrounding the Baytown Dump as part
of a State-wide program to determine water quality near solid waste facilities. The results indicated private wells were
contaminated with volatile organic compounds such as 1,1,2-trichloroethene (TCE), 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethene (PCE), and cis-
1,2-dichloroethene. MDH then issued a well advisory for the Baytown Township area.
The MDH data indicate a plume of TCE-conlaminated ground water extends for 3 miles from the main hangar complex at the
Lake Elmo Airport. The majority of the plume continues through Baytown Township, involving a 1.5-mile-wide strip extending
from Manning Avenue on the west to the St. Croix River. An estimated 10,450 live in the area, which is primarily agricultural
and rural-residential.
The probable point of origin of the ground water plume is the airport maintenance facilities in the main hangar complex, which
apparently used TCE as a parts degreaser or paint stripper from 1951 to the early 1970s. Also, the contaminated wells at the
airport have chlorinated solvent concentrations up to an order of magnitude higher than the majority of the contaminated wells
located east of the airport, according to tests conducted during 1987-91 by State agencies and the Metropolitan Airports
Commission (MAC), which owns and operates the Lake Elmo Airport. The plume, with high concentrations of contaminants
at the upgradient end of the plume and a low concentration downgradient for 3 miles, is typical of a plume that would be
expected to form if the airport is the source. In addition, no other possible source of chlorinated solvents has been identified
in the area to date.
An estimated 26,000 people obtain drinking water from public and private wells within 4 miles of the site.
(The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the lime the site was scored. The description may change as additional information
is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See FR 5600, February II, 1991 or subsequent FR notices.)
Superfund hazardous waste site listed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended Revised
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UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPL
OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington. DC 20460
AMERICAN SHIZUKI CORP./
OGALLALA ELECTRONICS AND MANUFACTURING, INC.
Ogallala, Nebraska
The American Shizuki Corp./Ogallala Electronics and Manufacturing, Inc., site is in the western part of Ogallala, Keith County,
Nebraska, along the South Platte River. Land in the area is primarily used for industrial, commercial, and residential purposes.
In 1987, the Nebraska Department of Health XNDH)"detected-various chlorinated-organic-compounds in five of the nine
municipal wells serving Ogallala. Subsequent investigations identified the two companies as the primary sources of the
contamination.
Since 1987, American Shizuki Corp. has manufactured electrical components on an approximately 15-acre property at 301 West
O Street. TRW, Inc., owned and operated the facility from the early 1960s through 1986. Operations involved various organic
solvents, including trichloroethene (TCE) and 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA).
Since the early 1960s, Ogallala Electronics has manufactured electronics components on two parcels of land covering about
1 acre at 601 West 1st Street. Its operations also involve TCE and TCA. The properties of the two companies are a block
apart.
A June 1990 Nebraska Department of Environmental Control (NDEC) soil-gas survey in Ogallala detected significant
concentrations of TCE, TCA, and other chlorinated organic compounds on the properties of both companies. In mid-1991,
NDEC detected similar compounds in monitoring wells in and around both properties, and in two Ogallala municipal wells.
Earlier (1990), NDEC had detected similar compounds in six private wells. An estimated 5,100 people obtain drinking water
from public and private wells within 4 miles of the site. Wells are also used for irrigation.
The 1990 soil-gas survey had identified additional potential sources of the contamination of Ogallala's wells. They will be
investigated in the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study that typically follows listing.
(The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was scored. The description may change as additional information
is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See FR 5600, February 11, 1991 or subsequent FR notices.)
Superfund hazardous waste site listed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended Revised
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&EPA
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPL
OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington. DC 20460
BRUNO CO-OP ASSOCIATION/ASSOCIATED PROPERTIED
Bruno, Nebraskdb
The Bruno Co-op Association/Associated Properties site involves two contaminated municipal wells in Bruno, Butler County,
Nebraska. The area is used for agricultural, commercial, and residential purposes. One well is at the intersection of Pine and
Third Streets, and one is 1,000 feet to the northwest. The second well is off Fremont Street on property that is and has been
the site of grain storage facilities since the 1940s. Sometime between 1968 and June 1988, the property was divided into two
businesses known as the Bruno Co-op Association and Wagner Mills, Inc. In June 1988, Bruno Co-op purchased the Wagner
Mills property.
Originally, all of the property was owned by C & NW Railway Co. All or part of the property was leased by a division of
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from 1947 to the 1960s for use as a Federal grain storage facility. In 1964, all
of the bins except one com crib bin were sold to local farmers and moved off-site. The remaining bin was purchased by Bruno
Co-op. Currently, Bruno Co-op has two functional bins.
