United States        Office of
          Environmental Protection   Emergency and
          Agency           Remedial Response
EPA/ROD/R04-92/126
September 1992
v°/EPA    Superfund
          Record of Decision:
          Milan Army Ammunition Plant,
          TN

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                                         NOTICE

The appendices Hsted in the index that are not found in this document have been removed at the request of
the issuing agency. They contain material which supplement, but adds no further applicable information to
the content of the document All supplemental material is, however, contained in the administrative record
for this site.
                                                                       .e-  •' e
                                                                       .1 :   .' ' i

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50272-101
 REPORT DOCUMENTATION
        PAGE
                        1. REPORT NO.
                            EPA/ROD/R04-92/126
                                                                    3. Recipient'• Acceedon Mo.
 4. THIe end Subtitle
   SUPERFUND RECORD OF .DECISION
   Milan Army Ammunition Plant,  TN
   First Remedial  Action - Interim
                                                                   5. Report DM*
                                                                    09/30792
 7. Authors)
                                                                    8- Performing Organization Rept No.
 ». Performing Organization Harm and Addrcu
                                                                   10, Project/Taak/Work Unit No.
                                                                    11. Contr»ct(C) or Grant(G) No.

                                                                    (C)

                                                                    (G)
 12. Sponaorlng Organization Name end Addreae
   U.S. Environmental  Protection Agency
   401 M Street,  S.W.
   Washington,  D.C.  20460
                                                                   13. Type of Report & Period Conrad

                                                                      800/000
 15. Supplementary Note*

   PB93-964022
 16. Abatnct (Limit: 200 word*)

   The  22,436-acre Milan Army Ammunition Plant  (MAAP) is  located in  western Tennessee,
   5 miles east of Milan, Tennessee.   The  facility was constructed in  1941 to produce and
   store  fuses, boosters, and small-  and large-caliber ammunition.   The site is located
   in a primarily rural area where land use  is  predominantly agricultural, and there are
   scattered residences to the  north  and east  of the facility boundary.  The Memphis Sand
   aquifer of the Claiborne Group is  used  as the major source of potable water in  this
   area.   The site lies within  the coastal plain province of the Mississippi Embayment.
   Of the original 13 onsite process  areas,  only seven are in use today.  One of these is
   the O-line area at MAAP, which was built  in  1941.  Its major function since then has
   been to remove explosives from bombs and  projectiles by injecting high pressure
   streams of hot water and steam into the shells of the  munitions.  The types of
   explosives handled at the facility include  2,4,6-trinitrotoluene  (TNT)  and RDX.
   Wastewater contaminated with explosives was  discharged from the washout operations
   through a series  of baffled  concrete sumps  where cooling caused significant amounts of
   explosives to precipitate out of the waste  stream.  Effluent from the sumps was

   (See Attached Page)
                                                         TN
17. Document AraJyaJ* a. Descriptor*
  Record of  Decision -  Milan Army Ammunition Plant,
  First Remedial Action - Interim
  Contaminated Medium:  gw
  Key Contaminants: VOCs (carbon disulfide), other organics  (HMX, RDX,  2,4,6-TNT,
                     2,4-DNT, 2,6-DNT,  1,3-DNB,  1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, nitrobenzene),
                     inorganics  (nitrate)
   b. UmtHiMV/Open-Emtad Term*
   e. COSATI Reid/Group
 18. Availability Statement
                                                      18. Security Clue (Thla Report)
                                                             None
                                                      20. Security Clue (Thi* Page)
                                                     	None	
                                                                               21. No.olPag*»
                                                                                 70
                                                                                22. Price
(S**ANSU38.18)
                                      Set Instruction* on Renme
                                                                              OPTIONAL FORM 272 (4-77)
                                                                              (Formerly NTIS-3S)
                                                                              Department of Commerce

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EPA/ROD/R04-92/126
Milan Army Ammunition Plant, TN
First Remedial Action - Interim

Abstract (Continued)

initially discharged to an open ditch, which ran through the O-line area.  In 1942,
eleven individual surface impoundments with a total capacity of 5.5 million gallons were
excavated to receive the effluent before discharge to the open ditch.  In 1978, during
several investigations, the Army observed that all of the wastewater ponds were full and
overflowing into onsite soil, and that 3 of the 11 water supply wells sampled were
contaminated with explosives.  After onsite ground water contamination was determined to
be a direct result of the improper use of 0-line ponds, use was discontinued.  In 1981,
the ponds were drained and the effluent was treated in an offsite facility.  A closure
plan was implemented in 1984, the ponds were filled and covered with clay, and the area
was revegetated.  This ROD addresses an interim remedy for the contaminated ground water
beneath and immediately downgradient from the former ponds as OU1.  Future RODs will
address contaminated soil, sediment, and surface water as well as any additional ground
water contamination further downgradient.  The primary contaminants of concern affecting
the ground water are VOCs, including carbon disulfide; other organics, including HMX,
RDX, 2,4,6-TNT, 2,4-DNT, 2,6-DNT, 1,3-DNB, 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, and nitrobenzene; and
inorganics, including nitrate.

The selected interim remedial action for this site includes pumping and pretreatment of
contaminated ground water immediately downgradient of the former 0-line ponds using
electrochemical precipitation to remove inorganics, followed by onsite filtration to
remove suspended solids, and UV oxidation to destroy the majority of the organic
contaminants, and granular activated carbon  (GAC)  to remove the remaining organic
compounds;  re-injecting the treated water onsite upgradient of the former ponds;
analyzing the precipitated filter cake and the carbon filters for hazardous waste
characteristics and disposing of them offsite accordingly; monitoring ground water; and
implementing institutional controls, including ground water use restrictions.  The
estimated present worth cost for this interim remedial action is $26,980,000, which
includes an annual O&M cost of $1,413,000 for 30 years.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS OR GOALS:

Chemical-specific ground water discharge levels are based on best practicable treatment,
are slightly higher than human health-risk standards  (HBN) and SDWA MCLs, and include
nitrate 10,000 ug/1 (MCL); carbon disulfide 3,500 ug/1 (HBN); 1,3-dinitrobenzene 5 ug/1
(HBN); 2,4-dinitrotoluene 0.5 ug/1  (HBN); 2,6-dinitrotoluene 0.5 mg/1 (HBN); HMX
2,000 ug/1 (HBN); nitrobenzene 17.5 ug/1  (HBN); RDX 10 ug/1  (HBN); 1,3,  5-trinitrobenzene
20 ug/1 (HBN); and 2,4,6-TNT 10 ug/1 (HBN).  Health-based standards will be fully met in
the final remedial action under one final ROD addressing ground water immediately
downgradient of the former ponds (OU1), soil in and around the former pond  (OU2), and the
ground water plume  (OU14).

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                                               r. 7
MILAN ARMY
AMMUNITION PLANT (MAAP)
O-LINE PONDS
GROUNDWATER OPERABLE UNIT

Milan, Tennessee
              INTERIM ACTION
     RECORD  OF DECISION
               FINAL DOCUMENT
               September 30, 1992
  In accordance with Armyf Regulation 200-2, this document is
  intended to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act
  (NEPA) of 1969.

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                       DECLARATION FOR THE RECORD OF DECISION



 SITE NAME AND LOCATION

       O-LJne Ponds Area, Milan Army Ammunition Plant (MAAP), Milan, Tennessee


 STATEMENT OF BASIS AND PURPOSE

       This decision document presents the selected remedial action for Operable Unit One (OU 1) at
 the O-Line Ponds Area, Milan Army Ammunition Plant, Milan, Tennessee.  The selected remedial action
 was chosen in accordance with the requirements of the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
 Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), as amended by the  Superfund Amendments and
 Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA), and to the extent practicable, the National Oil and Hazardous
 Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP, 40 CFR 300). This decision document explains the factual
 basis for selecting the remedy for OU 1 and the rationale for the final decision.   The information
 supporting this remedial action decision is contained in the Administrative Record for this site.

