United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Region 5
77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, Illinois 60604
EPA 905-R-94-001
January 1994
&EPA Superfund Accomplishments
In 1993
EPA REGION VII IRC
069158
U.S. Err,':ro"
•-•"ion Agency
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DIRECTORS' NOTES.
We are pleased to publish this report on the FY 93 Region 5 Superfund program. Two themes are
consistently reflected in our accomplishments: accelerated cleanups and collaboration with States
and other Agencies. This was an exciting year for Superfund as we shifted from the old way of doing
business to the Superfund Accelerated Cleanup Model (SACM). Eight early cleanup actions were
initiated to eliminate human health and/or ecological risks. Through the collective efforts of our
employees and State Agencies, we were successful in achieving 15 remedial action construction
completions, for a total of 48 site completions to date, nearly a quarter of the national total. The
Region initiated 41 removal actions at Superfund sites, and selected remedies at 22 additional NPL
sites. We were aggressive in making polluters pay as evidenced by the significant number of
enforcement actions taken; $27,693,194 was recovered for the Trust Fund. The backlog of Freedom
of Information Act (FOIA) requests was virtually eliminated.
In the spirit of customer focus, strategies were developed in FY 93 to identify and address
Environmental Justice concerns at Superfund sites, and to involve communities earlier in the cleanup
process. These strategies will be implemented during FY 94. In an effort to revitalize Superfund,
Region 5 met with over 100 stakeholders to discuss ways of streamlining the program.
We would like to dedicate this report to all of the Region 5 employees who through their energy and
commitment, made these accomplishments possible.
To Lynn Traub William E. Mun'o
Acting Associate Division Director Director
Office of Superfund Waste Management Division
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Introduction
Prior to 1970, the consciousness of Americans in relation
to the quality of the environment was relatively low. More
recently, with the identification and impacts of hazardous
waste sites and problems such as, the Love Canal, the
Exxon Valdez and the Bhopal gas leak, the awareness
and demand of the public's participation in this pursuit of
an environmentally safe world has significally increased.
Many of the worst hazardous waste problems are the
result of improper or uncontrolled disposal practices in the
past. In an effort to respond to our nation's uncontrolled
hazardous waste sites, Congress enacted the Compre-
hensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (CERCLA), Public Law 96-510, in December
1980. This act, which established the Superfund program,
is under the jurisdiction of the Environmental Protection
Agency, and is being implemented by its 10 Regional
Offices.
Region 5 includes the States of Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, and has the
largest number of sites on the National Priorities List
(NPL) with a total of 263. The Regional Office of
Superfund, located in the Waste Management Division,
has 275 employees, with field offices in Gross lie, Ml and
Westlake, OH. The Office of Superfund is committed to
the timely and efficient identification and cleanup of
hazardous material spills and contaminated sites, with the
ultimate goal of protecting human health and our unique
natural resources. We are committed to public service,
efficient stewardship of Federal dollars, and to our
employees.
National Priorities List (Region 5)
As of June 23,1993
NPL State Distribution (Region 5)
Total NPL Sites in Region 5 = 263
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Region 5 NPL Site Construction Completions
14
All Fiscal Vears
Prior to FY 93
Total Region 5
NPL Site Constructs
Completions = 48
OH Wl
A National Priorities List (NPL) Site Construction
Completion is defined as an NPL site where:
1) Construction has been completed at the final
operable unit at a site; or
2) A cleanup decision is completed that
documents that no further remedial action will
be taken at the site; or
3) A site has been deleted from the NPL list.
Environmental indicators are an effective means of measur-
ing success at Superfund sites. If the combined total cubic
yards (21,472,829 cubic yards) of contaminated soil, solid
waste, and dredged sediments handled by Region 5 were
stacked on an area the size of a football field (120 yards long
x 53 yards, 4 inches wide), the football field would rise to a
height of 1.9 miles.
1.9 Miles
120 Yards
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SUPERFUND ACCELERATED CLEANUP MODEL (SACM)
Introduction.
The Region 5 Superfund program began a process of
change with the piloting of the Superfund Accelerated
Cleanup Model (SACM) during FY 93. Four pilots were
conducted throughout the year to define a Regional
process to implement SACM. The pilots focused on:
1) identifying and pursuing early action opportunities;
2) integrating the traditional Superfund assessment
processes to the greatest degree possible; 3) early
community involvement; and 4) early enforcement activity.
Self-directed teams have been employed on all the
pilot projects, which is a primary element of SACM
implementation. Site teams were successful in initiating
an engineering evaluation and cost analysis (EE/CA) on
eight sites. The State of Wisconsin demonstrated signifi-
cant time and cost savings in the conduct of integrated
assessments. The Region 5 Site Assessment Section was
merged with the Removal Branch to enhance coordination
for integrated assessments and provide a single entry way
into the Region 5 Superfund program. And, the Region
has instituted the Regional Decision Team (RDT) as the
primary decision-making body in the Office of Superfund.
The Region will continue to build upon the
successes of the FY 93 SACM pilots. The pilots have
provided significant experience and knowledge for full
implementation of SACM in the Region.
A brief summary highlighting the accomplishments of
each pilot conducted in FY 93 is provided below.
Regional Decision Team (RDT) Pilot Begins. The
RDT pilot was the most expansive of the pilots conducted.
This pilot took 19 sites through a one-step assessment
and decision-making process to most quickly determine
how a site could be tackled. The Site Assessment Teams
(SAT) for each of the 19 sites were composed of a
remedial project manager, an on-scene coordinator, a site
assessment manager, an attorney, a community relations
coordinator, a state representative, an enforcement
specialist, an ecologist, and a risk assessor. Over the
course of the year, the RDT was convened seven times.
Of the 19 sites, non time-critical removal actions have
been recommended and approved on eight sites. Time-
critical removal actions have or will occur on six of the
sites in the pilot. Two of the sites will have both a time-
critical and non time-critical removal performed. Negotia-
tions are currently being conducted for five sites to have
potentially responsible parties (PRPs) conduct the
engineering evaluation and cost analysis (EE/CA). On one
site, the EE/CA has been completed, and the PRPs have
been notified of the impending negotiations for conduct
of the removal action.
Better Brite Cleanup Pilot Concludes. The Better
Brite site is an NPL site located in DePere, Wl. The pilot
involved the conduct of an extensive time-critical removal
action to address the majority of the site risks. Significant
coordination and interaction between various groups was
necessary for the successful completion of the pilot. Prior
to the initiation of the removal action, a remedial investiga-
tion/ feasibility study (RI/FS) was being undertaken by the
State of Wisconsin as a state-lead fund financed project.
The pilot was concluded at the completion of the
removal action in July 1993. Actions taken as a part of
the removal included 1) the completion of demolition of
the plating facilities; 2) removal and disposal of contami-
nated soil; 3) installation of two ground water collection
systems; and 4) the treatment of approximately 20,000
gallons of contaminated ground water. The RI/FS will
focus primarily on the long-term ground water contamina-
tion problem.
Wisconsin Single Site Assessment Pilot Con-
ducted. The State of Wisconsin conducted a pilot com-
bining removal, site assessment, and remedial expertise
in the evaluation of sites in the preliminary stages of the
Superfund process. The ultimate goal of SACM is to move
sites more quickly and efficiently through Superfund to
cleanup. The pilot involved the combination and integra-
tion of the different Superfund program elements for the
timely and efficient evaluation of sites without the tradi-
tional redundant assessment processes.
A site evaluation team was chosen from the State
District and Central offices, in conjunction with EPA's
Emergency Response Branch. A total of three sites were
assessed as a part of the pilot. At two of the three sites,
time-critical removal actions were conducted by EPA. A
removal was conducted at the third site with oversight by
the State of Wisconsin.
In a preliminary analysis, the State of Wisconsin was
able to demonstrate a savings in both time and costs in
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the conduct of single site assessments. Wisconsin was
able to proceed from site discovery to Hazard Ranking
Score (HRS) preparation within one year, and, in addition,
removal and remedial judgement has been incorporated
into site planning. Perhaps most importantly, early action
opportunities were identified as a part of the assessment
at all three of the sites in the pilots. Wisconsin will be
evaluating the positives and negatives of the pilot at the
end of December 1993.
Region 5 Integrated Site Assessment Pilot Con-
venes. The Region convened a workgroup of technical
staff to develop a process and guidance for the integration
of removal and pre-remedial assessments. The objectives
were: 1) the development of a process for efficient evalua-
tions of sites for removal and remedial considerations
utilizing teams of professional staff; 2) the elimination of
redundant assessment processes through the generation
of multiple-use data; and 3) effective site screening based
on environmental and public health risks, and the potential
to be listed on the NPL.
AND PREVENTION
Introduction.
The Office of Chemical Emergency Preparedness and
Prevention (OCEPP) maintained an active Emergency
Planning and Community Right-to-Know program in
Region 5 during FY 93. Several of the highlights are
noted here.
First Responder Courses Offered to Tribes. For
a number of years the Office of Superfund has given
presentations of the First Responder-Awareness Level
course for local response organizations. This course
provides information necessary to safely approach a
hazardous materials (HAZMAT) incident, identify the
material involved, notify the proper authorities, and safely
take preliminary action to protect human health and the
environment. The Region 5 Office of Chemical Emer-
gency Preparedness and Prevention suggested that the
course be rewritten with an emphasis on planning and
response to HAZMAT incidents to meet the needs of the
tribes. The first presentation was made at the Leech Lake
Reservation in Minnesota. In FY 93, three courses were
hosted by tribes. Approximately 90 participants from 11
reservations, local non-tribal response organizations,
State agencies, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs,
among other organizations, attended and successfully
completed training.
Enforcement First Achieves Results. Nineteen
complaints were referred to the Office of Regional Coun-
sel (ORC) during this fiscal year for action and 15 cases
have been filed by ORC with the Regional Hearing Clerk.
In addition, three cases were referred to the Department
of Justice for further enforcement action.
Nine cases were resolved during FY 93: eight Con-
sent Agreements/Final Orders (CAFOs) and one hearing
decision. The CAFO's resulted in $243,410 in penalties
and settlement payments to the U.S. Government. Of this
amount, $117,985 was returned to the Trust Fund as
these settlements were for violation of CERCLA §103(a),
i.e., violation of the release notification provisions. The
remaining $125,425 was associated with violations of
EPCRA.
Most significantly, two of the case resolutions estab-
lished important precedents for the EPCRA enforcement
program. The National Steel Corp. case was the first
EPCRA administrative complaint in Region 5 to result in a
hearing. The decision rendered in that case endorsed the
use of affidavits from Federal, State, and local points of
compliance as evidence to support counts in an EPCRA
administrative complaint. The administrative law judge
(ALJ) also used OCEPP's penalty policy to assess
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penalties for each count, adding credence to the use of
the penalty policy through the actual application of its
provisions to this case.
In the case of Borden Chemicals and Plastics,
three important rulings resulted. As part of that decision
on a Motion for Accelerated Decision on Liability, the ALJ
stated that there is no statute of limitations that applies to
administrative actions for failure to notify under CERCLA
and EPCRA. This ruling also provided that facilities
subject to the National Environmental Standards for
Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) regulations are not
exempt from reporting releases under CERCLA and
EPCRA even if they are in compliance with the NESHAP
regulations. Compliance with NESHAP is not equivalent to
a federally permitted release. The ALJ ruled in EPA's
favor on all 40 counts regarding liability; negotiations on
penalties in the $1,000,000 complaint are still pending.
Inspections Ensure Compliance with EPCRA.
OCEPP developed and implemented an EPCRA §311/
312 Inspection Program during FY 93. The facilities
inspected were selected using various sources and
criteria, including nominations from each State within the
Region, a review of the Region EPCRA §313 inspection
reports, and facilities that had not responded to the
Genesee County, Ml, compliance assurance project.
In April, the first joint Federal/State EPCRA §§311/
312 inspection of FY 93 was conducted in the State of
Wisconsin. An inspection team comprised of Federal,
State, and local inspectors inspected a facility suspected
of violating EPCRA reporting and notification
requirements.
In addition to achieving compliance, these
inspections may lead to further State and/or Federal
enforcement activities. In those States where a fee
structure is associated with the EPCRA program, these
inspections will also yield additional funding for State
EPCRA compliance programs. In addition, inspections
conducted in Genesee County, Ml, as part of a Federal/
State compliance project, resulted in 36 facilities being
brought into compliance with EPCRA reporting
requirements.
EPA Shares Settlement Payment with States.
During FY 93, OCEPP initiated settlement payment
sharing with Region 5 States. The nature of the environ-
mental enforcement program is such that there are often
occasions when Federal, State, and local agencies are
participating together in the enforcement effort. Settle-
ment payment splitting is simply mitigating the penalty due
the United States in consideration of payments to local
entities. This furthers the goals of EPCRA by supporting
State and local entities and their participation in the
EPCRA enforcement process. Participation by State and
local entities in Federal enforcement actions and sharing
in any settlement payments that accrue as a result of
those actions is encouraged, provided that certain prereq-
uisites are met. To date, settlement payment sharing
arrangements have been negotiated on a case-by-case
basis in Illinois and Wisconsin. During the fourth quarter of
this fiscal year, OCEPP and Culinary Foods, Inc. signed
a Consent Agreement and Final Order for $115,000. A
percentage of this settlement payment amount will be paid
by the respondent to the State of Illinois' Emergency
Management Agency for its assistance to the EPA in the
investigation and collection of some of the necessary
documents required to substantiate the EPCRA violations
cited in the complaint.
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REGIONAL PROGRAM MANAGEMENT SUPPORT
Introduction.