Tests conducted during 1986-88 by EPA and the Nebraska Department of Health (NDH) detected carbon tetrachloride, 1,2-
dichloroethane, and chloroform in the two wells. The three compounds had been poured on or pumped into the grain to act
as fumigants. An October 1988 soil-gas survey by EPA identified elevated levels of carbon tetrachloride near the Fremont
Street well and grain storage facilities.
From May 1989 to October 1990, when the Bruno Public Water Supply Co. completed new wells, EPA's removal program
supplied bottled water to 150 Bruno residents.
In May 1988, EPA identified Bruno Co-op, USDA, and four parties that previously owned or leased portions of contaminated
property as responsible for wastes associated with the site.
(The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the lime the site was scored. The description may change as additional informolu
is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See FR 5600, February 11, 1991 or subsequent FK notices.)
Superfund hazardous waste sits listed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended
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UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPL
OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington. DC 20460
AT&SF (ALBUQUERQUE)
Albuquerque, New Mexico
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe (AT&SF) tie treatment plant is an abandoned wood-preserving facility located at 3300
Second Street SW in the South Valley area of Albuquerque, Bemalillo County, New Mexico. The plant is in a commercial
area of an Albuquerque suburb. The plant, owned by the AT&SF Railway Co., treated various wood products (railroad ties,
bridge timbers, fence posts, etc.) with a solution of creosote and oil from 1908 until 1972. Washdown waters, spills, and
leakage were disposed of in an unlined impoundment. The facility, except for a waste water impoundment and a sump, was
dismantled in 1972. The impoundment and sump cover approximately 3.4 acres.
Sludge from the impoundment contains hazardous substances, including arsenic, barium, lead, and creosote constituents (3,4-
benzofluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene, and naphthalene), according to a 1990 report of the New Mexico Environmental
Improvement Division (NMEID). No sludge is present in the sump, but analyses of soil from the sump area detected hazardous
substances, including barium, acenaphthylene, anthracene, fluoranthene, and benzo(a)pyrene, according to a 1990 report of an
AT&SF contractor. The report indicates that fluorene, 2-methylnaphthalene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, pyrene, acenaphthene,
anthracene, benzene, dibenzofuran, ethylbenzene, fluoranthene, and xylenes were detected in on-site monitoring wells. The
Valley, or Basin Fill, Aquifer is the principal aquifer in the Albuquerque area. There are 15 City of Albuquerque, 3 Kirtland
Air Force Base, and 148 identified private wells within 4 miles of the site. A private well is less than 0.1 mile from the
impoundment. These wells serve an estimated 43,500 people.
Run-off from the site enters an irrigation ditch south of the site. From this point, the drainage water travels through a series
of canals until it enters the Rio Grande River 7 miles downstream from the site. No drinking water intakes are located along
the canals and river. However, they are used as recreational areas and fisheries stocked by the State. Portions of the
downstream segment along the Rio Grande are also considered wetlands according to Federal and State inventories. NMEID
sampling conducted in January 1987 indicates that creosote constituents may have migrated from the site to surface water.
Further documentation is required to establish that surface water is indeed contaminated.
(The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was scored. The description may change as additional information
is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See FR 5600, February 11, 1991 or subsequent FR notices.)
Superfund hazardous waste site listed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended Revised
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&EPA
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPL
OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington. DC 20460
RINCHEM CO., INC.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Rinchem Co., Inc., formerly operated on a Vi-acre site at 5001 Edith Boulevard NE in Albuquerque, Bemalillo County, New
Mexico. Rinchem distributed industrial solvents and resins, and also transported, treated, and disposed of industrial wastes from
1979 to 1983. Rinchem moved operations to another location in December 1983. Currently, the property is occupied by Janco
Sheet Metal Co., which reportedly uses no hazardous materials in its operations.
Rinchem typically transported hazardous waste from a waste generator's location to its facility, repackaging the waste or storing
it until a larger quantity was accumulated and transporting the waste back to the generator or to a disposal facility. Rinchem
stored wastes on-site in drums. The facility also had two 5,000-gallon above-ground storage tanks used to contain any
hazardous waste spilled during loading and unloading of drums. In March 1984, the New Mexico Environmental Improvement
Division (NME1D) found 800 drums on-site (400 empty, 400 containing various organic chemicals). The tanks, however, had
been removed. NMEID analyses of soil from the tank area and a natural collection basin detected acetone, methyl ethyl ketone,
methyl isobuty] ketone, tetrachloroethene, toluene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, trichloroethene, xylenes, and methylene chloride.
Acetone, 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethene, 1,1,1-trichloroethene, and dichloroethene are present in on-site monitoring
wells, according to a 1988 NMEID report. The Valley, or Basin Fill, Aquifer is the principal aquifer in the Albuquerque area.