       The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Tennessee concur with the selected
 remedy.


 ASSESSMENT OF THE SITE

       Actual  or threatened releases of hazardous  substances from the site,  if not addressed  by
 implementing the response actions selected in this Record of Decision (ROD), may present an imminent
 and substantial endangerment to public health, welfare, or the environment.


 DESCRIPTION OF THE REMEDY

       The goal of the overall cleanup activities at the site is to reduce  the levels of contaminants to
 below health-based concentrations, such that no adverse health effects will result from  current and future
 off-post or on-post use.  Presently, more information  is available concerning the nature and extent of
 groundwater contamination than is known about soil, surface water,  and sediment contamination within
the O-Line Ponds area Because contaminated groundwater potentially poses an unacceptably high level
of risk to human health and is better defined, this environmental medium  has been separated from the
 others.  This separation of environmental media into Operable Units (OU) allows the Army to  begin
 groundwater cleanup prior to full assessment of the entire site.

       The Operable Units are defined as follows: Operable Unit One (OU 1) addresses contaminated
groundwater beneath and immediately downgradient from the former ponds which has been contaminated
by past disposal practices at the ponds.  Operable  Unit Two (OU 2) addresses contaminated soils
 beneath and around the former ponds and surface water and sediment in the drainage ditch that flows
along the east and  north sides of the ponds, which may have become contaminated  as a result of past
disposal practices.   Operable Unit 14 (OU 14) addresses the area downgradient  (to the north and
 northwest) of OU 1 and OU 2, including Line K.  This Record of Decision presents specific remedies that
were considered for OU 1 only.  Remediation methods for OU 2 and OU 14 will be selected as separate
actions.

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        The major components selected for remediating OU 1 are as follows:

        •      Downgradieht extraction of contaminated groundwater using extraction wells;

               On-site treatment of extracted groundwater using electrochemical precipitation to remove
               inorganic constituents; ultraviolet (UV)-oxidation to destroy the majority of the organic
               contaminants in the water; and granular activated carbon (GAC) to remove remaining
               organic compounds;

        •      Re-injection of treated groundwater upgradient of the former ponds;

        •      Monitoring well installation to determine extraction effectiveness; and

        •      Institutional controls will be used to prevent human exposure to the contaminated
               groundwater.

        The principal threat at this site, groundwater contaminated with explosives, will be addressed by
removing contaminated water from the aquifer and permanently treating the water with a combination of
electrochemical  precipitation  to  remove inorganics  and UV-oxidation  with  GAC to remove organic
contaminants from the water.

        In pursuit of the overall site goal of reducing the levels of contaminants to health-based levels, UV-
oxidation, an innovative technology, will  be used to remove explosives compounds  from extracted
groundwater.  This technology was selected  because  of uncertainties regarding the  ability of more
commonly-used technologies in reducing the concentrations of contaminants to the health-based levels.
UV-oxidation has not previously been applied  in full-scale  systems to remove  these contaminants;
however, it has the potential to meet the stringent criteria

        The Army has elected to perform this phase of groundwater cleanup under an Interim  Action
Record of Decision (ROD), which allows for treatment system design, construction, operation (using the
discharge limits  listed herein, which for several explosives compounds are higher than  health-based
concentrations),  and performance evaluation for a set period of time. At the end of the performance
evaluation period, the treatment system capabilities and discharge levels will be reevaluated.  If the health-
based levels for any of the contaminants of concern have changed in the interim, these new values will
be considered as the treatment goals.  A final action remedy will be selected which satisfies all health
based clean-up levels or provides technical data, consistent with  CERCLA and the National Contingency
Plan, which justifies alternative standards.  The remedy selected in the interim action is consistent with
planned future actions to the extent possible.

        Because this interim remedial action requires that the further  migration of contaminated
groundwater within the O-Line Ponds area be stopped, and the concentrations of contaminants in
groundwater be greatly reduced, it is consistent with  any planned future actions.


STATUTORY DETERMINATIONS

        This interim action is protective of human health and the environment, complies with Federal and
State  applicable or relevant and appropriate  requirements for  this limited scope action, and is cost
effective.  Although  this interim action is not intended to  fully address the statutory  mandate  for
permanence and treatment to the maximum extent practicable, this interim action utilizes treatment and
thus is in furtherance of that statutory mandate.  Because this action does not constitute the final remedy
for groundwater at the site, the statutory preference for remedies that employ treatment that reduces

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toxicity, mobility or volume as a principal element, although partially addressed in this remedy, will be
addressed by the final response action for groundwater. Subsequent actions are planned to address fully
the threats posed by the conditions in the groundwater at this site.

       Because this remedy will result in hazardous substances remaining on site above health-based
levels, a review will be conducted to ensure that the remedy continues to provide adequate protection of
human health and the environment within five years after commencement of the remediation. Because
this is  an interim  action ROD, review of this site  and of this remedy will be continuing as the Army
continues to develop final remedial alternatives for groundwater at the site.
                         Everette B. Grumpier III                                 Date
                      Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army
            Commanding Officer, Milan Army Ammunition Plant
                            Lewis D. Walker                                     Date
                 Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army
              (Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health)
                                              in

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f\ /7 3        UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
* k i *./
    .^                         REGION IV
 «i ooo-1
                         345 COURTLANO STREET. N.E.
                           ATLANTA. GEORGIA 3O365

  SEP 3 0 1992

 4WD-FFB

 CERTIFIED MAIL
 RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED

 Mr. Lewis D. Walker
 Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army
    (Environment, Safety and Occupational Health)
 Attn:  SAILE-ESOH
 The Pentagon, Room 2E577
 Washington, D.C. 20310-0110


 Re:  Interim Remedial Action Record of Decision
      0-Line Ponds Groundwater Operable Unit
      Milan Army Ammunition Plant
      Milan, Tennessee

 Dear Mr.  Walker:

 The United States Environmental Protection Agency  (EPA) has
 reviewed the Department of the Army's Interim Remedial Action
 Record of Decision for the 0-Line Ponds Groundwater Operable Unit
 at the Milan Army Ammunition Plant pursuant to the Comprehensive
 Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980,
 as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of
 1986.  EPA concurs in the findings and selected remedy presented
 in the Interim Record of Decision.

 Sincerely yours,
 Patrick M.  Tobin
 Deputy Regional Administrator

 cc:   Commissioner J. A. Luna, Tennessee Department
         of  Environment and Conservation
      Lt.  Colonel Everette B. Grumpier III,
         Commanding Officer, MAAP
                                iv
                                                          Printed on Recycled Paper

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                          STATE OF TENNESSEE
              DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION
Mr. Lewis D. Walker
Deputy Assistant  Secretary of the Army
OSHA-I, LE
Office of the Assistant  Secretary
Department of the Army
Washington, D.C.  20310-0103
Ref. 27-505   MAAP O-Line  Ponds OPU-1 ROD
Dear Mr. Walker:

The Tennessee Department  of Environment and Conservation  has
reviewed the final  Interim Action Record of Decision
submitted on September  30, 1992.  This document has reference
to the groundwater  remediation operable unit at the O-Line
Ponds Area at the Milan Army Ammunition Plant  located  in
Milan, Tennessee.   The  Department concurs with the findings
and the selected interim  remedial action stated in this
Record of Decision.