Region 5 accomplishes its mission through sound
management practices and principles. Responsible
contracts management, effective stewardship of Federal
dollars, responsiveness to the public, data integrity,
thorough PRP searches, and successful cost recovery
efforts are high priorities.
Investigator Determines Extent of Nova Mercury
Spill Site. At the Nova Mercury Spill Site in Nova, Ohio, a
civil investigator was called in to determine the extent and
the source of the mercury contamination. As a result of
playing with mercury in the basement of a residence,
several children were hospitalized with mercury poisoning.
Since initial information indicated that the mercury may
have been brought to other residences and possibly a
local grade school, an EPA civil investigator was con-
tacted for assistance. An extensive investigation was
conducted that included interviewing knowledgeable
individuals extending to the out-of-State property owners.
The investigation identified the origin of the mercury and
confirmed that it had not spread to the school or resi-
dences other than where the children had found it.
Investigator's Snooping Stops Water System
Construction. During June, an investigator was search-
ing for areas in the City of Beckmeyer, IL, where waste
products from the Circle Smelting Facility may have been
used as a base for roadbeds. While engaged in this
search, the investigator observed a crew laying a main
line. Upon learning that the crew would cross the Circle
Smelting site property line within a day, the investigator
advised them of the contamination at the site. The investi-
gator suggested that further construction immediately
cease and alerted the engineer of some of the environ-
mental concerns at the site. Not only did the investigator
stop the project, but as a result of his investigation he
helped identify the parties responsible for the contamina-
tion. Those parties are being asked to help defray the
additional cost to complete the project, anticipated to be in
excess of one million dollars. However, had the investiga-
tor failed to stop the project, much more would have been
required to be expended to reexcavate the water line,
remove contaminated soils, relay the pipes, and offer
medical monitoring for crew members and the public
exposed to such operations.
Region 5 Promotes Community Involvement
through Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) Program.
There were three TAGs awarded during FY 93. The first
was to the Miamisburg Environmental Safety and Health
(MESH) for their involvement at the U.S. DOE Mound
Plant site in Ohio. This was the first Region 5 TAG
awarded to a community at a Federal facility Superfund
site. The second award was to the Sauk County Ever-
green Property Owners Association, Inc. for involvement
at the Sauk County Landfill site in Wisconsin, and the third
to the Citizens League for Environmental Action Now for
involvement at the Conrail Railyard site in Indiana. The
TAGs provide up to $50,000 to fund the recipient's hired
technical advisors to help members of the community at
large to better understand the technical decisions being
made by the EPA at the Superfund site in their
community. Region 5 now has a total of nine active TAGs.
States/EPA Improve Relations through SMOAs.
The Region 5 Superfund program and six State agencies
continue to be committed to the concept of workable
Superfund Memorandums of Agreement (SMOA). These
SMOAs provide the groundwork and protocol for the
different roles and responsibilities on both agencies' parts
for involvement in all appropriate areas of the Superfund
program. The time frames laid out in the SMOAs for
review of documents by both agencies are particularly
beneficial in the relationship of the State and Federal
project managers. To date there are signed, working
SMOAs in five States: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minne-
sota, and Ohio. EPA is currently working with the Wiscon-
sin Department of Natural Resources in finalizing a SMOA
which should be executed in early FY 94.
State/EPA Efforts Aimed at Improving Contracts
Management. In June, the Office of Superfund, in
conjunction with the Planning and Management Division,
held a two-day seminar for Region 5 States on current
Superfund administrative topics of interest. Approximately
twenty State personnel attended the conference, repre-
senting both the fiscal and Superfund program compo-
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nents of five of the Region's six States. Discussion areas
included the new policy on contractor indemnification,
debarment and suspension, property management,
transfers and close-outs of cooperative agreements, cost
recovery procedures, and a discussion on the current
advantages and disadvantages of the multi-site coopera-
tive agreement concept. All the State participants partici-
pated and exchanged ideas. In May, a workgroup was
formed to study the areas of vulnerability/accountability
in State management of their Superfund contracts under
Cooperative Agreements. This workgroup was made up
of people from various aspects of the Superfund program
and the Planning and Management Division. Region 5
States were invited to participate in an all-day meeting
on September 2, 1993, to discuss how contracts are
managed at the State and Federal level in Superfund.
The States were sent a questionnaire prepared by the
workgroup to .complete before attending the meeting.
Discussions centered around an exchange of ideas and
current procedures covered in the questionnaire. State
participation included State contracting officers and State
project managers experienced with State-lead fund-
financed work. The results of this meeting will be used to
formulate EPA guidance to be used by the States in their
contracts management efforts, as well as internally to
better define EPA's role in monitoring State performance
in this area.
State of Minnesota Gains Access to EPA Region 5
Superfund LAN. During the fourth quarter of FY 93,
staff in the Superfund Program Management Branch
configured the equipment and software needed for the
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) office in St.
Paul, MM., to access the Region 5 EPA applications
server, RSWaste. By using On-LAN PC, a Region 5
supplied communications software package, staff at
MPCA were able to "dial-in" via modem to RSWaste and
were successful at sending and receiving WordPerfect
Office messages. This capability allows the MPCA and
EPA to exchange messages, files, and correspondence
on a real-time basis, and will enhance communications
and data exchange.
The Minnesota-EPA Word Perfect Office pilot project
is only the start. Further stages of the project include
investigating the feasibility of giving the States read-only
access via modem to WasteLAN, the Superfund program
database, so that they can view site data directly, pull
their own reports, and even request changes to Superfund
site data. Support on this project is provided in part
through an Interagency Agreement the Office of Super-
fund recently signed with the United States Department of
Energy, Argonne National Laboratory.
Customer Focus is Primary Goal for FOIA
Management Section. The Freedom of Information Act
Management Section is responsible for responding to all
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests pertaining to
the Office of Superfund (OSF). For the second consecu-
tive year the section has managed to end the year with
a minimal number of unanswered FOIA requests. By the
end of FY 93, the OSF received 3,756 FOIA requests and
processed 3,717 of such requests. Only 10 onerous
requests remained as the backlog (those which remain
unanswered for more than 10 days) for FY 93. Of the
3,756 FOIA requests received during FY 93, approxi-
mately 1,342 (37%) of these were provided to the
requestor with complete responses or initial
determinations within 10 days. In essence, 85% of the
FOIA requests received responses in 30 days or less.
During FY 93, the section improved its methods of
requesting, tracking, and reporting payments through the
cumulative and combined billing processes. By the end of
FY 93, over $10,000 had been recouped from requestors,
which may not have been realized without this newly
developed financial component.
Referral and Closeout Targets Accomplished. The
contributions made by the Cost Recovery Section staff
can sometimes be overlooked, but the figures noted
below demonstrate just how significantly their efforts
enabled the actual "Superfund" to be replenished. Such
efforts help to ensure that monies are available to
continue site cleanups as they occur, and to continue
the aggressive enforcement actions against those viable
PRPs who are responsible for the sites being
contaminated. Accomplishments in FY 93 included 11
referrals to the Department of Justice for $20,521,235.98.
Also, during this fiscal year the staff billed PRPs for
$87,676,445, and collected $27,693,194.
SEC-Donohue (RUST) Contract Terminated.
One of the major Superfund contract accomplishments
for this year is the completion of the phase-out of the
SEC-Donohue (Rust) contract so that it can be
terminated. The termination is necessary because of
contract-wide conflict of interest issues. Appropriate
transition points were planned for all work assignments
under the contract and funding packages were processed
for opening new work assignments under other contracts.
Most government-furnished equipment issued to the
contractor was transferred to other ARCS contractors or
to the regional equipment pool based on an assessment
of needs. The remainder can be transferred now that work
is completed.
By accomplishing this phase-out, the contract can be
terminated and the enforcement vulnerability caused by
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the conflict of interest issues has been eliminated.
Additionally, there has been concern expressed by
the United States General Accounting Office in Congres-
sional hearings that Region 5 has excess ARCS contract
capacity and consequently may be paying too much in
contractor program management costs to keep additional
contractors on board. By terminating this contract, there
will be fewer ARCS contractors and the costs for program
management for this contract will be eliminated. In addi-
tion, instead of terminating this contract in a radical
manner stopping all work, the Region decided to phase
out work assignments at stopping points that would have
the least impact on project progress. This process worked
smoothly, resulted in only minor impact on progress, and
kept the transition costs down.
Responsible Party Accelerated Searches Under
SACM. SACM espouses a rapid, efficient approach to
remediation and cleanup of hazardous waste sites to
reduce human health and environmental risks, while at
the same time maintaining an aggressive enforcement
first policy. All efforts in the SACM process are acceler-
ated. Experience of the Responsible Party Search
Section has shown that the initiation of contractor work
assignments often are a major delay in the Potentially
Responsible Party (PRP) search process. This is
especially true for title searches and the 104(e) informa-
tion request letters. As a result, the Responsible Party
Search Section has developed two multi-site work assign-
ments in order to accommodate the quick response times
under SACM. One work assignment is for title searches
and the other is for 104(e) information request letters.
These work assignments will allow the start of work
immediately rather than on a site specific basis, and they
will increase the efficiency of PRP search work under
SACM.
The Quality Advantagi
The Region 5 Office of Superfund is committed to the
quality principles of customer focus, continuous improve-
ment, empowerment, and measurement. Our workforce is
our greatest resource, and commitment to employees is a
high priority. All employees within the office have a Local
Area Network (LAN) workstation to ensure effective
communications and information sharing. Employees
are part of the decision making process and efforts are
made to solicit their input. Employees annually participate
in an organizational assessment to measure the culture
of the office and make suggestions on how to improve
office operations. An assessment of supervisors was
conducted in FY 93 to provide meaningful feedback and
improve the performance of the management team.
During FY 93, five Quality Action Teams (QATs) were
formed to improve processes, including QATs with some
States, the US Army Corp of Engineers, and several
offices within the Region. Twelve employees in the OSF
have been trained and certified as TQM facilitators, and
frequently use the various tools to facilitate problems to
solutions. Some examples of these initiatives are noted
below.
The Region is committed to creating and maintaining
a culturally diverse workforce. An affirmative action plan
with specific goals was developed in FY 93 to this end.
Region 5 Superfund employees are committed to
effective management of Federal dollars. Site cleanup is
achieved through sound contracts and grants manage-
ment; teamwork innovation and risk taking. With a
preference for action and a shared sense of mission,
Region 5 is paving the way for a better tomorrow.
Pollution Prevention Workgroup Develops Initia-
tives. The Pollution Prevention (P2) Workgroup has been
instrumental in the development and execution of the
Region 5, P2 activities in the Superfund program. All
members of the P2 Workgroup have willingly volunteered
to assist in developing and executing many of the Office
of Superfund P2 workplan action items. Most recent and
notable is the finalization of "Guidelines for Making
Environmentally-Sound Decisions in the Superfund
Remedial Process."
The guidelines touch upon most program areas and
specifically the various components of the remedial
Superfund program. The guidelines offer both philosophi-
cal reasons for waste reduction and actual recommenda-
tions for its successful implementation.
For the EPA P2 initiatives to be successful, the
Agency must embody its philosophies in its everyday
operations. Its implementation embodies what EPA is
striving for in the prevention of potential problems before
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they become reality. The Region 5 Guidelines mentioned
above have been sent to the EPA HQ P2 staff and the
Administrator to be used as a national model and building
block for other programs.
Corps of Engineers PRP Training Completed.
Staff of EPA and the Fort Benjamin Harrison Area of the
United States Army Corps of Engineers (USAGE) Office
completed presentation of PRP oversight training ses-
sions to staff at five Corps offices that work with Region 5
on Superfund projects. The training locations included
Chicago (North Central Division), Indianapolis IN, Buffalo
NY, Grand Haven Ml, and Huntington WV.
The four hour training session was written and
produced by these staff with no contractor involvement
and included information on Superfund authority, health
and safety, quality assurance, environmental sensitivity,
funding, communication, and customer care. The slide
presentation showed a number of Region 5 Superfund
site field activities; many with Corps oversight.
The USAGE offices were asked to review and
critique both the training and presenters, and make
further recommendations for training improvement. The
feedback was extremely positive as to the overall content
of the training and the presentations of the trainers. Other
USAGE offices have expressed an interest in receiving
the training course, and arrangements will be made in the
future to accommodate them.
The oversight training resulted from an EPA-Army
Corps of Engineers Quality Action Team idea to develop
and present Superfund oversight concerns to personnel
from various USAGE field offices. It was decided by EPA
to have a joint EPA-USACE presentation to emphasize a
team approach as well as give two perspectives.
Partnership Initiatives.
Agencies Coordinate on Ecological Assessments.
During FY 93, the OSF took several steps to ensure that
environmental concerns were adequately addressed at
sites. In February, OSF, the Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency, and the EPA Environmental Response Team
(ERT) hosted the 5th Annual Superfund Environmental
Evaluation Workshop. The three-day workshop in Minne-
apolis brought together over 150 persons from Federal
and State agencies working on ecological assessments
that are needed at sites, and how these assessments can
be performed. The Region 5 Biological Technical Assis-
tance Team met to evaluate ecological assessment needs
for 14 Superfund sites during FY 93. Among other related
topics, the team discussions included determining the
type and need for ecological field investigations at sites.
The team is made up of representatives from OSF, the
Water and Environmental Sciences Divisions, the Emer-
gency Response Team, the Department of Interior, and
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. An Interagency Agree-
ment with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was finalized
in FY 93 to provide for continuing technical assistance
from the Fish and Wildlife Service staff. Beginning in FY
94, it will include a full-time employee located in the OSF
offices to assist with document review and negotiation
support. All pilot SACM sites in FY 93 had ecological
evaluations performed.