Approximately 140,000 persons obtain drinking water from City of Albuquerque wells and 17 private wells within 4 miles of
the site. A private well is within 0.2 mile of the site.
This site is being proposed for the NPL because Rinchem has lost Interim Status under Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act (RCRA) and relocated and because the current owner of the contaminated property is not subject to RCRA.
Thus, the site satisfies a component of EPA's NPL/RCRA policy.
(The description of the site (release) is based on Information available at the lime the site was scored. The description may change as additional information
Is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See FR 5600, February 11, 1991 or subsequent FR notices.)
Superfund hazardous waste sits listed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended Revised
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&EPA
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPL
OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington. DC 20460
SPOKANE JUNKYARD/ASSOCIATED PROPERTIES
Spokane, Washington
The Spokane Junkyard/Associated Properties site covers 10.5 acres in a light commercial and residential area in Spokane,
Spokane County, Washington. It is surrounded by single and multiple-family dwellings, as well as several private businesses
and an elementary school.
From the 1940s until 1983, the Spokane Junkyard accepted military surplus items, automobiles, heavy equipment, appliances,
and electrical transformers. On July 15, 1987, an explosive fire consumed the Spokane Junkyard property. Adjacent to the
junkyard is a property where Spokane Metals Co. recycled scrap metal, including transformers, from 1936 to 1983. The site
also encompasses a residential lot and a vacant field owned by two individuals, and an undeveloped strip of land dedicated to
public use.
Following the 1987 fire, EPA used CERCLA emergency funds to transport 140 drums of hazardous liquids and solids (including
PCB oils, flammable materials, corrosive materials, and chlorinated organic compounds) and 140 cubic yards of asbestos to
regulated landfills. During 1987-89, EPA found elevated levels of heavy metals (including liquid mercury, cadmium, and lead)
and PCBs in surface soils. An estimated 200,000 square feet of contaminated soil remain on-site. The site is currently fenced,
but EPA has received reports of attempts at illegal access.
The site lies above the Spokane Valley Aquifer, designated a Sole Source Aquifer under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Approximately 165,000 people obtain drinking water from public and private wells within 4 miles of the site. Wells within
4 miles are also used for irrigation. The wells are potentially threatened because water is shallow (40 feet in some cases) and
soils are permeable, permitting soil contaminants (as deep as 3.5 feet in some cases) to reach ground water.
(The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was scored. The description may change as additional information
is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See FR 5600, February 11, 1991 or subsequent FR notices.)
Superfund hazardous waste site listed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended Revised
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
For further information, call the Superfund Hotline, toll-free
1400-424-9346 or (703) 920-9810 in Washington, DC
metropolitan area, or the U.S. EPA Superfund Regional Offices
listed below.*
For publications, contact
Public Information Center, PU-211B
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
(202)260-2080
Office of Emergency and Remedial Response, OS-5204G
United States Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
(703) 603-8860
Region 1
Connecticut
Maine
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Vermont
Waste Management Division, HAA-CAN-1
John F. Kennedy Federal Building
Boston, MA 02203-2211
(617) 573-5707
Region 2
New Jersey
New York
Puerto Rico
Virgin Islands
Emergency and Remedial Response Division
26 Federal Plaza
New York, NY 10278
(212) 264-8672
Region 3
Delaware Pennsylvania
District of Columbia Virginia
Maryland West Virginia
Site Assessment Section, 3HW73
841 Chestnut Building
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 597-8229
Region 4
Alabama Mississippi
Florida North Carolina
Georgia South Carolina
Kentucky Tennessee
^ | «* " Vv* !.
Waste Management Division
345 Courtland Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30365
(404) 347-5065
Region 5
Illinois
Indiana
Michigan
Minnesota
Ohio
Wisconsin
Waste Management Division
77 West Jackson Boulevard, 6th Floor
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 353-9419
Region 6
Arkansas
Louisiana
New Mexico
Oklahoma
Texas
Hazardous Waste Management Division, 6H-M
1445 Ross Avenue
Dallas, TX 76202-2733
(214) 655-6740
Region 7
k>wa
Kansas
Missouri
Nebraska
Waste Management Division
726 Minnesota Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66101
(913) 551-7062 or 551-7595
Region 8
Colorado
Montana
North Dakota
South Dakota
Utah
.Wyoming.
Hazardous Waste Management Division, 8HWM-SR
999 18th Street, Suite 500
Denver, CO 80202-2466
(303) 294-7630
Region 9
American bamoa
Arizona
California
Guam
Hawaii
Nevada
Northern Marianas
Trust Territories
Waste Management Division, H-l
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 744-1730
Region 10
Alaska
Idaho
Oregon
Washington
Hazardous Waste Division, HW-113
1200 6th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 553-1677
# All EPA telephone and telecommunications systems may I
accessed via the Federal Telecommunications System (FTS).
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