If you should have  any  questions regarding this matter please
contact me at (615)  532-0228 or Mr. Ron Sells, TDEC Project
Manager at (901) 423-6600.
Sincere
 _     :ing
Administrator, Bure^V  of  Environment
Tn Dept of Environment &  Conservation

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                              TABLE OF CONTENTS


Section                                                                    Page

        DECLARATION FOR THE RECORD OF DECISION 	i

        UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY CONCURRENCE LETTER  . iv

        STATE  OF  TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT  OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION
        CONCURRENCE LETTER 	 v

  1.0   SITE NAME. LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION 	1-1

  2.0   SITE HISTORY AND ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES	2-1

  3.0   HIGHLIGHTS OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION  	3-1

  4.0   SCOPE AND ROLE OF OPERABLE UNIT OR RESPONSE ACTION	4-1

  5.0   SITE CHARACTERISTICS	5-1
        5.1    HYDROGEOLOGIC SETTING	5-1
        5.2    CONTAMINATION ASSESSMENT	5-1
              5.Z1   Summary of Remedial Investigation Results	5-3
              5.2.2  Summary of Post-RI Sampling and Analysis	5-3
              5.2.3  Extent of Groundwater Contamination 	5-3

  6.0   SUMMARY OF SITE RISKS	6-1
        6.1    CHEMICALS OF POTENTIAL CONCERN 	6-1
        6.2    EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT 	6-5
        6.3    TOXICITY ASSESSMENT	6-5
        6.4    RISK CHARACTERIZATION 	6-5
        6.5    FUTURE OFF-SITE HUMAN HEALTH RISKS	6-6
        6.6    ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS	:	6-6
        6.7    BASELINE RISK ASSESSMENT SUMMARY	6-7

  7.0   DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVES	7-1
        7.1    ALTERNATIVE T-1:    NO ACTION	7-1
        7.2    ALTERNATIVE T-2:    LIMITED ACTION	7-1
        7.3    COMMON ELEMENTS IN TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES T-3 THROUGH T-8 . . . 7-1
              7.3.1   Interim Remedial Action Treatment System Goals	7-2
              7.3.2  Extraction System 	7-2
              7.3.3  Discharge Options	7-3
              7.3.4  Other Assumptions Used in the Cost Estimates 	7-3
        7.4    ALTERNATIVE T-3:    UV-OXIDATION/RE-INJECTION	7-3
        7.5    ALTERNATIVET-4:    PRECI PITATION/U V-OXIDATION/ION
                                EXCHANGE/SURFACE WATER DISCHARGE	7-4
        7.6    ALTERNATIVE T-5:    PRECIPFTATION/GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON
                                (GACJ/RE-INJECTION 	7-5
                                       vi

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                         TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)


Section                                                                     Page
        7.7   ALTERNATIVE T-6:    PRECIPITATION/GRANULAR ACTIVATED  CARBON
                                 (GAC)/ION  EXCHANGE/SURFACE  WATER
                                 DISCHARGE  	7-6
        7.8   ALTERNATIVE T-7:    PRECIPITATION/UV-OXIDATION/GAC/RE-
              INJECTION	7-6
        7.9   ALTERNATIVE T-8:    PRECIPITATION/UV-OXIDATION/GAC/ION
                                 EXCHANGE/SURFACE WATER DISCHARGE	7-7

  8.0   SUMMARY OF COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES  	8-1
        8.1    NINE EVALUATION CRITERIA  	8-1
        8.2   PROTECTION OF HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT	8-2
        8.3   COMPLIANCE WITH ARARS	8-2
        8.4   LONG-TERM EFFECTIVENESS AND PERMANENCE	8-3
        8.5   REDUCTION  OF  TOXICITY,  MOBILITY  OR  VOLUME  THROUGH
              TREATMENT	8-3
        8.6   SHORT-TERM EFFECTIVENESS	8-4
        8.7   IMPLEMENTABIUTY	8-4
        8.8   COST 	8-4
        8.9   STATE ACCEPTANCE	8-6
        8.10  COMMUNITY ACCEPTANCE  	8-6
        8.11   SUMMARY OF DETAILED EVALUATION	8-6

  g.O   SELECTED REMEDY	9-1
        9.1    EXTRACTION SYSTEM	9-1
        9.2   TREATMENT AND DISCHARGE SYSTEM: ALTERNATIVE T-7  	9-1
              9.2.1   Electrochemical Precipitation  	9-4
              9.2.2  UV-Qxidation	;	9-4
              9.2.3  Granular Activated Carbon	9-4
              9.2.4  Re-iniection	9-5
        9.3   PERFORMANCE MONITORING  	9-5
              9.3.1   Effluent Monitoring Program	9-5
        9.4   TREATMENT SYSTEM PERFORMANCE EVALUATION  	9-6
        9.5   INSTITUTIONAL CONTROLS	9-6
        9.6   REMEDIATION GOALS	9-7
              9.6.1   Federal MCLs and Tennessee Groundwater Standards	9-7
              9.6.2  Health Advisories	9-7
              9.6.3  Other Risk-Based Guidance	9-9
              9.6.4  Estimate  of   Off-Site  Concentrations  of  Contaminants  after
                    Remediation	9-9
              9.6.5  Achievement of Remediation Goals	9-11
        9.7   COST OF THE SELECTED REMEDY  	9-11

  10.0   STATUTORY DETERMINATIONS 	10-1
        10.1   PROTECTION OF HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT	10-1
                                        VII

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                         TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)


Section                                                                   Page
        10.2   COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE OR  RELEVANT AND APPROPRIATE
              REQUIREMENTS	10-1
              10.2.1  Action-Specific ARARs	10-1
              10.2.2  Chemical-Specific ARARs	10-4
              10.2.3  Location-Specific ARARs  	10-4
        10.3   COST EFFECTIVENESS	'.	10-4
        10.4   UTILIZATION OF PERMANENT SOLUTIONS AND ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT
              TECHNOLOGIES (OR RESOURCE RECOVERY TECHNOLOGIES) TO THE
              MAXIMUM EXTENT PRACTICABLE	10-4
        10.5   PREFERENCE FOR TREATMENT AS A PRINCIPAL ELEMENT 	10-7

  11.0   DOCUMENTATION OF SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES  	11-1

  12.0   REFERENCES	12-1

  APPENDIX A

        RESPONSIVENESS SUMMARY
                                     vili

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                                     UST OF FIGURES
Figure                                                                                Page

   1-1     Location of MAAP in Western Tennessee	1-2
   1-2    Active Process Areas Within MAAP	1-3
   2-1     O-LJne and 0-Line Ponds Location	2-2
   2-2    Schematic of O-U'ne Ponds During Use  	2-3
   5-1     Groundwater Flow Directions and Horizontal Hydraulic Gradients	 5-2
   5-2    RDX Concentrations Downgradient of the O-LJne Ponds Area	5-4
   5-3    2,4,6-TNT Concentrations Downgradient of the O-Line Ponds Area	5-5
   9-1     Location of Extraction and Re-Injection Well Systems	9-2
   9-2    Alternative T-7 Flow Diagram  	.9-3


                                      UST OF TABLES
Table                                                                                 Page

   6-1     Chemicals of Potential Concern in Groundwater Immediately Downgradient of the O-
          Line Ponds 	6-2
   6-2     Potential Risks Associated With Ingestion of Groundwater by Future Residents Under
          the Residential Land Use Scenario	6-4
   8-1     Comparison of Costs for Groundwater Treatment/Discharge Alternatives	8-5
   9-1     Discharge Levels for Contaminants of Concern	9-8
   9-2     Summary of Costs for Extraction System 	9-12
   9-3     Summary of Costs for Alternative T-7: Precipitation/UV-Oxidation/GAC/Re-lnjection ... 9-13
   10-1    Identification of Action-Specific ARARs and To-Be-Considered Guidance  	10-2
   10-2    Identification of Chemical-Specific ARARs and To-Be-Considered Guidance	10-5
   10-3    Identification of Location-Specific ARARs and To-Be-Considered Guidance	10-6
                                             ix

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 1.0     SITE NAME. LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION


        Milan Army Ammunition Plant (MAAP) is located in western Tennessee, 5 miles east of Milan,
 Tennessee, and 28 miles north of Jackson, Tennessee (Figure 1-1). MAAP is a government-owned,
 contractor-operated installation with Martin Marietta Ordnance Systems, Inc., as the operating contractor.
 The facility was constructed in 1941 to produce and store fuzes, boosters, and small- and large-caliber
 ammunition.  At present, the facility comprises 22,436 acres.