Partnership with U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS) Enhances Environmental Protection. For FY
93, several activities were completed with USGS offices
under interagency agreements. A major activity is the
continued co-location of a USGS hydrologist in OSF. The
USGS has also had a major role in the Northwest Indiana/
Southeast Chicago Geographic Initiative area study.
These activities allow greater coordination and informa-
tion sharing between Superfund sites with in close
proximity to each other, as well as, with other EPA
programs.
Partnership Successful in Great Lakes Cleanup
Efforts. EPA has made a commitment to restore and
protect the ecological, physical, and chemical integrity of
this Nation's waters. Over the past several years, EPA
through its Great Lakes National Program Office has
been developing and implementing a Great Lakes Action
Plan designed to ensure that this commitment is met for
the Great Lakes Basin. On a more local level, the Office
of Superfund incorporated this vision into two fundamen-
tal ways; through its mission statement, and the annual
workplan in which a number of Great Lakes related goals,
objectives, and activities are identified for the office. The
OSF has been providing technical assistance and support
to the planning, development, and implementation of the
various Great Lakes Initiatives, including: Southeast
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Michigan, Northwest Indiana, Saginaw, and Fox River/
Green Bay. Such assistance and support has been
through the performance of site assessments; preparation
of MRS packages; initiation of removal actions; PRP
searches; community education and outreach; and
technical assistance in gathering and/or evaluating data;
determining cleanup goals; workplan development and
decision-making. The OSF has designated a Great Lakes
Coordinator with the responsibility and authority to repre-
sent OSF and coordinate all OSF activities in the Great
Lakes Initiative.
ILLINOIS
Rapid Response Action Completed at
NL Industries Site. A $4,000,000 rapid
response action to remove highly lead-
contaminated battery case material at the NL Industries
site in Granite City, IL (NL site) was com-
pleted on July 9, 1993. The NL site is a
former secondary lead smelter which
operated from the turn of the century until
1983, when the blast furnace was shut
down. This response action, which began in
April 1993, removed the battery case
material from 13 alleys, driveways, and
parking lots in Granite City, Venice, and
Eagle Park Acres, IL, where it was used as
fill material in the past.At each of these
locations, the battery case material was
located at the ground surface and was
readily accessible to children. Lead con-
centrations as high as 100,000 parts per
million were detected in samples collected
from this material. All areas were restored
to their original condition with clean soil,
and, depending on the previous land use,
sod, concrete, or gravel.EPA is currently in
litigation with the largest potentially respon-
sible parties at the NL site to compel them
to perform all of the work specified in the
March 30, 1990 cleanup decision, which
also includes remediation of a 250,000 ton slag pile and
approximately 1600 residences contaminated with lead
from the smelter stack fallout.
EPA Announces Completion of OMC Superfund
Cleanup in Waukegan. On August 2, EPA Region 5
Rapid response cleanup begins at NL site.
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Administrator Valdas V. Adamkus announced that the
Outboard Marine Corp. (OMC) superfund cleanup in
Waukegan, IL is — for all practical purposes — complete.
Over one million pounds of PCB-contaminated harbor
sediments and soils were removed from the environment,
making this the largest PCB cleanup of its kind. The
cleanup project, performed under the terms of a 1988
consent decree among OMC, EPA, and the State of
Illinois, successfully:
O dredged from Upper Waukegan Harbor 300,000
cubic yards of PCB-contaminated sediments;
Drill Rig manned by USGS Personnel at the
Byron Salvage Yard site.
O excavated nearly 700,000 cubic yards of PCB-
contaminated materials from OMC's property;
O treated over 12,500 tons of PCB-contaminated
materials on site, separating PCBs from the soils
and sediments;
O disposed of nearly 32,000 gallons of PCBs off site;
O created three containment cells to securely store
the remainder of the materials; and
O built a new boat slip, because slip #3 — the most
highly contaminated portion of the harbor —
became one of the containment cells.
The 2.5-year project was completed without any
harm to the recreational and commercial uses of the
harbor.This project followed Superfund's philosophy that
local contamination problems should be treated locally
and not shipped to other communities. OMC chose, and
EPA approved, the use of the Taciuk Processor, which
treated the most-contaminated materials — and that
allowed them to be stored on site. The only materials
leaving the site were PCB liquids. This technology was
first used to extract oil from shale rock in Canada and
adapted for this project. It was operated and evaluated
under EPA's Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation
Program, which helps EPA and industry to determine
promising and innovative Superfund technologies.
Extension of the Byron Municipal Waterline to All
Affected Residents Completed. This action brings to a
close the long-sought remedial action to provide an
alternate water supply to all residents located within a
very extensive groundwater plume of hazardous wastes.
The Byron site is located in Ogle County, Illinois.
Beginning in the late 1960's, the site was used for dis-
posal of over 2000 drums and an unknown quantity of
bulk liquid wastes. The wastes contained a wide variety
hazardous substances including solvents, plating wastes,
heavy metals, and cyanide. Investigations revealed that
soils, sediments, surface water and groundwater were
contaminated and posed an unacceptable threat to
human health and the environment.
The EPA and IEPA concurred that an alternate water
supply needed to be provided to the numerous residents
who were currently drinking contaminated water. An
extension of the Byron municipal waterline was recently
completed - removing the immediate threat to the resi-
dents' health. The EPA and IEPA worked side-by-side to
see this action to completion. Further actions are now
underway to remove all routes of exposure to the contami-
nated groundwater by plugging and abandoning over 150
private wells that were allowed to remain within the plume
boundaries. This subsequent action is a true team effort
with the EPA, IEPA, Ogle County Health Department, and
City of Byron all working together to achieve the site
objectives.
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Taking sediment samples at Crab Orchard site.
Mixing composite samples from acid pond at Crab Orchard site.
Remedial Action Begins for
the Metals Areas Operable Unit at
the Crab Orchard National Wildlife
Refuge. Crab Orchard National
Wildlife Refuge (the Refuge) located
in southern Illinois near the towns of
Marion, Carterville, and Carbondale,
is owned by the U.S. Government
and is currently administered by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(FWS). In the early 1940s, portions
of the Refuge were used primarily for
the manufacture of munitions. In
addition, several contractors leased
portions of the Refuge for metal
fabrication, plating, and manufactur-
ing of printing inks and electrical
components. Several of these
companies reportedly landfilled
wastes generated as part of their
manufacturing activities in nearby
locations. The FWS has leased
portions of the Refuge to the original
and new tenants.
The EPA's remedy included the
excavation, treatment, as necessary,
and disposal of contaminated mate
rial at a landfill to be constructed on
the Refuge.
The Remedial Design for the
Metals Areas Operable Unit (OU)
was completed in June 1993. In
accordance with the design, exca-
vated material found to be hazardous
will be rendered non-hazardous by
solidification/stabilization on-site. All
excavated treated and untreated
non-hazardous waste will be placed
in a landfill that would meet the
substantive requirements of Illinois
regulations (IAC Parts 810-815) to
the maximum extent practicable.
Under the terms of a Federal
Facilities Agreement signed between
EPA, U.S. Department of Interior,
IEPA and the Department of the
Army, the FWS is the lead Agency
for this OU, and is now preparing to
conduct the remedial action at the
site in accordance with the approved
documents.
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ILLINOIS
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY
lEPA's role in Federal and State
Superfund cleanup programs has
steadily grown since the early 1980's. While the Agency
had independently remediated many toxic sites, a partner-
ship with EPA has led to the cleanup of many NPL sites in
Illinois. Significant progress has been made at 17 of the
37 NPL sites through this partnership or by IEPA as the
lead agency. In addition, IEPA is also the lead agency for
the non-NPL, Department of Defense site in Illinois.
One of the more popular parts of the state hazardous
waste cleanup program involves pre-noticed (voluntary)
sites. As of November 1993, there are 734 sites that are
classified as pre-noticed or response action sites. Sites
that did not receive a sufficient Hazard Ranking Score
to qualify for the NPL are referred to as response action
sites.
Some site owners/operators are willing to voluntarily
remediate their problem sites and therefore need no state
funding to perform cleanups. However, even with such
cases, the Agency will provide oversight of voluntary
cleanups, if the owner/operator is willing to pay the
Agency's oversight costs.
LaSalle Electrical Utilities Project Completed. For
nearly 40 years LaSalle Electric Utilities operated as a
capacitor manufacturing plant in LaSalle, IL. Poly-
chlorintaed biphenyls (PCBs) were used in this manufac-
turing process, and until 1969 the facility parking lot was
sprayed with oils containing PCBs to control dust. The
facility was abandoned, leaving extensive soil contamina-
tion, at least one tank of chlorinated solvents, approxi-
mately 240 drums of PCB-contaminated wastes, 122,00
pounds of capacitors containing PCBs, process equip-
ment contaminated with PCBs, and solvent and PCB-
contaminated groundwater.
This year marked the completion of a massive
remediation effort that began in 1986. In addition to
temporarily relocating 25 families while their yards were
excavated and residences cleaned, 67,00 cubic yards of
PCB contaminated soil has finally been incinerated. Other
significant activities include complete demolition of the
68,000 square foot industrial complex, construction of a
groundwater treatment plant with installation of 1,600 feet
of subsurface collection piping, the cleaning of 7,600 feet
of municipal storm and sanitary sewers, and the off-site
disposal of 7,000 tons of non-decontaminatable debris.
The now-vacant grounds will be graded and seeded
with grass by early next year. The groundwater treatment
plant located on-site is expected to operate for eight to
twelve years to complete groundwater cleanup.
Moreco Oil Site Continues Removal Efforts.
Moreco Oil (Oakwood, IL.) operated three facilities at
different location in Illinois. One facility, located in Spring-
field, is an inactive storage facility used by Moreco to
store oil used before refining. Storage units were dilapi-
dated or, in some cases, leaking contents. The Springfield
facility is located near a low income neighborhood where
many children live. Some of these children see this facility
as an "attractive nuisance." IEPA and the Attorney
General negotiated a Consent Order with Moreco.
Discussions between IEPA and EPA led to actions by
EPA to remove the threat to the community. As of May
1993, EPA has treated 37,750 gallons of wastewater,
removed 280 tons of steel, removed 80 yards of crushed
drums, removed 6,450 gallons of oil for recycling, and
removed 117 cubic yards of stabilized sludge/soil off-site.
In addition, approximately 50,000 gallons of oil are ready
for off-site shipment and nearly one million gallons of
wastewater are ready for treatment.
Partnership Process a Success. At both NPL sites
and immediate removal sites, the Agency has success-
fully completed remediations and protected public health
through elimination of potentially harmful exposures.
Over 200 families living near the Southeast Rockford
Superfund site were provided free hook-up to an extended
municipal drinking water line after groundwater contami-
nation was found to be threatening their private water
wells. At the Byron Salvage Yard Superfund Site, approxi-
mately 30 additional families, who were also using private
water wells were given hook-ups to a municipal water line
after the plume of groundwater contamination was found
to be migrating towards their homes. This action supple-
mented an earlier effort that provided safe drinking water
to approximately 90 families living closer to this site.
A non-NPL site, Waukegan Paint and Lacquer,
contained leaking vats and storage containers. The
leaking waste was located within 200 feet of Lake Michi-
gan. The IEPA arranged for staging of leaking containers
and EPA arranged for safe off-site disposal. This joint
effort prevented several thousand gallons of waste from
contaminating groundwater and reaching Lake Michigan.
This abandoned facility, an attractive nuisance for children,
was secured by this joint activity from becoming a greater
threat to nearby families through fire or an explosion.
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INDIANA
Construction Completed at Seymour Site.
The preliminary close-out report for the
Seymour, Indiana Superfund Site was
signed on September 8th. This report documents that
construction completion has formally occurred for both the
groundwater and soil operable units at the site. The four
basic components of the Seymour remedial action consist
of the design, construction, and operation of a groundwa-
ter pump and treatment system; the design, construction,
and operation of a vapor extraction system; the design
and construction of a multi-media site cap with on-site
contamination, buildings and debris buried beneath the
Site Meeting during construction at Seymour.
cap; and implementation of bioremediation activities at the
site.
The Seymour Site source area covers approximately
14 acres and is located two miles southwest of the town of
Seymour. The groundwater plume extends approximately
one mile downgradient of the source. The site became
contaminated when the Seymour Recycling Corporation
processed, stored, and incinerated chemical wastes at the
site from 1970 to early 1980. A surface cleanup involving
the removal of 50,000 drums, 100 storage tanks and the
replacement of the top foot of soil took place from 1982-
84. In 1985, a municipal water system extension allowed
for the hook-up of approximately 100 nearby homes.
Remedial action activities began in 1989. Monitoring will
continue on the vapor extraction system (VES) and the
groundwater plume as long as the VES and groundwater
pump and treatment plant operate. The VES is expected
to run another one to three years with the groundwater
treatment plant operating another 10-25 years.
Alternate Funding Source Used at Lake Sandy Jo.
The EPA, along with the Indiana Department of Environ-
ment Management (IDEM), has found a unique way to
complete work at this fund-lead Superfund site in Gary, IN.
The Lake Sandy Jo Landfill was a former 40-acre
water-filled borrow pit in an economically depressed
section of Gary that was gradually dis-
placed by landfill operations between 1971-
1980. Various wastes including construc-
tion and demolition debris, municipal
garbage, industrial wastes, and possibly
drummed wastes are believed to be in the
site. The site was capped in 1990. EPA
also provided an alternate water supply to
the affected residents because of the
potential for groundwater contamination.
Due to local water utility rules, residents
must pass indoor plumbing inspections
performed by the City of Gary. Several
homes failed the plumbing inspection and
the homeowners are unable to pay for
repairs. IDEM solicited financial help from
area charities for funding to bring defective
plumbing up to code. This action will result
in more homes being connected to the
water supply.
Settling Defendants Come to Agree-
ment at Midco I and Midco II. In May, the United States,
the State of Indiana, Lake County, and the settling defen-
dants came to an agreement to settle natural resource
damage claims for the Midco I and Midco II sites in Gary,
IN. The agreement provides for conveyance to the State
of Indiana (at settling defendant's expense) of over 150
acres of existing wetlands (including globally rare dune
and swale habitat), and payment by the settling defen-
dants of $105,000 to the State of Indiana to restore,
replace, or acquire natural resources or habitat or related
services on the wetlands. These wetlands are located in
Gary, IN.
In addition, the settling defendants have initiated the
remedial actions at the Midco I and Midco II sites as
required by a June 1992 consent decree. Contaminated
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sediments surrounding the Midco I site have been exca-
vated and placed within a berm on the site. Some con-
taminated sediments from a ditch north of the Midco II site
have also been excavated and placed within a berm on
that site. A deep well for disposal of groundwater from the
sites following treatment has been constructed and tested.
Plans and specifications for extraction and treatment of
the groundwater, as well as for a pipeline to transport the
groundwater from Midco I to Midco II is in preparation.
INDIANA DEPARTMENT
OF ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT
Voluntary Cleanup in Indiana has Early
Successes. In July 1993 the State of
Indiana initiated its Voluntary Remediation Program, and
to date four cleanups have been enrolled. This program
provides State oversight and final approval of cleanups
performed voluntarily according to guidance provided by
the State. Upon successful completion of the cleanup, the
State will provide a Certificate of Completion and a
Covenant Not To Sue for any actions taken according to
the State approved work plan. Superfund's joint and
several liability in conjunction with the State's Responsible
Property Transfer Law provide the motivation for persons
to pursue voluntary remediations. This program will help
recycle industrial properties and should assist in city
redevelopment projects. It is anticipated that many more
sites will be cleaned up as a result of this program than
would otherwise happen strictly through the enforcement
mode.
Costs Recovered for Indiana's Trust Fund.
Indiana's cost recovery program was initiated in 1989.
Since that time, approximately $1.2 million has been
collected with another $3 million billed. The recovered
money goes back to Indiana's Hazardous Substance
Response Trust Fund, the source of funds for state
initiated cleanups and removal actions. The cost recovery
process is being automated on computer equipment
partially purchased with Superfund CORE grant money.
Fast and accurate billing will benefit the State as well as
the PRPs and will speed the cost recovery process. This,
in turn, will allow the State to pursue even more cleanups.
IDEM Training Academy Receives Funding. The
CORE grant has provided the funding for the Indiana
Department of Emergency Management (IDEM) to
develop its own Training Academy. This Academy pro-
vides 40-hour and 8-hour refresher training courses to
meet OSHA requirements for hazardous waste site work
as well as training for the professional development of
IDEM staff. This training is especially valuable in that it
can be tailored to meet the specific needs of State staff.
Course offerings are being expanded and other State
agency personnel, both in-State and out-of-State, are
receiving training here.
Natural Resource Damages Assessed. During the
past year, IDEM has initiated an aggressive natural
resource damages (NRD) settlement program and has
achieved several successes. In the Midco I & II Superfund
site settlement, 263 acres of property was purchased and
deeded to the State, worth an estimated $2.4 million and
containing 47 acres of pristine dune and swale habitat
containing several endangered and threatened species
of plants and animals. Money for restoration activities on
the site of $105,000 plus $100,000 in administrative cost
recovery were also included in the settlement. This
settlement received national attention.
Another positive event was the signing of a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between IDEM,
Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and Region 3
USF&WS to work together on all natural resource damage
issues in the State. This may be the first such MOU
between State and Federal trustees in the Nation.
A natural resource damage settlement associated with
an oil spill in Indianapolis may also be a first in the Nation.
At the ECI site in Northwest Indiana, the NRD trustee
received $200,000 from a settlement associated with an
EPA Administrative Order. This money is earmarked for
a research and injury confirmation in the Grand Calumet
River system.
Outstanding Cooperation at Continental Steel.
Continental Steel is a State-lead "mega-site," and is an
example of outstanding cooperation between the State
and Federal governments. IDEM stabilized heavy metal
sludge in an acid lagoon area, and discovered partially
buried drums along the perimeter of that area stored
in a nearby quarry. IDEM and EPA removal personnel
inspected the main plant and discovered stored drums,
tanks of oil, and hazardous substances. EPA's removal
personnel removed the drums, emptied the tanks, and
removed or destroyed chemicals from the site. The
expedited removal actions have cleared the way for
further investigations.
Use of Multiple Authorities Achieves Success at
Industrial Fuels and Asphalt. At this Northwest Indiana
site the IDEM and EPA Emergency Response Section
cooperated to begin cleanup of this abandoned facility by
employing the authorities unique to each Agency. EPA
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conducted an asbestos removal, the removal of several
drums of hazardous substances, and identified the contam-
ination of subsurface soil. IDEM, utilizing its petroleum
authority, removed 70,000 gallons of spilled and aban-
doned product. Most of the oil was recycled and the
remaining sludge was solidified on-site. EPA has identi-
fied additional PRPs since the project began and they will
be pursued to complete the cleanup of this facility.
MICHIGAN
A Win - Win for Metamora. Follow-
ing a year-long wait for the judge to
enter the consent decree for Metamora,
(Metamora, Ml) the decree was
entered this March. In October, a contract for off-site
incineration was signed to resume work at the site. The
major controversy behind the decree was the option to
incinerate on-site. The community was greatly against this
change to the original cleanup plan of March 1992.
Through opening a dialogue with the Metamora Landfill
Technical Review Committee (a community group), the
bid specifications were altered to allow for both on and off-
site options to be considered for the project. As it turns
out, the off-site market has changed in the past three
years and the off-site bid is more economical. Therefore,
choosing off-site incineration has become a win-win
situation for all parties involved. Most importantly the site
will resume progress towards cleanup.
Construction Completed at Anderson Develop-
ment Company Site. Construction completion at the
Anderson Development Site (Adrian, Ml) was achieved by
successfully treating all contaminated site soils and
sludges by low temperature thermal desorption. The
treated material, which still contained levels of contamina-
tion (metals) above Michigan cleanup levels has been
removed to an off-site Subtitle D disposal facility. Ground-
water monitoring will continue for inorganic contaminants
detected during post-remediation monitoring to determine
if concentrations detected persist, and if these contaminants
present a human health risk at the site.
Work at Adams Plating Site Ahead of Schedule.
The Proposed Plan for the Adams Plating Site, Lansing,
Ml, was released for public comment (approximately six
months ahead of schedule) on August 19, 1993. The
remedy calls for excavation and off-site disposal of
approximately 4,700 cubic yards of soil contaminated with
heavy metals, primarily chromium, and groundwater
monitoring. Cleanup should be completed next summer,
far ahead of the typical schedule for Superfund remedial
cleanups.
Bioremediation Field Initiative at the West KL
Avenue Landfill. The West KL Avenue Landfill,
Kalamazoo, Ml, was selected by the EPA Risk Reduction
Engineering Laboratory in Cincinnati, OH, and the EPA
Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Laboratory in
Ada, OK, as a site in the Bioremediation Field Initiative
(BFI). Field work for the study was conducted during late
1992 for the landfill material portion of the study and
during Spring 1993 for the ground water portion of the
study.
Strong Citizen Involvement at Michigan Sites. The
Rose Township and Springfield Township sites (Michigan)
were areas of significant citizen involvement in late 1992
and into 1993. The on-site incinerator at the Rose Town-
ship site (RTS) was operating at full capacity by October
1992, with indications that it would be completed ahead
of schedule. The PRPs, who are also PRPs for the
Springfield Township site (STS), proposed transporting
the contaminated soils of STS to the RTS on-site incinera-
tor for treatment and replacement at STS. The proposal
resulted in many town meetings involving the citizens of
Rose and Springfield Townships, the PRPs, EPA, and
the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).
These town meetings were a forum for participation
and discussion of the transport proposal and the issues
arising from the combination of the two sites for this
specific portion of treatment. The citizens of Rose were
concerned with outside soils being brought into their
community, the additional traffic on local roads, additional
risk factors, and reasons why they should endorse the
proposal. The citizens of Springfield, while eager to see
an earlier start of their site cleanup, were also concerned
about the traffic, the upkeep of the roads, and the types
of trucks. EPA and the PRPs addressed the concerns
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SITES COMPLETED TO DATE
MINNESOTA
24. Adrian Municipal Well field
25. Boise Cascade/Onan Corp./
Medtronics, Inc.
26. FMCCorp.
27. General Mills/Henkel
Corporation
28. Lehillier/Mankato Site
29. Morris Arsenic Dump
30. Nutting Truck & Caster
Company
31. Oak Grove Sanitary Landfill
32. Twin Cities Air Force Reserve
Base
33. Union Scrap Iron & Metal
Company
34. Washington County Landfill
35. Whittaker Corp.
36. Windom Dump
WISCONSIN
45. Eau Claire Municipal
Well Field
46. Northern Engraving
Company
47. Schmalz Dump
48. Wheeler Pit
ILLINOIS
1. A&F Materials Reclaiming,
Inc./GreenUp
2. Belvidere Municipal Landfill
3. Johns-Manville Corp.
4. Petersen Sand & Gravel
-------
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
MICHIGAN
American Anodco, Inc.
Anderson Development
Company
Burrows Sanitation
Cemetery Dump
Charlevoix Municipal Well
Grand Traverse Overall Supply
Company
Gratiot County Golf Course
Hedblum Industries
Mason County Landfill
Metal Working Shop
Novaco Industries
U.S. Aviex
Velsicol Chemical Corp.
Whitehall Municipal Wells
INDIANA
IMC-Terre Haute East Plant
Poer Farm
Seymour Recycling Corporation
Tri-State Plating
Wedzeb Enterprises, Inc.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
OHIO
Bowers Landfill
Chem-Dyne
Cemical and Minerals
Reclamation, Inc.
E.H. Schilling Landfill
Laskin/Poplar Oil Co.
New Lyme Landfill
Old Mill
Republic Steel Corp. Quarry
-------
and continued to improve on the proposal. These meet-
ings, letters, and phone calls demonstrated how serious
and committed citizens are on issues that directly impact
themselves and their communities.
After many briefings and conferring with local officials,
EPA balanced the communities' concerns and rights: one
community's opposition to importing and treating their
neighbor's contaminated soils, and the other community's
support of the transport proposal and desire to accelerate
the STS remediation. After much deliberation, the Region
determined that the transport proposal and draft ROD
Amendment should be withdrawn, but that another
accelerated course of action should be pursued on behalf
of the Springfield citizens. In May 1993, the Deputy
Regional Administrator met with citizens and officials in
Springfield Township to talk about STS and the citizens'
role in the project.
DNR
MICHIGAN
DEPARTMENT
OF NATURAL
RESOURCES
Passage of Environmental Protection Bonds Aid
Economic Development. With the passage of the
Environmental Protection Bond Fund in 1988, Michigan
voters approved an $800 million Bond issue, with $425
million earmarked to clean up environmental contamina-
tion sites. The Bond program is just one component of the
State's effort to address pollution problems. As part of
those State Bond monies, $45 million was set aside for
a Michigan Site Reclamation Grant and Loan Program
to help local units of government clean up contaminated
sites with economic development potential. The Site
Reclamation Program is the only program of its kind in the
nation, although several States and the Federal govern-
ment have, or are attempting to develop similar initiatives.
This premise is based on the concept that environmental
cleanups and economic development can be compatible,
rather than conflicting goals. Michigan offers these
incentives to encourage the redevelopment of vacant or
abandoned urban, industrial, or manufacturing properties
where infrastructures already exist, preventing further urban
sprawl into "green spaces." A total of $4.5 million in grants
has been awarded to projects underway in Marquette,
Benton Harbor, Detroit, Ludington and Lansing. These
projects have preserved jobs and are helping to create
new ones, bringing economic benefits to a diverse group
of communities while ensuring protection of public health
and the environment.
Reclamation Success Results in Community
Benefit. The purpose of the Site Reclamation Program
is to provide funds for response activities at contaminated
sites in order to facilitate economic development. A good
example of site reclamation success is a project in the city
of Lansing. When Lansing Sanitary Supply, a supplier
of environmentally safe cleaning products and equipment,
needed a new location for business expansion in 1991,
the city of Lansing sought funding from Michigan's Site
Reclamation Program to clean up a portion of property
formerly owned by the Diamond Reo Corporation and
"recycle" the site by making it available for Lansing
Sanitary Supply's new development. Past manufacturing
practices had contaminated soils and the groundwater
beneath the site with trichloroethylene and hydrocarbons.
The city had been conducting monitoring and cleanup
of industrial contaminants for several years on the site,
and applied to the MDNR for grant funds to help pay for
cleaning up the groundwater. The Natural Resources
Commission awarded the city a $2 million site recla-
mation grant to construct a groundwater collection and
treatment system. A network of collection trenches and
twenty extraction wells were installed to convey contami-
nated groundwater to a treatment facility located on site
in the parking lot. The polluted water is run through a
granular activated carbon system, and the cleaned water
is then returned to the ground. The system is successfully
keeping the chemicals from moving off the site, preventing
the contamination of unaffected areas and cleaning up
the groundwater for the whole Diamond Reo property.
Lansing Sanitary Supply's attractive building has given
a new look to property that had been idle for seventeen
years. The groundwater cleanup is expected to continue for
over twenty years, but by taking advantage of Michigan's
Site Reclamation Program, the city of Lansing was able to
get cleanup actions started to "recycle" an old, abandoned
industrial property, and the community will collect the
economic benefits. In FY 93, site reclamation grants were
awarded to the cities of Benton Harbour, Grand Rapids, and
Ludington for investigations and cleanups.