        MAAP lies within the coastal plain province of the Mississippi Embayment, west of the Western
 Valley of the Tennessee River and east of the Mississippi River Valley. The topography of MAAP and
 surrounding area is gently rolling to flat.  It slopes regionally westward and contains numerous small
 streams, creeks, and drainage ditches.  The elevation of the plant varies from a high of approximately 590
 feet above mean sea level (ft-msl) on the south side to a low of approximately 320 ft-msl  on the north
 boundary of the plant.

        Numerous perennial and ephemeral surface water features occur within the installation and flow
 to the north-northwest. The entire facility, except for its extreme southern portion, drains via small creeks
 and ditches to the Rutherford Fork of the Obion River. The northern portions of MAAP contain several
 well-developed, ephemeral, natural drainage  bodies that join the Rutherford Fork along  the northern
 boundary of the installation. The two parent streams, the Forked Deer River and the Obion River, empty
 into the Mississippi River about 60 miles west of MAAP.

        Qroundwater is a primary source of potable and non-potable water in this area of Tennessee.
 At MAAP, the Memphis Sand of the Claibome Group is the major aquifer, and is thick, laterally continuous,
 and highly transmissive.  Groundwater flow in  the MAAP area is generally to the west, in the direction of
the regional dip of these sands, and also trends northerly because of the topographic influence. On a
 general scale, there are no abrupt hydrologic boundaries in the aquifer. The formation is recognized as
 sand  with clay lenses and clay-rich zones.

       The facility is located in a rural  area, with agriculture  being a primary land use.  There are
scattered  residences to the north and east of the facility boundary.  North of the facility, the nearest
 residences are located north of the Rutherford Fork, which probably acts as a shallow groundwater divide.
These residences are downgradient from the O-LJne Ponds area and are approximately 1.5 miles from the
O-LJne Ponds.  On the east side of the facility, residences are located along the  facility property line.
These homeowners are not at risk from the contamination emanating from the O-LJne Ponds because they
are cross-gradient and upgradient from the O-LJrie Ponds. Within the facility, the Army performs regular
monitoring of the potable water production wells to ensure that no contamination is present  Therefore,
under current land use conditions, humans are not exposed to the contaminated groundwater in the O-
Line Ponds area. Future land use scenarios may present potential human health risks if the property is
developed for residential use.

       Of the thirteen process areas active by the end of World War II, only seven lines are in use today.
As shown in Figure 1-2, the active process areas are distributed through the northern half of the facility.
O-LJne is located in the north central portion of MAAP. Immediately north of O-LJne are the O-LJne Ponds
(now  closed), which  historically  received wastewater from the  operations conducted at O-LJne.
Contaminated groundwater that is addressed  in this ROD emanates from the O-LJne  Ponds area, which
is described in more detail in the next section.
                                             1-1

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MISSISSIPPI
                                                      ALABAMA
                          Figure 1-1
             Location of MAAP In Western Tennessee
                            1-2

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     3979-
     3978-
     3977-
     3976-
     3975-
 J2   3974 -
 32
 "3

     3973 -

•^M


Z)
     3972-
     3971 -
     3970-
     3969-
    3968-
    3967-
    3966-
    3965-
    3964
Univ. of T«nn.
 AgnculftjrM
R«s»«/cn ATM
E3 National Guard Area

Q Operating Units of MAAP

 O Private Ownership
         341    342    343    344   345    346   347    348    349   350
                              UTM Coordinates (kilometers)
                                                         351    352
                                         Figure 1-2
                             Active Process Areas Within MAAP
                                      1-3

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 2.0     SITE HISTORY AND ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES
        The O-Line area (Figure 2-1) at MAAP was built as part of the initial plant construction activity in
 1941, and has operated since 1942 as an ordnance demilitarization facility. From the start, the major
 function of the line has been to remove explosives from bombs and projectiles by injecting a high-
 pressure stream of hot water and steam into the steel shell of the munitions. The types of explosives
 handled in the facility include 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and RDX.

        Wastewater contaminated with explosives was discharged from the 0-Line washout operations
 through a series of baffled concrete sumps where cooling caused significant amounts of explosives to
 precipitate out of the waste stream. Effluent from the sumps was initially discharged to an open ditch
 which ran through the  O-LJne area  In 1942, 11 individual surface impoundments were excavated to
 receive the O-Line effluent before discharge to the open ditch. The ponds (Figure 2-2) reportedly were
 excavated into native soil and  the excavated material was used to form the  pond dikes.

      . The ponds were 3-5 feet deep, had a total capacity of 5.5 million gallons, and covered an area
 of about 280,000 square feet  (USATHAMA, 1982a).  The ponds were interconnected with a series of
 spillways, open ditches, and distribution boxes allowing several pond configurations to be used in series.
 Effluent from the last pond flowed through a bank of sawdust-filled tanks before discharge to Ditch B.
 The drainage ditch that received effluent from the final pond discharged to the Rutherford Fork of the
 Obion River which runs along the northern boundary of MAAP as shown in  Figure 2-1.

       In 1978, USATHAMA conducted an Installation Assessment of MAAP (USATHAMA,  1978), which
 consisted of a records search and interviews with employees.  It was reported in this document that
 between 300 to 500 pounds of explosives could be washed out in an 8-hour shift, and that many types
 of explosive materials were handled in this area At the time of the survey, all of the  wastewater ponds
 were full and signs of overflow were obvious. The overflow entered the open ditch near O-LJne.

       Also in 1978, the U.S. Army Environmental Hygiene Agency's (USAEHA) water well sampling
 program (USAEHA, 1978) revealed that three of MAAP's 11 water supply wells were  contaminated with
 explosive constituents.  The affected wells were near a number of production areas,  including O-LJne.

       MAAP facility personnel ceased using the O-LJne Ponds since the ponds were determined to be
 one of the most likely sources of groundwater contamination.  As a result, the O-LJne operation was
 placed in a standby status in December 1978, and effluent has not been discharged to the ponds since
that time. The impounded effluent remained in the ponds until 1981, when the supernatant was pumped
out and treated in a newly constructed pink water treatment facility (PWTF), consisting  primarily of carbon
adsorption units and fabric filtration units. The effluent from the PWTF was discharged to the open ditch
 under the facility's NPDES permit A PVC liner was placed on top of the pond sediments in 1981 and the
 liner was filled with fresh water to stabilize it.