Amendments Expand Act 307. The enforcement
capabilities of the State cleanup program were expanded
with the new amendments to Act 307, which took effect in
July 1991. Commonly dubbed the "Polluters Pay" amend-
ments, these amendments provide a comprehensive, yet
innovative, legal framework for achieving site cleanups.
Under the amendments, Potentially Responsible Parties
(PRPs) may voluntarily clean up contaminated sites, or
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the State may use public money to pay for the cleanup
and recover the money in State or Federal court. In
addition, the amendments allow for the assessment of
penalties and fines when recalcitrant polluters do not
progress with cleanup actions after specific orders have
been issued by the State.
Polluters - Pay a Priority for MDNR. Enforcement
actions significantly improved with the passage of the
Michigan Act 307 amendments. Since the act passed,
over 18 complaints and 17 bankruptcy claims have been
filed in court for cost recovery and/or site remediation.
This action has resulted in 48 negotiated settlement/
judgments awarding the State over $21 million for reim-
bursement of costs, mitigation, and/or penalties. Along
with the reimbursement of costs, there are also PRP-
funded cleanup activities occurring at 23 sites. The State
has also stepped up its cost recovery efforts by sending
out letters to PRPs at 21 sites, demanding reimbursement
for past costs totalling approximately $16 million. If the
PRPs fail to settle with the State within the negotiation
period, a complaint will be filed in court. Ten Unilateral
Administrative Orders have also been issued outlining the
steps the PRPs must take to remediate sites of contami-
nation. The amendments have also given the State the
ability to recover costs by placing liens on property. A total
of 11 liens, valued at approximately $6 million, has been
placed on facilities where State dollars were spent for
cleanup. The Emergency Response Division's Compli-
ance and Enforcement Section has been working closely
with Michigan State University on the development of a
"Statewide Model for Fishing and Boating Recreation."
The model will provide a framework for the MDNR to calcu-
late natural resource damages resulting from impaired
recreational fishing and boating uses of surface waters as a
result of environmental contamination or other environmental
impact. An expert review panel of nationally recognized
experts in natural resource damage assessments was
assembled and met to discuss the project's design and
implementation. The panel made a number of suggestions to
improve the project's design and implementation. During FY
93, six complaints were filed and 30 negotiated settlements/
judgements were reached (which included 15 court order
judgements, five administrative settlements, four covenants
not to sue, and six bankruptcies).
EPA/MDNR Start Complementary Work at G&H
Landfill. The State has successfully negotiated a Consent
Decree (including provisions for natural resource dam-
ages) with the Responsible Parties for the G & H Landfill
site, located in Macomb County, Ml. This site is one of the
two most contaminated sites in the State using the
Michigan Environmental Response Act scoring system.
As a result of the practices at this landfill, the soils,
subsurface soils, wetlands, and groundwater in the landfill
and surrounding vicinity (formerly the Rochester-Utica
Recreation Area) have become highly contaminated.
Approximately 160 acres of recreation land were closed
through a Director's Order issued in 1983. Many natural
resource uses were impacted. The Consent Decree
focused on two main issues: recovery of past State costs
and payment of future State oversight costs, and natural
resource damages for injuries to natural resources for
which the State is trustee. The settlement calls for over
$400,000 in past costs, $50,000 for the State's costs in
assessing natural resource damages, and $3 million for
natural resource damages.
All $3 million will go toward funding Michigan's
environmental cleanup program to investigate and remedy
sites of environmental contamination. Of the $3 million
natural resource damage total, $250,000 will be used for
conducting natural resource damage assessments at
other sites of environmental contamination; $800,000 will
be specifically directed toward use for one of the following
activities in the Clinton River Watershed/St. Clair Flats
area: fisheries and wildlife habitat restoration or enhance-
ment; wetland acquisition or restoration; fisheries, wildlife
or wetlands investigation; fisheries or wildlife recreation;
water quality improvement; river management plans; fish
passage at dams; or soil erosion control activities on the
Clinton River or its tributaries. The G&H Landfill site is
also a Superfund site. Through the Superfund process,
the EPA signed a cleanup decision on December 21,
1990. This decision required containment of the landfill
and groundwater collection and treatment. This site is an
excellent example of how the State of Michigan's cleanup
program and the Federal Superfund program can comple-
ment each other to achieve the highest quality
environmental restoration.
MDNR and EPA Work Together on Priority
Cleanups. Michigan participates fully with the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Superfund pro-
gram through the MDNR, ERD, Superfund Section.
Michigan currently has 78 sites on the National Priorities
List (NPL), substantially more than any other state in
Region 5. The MDNR is the lead agency responsible for
site cleanups at 23 of these sites, and the EPA is the lead
agency at 30 sites. The PRPs are conducting cleanup
activities at 25 of the sites. The MDNR provides assis-
tance at the EPA and PRP-managed sites to ensure that
Michigan's cleanup requirements, such as Act 307 and
other State environmental requirements, are met.
The MDNR also conducts Preliminary Assessment/
Site Inspection (PA/SI) and site scoring activities on
behalf of the EPA, and nominates the most serious and
expensive sites to be listed on the NPL. The MDNR also
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participates in the Regional Response Team (RRT)
created by the National Contingency Plan. The Michigan
designee attends standing RRT meetings and is respon-
sible for coordination of response planning with other
state departments. In the past year, the MDNR nominated
four sites to the NPL, completed sixteen Si's and seven
PA's. In addition, ten decisions for cleanup were signed,
two are pending and one was amended.
The State participates in the Superfund Accelerated
Cleanup Model (SACM) pilot program. Two Michigan
sites, Willow Run Creek and the Manistique River, have
been authorized for expedited cleanup in SACM, the most
of any State in Region 5. Michigan also participates in
the Regional Decision Team and two site-specific
investigation teams.
MINNESOTA
MINNESOTA
Cooperation Results in Success
at the Naval Industrial Reserve
Ordnance Plant. On November 5, 1992, a media event
was held in Fridley, MN, to document the start up of the
groundwater extraction system at the Naval Industrial
Reserve Ordnance Plant (NIROP) site. Representatives
from both Federal and State regulatory agencies included
the Assistant Commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency (MPCA) and Regional and Deputy Admin-
istrators of EPA Region 5. Commander Daniel Hogan
was the Master of Ceremonies for the US Navy. Project
managers for both the MPCA and EPA were present along
with other members of the NIROP Technical Review Com-
mittee. The event was covered by the Minneapolis media.
The theme was cooperation between MPCA, US Navy, and
EPA which resulted in construction completion and start up
of a groundwater extraction system at the site.
Construction Complete at Oak Grove Sanitary
Landfill. Construction was completed at the 45 acre Oak
Grove Landfill (the Site) located in Anoka County, MN, on
September 2, 1993. The remedial action for the Site
includes two operable units. The ROD for the first oper-
able unit, signed on September 30, 1988, addresses the
source of contamination by containing the on-site wastes
and contaminated soil under a multi-layered landfill cover.
The ROD for the second operable unit, signed on December
21, 1990, addresses ground water contamination. The
second operable unit provides for continued monitoring
and active treatment only if the results from such monitor-
ing indicate that natural attenuation is not sufficient to
remediate the ground water. The cost of implementing
these two remedies is estimated at approximately 5.1
million dollars.A Unilateral Administrative Order was
issued on December 23, 1991 to 101 PRPs to implement
the final remedy at the Site. Fifty six of the Respondents
performed the final remedy which included the following
components:
O Installation of a security fence around the
perimeter of the landfill;
O Capping the landfill with a multi-layered cover
system;
O Monitoring the ambient air at the fence line of
the site, at residences and at gas probes installed
along the perimeter of the landfill;
O Long term monitoring of the shallow and deep
aquifers, surface waters, and sediments; and
O Implementing institutional controls and properly
abandoning non-essential wells.
On September 1, 1993 the Regional Administrator
signed a Remedial Design/Remedial Action (RD/RA)
Consent Decree for the Site. The Consent Decree
incorporated the work performed under the UAO and
recovered 89% of past costs. The settlement is between
the United States, nine de minimis municipalities, four
Federal agencies, and 355 other settling parties.
State/EPA Cooperation Accelerate Cleanup at
Dakhue Sanitary Landfill. The Dakhue Sanitary Landfill
Superfund site (Dakota County, MN) was placed on the
NPL in August 1990. There are two operable units: 1)
source control operable unit and 2) migration management
operable unit. The source control operable unit cleanup
decision, issued in June 1991, specified a modified solid
waste cap. EPA conducted an in-house focused feasibility
study, which shortened the time to conduct and complete
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the remedial design and investigation. The remedial
action for Operable unit 1 was completed in March 1993
following a site inspection. The migration management
operable unit cleanup decision was issued in June 1993.
This cleanup decision specified the limited action installa-
tion of two monitoring wells and continued monitoring of
the groundwater plume. The wells were installed in
August 1993. The quick remedial response to this site was
made possible because of the particularly close and
cooperative working relation-ship between EPA and the
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
State/EPA Efforts Move Remedial Action Forward
at LaGrand Sanitary Landfill. The LaGrand Sanitary
Landfill, located in Douglas County, MN, was listed on the
NPL in 1987 as a result of suspected groundwater con-
tamination by volatile and semivolatile organic chemicals,
believed to have been caused by improper disposal
practices and landfilling operations. Investigations at the
site, completed in the summer of 1992, showed that, while
groundwater contamination by organic chemicals did not
appear to be significant, several actions needed to be
taken. In September 1992, EPA signed a cleanup deci-
sion for the site. The actions specified in the cleanup
decision include stabilization of the landfill slopes, cover-
ing of exposed fill, groundwater and landfill gas monitor-
ing, and cover maintenance.
Working with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency,
which has the lead on this fund-financed site, the EPA
approved the remedial design in June 1993. Remedial
action, including on-site construction, began in September
1993, with completion likely during the second quarter of
FY 94. This will put the RA completion for the site several
quarters ahead of schedule.
MINNESOTA
POLLUTION CONTROL
AGENCY
Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency's Pipeline...on the Move.
Currently, there are 184 sites listed on the State of
Minnesota's Permanent List of Priorities (PLP) for
investigation and cleanup, five of which were added
during FY 93 and ten delisted due to cleanup completion.
Forty-three of the 184 sites also are included on the
Federal NPL. As of September 1993, there were 148 sites
in the cleanup process "pipeline" (i.e., in some state of
investigation or cleanup). Cleanup activities at 111 of
these sites are being conducted by Responsible Parties
(RPs).
Minnesota Environmental Response and Liability Act
(MERLA) Fund or Federal CERCLA dollars have been or
are being spent at the remaining 36 sites. In FY 93,
Requests for Response Actions were issued at 4 sites,
Records of Decision were developed at 10 sites and
10 sites were delisted from the PLP due to cleanup
completion. In FY 93, fines and reimbursements totaling
$2,398,000 were made to the Fund. Of this amount,
$609,000 was paid to the Fund from penalties imposed by
Stipulation Agreements and Administrative Penalty
Orders. In FY 93, the MPCA was involved in three law-
suits in the State District Courts to recover Superfund
cleanup and oversight costs.
MPCA Spill Team Responds. During FY 93, the
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Hazardous Waste
Division Spills Team handled 129 cases which required
either MERLA or Petrofund expenditures. The 96 waste
abandonment cases throughout the State involved the
dumping of barrels or other containers of hazardous
substances such as used or waste oils, paint wastes,
solvents, or other chemical substances. In the majority
of cases, no PRPs were discovered, although efforts are
underway to improve identification of PRPs. The Spills
Team staff undertook 33 emergency actions, using mostly
Petrofund resources, where petroleum or other toxic
vapors seeped into sewers, buildings, or wells. Approxi-
mately $574,098 in MERLA funds were used at the 129
sites for hazardous waste spills and emergency spill
response actions.
Waste Generator Legislation Restructures Tax .
Governor Carlson proposed a legislative initiative in FY 93
to restructure the hazardous waste generator tax. In FY
93, the tax raised $401,000 for the State Superfund
program, much less than the $4,250,000 needed annually
to fund the State's current level of cleanup.
The proposed legislative initiative was substantially
revised during the legislative session. The new law
restructures the tax, and changes are effective January 1,
1994, which should result in an estimated $3,700,000 tax
revenue annually for the Minnesota Superfund. The
revenue increase is the result of raising the tax rate, as
the rate had not increased since the inception of the tax in
1983. Also, less than ten percent of the State's hazardous
waste generators were paying a generator tax. To ensure
that exemptions to the tax do not result in a few genera-
tors continuing to pay all of the tax, the Minnesota legisla-
ture created a base tax on all generators producing more
than 100 pounds of hazardous waste per year.
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A revolving loan program in the amount of $250,000
per year was established by the State legislature, using
revenue from the hazardous waste generator tax. Low
interest loans are available to hazardous waste genera-
tors who do not have the financial resources to investigate
and cleanup minor releases. Timely cleanup will prevent a
release from creating a Superfund site in the future.
Cleanup Begins at Kummer Sanitary Landfill.
The Minnesota Attorney General's Office filed an amicus
brief on behalf of the MPCA Commissioner in the case
of Northern Township v. Waughtal, in which owners of
residential property near the Kummer Sanitary Landfill
(Beltrami County, MN) sought to overturn their misde-
meanor conviction for refusing to allow hookup of their
residence to the public water supply system serving their
area. The water system was installed pursuant to Federal
and State Superfund programs to remedy ground water
contamination from the landfill. Hookup was required
under an ordinance passed by Northern Township. The
amicus brief explained the importance of such local
ordinances in assuring the effectiveness of Superfund
remedies. The residents convicted of violating the ordi-
nance argued that the township lacked authority under
State law to enact the ordinance, and that the ordinance
violated privacy rights and amounted to a taking of
property without just compensation. The ordinance was
upheld and the conviction affirmed by the Court of Ap-
peals in August 1993, but Supreme Court review has
been requested.