       MAAP subsequently prepared  and submitted  a closure plan for the pond  site (USATHAMA,
 1982b).  The closure plan was approved by the Tennessee Department of Health and the Environment
 0"DHE) and implemented in 1984. The closure plan called for the construction of a  multilayered cover
system for the ponds. The ponds were filled with clean inorganic fill, and two clay layers were placed on
top and compacted.  A gravel drainage layer was placed between the clay layers. Topsoil was placed
on top of the upper clay layer  and a vegetative cover was then established.
                                             2-1

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           Figure 2-1
O-Une and O-Une Ponds Location
         2-2

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                                      Feet
     Wastewater
     from O-Line
           Figure 2-2
Schematic of O-Une Ponds During Use
          2-3

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        The rationale for taking the ponds out of service and placing a liner on top of the contaminated
 soil was to decrease hydraulic loading on the source. The cap was designed to further minimize hydraulic
 loading on the contamination source by providing a multilayered cover system.

        However, in May 1984, because of the level of contamination in the groundwater, the facility was
 proposed for listing on the National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL is EPA's list of hazardous waste sites
 that present the greatest potential threat to human health and the environment if remediation does not
 occur.  Final listing on the NPL took place in August, 1987.

        In 1990-1991, the U.S. Army Toxic and Hazardous Materials Agency (USATHAMA) conducted a
 Remedial Investigation (Rl) at MAAP (USATHAMA, 1991).  The Rl was conducted to identify the type,
 concentration, and extent of contamination.  Some of the results of the Rl are as follows:

        •       The levels of explosives in groundwater samples collected near the ponds are very high
               (more than 10,000 times higher than  EPA's health advisory levels). The concentrations
               of explosives in groundwater decrease as the distance from the O-LJne Ponds increases.
               Available data indicate that the area of  groundwater contamination associated with the
               ponds themselves is approximately 2,500 feet in length and possibly as much as 1,500
               feet wide.

        •       The vertical extent of the groundwater contamination appears to extend from the water
               table to a maximum depth of 170 feet below the ground surface.

        •       It is likely that other sources of contamination exist downgradient of the ponds which have
               contributed to the total area of groundwater contamination.  These areas are being
               addressed in additional studies.

               The contaminants of concern include explosives such as 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), 2,4-
               dinitrotolueneand2,6-dinitrotoluene(DNT),RDX, HMX, nitrobenzene, 1,3,5-trinrtrobenzene
               (TNB), and  1,3-dinitrobenzene (DNB).

        In order to respond  as  rapidly as possible to the potential threat posed by contaminated
groundwater in the vicinity of the O-LJne Ponds, the Army has elected to separate the O-Line Ponds area
from the remainder of the facility and to address remediation of this unit while further investigation of other
units continues.  In 1991-1992, a Focused Feasibility Study (FFS) of the O-Line Ponds area groundwater
(OU 1) was  conducted (USATHAMA,  1992a).  The purpose  of  the  FFS was to identify remedial
technologies that are capable, singly or in combination, of mitigating the risks posed by the Operable Unit.
Because several of the most promising technologies identified in the FFS have not been widely deployed,
limited data are available to fully assess their potential effectiveness for the Operable Unit-specific
conditions and contaminants. To fill this data gap, treatability studies were performed in 1992 to further
evaluate the effectiveness, implementability,  and cost of the most promising technologies.

        Based on the information gathered and presented in the FFS report (and on the results of the
treatability studies), the Army selected a preferred remedy for the O-LJne Ponds area groundwater. The
rationale behind the remedy was presented to the public in a Proposed Plan (USATHAMA, 1992b).
                                             2-4

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3.0    HIGHLIGHTS OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION


       The Rl report for MAAP was released to the public in December 1991 and presented at a public
meeting held during the same month. The FFS report and Proposed Plan were released to the public in
July 1992.  All of these documents are available in both the Administrative Record and the information
repository maintained at the Army Chief Engineer's Office at MAAP and the Mildred G. Fields Library,
Milan, TN. The notice of availability of these documents was published in The Mirror Exchange on June
24, 1992 and The Jackson Sun on June 27, 1992.

       A 45-day public comment period was held from July 1,  1992  through August  15, 1992.  In
addition,  a public meeting was held on July 16,1992.  At this meeting, representatives from MAAP, EPA
and  TDEC answered  questions  about  problems at the  site and the remedial alternatives under
consideration.  Comments and responses from the July 16,1992 Public Meeting have been captured in
the meeting transcription, which is included in the Responsiveness Summary (Appendix A). No written
comments were received during the comment period.

       This decision document presents the selected remedial action for the 0-Line Ponds Area, Milan
Army Ammunition Plant, Milan, TN, chosen in accordance with CERCLA, as amended by SARA, and, to
the extent practicable, the National Contingency Plan.  In addition, this decision incorporates the findings
of treatabilrty studies conducted to determine the effectiveness of the treatment technologies selected as
a result of the FFS. The decision for this site is based on the Administrative  Record.
                                            3-1

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 4.0     SCOPE AND ROLE OF OPERABLE UNIT OR RESPONSE ACTION


        Past disposal practices at the 0-Line Ponds contaminated soil and groundwater near the former
 ponds. The goal of the overall cleanup activities at MAAP is to reduce the levels of contaminants to below
 health-based concentrations, such that no adverse health effects will result from future use of the facility.
 Presently, more information is available concerning the nature and extent of groundwater contamination
 than is known about soil, surface water, and sediment contamination within the O-LJne Ponds area.
 Because contaminated groundwater potentially poses an unacceptably high level of risk to human health,
 this environmental medium has been separated from the others. This separation of environmental media
 into Operable Units (OU) allows the Army to begin groundwater cleanup prior to full assessment of the
 entire NPL site.

        An Operable Unit (OU) is defined  by the National Oil and Hazardous Substances  Pollution
 Contingency  Plan  (40 CFR 300.5) as a  discrete action  which is  an  incremental step  towards
 comprehensively mitigating site problems.  The Operable Units for the NPL site at MAAP have been
 defined as follows:

        OU 1:        Contaminated  groundwater  beneath and immediately downgradient from the
                     former ponds which has been contaminated by past disposal practices at the
                     ponds.

        OU 2:        Contaminated soils beneath and around the former ponds and surface water and
                     sediment in the drainage ditch that flows along the east and north sides of the
                     ponds, which  may  have  become contaminated as a result of past  disposal
                     practices.

        OU 14:        Soil and water media in the area downgradient (to the north and northwest) of
                     OU 1  and OU 2, including Line K.

This Interim Action  ROD applies to OU 1. OU 2 and OU 14 require additional investigation and will be
handled as separate actions.  A final action ROD will be prepared to comprehensively address OU 1, OU
2, and OU 14, which make up the NPL site.

        OU 1 consists of groundwater that has been contaminated by explosives compounds that seeped
from the ponds during past waste disposal  operations. The primary contaminants in groundwater are
HMX, RDX, 2,4,6-TNT,  1,3,5-TNB, 2,4-DNT, 2,6-DNT,  1,3-DNB, and nitrobenzene.

        Because drinking water wells are not located in the area of contaminated groundwater, there is
currently no risk posed to facility workers or area residents by the Operable Unit  However, the baseline
risk assessment conducted  as part of the FFS (USATHAMA, 1992a) indicates that the explosives
contamination in groundwater may pose a  threat to human health should  the area be developed  for
residential use in the future. Contaminant migration toward the installation boundary is projected to lead
to an unacceptable health risk level for off-post residential use of groundwater.

       The clean-up objectives for OU 1 are to extract  and treat contaminated groundwater to prevent
current or future exposure to explosive compounds.  The overall strategy consists of the following three
steps:
                                            4-1

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        .      Contaminated groundwater will be pumped out of the aquifer;

        •      Extracted  groundwater will be treated with a combination of metals and explosives
               treatment technologies; and

               Treated groundwater will be safely disposed; possible methods include re-injection or
               discharge to surface water.