In another matter related to the Kummer SLF
Superfund Site, the MPCA has reached a settlement in
principle with several responsible parties for costs in-
curred by MPCA at this site. The site is listed on both the
PLP and the NPL, and remedial actions have been
financed by EPA, MPCA, and Northern Township (the
township supplied the ten percent match of Federal funds
for the extension of the public water supply). EPA is the
lead enforcement agency for the site. Response action
has been divided into three "operable units." Operable
Unit 1, extension of public water supply to affected areas,
and Operable Unit 2, landfill cover, drainage and gas
control systems, have been implemented. MPCA's
settlement provides for recovery of $270,000 in costs
incurred by MPCA for Operable Units 1 and 2 ($135,000
from three private parties, and $135,000 from Bemidji
State University), and for performance of long-term
operation and maintenance of the cover and related
systems by the city of Bemidji. Settling parties are not
responsible for Operable Unit 3, which would address the
ground water contamination, if necessary. A unique
aspect of the settlement is that it was reached through
formal mediation arranged by EPA in which MPCA,
EPA, and the settlers all participated.
Voluntary Investigation and Cleanup (VIC) Pro-
gram Begins. The Voluntary Investigation and Cleanup
(VIC) Program was initiated in 1988, as the MPCA Prop-
erty Transfer Program's technical assistance to business
and industry involved with real estate transactions. The
name change in 1993 reflects the availability of the
program to any voluntary parties wishing to investigate
and/or cleanup the soil and ground water at a property,
not just those parties involved in a property transaction.
While cleanup standards for the VIC program and the
rest of the State Superfund program are the same, the
voluntary process enhances how quickly a site moves
to cleanup, primarily due to the cooperation exhibited
by voluntary parties. The MPCA staff has found that when
a voluntary party is motivated to cleanup property for
purposes of expansion, refinancing, or resale, a cleanup
can happen quickly.
Accomplishments during FY 93 include four interim
and 17 final cleanup plans approved, 14 "no cleanup
required" letters issued, eight "off-site source determina-
tions" letters issued, 98.9 percent of State costs reim-
bursed by individuals requesting file evaluations, 92.9
percent by individuals requesting VIC program assistance,
and 296 investigations overseen to date.
Land Recycling Act and Amendments Passed.
To encourage voluntary action to investigate and cleanup
contaminated property, the Minnesota Legislature passed
the Land Recycling Act in 1992. The broad purpose of the
act was to encourage voluntary action to investigate and
clean up property, and in the process to encourage reuse
and development of otherwise underutilized contaminated
property. The act offers incentives to owners, prospective
buyers, and lending institutions to use the MPCA staff
resources available to them on request, and relief from
the fear of Superfund cleanup liability, which is often
expressed by prospective real estate buyers, developers,
and lenders.
The Land Recycling Act was amended by the 1993
Legislature (Minnesota Laws chapter 287) to provide
additional protection from cleanup liability to mortgagees
and purchasers of contaminated property. Under the new
provisions, if the RP undertakes and completes remedial
actions that fully remedy or remove all releases and
threatened releases, the liability protection applies to
persons and their successors who either purchase the
property from the RP or provide financing to the RP
for the response action, or to develop the property.
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OHIO
Geese Come Home to Wetlands
Developed as Part of Bowers Landfill
Completion. A $5.2 million Consent
Decree between DuPont, PPG and EPA was lodged on
August 31, 1993 to settle the cost of the Bowers Landfill
(Pickaway County, OH) Remedial Action (RA). The
settlement includes past costs, the cost of the RA and
future oversight costs. Although the RA was fund lead, the
PRPs had requested to perform the groundwater monitor-
ing during the first year and to perform all O & M activities
including groundwater monitoring after the first year. The
settlement will thus allow the PRPs to perform the ground-
water monitoring for the first year. The Bowers RA has
Aerial photo of Bowers Landfill
thus come to a conclusion. Despite two floods, the RA
was completed on time and under budget in FY 93. The
wetlands area that was developed as part of the RA is
pleasing to the many Canadian geese, heron, and fish
that have made it home.
Early Actions Expedite Cleanup at Wright-
Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB). The Installation
Restoration Program (IRP) being conducted by the U.S.
Air Force at WPAFB (Dayton, OH) is progressing through
different stages of cleanup. A cleanup decision was signed
on July 15, 1993 for the Source Control Measures at
Operable Unit 1 (OU-1). The remedy selected for source
control, which is comprised of Landfills 8 and 10, includes
low permeability caps, leachate collection and treatment,
and landfill gas collection for both landfills. In addition,
public water will be supplied to private well users along
Zink and National Roads, adjacent to OU-1. EPA,
WPAFB, and the State met in August to discuss the
implementation of Base-wide strategies for accelerated
cleanup through early actions for areas of similar source
contamination. WPAFB proposed submitting a generic
Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) for landfill
capping, which could then be expanded, using preliminary
site-specific information, for implementation at all landfills
at the base (up to 14). The same approach may be taken
for eleven fuel contamination sites, selecting
in-situ bioventing as the remedy for soil
contamination in the vadose zone in the
areas of these spills. EPA is supporting
these early action initiatives proposed by the
Air Force.
Extended Community Involvement at
Skinner Landfill Leads to Consensus and
Success. A cleanup decision for the Skinner
Landfill site was signed by the Regional
Administrator on June 4,1993, after a ten-
month public comment period. The Skinner site
is located at the very northern edge of
Cincinnati's suburbs. The site is a former sand
and gravel operation which was subsequently
used for the disposal of demolition debris,
household refuse, and chemical wastes. A 1.5
acre waste lagoon was used for the disposal
of bulk liquid wastes, including paint wastes, ink
wastes, solvents, and creosote. About 15 acres
of the site, including the former waste lagoon,
have been covered over with garbage and
demolition debris. Aerial photos taken during
the operation of the dump show large piles of barrels
scattered around at various times.
A Proposed Plan was issued to the public in April
1992, which included incineration of the buried waste
lagoon materials. Local citizens were greatly concerned
about the incineration, and State officials soon escalated
concerns to EPA. Two public meetings were held, the
second of which lasted until 1:45 a.m. After the second
public meeting, EPA announced to the public its decision
to alter the decisionmaking approach to the site. EPA
proposed to issue an interim action cleanup decision,
providing alternate water supply, fencing the site, and
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extending the public comment period on the other aspects
of the remedy to discuss the community's concerns.
Also, the community set up a coalition of 15 members,
representing a broad cross-section of the community.
EPA met with this coalition every other week for
three months. In the end, the coalition and EPA arrived
at a consensus position, which favored containment.
EPA issued a fact sheet stating that the Agency's pre-
ferred alternative had shifted from incineration to contain-
ment. The final cleanup decision includes a multi-layered
cap, downgradient groundwater collection and treatment,
Soil Vapor Extraction, upgradient groundwater control,
deed restrictions, and monitoring.
Three Part/Federal Facility Agreement Signed at
DOE Mound Plant. On July 15, 1993, the first three party
Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) was signed between
the Department of Energy, Ohio EPA, and EPA. Previ-
ously a two-party FFA served as the operating principal
regarding CERCLA activities occurring at the DOE Mound
Plant (Miamisburg, OH). The original agreement had been
in effect since late 1990. Although Ohio EPA was not a
signatory to the original FFA, DOE had provided for their
active involvement and participation. By becoming a third
party to the FFA, Ohio EPA will receive approximately $5
million, over the next 5 years, in oversight costs. Ohio EPA
will also provide a consultation role to EPA.
Drum Excavation a Success at Big D
Campground. The Big D Campground Superfund Site
(Ashtabula County, OH) is a former sand and gravel quarry
that was operated simultaneously as a quarry and landfill
from 1964 to 1976. The landfill is approximately 2.2 acres
in size and approximately 25 feet deep and was filled with
solid and industrial waste materials. EPA conducted the
investigation and selected a remedy which specified on-
site incineration of the landfill materials (using a mobile
incinerator) along with groundwater remediation. The PRP
effectively started complying with an EPA issued Unilat-
eral Administrative Order in mid 1991. A mobile incinera-
tor is currently operating on-site. A wastewater treatment
plant has also been built on-site which is being used for
the incinerator operations. This treatment plant will also
be used for the ground water pump out system. The trial
burn occurred in late September 1992. EPA approved the
trial burn in February 1993 and full burning operations
have been occurring ever since. The total time anticipated
for incineration is expected to be 15 to 18 months. As of
September 1, 1993, over 10,500 drums and 86,259 tons
of contaminated soils and debris, had been excavated for
incineration (the original estimate was 2,000 to 5,000
drums and 45,000 tons of material). Also incinerated was
58,570 tons of contaminated soil, debris and shredded
drums. Continued excavation of the remaining landfill
materials is scheduled for the fall of 1993. The groundwa-
ter extraction system is at the 95% design stage and is
scheduled to be partially installed in the fall of 1993.
Construction Complete at E.H. Schilling Landfill.
Construction was completed at the E.H. Schilling Landfill
located in Lawrence County, OH, August 3, 1993.
Some aspects of the construction include:
O A three acre RCRA Subtitle C landfill cap over
approximately 100,000 cubic yards of waste.
O Consolidation of 3,070 cubic yards of soils and
sediment.
O Construction of an on-site treatment plant to treat
leachate/liquid waste extracted from the landfill.
The treatment train consists of metals precipitation
using sodium hydroxide , sequencing biological
batch reactors, sand filtration, and carbon
adsorption as a polishing step. The plant is
expected to treat 7,000,000 gallons of leachate/
liquid waste and operate for three years.
O Excavation and off-site disposal of 32 drums of
waste material, including drum remains and
heavily contaminated soil.
O Groundwater monitoring, long-term maintenance,
and deed restrictions on future land use.
The cost of construction including the RI/FS, is
approximately 10 million dollars with a yearly operation and
maintenance cost of 300,000 dollars. Discharge from the
treatment plant has met all NPDES discharge limits.
Site Investigation for Maumee River Basin Study
Complete. A SACM success story in site assessment is the
Maumee River Basin sites in Ohio. The State of Ohio Site
Assessment personnel travelled to Toledo to visit the
Maumee River Basin sites. Site reconnaissances were
conducted in preparation for site inspections (Sis) at 30 sites
located along the Ottawa River. Also located in this study
area are two of the Superfund Accelerated Clean-up Model
(SACM) pilot project landfill sites; the Stickney Avenue
Dump and Tyler Street Dump.
At the completion of the site tours, all parties met to
develop a unified strategy for conducting the investigations.
All field sampling of this tributary has been completed and
reports have been received.
Stickney Avenue/Tyler Street Dump Recommended
for SACM. As part of EPA's SACM initiative, Region 5
solicited recommendations from its States for candidate
SACM sites for the RDT pilot. Two sites proposed by the
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) are the
Stickney Avenue Landfill and Tyler Street Dump, which are
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located along the Ottawa River in Toledo, Ohio. The sites
were operated by the city of Toledo as municipal landfills
from 1958 to 1972.
A removal site inspection was conducted at both sites in
February 1993. In addition, a screening site inspection for
the Stickney site and an expanded site inspection for the
Tyler site were conducted in March 1993. These inspections
indicated that both sites are likely contributing to the human
health and environmental risks associated with the Ottawa
River as a result of food chain and direct contact pathways.
The Ottawa River is currently under a health advisory due to
excessive PCB contamination found in river sediments and fish
tissue. Both of the sites are considered "NPL caliber," and are
expected to score on the MRS and be listed on the NPL.
The Regional Decision Team (RDT), based upon the
information presented at the July RDT meet-
ing, approved the strategy for the sites pro-
posed by the Site Assessment Team (SAT).
The strategy includes the performance of an
Engineering Evaluation and Cost Analysis (EE/
CA) for a non time-critical removal action. The
EE/CA will evaluate the requirements of proper
closure of the sites so as to minimize or
eliminate the leaching of contaminants into the
Ottawa River. The strategy also includes
negotiations with the identified PRPs for the
performance of the EE/CA and the continua-
tion of a PRP search to identify any additional
PRPs.
The EE/CA is expected to take six to nine
months, with completion in late 1994. The use
of non time-critical removal authority to ad-
dress site risks is expected to result in a
significant reduction in time from site discovery
to a response action, and will significantly
reduce or eliminate the threats posed by the
sites to human health and the environment.
junction with a task force comprised of stakeholders,
developed a proposed law that creates a voluntary action
program. The Ohio Real Estate Reuse and Cleanup Law
(ORERCL) was introduced in the Ohio General Assembly
in the fall of 1993.
ORERCL would require the Ohio EPA to promulgate
regulations that will outline a process to evaluate and
remediate contaminated sites, develop cleanup numbers,
describe a process for performing a risk assessment, and
develop an environmental professionals certification and
auditing program. ORERCL creates a voluntary program
where volunteers contract with certified professionals
to conduct cleanup work at contaminated sites according
to the regulations. The volunteers can apply to Ohio EPA
Waste water treatment plant at E.H. Schilling.
OttoEFA
OHIO
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
AGENCY
Ohio Proposes Voluntary Cleanup Legislation (Substi-
tute Ohio Senate Bill 221, House Bill 539). The Ohio
EPA, at the request of Governor Voinovich and in con-
for a covenant not to sue after the work is complete. Ohio
EPA will grant the covenant for further remediation so
long as the regulations are met and the certified profes-
sional has issued a letter indicating that no further action
is necessary. If permits or engineering controls are
employed at a site, the volunteer must enter into an
agreement with Ohio EPA to provide that the necessary
levels of environmental protection and conditions are met.