        In pursuit of the overall goal of reducing the levels of contaminants to health-based levels, UV-
oxidation, an innovative technology, will  be used to remove explosives compounds from extracted
groundwater.  This technology was  selected because of uncertainties regarding the ability of more
commonly-used technologies in reducing the concentrations of contaminants to the health-based levels.
UV-oxidation has not previously been applied  in full-scale systems to remove these contaminants;
however, it has the potential to meet the stringent criteria

        The Army has elected to perform this phase of groundwater cleanup under an Interim Record of
Decision (ROD), which allows for treatment system design, construction, operation (using the discharge
limits listed in Section  9.0,  which for several explosives compounds are higher than  health-based
concentrations), and performance evaluation for a set period of time.  At the end of  the performance
evaluation period, the treatment system capabilities and discharge levels will be reevaluated.  If the health-
based levels for the contaminants of concern have changed in the interim, these new values will become
the treatment goals.  A final  remedy will be selected which satisfies all health based clean-up levels or
provides technical data, consistent with CERCLA and the National Contingency Plan, which justifies
alternative standards.'

        The interim remedial action will greatly reduce the potential human health risks associated with
the hypothetical ingestion, dermal contact, or inhalation of contaminants in groundwater.  Treatment of
the groundwater  will  destroy and remove explosives, thereby reducing the toxicity and volume of
contaminants in groundwater. In addition, groundwater extraction will serve to eliminate the migration of
contaminated groundwater to off-site  areas.

        Because  this  interim remedial action requires that the  further  migration  of contaminated
groundwater within  the O-LJne Ponds area  be stopped,  and the concentrations of contaminants in
groundwater be greatly reduced, it is consistent with any planned future actions.
                                              4-2

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 5.0     SITE CHARACTERISTICS
        This section provides an overview of the 0-Line Ponds characteristics related to OU 1  including
 a summary of the hydrogeologic setting, the nature and extent of groundwater contamination, potential
 routes of contaminant migration and exposure, and a summary of human health and ecological risks. The
 information  presented  in this  section was summarized from the Rl (USATHAMA, 1991)  and FFS
 (USATHAMA, 1992a).


 5.1     HYDROGEOLOGIC SETTING

        Sands in the Claibome and Wilcox Group are the principal sources of groundwater in western
 Tennessee.  The major aquifer at MAAP occurs within the Memphis Sand of the Claibome Group, which
 are deposits of Tertiary age in the Gulf Coastal Plain of western Tennessee.  The total depth of this
 unconfined aquifer is on the order of 250 feet in the areas of interest at MAAP, and the major controls on
 groundwater movement are the dip of the  sediments, surface topography, and surface  recharge and
 discharge patterns.  Groundwater flow in the MAAP  area is generally to the west, in the direction  of
 regional dip of these sands, and also trends northerly because of the topographic influence. The gradient
 of the sands is estimated to be about 20 feet/mile to the northwest.  On a general scale, there are no
 abrupt hydrologic boundaries in the aquifer.  The sandy formation contains local clay lenses and clay rich
 zones which may locally alter vertical groundwater flow, and stratification of the sediments also tends to
 make vertical conductivities lower than horizontal conductivities.

        Groundwater flows in a direction perpendicular to groundwater contour lines at a rate determined
 by the hydraulic gradient, i =£» hA  L, (i.e., the hydraulic head over a given distance); the specific yield of
 the aquifer; and the hydraulic conductivity (estimated from aquifer test results to be approximately 27 feet
 per day). The pathlines shown in Figure 5-1  illustrate the general flow directions for groundwater beneath
 MAAP.  The horizontal hydraulic gradient is very low at MAAP, resulting in a low velocity for groundwater
 flow. From water level data, the horizontal hydraulic gradient is estimated as 0.0015 ft/ft. For an aquifer
 specific yield of 20% (a representative value for this aquifer material), the average groundwater flow
 velocity is calculated to be 0.20 ft/day.  Small variations in flow velocity are expected for various areas of
 the facility, depending on variations in the controlling factors.

        In the vicinity of the O-LJne Ponds,  groundwater is recharged by precipitation infiltration in the
 higher-elevation southern portion  of the  facility,  arid infiltration is enhanced through the floor of the
 drainage ditches in the area Partial discharge of groundwater to the Rutherford Fork of the Obion River
 is indicated  by considering the relationships between elevations of the water table, the  variation  of
 hydraulic potential with  depth, and the elevation of the stream surface.


 5.2     CONTAMINATION ASSESSMENT

        The results of the Rl (USATHAMA, 1991) indicate the principal sources of explosives contamination
 in groundwater at MAAP are the O-LJne Ponds and the drainage ditches from this area  The groundwater
 in this area of the installation contains organic contaminants (the explosives compounds 2,4,6-TNT, HMX,
 RDX, nitrobenzene, 2,4-DNT, 2,6-DNT, 1,3,5-TNB, and 1,3-DNB).  Of the contaminants found in the near
vicinity  of the O-Line  Ponds,  2,4,6-TNT,  RDX,  and  the DNT isomers are present in the highest
 concentrations and/or pose the greatest risk. 2,4-DNT and 2,6-DNT are Class B2 carcinogens  (meaning
they are probable human carcinogens based on sufficient data from animal studies and inadequate data
from human studies) and RDX and 2,4,6-TNT are designated as Class C carcinogens (they are possible
 human carcinogens based on inadequate evidence from human studies and limited evidence from animal

                                             5-1

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             GRADIENT
             0.0015  ft/ft
LEGEND
	STREAM/DRAINAGE
	PROPERTY LINE
  •   MONITORING WELL
	GROUNDVATER CONTOUR
	APPARENT SURVEY ERROR
i GRADIENT
 0.0012 ft/ft
     i
                                                              GRADIENT
                                                              0.0019 ft/ft
                               Figure 5-1
       Groundwater Flow Direction* and Horizontal Hydraulic Gradients
                              5-2

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 studies).  Section 6.0 of this Record of Decision provides more detail concerning the baseline risks and
 potential routes of human and environmental exposure of these contaminants.

 5.2.1   Summary of Remedial Investigation Results

        The groundwater data collected during the Rl show that explosives-contaminated groundwater
 near the O-LJne Ponds is migrating slowly toward the north.  Figures 5-2 and 5-3 show the concentrations
 of RDX and 2,4,6-TNT, respectively, detected in the wells downgradient and cross-gradient of the O-Line
 Ponds  area  during  the Rl  field investigation.  Concentration plots for  the other explosives-related
 contaminants exhibit this same general configuration, but are smaller in areal extent. High concentrations
 in the southern portion of the contaminated zone are attributed to inputs from the O-Line Ponds, and the
 extended areas exhibiting lower concentrations in the northern portion of the contaminated zone are
 attributed to  inputs from the drainage ditches.  The action under consideration addresses only the
 groundwater in the  near  vicinity of the  O-Line Ponds; therefore, only the southern portion of the
 contaminated zone shown in Figures 5-2 and 5-3 are of interest. (The remaining contamination arising
 from the drainage ditches will be addressed in a separate action).

        The movement of contamination in groundwater from the vicinity of the O-Line Ponds toward the
 north is explained by advective-dispersive processes. Mechanical dispersion appears to be the dominant
 process causing lateral spread of contamination.

 5.2.2   Summary of  Post-RI Sampling and Analysis

        In January-February of 1992, additional field work was conducted to further evaluate the nature
 and extent of contamination at the O-Line Ponds area Data from chemical analysis of groundwater
 samples indicate that the levels of explosive compounds in the shallow aquifer near the O-Line Ponds
 have decreased from the time that the Rl sampling occurred; the reason for this is not known. The data
 further show that the only detectable organic compounds in groundwater immediately downgradient of
 the capped area are explosives  residues, and inorganic constituents (metals)  are only of concern in
 regard to possible interference with organic treatment processes.

 5.2.3   Extent of Groundwater Contamination

        The chemical data collected during the Rl show that shallow groundwater in the zone immediately
 downgradient of the O-LJne Ponds (e.g., from wells MI001 and MI058) had very high levels of explosives.
 Groundwater from an intermediate depth in the aquifer (e.g., from wells MI057 and MI075) show much
 lower concentrations  of explosives, indicating that the levels of contaminants  falls off rapidly with depth.
 However, explosives  were detected above health  advisories in well MI075, which is located directly
 downgradient of the O-LJne Ponds, at a depth of 170 feet (the depth to groundwater is approximately 45
feet in this area).  Based on the configuration of contaminated zones developed during the Rl and the
depth at which contamination has been detected,  it  is estimated that the  zone of  contaminated
 groundwater comprising this operable unit has approximate dimensions of 1,500 feet in width, 2,500 feet
in length and 125 feet in depth. Using these dimensions and a soil porosity of 20%, it is estimated that
approximately 1 X  108  gallons of water may be contaminated to an extent such that extraction  and
treatment should be considered.
                                             5-3

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                                  •D' LINE
                                   PONDS
                                 (CLOSED
        349000
                                  330000
                       Figure 5-2
RDX Concentrations Downgradlent of the O-Une Ponds Area
                   (Detected In 1990)

                          5-4

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                         Figure 5-3
2,4,6-TNT Concentrations Oowngradlent of the O-Une Ponds Area
                      (Detected In 1990)

                            5-5

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 6.0     SUMMARY OF SITE RISKS


        Risk assessment consists of the evaluation of the types and levels of contaminants present within
 the Operable Unit, the pathways by which receptors could potentially be exposed to these contaminants,
 and the toxicity and/or carcinogenicfty of the contaminants. A quantitative estimate of the potential for
 adverse health effects to occur in the future can be constructed from these data  In estimating these
 risks, the assumption was made that no remedial action would be taken to address contamination within
 the Operable Unit; the resulting analysis is referred to as a baseline risk assessment. The main focus of
 this baseline risk assessment is to evaluate potential risks associated with the use of, and exposure to,
 untreated groundwater immediately adjacent to the O-LJne Ponds (OU 1).

        As discussed  in Section 1.0, there are  scattered residences to the north and east of the facility
 boundary.  Downgradient of the O-LJne Ponds area, the nearest residences are located north of the
 Rutherford Fork and at a distance of approximately 1.5 miles from the O-LJne Ponds.  Homeowners on
 the east side of the facility are not at risk from the contamination  emanating from the O-LJne Ponds
 because they are cross-gradient and upgradient from the O-LJne Ponds.  Within the facility, the Army
 performs regular monitoring of the potable water production wells to ensure that no contamination is
 present. Therefore, under current conditions, humans are not exposed to the contaminated groundwater
 in the O-LJne Ponds area

        Although MAAP is a currently operating government facility which is not scheduled for realignment
 under the Base Closure and Realignment Act, the most stringent possible future land use scenario was
 used in estimating the  risks.   This was done to ensure that the potential risks  would  not be
 underestimated. The most stringent future land-use conditions consist of residential development of the
 O-LJne Ponds area  Under these conditions, the residents living at the O-LJne Ponds would be exposed
to contaminated groundwater via ingestion, which is the exposure pathway that poses the greatest threat
to human  health.

        Homeowners in this area of western Tennessee tend not to install drinking water wells deeper than
 necessary to obtain sufficient quantities of water.  The high permeability of the Memphis Sand aquifer
results in adequate well yield even at shallow depths within the aquifer. Therefore, the assumption was
made in this baseline risk assessment that on-site residents would be exposed to levels of contaminants
immediately downgradient from the O-LJne Ponds and shallow within the aquifer. The two monitoring wells
corresponding to these conditions are MI001 and  MI058.

        To evaluate the risk posed by all organic and inorganic constituents within  the shallow aquifer,
the wells were sampled in January 1992. These data present the most complete and up-to-date picture
of conditions immediately downgradient from the O-LJne Ponds; therefore, the baseline risk assessment
was performed using these analytical data


6.1      Chemicals Of Potential Concern

        Chemicals of potential concern are those chemicals believed to be associated with past activities
at the O-LJne Ponds. Table 6-1 lists all of the chemical analytes detected in monitoring wells MI001 and
MI058 in January 1992. All of the listed analytes were used in estimating the potential risk; however, many
of the analytes are not  considered chemicals of  concern. The chemicals that are not of concern are those
inorganic analytes that are essential nutrients or were detected at levels well
                                             6-1

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                               Table 6-1

               CHEMICALS OF POTENTIAL CONCERN IN GROUNDUATER
               IMMEDIATELY DOWNGRADIENT OF THE 0-LINE PONDS
                                   (ug/L)
                                                 Well
                                               MI001  (a)
                    Well
                  MI058 (a)
Organics (b):

* Carbon Disulfide (CS2)
* 1,3-Dinitrobenzene (13DNB)
* 2,4-Dinitrotoluene (240NT)
* 2,6-Dinitrotoluene (260NT)
* HMX (HMX)
* Nitrobenzene (N8)
  2-Propanol (2-PROL)
* RDX (RDX)
  1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane (TCLEA)
" 1,3,5-Trinitrobenzene (135TN8)
* 2,4.6-Trinitrotoluene (246TNT)

Inorganics:
9.00E+00
7.80E+01
6.60E+01
1.60E+01
1.20E+03
3.58E+01
      NO
6.40E+03
 ND (<1)
7.50E+02
6;50E+03
  50E+00
 .95E+01
1.80E+02
 .OOE+01
1.10E+03
1.53E+01
7.00E+00
7.80E+03
2.67E+00
2.15E+03
1.55E+04
Aluminum (AL)
Barium (BA)
Calcium (CA)
Cyanide (CYN)
Iron (FE)
Lead (PB)
Magnesium (MG)
Manganese (MN)
Mercury (HG)
Potassium (K)
Sodium (NA)
Vanadium (V)
Zinc (ZN)
1.90E+03
2.37E+02
8.98E+03
1 .43E+01
1 .05E+03
1.25E*00
2.97E+03
5.96E+02
1 .OOE+00
1.71E+03
6.03E+05
8.75E*00
3.90E+01
9.61E+01
. 1 .09E+02
2.08E+04
4.08E+01
6.95E*01
ND <<1)
6.93E+03
1 .08E+03
ND (<0)
3.17E+03
6.05E+03
ND (<11)
3.70E+01
 * = Selected as a chemical of potential concern,
ND = Not detected.  Detection limit provided in parentheses.

(a) Concentrations reported in duplicate samples were averaged together.
(b) USATHAMA chemical codes are listed in parentheses.
                                        6-2

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 below hearth-based limits, and those organic compounds that are considered sampling or laboratory
 artifacts. This is further discussed below.

        Of the organic compounds selected as chemicals of potential concern, three were detected at the
 highest concentrations in both monitoring wells MI001 and MI058: HMX (1,200 pg/L and 1,100 /jg/L,
 respectively), RDX (6,400 /jg/L and 7,800 pg/L, respectively), and 2,4,6-TNT (6,500 //g/L and 1 5,500 pg/L,
 respectively).  1,3,5-TNB was also present in significant quantities in well MI058. The other explosives
 compounds were detected at levels less than 750 /jg/L and are also included in the risk assessment.