Ohio EPA will audit a percentage of sites receiving
covenants in order to ensure that the certified profes-
sionals are conducting work according to the regulations.
ORERCL includes civil and criminal penalties for knowing
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falsification of information that was the basis of a cov-
enant not to sue. The voluntary action program will be
funded by fees and costs paid by the volunteers using the
system. Finally, ORERCL provides legal protection to
lenders, trustees, and fiduciaries from liability for cleanup
at sites. These entities are provided with protection as
long as they did not manage the waste at the site.
Wooster North Wellfield Protected. The City of
Wooster, located in Wayne County, relies upon two
municipal wellfields to produce water for industrial and
residential purposes. Both wellfields are developed in
geologically sensitive permeable sand and gravel depos-
its, which are at risk of contamination from the surround-
ing environment. As a result of documented contamination
of the South wellfield, the City has increasingly relied
upon the North wellfield for the majority of its water
production. In April 1991, the City of Wooster notified
the Ohio EPA (Northeast District Office) and informed
the Agency that contamination had been detected in
several monitor wells located upgradient of the North
wellfield. Subsequent to investigation of the industries
in the area and identification of potentially responsible
parties, the Ohio EPA issued an initial set of findings and
orders to a local manufacturer in October 1991. Negotia-
tions began the following month and the final order was
journalized in March 1992. The main purposes of the
order were to: protect the City's water supply wells,
maximize the amount of contamination removed, and
minimize the amount of wastewater produced. Extensive
hydrogeologic work was conducted by a consulting firm
for the respondent which included the drilling and
sampling of monitor wells, aquifer characterization, and
groundwater modelling. The final remedy which included
the drilling of several recovery wells and the construction
of an air stripping tower to treat contaminated groundwa-
ter was approved by the OEPA in August 1992. Although
adverse weather conditions existed during the winter
months of 1992-1993, the air stripping tower was
constructed, tested, and became fully operational on
June 15, 1993. As a result, the main intent of the order
has been fulfilled, that is, to protect the City of Wooster's
North wellfield from existing contamination.
Joint Order a Success at City of Chesterland -
Geauga County, Ohio. Groundwater contamination in
Chesterland is centered near the intersection of State
Route 306 and U.S. Route 322. Land use in this area is
primarily residential and commercial. Public and private
water supplies are derived solely from groundwater
sources, and there are two main aquifers used for water
consumption - the shallow Charon Sandstone and the
deeper Berea Sandstone aquifers. Both aquifers have
shown contamination from organic compounds - i.e.,
constituents associated with gasoline (benzene,
ethylbenzene, toluene and xylene), as well as compounds
associated with degreasing and cleaning operations
(trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene etc.)
Groundwater contamination in this area has been a long
standing problem. The site initially came to Ohio EPA's
attention in the early 1980s due to the lack of cover on road
salt storage piles. In addition, there are numerous docu-
mented spills and releases from petroleum underground
storage tanks from the mid to late 1980s. The Ohio EPA has
conducted extensive groundwater sampling from private
wells in the area, and has performed a soil gas survey and
soil sampling in an effort to more completely characterize the
nature of the contaminants and to attempt to identify poten-
tial source areas. The site poses a significant threat to
human health and the environment, and has been
designated as a State Lead site.
Due to the nature of the contamination at the site,
negotiations with the potentially responsible parties (three
gasoline service stations and the township) also included
the State Fire Marshall, Bureau of Underground Storage
Tank Regulations (BUSTR), as underground storage
tanks are under the jurisdiction of that agency. On July 12,
1993, a joint Order was issued by Ohio EPA and BUSTR
to the Respondents requiring the following: the perfor-
mance of a hydrogeologic investigation at the site; and the
identification, evaluation, and implementation of any
interim action necessary to prevent, minimize, or mitigate
a substantial threat to public health or safety or the
environment. This is the first time that a joint Order has
been issued between these two agencies, and Ohio EPA
is hopeful that it may serve as the basis for other
cooperative ventures in the future.
State Capability Built through CORE Program
Funding. Ohio EPA's first access to Superfund Core
money was realized in April of 1992. Interaction with
EPA regarding requested CORE funding and subsequent
negotiations, has provided OEPA with more than the
dollars. The increased communication with EPA has
improved the quality of the relationship by improving
Ohio's understanding of EPA and their policies and
guidance.
This funding provided the impetus for the recent im-
provements in data and records management for Federal
and State Superfund sites. The first year of funding provided
the State with a Central Office SUPERFUND local area
network. This network has permitted OEPA to develop
several multi-user applications. The document tracking
database allows users to be aware of recently received
documents so that they can be reviewed in an expedient
manner. OEPA's chemical Right-To-Know inventory of over
18,000 sites will allow consideration of potential alternative
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sources of contamination when conducting preliminary
assessments and screening site inspections. The release
reporting system will be migrated to the State's local area
network shortly. This archival database has over 60,000
records that date back to 1980.
Another major improvement in the Ohio Superfund
program has occurred in the development of program
technical and administrative staff. The State has been
fortunate to be able to utilize training funds that allow staff
to attend courses or professional meetings that keep them
up to speed with Superfund issues at a time when OEPA
has not been able to utilize State dollars.
CORE funds have also been used to support the
development of the State Superfund law which is currently
at the Legislative Service Commission and should be
introduced this fall.
WISCONSIN,
Accelerated Cleanup Ends at Scrap
Processing. The Scrap Processing site in
Medford, Wl was an in-house remedial
investigation project. Field work started in May 1992.
Remedial activities at the site have been approached in a
two phased way. A time-critical removal and a non time-
critical removal which will expedite cleanup response
actions at the site. The time critical removal was com-
pleted during the second week of September 1993. It
consisted of removing soils adjacent to a former battery
cracking building contaminated with high levels of PCBs
and lead. As part of the non time-critical removal, EPA will
have an ARCS contractor write an EE/CA. The EE/CA will
be finalized by March 1994 and activities toward imple-
mentation of the selected remedy will immediately start.
Agencies Collaborate on In-house Phase I Reme-
dial Investigation for the Tomah Armory and Toman
Fairgrounds Sites. From July 12, 1993 through July 16,
1993, members of the U.S. EPA, Region 5, Office of
Superfund, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department
of Natural Resources (WDNR) and the United States
Geological Survey (USGS), performed a Phase I limited
scope Remedial Investigation at the Tomah Armory and
Tomah Fairgrounds Superfund sites in Tomah, Wl.
Site-specific conditions, including the areal extent of
the sites and the volume of wastes reported released to
the sites, dictated a unique approach to conducting a
remedial investigation. Utilizing in-house staff and
resources allowed the investigation to be conducted
expeditiously and emphasized teamwork and cooperation.
The teamwork aspect of the project cannot be overem-
phasized. Without the cooperation of the WDNR, the
USGS, and EPA personnel between its conception in
February, 1993 and completion in July, 1993, this Phase I
investigation could not have accomplished the goals set in
the Field Sampling Plan in such a short timeframe.
Accelerated Cleanup at the National Presto Site
Uses Removal Authority. Cleanup of a major source
of groundwater contamination at the National Presto
Industries, Inc. (NPI) site in Eau Claire, Wl is being
accelerated as a time-critical removal. In July 1993, NPI
undertook a full-scale pilot study in which 20,000 gallons
of sludge were removed from an on-site lagoon and
blended with other waste fuels. The blended product was
transported to a cement kiln for use as a supplemental
fuel (The BTU value of the sludge ranges from 8,000 to
10,000).
In response to the success of the pilot study, NPI
submitted a proposal to EPA in September 1993, to begin
removal of the sludge this fall and dispose of it in a
manner consistent with the pilot study. Since NPI pro-
posed to do the work, EPA and the State fully endorsed
the time-critical approach and a consent order was
negotiated with NPI. Concurrent with these negotiations,
a work plan detailing the removal action was prepared by
NPI and recently approved by EPA. The consent order
was issued by EPA on October 14, 1993. NPI began
removal of the sludge on October 22. In-field modifica-
tions are being made to facilitate continuation of the
removal activities during cold weather. Approximately
100,000 gallons of sludge have been removed.
Alpha Cast II Placed in Pilot. Alpha Cast II was one
of three sites the State of Wisconsin addressed under the
Single Site Assessment pilot. The site is an abandoned
foundry located on approximately 11 acres of land in
Whitewater, Wl. The Alpha Cast facility was a brick
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foundry from the late 1800s until the mid-1980s. The
property operated as an iron foundry from the early 1940s
until 1986. Alpha Cast's primary product line was iron
castings for the automobile industry. Typical wastes
generated by the foundry included mold sands, core butts,
metal grinding dust, and sludge from an air pollution
control system. Wastes were disposed of on-site,
primarily on the north and west sides of the building.
A Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and
EPA site assessment indicated contaminated soils,
groundwater, and surface water. EPA Emergency Re-
moval completed the removal and/or disposal of PCB-
containing light ballasts, drums, PCB oils from transform-
ers, base/neutrals, and processing ash. The removal
actions were completed in August 1993 with the demoli-
tion and removal of the processing stack on site.
Wisconsin DNR is currently considering the site
for scoring under the Hazard Ranking System (HRS). This
site has proceeded from site discovery to scoring in less
than one year. Historically, this process can take from two
to five years. The intended outcome of the pilot was
achieved due to the team approach to site evaluation.
WISCONSIN
DEPARTMENT OF
NATURAL RESOURCES
Cedar Creek Investigated for
PCBs. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
has spent a great deal of time and money investigating
the sources of extremely high levels of PCBs in a stretch
of Cedar Creek that runs through Cedarburg.
The WDNR had contracted for an extensive study,
including sediment and storm sewer sampling, and
prepared a Mass Balance study. After over a year of
negotiations with the two major responsible parties, DNR
is within weeks of signing state contracts for an operable
unit to remove the most highly contaminated sediments
and to conduct a RI/FS on the rest of the downstream
portion of the creek. This will allow the site to be handled
equivalent to the National Contingency Plan (NCP).
Wisconsin DNR is also tracking Cedar Creek in the site
assessment program should these negotiation agree-
ments fail. It is anticipated that in conjunction with, and
following the Cedar Creek cleanup, the PCB contamina-
tion in the Milwaukee River and Harbor will be addressed.
Chrysler Stamping Plant Facility Cleanup Com-
pleted. The Chrysler Milwaukee Stamping Plant property,
which is located in an industrial/commercial area of
Milwaukee, had been in use for decades as an industrial
facility. The plant was used primarily for automobile
manufacturing processes. Remediation of the site in-
volved the environmental decommissioning and demoli-
tion of the plant buildings as well as investigation and
cleanup of the site soil. Petroleum products and paint
solvents, related to underground storage tanks and
surface spills, were the main soil contaminants. The site
owner undertook a substantial remediation effort to
address thousands of tons of contaminated soil, involving
soil removal and on-site thermal desorption. The soil
cleanup, completed in June 1993, achieved state
cleanup objectives and resulted in the sale of the
property for redevelopment.
Williams Pipeline Spill Cleanup a Success. On
Sunday afternoon, August 15, 1993, at about 2:30 p.m.,
a contractor ruptured a fuel oil pipeline with a bulldozer
while removing clean fill from above the pipeline. (The
person knew the pipeline was there, but thought it was
deeper.) At 5:08 p.m. the Clark County Conservation
Warden was notified of the spill by the Division of Emer-
gency Government. Apparently, Williams Pipe Line Co.
had been notified earlier and responders were on the
scene with vacuum trucks recovering product by the time
the warden arrived. Williams Pipe Line's on-site coordina-
tor asked the warden if the fuel oil could be set ablaze.
The warden contacted DNR Western District management
and an experienced spill responder arrived to make the
decision to recover the product rather than burn it. Will-
iams Pipe Line then arranged for more vacuum trucks to
be brought on site and attention focused on containment.
When the DNR Area Hydrogeologist arrived on Monday
morning, there were four vacuum trucks recovering
product, and earthen dikes were constructed to ensure
containment. The contractor responsible for the release
provided earth moving equipment and personnel. By
Thursday, cleanup day four, the pipeline had been
repaired, and over 42,000 gallons of a 52,000 gallon
spill had been recovered. For the rest of the week,
absorbent pad work was done, the entire pond area was
flushed with water, and the vegetation was washed.
Product recovery continued from a make-shift sump
near the spill release.
On Tuesday, cleanup day eight, the pond "smear
zone" and another fuel saturated area exhibiting dead
vegetation was burned (with District Fire Control approval).
A four foot propane torch apparatus was used to ignite a
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kerosene spray that was applied from a pressurized
cylinder to the desired burn zones. DRO samples were
collected before the burn and will be compared with post-
burn samples. After the burn, the overpowering fuel oil
smell lessened. Long-term responses will include the
construction of a "bio-pile" to treat excavated contami-
nated soils and a groundwater study to evaluate impact.
The most remarkable thing about this response, and
the major reason it was so successful, was the coopera-
tion and communication of Williams Pipe Line Co. and the
excavator. It was decided that Williams Pipe Line was
experienced with spill response and should coordinate
actions, the contractor was to stand by in case excavation
equipment was needed, and perhaps most importantly,
the cost would be worked out later. This immediate,
organized response successfully lessened the environ-
mental impacts of the spill.
Mineral Point Remediation Project Near
Completion. The Mineral Point Remediation Project is
a comprehensive effort dealing with several uncontrolled
mine waste sites in a 1 square-mile area. These uncon-
trolled sites have existed for over 100 years and are
leaching toxic pollutants into the environment at several
locations. Brewery Creek, a spring fed stream with good
water quality, flows through the site area. As the stream
passes through the project, the water quality changes
dramatically due to the mine waste run-off. At the project
boundary, aquatic life no longer survives, and the
stream's rating becomes one of the poorest in the south-
west part of the state. The impacts from the mine waste
can be measured for several miles in Brewery Creek,
which eventually flows into the Pecatonica River, a warm
water sport fishery.
The primary focus of the Mineral Point Remediation
Project was to properly manage the six uncontrolled mine
waste sites in the project area. The uncontrolled waste
sites consisted of five roaster piles and one flotation pile.
The plan called for consolidating all of the roaster material
at one location, covering the site with a two foot clay cap
followed by 18 inches of flotation material already found
on site to provide for frost depth, and a rooting zone. Six
inches of topsoil was then to be added and seeded.
Brewery Creek was rerouted away from the disposal area
into a more natural setting where the fishery potential
could be enhanced.
The project is near completion and all of the roaster
and flotation material has been capped as a landfill
closure. This effort has changed Brewery Creek from one
of the worst streams in the area to having the potential to
support a trout fishery. Water clarity has improved signifi-
cantly and forage fish have already moved into the new
section of stream.
Starkweather Creek Sediment Cleanup Plan
Developed. Starkweather Creek drains the largest urban
watershed in the city of Madison, and is a tributary to Lake
Monona. Lake Monona is under a fish consumption
advisory for mercury, and the creek's sediments are a
major source of mercury entering the lake. Past industrial
discharges and stormwater run-off contribute to the
creek's history of sediments contaminated by mercury,
lead, zinc, oil, and grease. Industrial activities in the
watershed had included metal fabrication, battery manu-
facturing, meat packing, and food processing.
To address contamination in Starkweather Creek
and Lake Monona, and to implement the recommendation
of the local priority watershed plan, Starkweather was
selected as a sediment remediation demonstration
project. A joint DNR, County, City, and EPA project was
developed to 1) reduce non-point source run-off; 2)
control the impacts of in-place contaminants; and 3)
restore the recreational value and aquatic habitat of the
creek. This $1 million program included the dredging of
approximately one mile of the creek to remove 17,000
cubic yards of sediment, construction of stormwater
detention ponds, streambank erosion controls, and
aquatic habitat restoration.
The important aspects of this project that were critical
to the successful implementation included: cross-program
coordination and communication; public communication
and feedback; construction field supervision; and a
significant investment in environmental monitoring to
guide the development of the work plan and document the
results of the restoration.
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Region 5 Removal Starts and Completions
DFY93
• All Fiscal Years
Prior to FY 93
Total Region 5 Removal
Starts = 536
Total Region 5 Removal
Completions = 448
(Includes Removals at
Federal Facilities)
IL \ IN \
Ml
MN
OH \, Wl
States
Introduction.
During FY 93, the Region 5 Emergency and Enforce-
ment Response Branch initiated 42 new removal actions
and completed 41 removal actions. Of the 42 new starts,
6 starts were at NPL sites (3 fund lead; 3 PRP lead), and
36 were at non-NPL sites (28 fund lead; 8 PRP lead). Of
the 41 completions, 36 were fund lead and 5 were PRP
lead. This brought the Region's cumulative total removal
completions to 399, which included 123 removals at NPL
sites (90 fund lead; 33 PRP lead), and 276 at non-NPL
sites (232 fund lead; 44 PRP lead). This is one of the real
success stories of the Superfund program in that cleanup
action is taken at sites which may not be on the National
Priorities List, but present "NPL caliber" problems for the
citizens living in the area of such sites. Additionally, during
this period, a total of 52 action memoranda were ap-
proved and the Branch had obligated $28 million for site
work. The Branch also conducted 6 oil spill removals with
Oil Pollution Act funds, and responded to 17 hazardous
substance releases (emergency responses).
Innovative Idea Results in Emergency Response
Mobile Waste Water Treatment Facility. The idea of a
mobile wastewater treatment facility occurred to a Region
5 On Scene Coordinator (OSC) while conducting a
removal action at the Pierce Waste Oil site in Springfield,
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IL, last spring. At that time, the plan was to treat the
hundreds of thousands of gallons of contaminated waste-
water on site by using borrowed carbon vessels from
Region 7. The OSC had to purchase various pumps,
valves, and various other pieces of equipment to accom-
pany Region 7's vessels, but still the cost savings by
treating on-site would be substantial.
In the removal program, wastewater often needs
treatment. So was there a way to have this equipment, which
the Agency already owns, mounted in a trailer for the use of
the removal program? A phone call and some paper work,
and the "Springfield Belle" was born! The "Springfield Belle"
is air conditioned, has lights, and is heated so it can be used
in all weather conditions, 24 hours a day.
This system will provide Region 5 EPA with a highly
visible, efficient, and cost effective disposal option, and
should make the office essentially self sufficient in basic
wastewater treatment.
Removal at Better Brite Plating Facility a Success.
The removal action for the Better Brite NPL site located in
DePere, Wl, was completed on July 1, 1993. The site
consists of two facilities; a chrome and a zinc plating
operation. The removal consisted of the excavation and
off-site disposal of approximately 15,000 tons of contami-
nated soil with hexavalent chrome being the major con-
taminant of concern. A groundwater collection system at
each facility has been expanded and is an ongoing
operation. Approximately 1.5 million gallons of contami-
nated water, collected from both sites, has been treated.
The expanded collection systems have an increased
capacity from the previous system by an order of magni-
tude. The $3 million removal was completed on schedule
and under budget.
Significant Removal Activities Conducted at
H & H Enterprises. On February 11, 1993, and again on
April 26,1993, major fires broke out at the H & H Enterprise
"automobile fluff" (ground-up upholstery and car seats)
recycling facility. The facility covers approximately 13 acres,
and is located on 9th Avenue in Gary, IN. A number of
excavations were ordered by the local community to protect
nearby residents from the potential effects of the burning
materials. After initial control of the fire, an additional 15
fires occurred at the site. EPA conducted air monitoring,
secured the site, restaged auto fluff materials on-site, and
constructed a berm along the north face of the auto fluff
area. A permanent fire watch has been established.
A complete remediation of the site is anticipated by EPA.
Innovative Technology Underway at Parsons
Chemical Site. EPA Region 5 has contracted with
Geosafe Corporation to use their proprietary In-Situ
Vitrification (ISV) technology to remediate contaminated
soils at the Parsons Chemical Site in Grand Ledge, Ml.
The project is being performed as a non time-critical
removal action. ISV is a thermal treatment technology that
uses electricity to heat soil to its melting point. The molten
soil then solidifies into a glass monolith as it cools slowly.
The ISV process destroys organic contaminants and
chemically fixates non-volatile metals. Approximately 650
cubic yards (2 melts) have been treated at the Parsons
Chemical site through August 1993. The Super-fund
Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program is
planning to conduct a SITE Demonstration of ISV on an
upcoming melt at the Parsons site.
Threats Posed by Creosote Mitigated. A real
success story occurred at the Dyer Brothers Lumber
Company (DBLC) in Northup, OH, through a time-critical
Above and right: External and internal views of mobile waste water treatment facility at Pierce Oil Waste site.
33
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removal action. The DBLC has operated since the late
1970's as a sawmill and wood preservative treatment
facility. Past operations have included the use of
creosote and copper-chromium-arsenate (CCA) as wood
preservatives. In the mid-1980's, a creosote spill of
approximately 5000 gallons occurred at the DBLC facility.
The contaminated soil was excavated and staged on-site
as soil. Based on inspections conducted by Ohio EPA,
inspectors determined that the DBLC facility conducted an
illegal closure of the surface impoundment, staged
creosote wastes in three piles on-site, and staged drip
track creosote wastes in drums on-site.
The DBLC filed for bankruptcy in March 1993 and the
treatment areas were abandoned.
EPA initiated a removal action at the DBLC site on
March 23, 1993 to mitigate threats posed by abandoned
creosote contaminated soil piles, surface impoundment,
treatment tanks, drums, and pits. Between March 23,
1993 and July 19, 1993 the following actions were taken
by EPA utilizing the ERGS contractor:
ERCs worker shovels creosote sludge out of drip pit at Dyer
Brothers Lumber Company.
O drums and tanks of CCA liquid were consolidated
for disposal
O drums and tanks of creosote sludge were
stabilized on-site and transported for off-site
disposal
O contaminated debris was shredded on-site,
consolidated, and transported for disposal (mobile
shredder was mobilized on-site to complete)
O waste surface impoundment (lagoon) was drained
(75,000 gallons for disposal) and sediment
excavated
O all treatment tanks drained, decontaminated, and
cut for recycling
O constructed fence around entire treatment area
(10 acres)
O EPA Environmental Response Team (ERT)
conducted an Extent of Contamination Study to
define creosote soil contamination in July 1993.
ERT is currently conducting a treatability study to
evaluate bioremediation alternatives for soil
contamination at DBLC site
Removal Action Mitigates Threats at Lanson
Chemical. The Lanson Chemical site is located in East
St. Louis, IL, adjacent to the Alton and
Southern Railroad yard. The facility initially
manufactured alkyd resins and copolymer
emulsions and passed through a series of
owners until it was purchased by the current
owner in 1981. Approximately 2000 drums
were on site, which were pumped into 42
storage tanks on the property. The waste
materials were primarily oils, solvents, and
resins. Sampling results determined the
wastes were flammable and/or contami-
nated with PCBs. The EPA removal action
started in June 1992 with the removal of all
waste from on site tanks, decontamination
of the tanks and building surfaces, and
excavation of PCB contaminated soils. As
of December 1992, approximately 50,000
gallons of liquids and 450 cubic yards of
soils had been removed. The remaining
PCB waste is scheduled for disposal in
October, which will complete the removal
action. Community interest was high as
local residents attributed numerous cancers in the area to
the site. Concern was also raised regarding environmen-
tal equity issues with the site.
Asbestos Removed at Old Mack Stamping Plant.
The second phase of removal actions are currently under-
way at the Old Mack Avenue Stamping Plant site in Detroit,
Ml., pursuant to a unilateral administrative order issued by
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA
issued an amended order on February 10,1993, requiring
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Sludge from an A-2 tank being transferred into 55-gallon
drums for removal.
the City of Detroit and Chrysler Corporation to clean up
asbestos and PCB contamination at the site, demolish
nearly 30 acres of contaminated inter-connected buildings,
and to prepare and submit a final site evaluation. In
addition, the parties will reimburse EPA for its past,
present, and future oversight costs associated with the
cleanup. The estimated value of this settlement is be-
tween $9 and $10 million. Chrysler Corporation operated
the 34-acre Old Mack Stamping Plant for decades until the
City of Detroit purchased the property in 1982. At that
time, a large number of transformers and capacitors
containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and asbes-
tos-containing materials were located on site. Chrysler
continues to operate a manufacturing facility adjacent to
the former stamping plant.
To date, 2,360 cubic yards of asbestos, 767 tons of
scrap steel, 1,026 tons of contaminated solids, and
approximately 6 million gallons of liquids have been
disposed of under the phase II order. Site characteriza-
tion (including installation of groundwater monitoring
wells) is proceeding concurrently.
Environmental Results Achieved at XXKEM
Company Site. The XXKEM Company (XKC) site was
an inactive transportation, storage, and disposal (TSD)
facility located in an industrial area of Toledo, OH. The
XKC began accepting hazardous wastes from small
generators in 1989. Drummed wastes were transported
to the facility, processed, and stored on site, and later
transported to area disposal facilities. In 1991, the
Aerial photo of Lanson Chemical site before removal.
Aerial photo of drummed waste at XXXKEM Company site.
facility was closed by the Ohio Environmental Protection
Agency (OEPA) due to repeated violations of hazardous
waste regulations. The removal action was initiated to
mitigate the threat posed by the presence of approximately
1,700 drums and 17 storage tanks of flammable and
solvent-based wastes, paint-related material, heavy metals,
and corrosives. Also, approximately 80,000 gallons of F-
listed liquid waste and 11,000 RCRA-empty drums were
stored on site.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) issued an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC)
to XXKEM Corporation, Inc., requiring the party to
remove hazardous substances stored at its facility.
Following the issuance of the AOC, XXKEM failed to take
action. As a result, EPA took charge of the cleanup on
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January 19, 1993, incurring $1.3 million in costs. EPA will
be able to recover its cleanup costs through the terms of
the AOC. A criminal investigation was initiated by the
OEPA. The owner of XKC facility was found guilty on
charges of improper TSD facility regulations and was
jailed.
Removal activities were performed and approximately
44,150 gallons of flammable and corrosive liquid wastes,
approximately 80,000 gallons of an aqueous wastewater
(F-listed water), 172,420 pounds of flammable and solid
hazardous wastes, 95 cubic yards of hazardous debris,
and 800 cubic yards of RCRA-empty drums were trans-
ported off-site for treatment and/or final disposal.
For further information on any of the articles in this report, please
contact the following agencies:
U.S. EPA Region 5 Hotline
(Outside of Region 5)
Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency
Indiana Department of
Environmental Management
Michigan Department of
Natural Resources
1-800-621 8431
312-353-2072
(217)786-6892
(317)232-3210
(517)373-1214
Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency
Ohio Environmental
Protection Agency
1-800-657-3864
(614)644-2160
Wisconsin Department of (608) 266-6790
Natural Resources
Credits
Regional Administrator: Valdas V. Adamkus — Director, Waste Management Division: William Muno —
Director, Office of Public Affairs: Margaret McCue— Editorial Advisors: Toni Lesser, Derrick Kimbrough —
Technical Advisors: Jo Lynn Traub, Chris Christenson — Graphics: Belinda Robinson
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