        The organic compounds carbon disulfide, 2-propanol, and 1 , 1 ,2,2-tetrachloroethane were detected
 at very low levels.   2-Propanol  was used to decontaminate sampling  equipment  and  is therefore
 considered an artifact of the sampling activity. 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane is a common solvent and may
 be a laboratory artifact; the fact that it was detected in only one of the shallow wells makes this more
 likely. These two chemicals have been retained in the risk assessment, but are not considered chemicals
 of concern because of the likelihood that they were detected in error.  Carbon disulfide was detected in
 both shallow wells and is therefore considered a chemical of concern; however, as will be discussed in
 Section 6.4, the concentration at which this contaminant was detected is too  low to  indicate potential
 adverse health effects could occur through lifetime ingestion of groundwater.

        Of the inorganic chemicals detected in monitoring wells  MI001  and  MI058,  the six essential
 nutrients (aluminum,  calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and sodium) were  detected at the greatest
 concentrations. Barium and manganese were also detected at significant concentrations in both wells
 (109 to 237 /jg/L and 596 to 1,080 /jg/L, respectively). All other inorganic chemicals were detected at
 levels less than 40.8 /jg/L


 6.2     Exposure Assessment

       This risk assessment focused solely on potential human health risks associated with ingestion of
 untreated groundwater from monitoring wells MI001  and MI058.  Persons using untreated groundwater
 as a domestic water supply could be exposed to chemicals in groundwater via ingestion of drinking water.
 However, under current land-use conditions, untreated groundwater is not used by residents or other
 individuals; therefore, no complete exposure pathways exist. Under future land-use conditions, potential
 exposures and risks associated with ingestion of groundwater have been evaluated  to provide a risk-
 based measure of the levels of contamination associated with  the suspected source area

       Chronic daily intakes (GDIs) are calculated  for residential drinking water exposures using the
 estimated exposure point concentrations presented in Table 6-2. A reasonable maximum exposure (RME)
 case was evaluated in accordance with EPA guidance.  It was  assumed that chemical concentrations in
the monitoring wells would remain constant over the duration of the exposure period.  GDIs were
 estimated for groundwater ingestion using the equation and assumptions presented below:
                                           BW* AT* Days
                                             6-3

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CD
                                                                      Table 6-2

                                              POTENTIAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH  INGESTION OF GROUNDUATER
                                            BY FUTURE RESIDENTS UNDER THE RESIDENTIAL LAND USE SCENARIO (a)

Chemicals Exhibiting
Carcinogenic Effects (c)
Organics:
2,4-Dinitrotoluene (24DNT)
2,6-Dini trotoluene (260NT)
RDX (RDX)
1.1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane (TCLEA)
2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (246TNT)
Total
Chemicals Exhibiting
Noncarcinogenic Effects (c)
Organics:
Carbon Oisulfide (CS2)
1,3-Dinitcobenzene (13DNB)
HMX (HMX)
Nitrobenzene (NB)
ROX (RDX)
1.1.2,2-Tetrachloroethane (TCLEA)
1,3.5-Trinitrobenzene (135TNB)
2.4.6-Trinitrotoluene (246TNT)
Inorganics:
Barium (BA)
Cyanide (CYN)
Manganese (MN)
Mercury (HG)
Vanadium (V)
Zinc (Zn)
Hazard Index
Well MI001
Chronic Daily
Intake (CDI)
(mg/kg-day)

1.1E-03
2.6E-04
1.0E-01
NA
1.1E-01

Chronic Dai ly
Intake (CDI)
(mg/kg-day)

3.4E-04
3.0E-03
4.6E-02
2.7E-03
2.4E-01
NA
2.8E-02
2.5E-01
9.0E-03
1.0E-03
2.3E-02
3.8E-OS
4.6E-04
1.5E-03

Well MI058
Chronic Dai ly
Intake (CDI)
(mg/kg-day)

2.9E-03
1.6E-04
1.3E-01
1.1E-04
2.5E-01

Chronic Dai ly
Intake (CDI)
(mg/kg-day)

1.3E-04
3.0E-03
4.2E-02
1.1E-03
3.0E-01
2.7E-04
8.2E-02
5.9E-01
4.2E-03
1.5E-03
4.1E-02
NA
NA
1.4E-03


Cancer Slope .
Factor
(mg/kg-day)- 1

6.8E-01
6.8E-01
1.1E-01
2E-01
3E-02

Reference Dose
(mg/kg-day)
[Uncertainty
Factor] (d)

1E-01 [100]
1E-04 (3,000]
SE-02 [1.000]
5E-04 [10,000]
3E-03 [100]
4.6E-04 [1,000]
5E-05 [10,000]
5E-04 [1,000]
7E-02 C3]
2E-02 [500]
1E-01 [1]
3E-04 [1,000]
7E-03 [100]
2E-01 [10]


Weight of
Evidence (b)

[82]
[B2]
[C]
[C]
[C]

Toxicological
Endpoint (e)

fetotoxicity
spleen
liver .
liver/kidney
prostate
liver, UBC
spleen
liver
> blood pressure
neurological
neurological
kidney
liver, kidney
anemia

Well MI001
Upper Bound
Excess Lifetime
Cancer Risk

7E-04
2E-04
1E-02
NA
3E-03
1E-02
Risk
CDI:RfD
Ratio

3E-03
3E+01
9E-01
5E+00
8E+01
NA
6E+02
5E+02
1E-01
5E-02
2E-01
1E-01
7E-02
7E-03
1E+03
Well Ml 058
Upper Bound
Excess Lifetime
Cancer Risk

2E-03
1E-04
1E-02
2E-05
8E-03
2E-02
Risk
CDI:RfD
Ratio

1E-03
3E+01
8E-01
2E+00
1E+02
6E-01
2E+03
1E+03
6E-02
8E-02
4E-01
NA
NA
7E-03
3E+03
      NA = Not applicable.  CDI not calculated because this chemical was not selected as a chemical  of potential  concern in this  well.

      (a) Risks are calculated for those chemicals of potential concern with toxiciy criteria.
      (b) USEPA Height of Evidence for Carcinogenic Effects:
          [B2]  Probable human carconogen based on inadequate evidence from human studies and adequate evidence from animal studies;
           [C]  Possible human carcinogen based on limited evidence from animal studies in the absence of human studies.
      (c) USATHAMA chemical codes are listed in parentheses.
      (d) Uncertainty factors represent the amount of uncertainty in extrapolation from the available data.
      (e) Toxological endpoints arc endpoints most likely given a chemical's toxic effects.  RfDs are based  on toxic effects
          in the toxological endpoint.  If an RfD were based on a study in uhich a toxological endpoint were not  identified,
          the endpoint listed is one. known to be affected by the particular chemical of concern.

-------
 where
        GDI.    =      chronic dajly intake (mg/kg-day),                               •
        Cw     =      chemical concentration in groundwater (mg/0,
        IR     =      water ingestion rate (I/day),
        EF     =      frequency of exposure (days/year),
        ED     =      duration of exposure (years),
        BW    =      average body weight (kg),
        AT     =      averaging time (70 years for carcinogens, 30 years for noncarcinogens), and
        Days   =      conversion factor (365 days/year).

        Drinking water exposures are evaluated for a resident between the ages of 0 through 30.  For
 persons 0-30 years of age, a time-weighted  average body weight of 48 kg (based on data in USEPA
 1989d), and a drinking water rate of 1.9 liters/day are used as parameters for the reasonable maximum
 exposure (RME)  case.  The  drinking  water  consumption  rate has been calculated assuming  a
 consumption rate of 1 liter/day for individuals up to 10 kg (approximately 3 years of age), and a rate of
 2 liters/day for persons over 3 years of age. An exposure duration of 30 years, the upper-bound time at
 one residence, is assumed for residents (USEPA 1991, 1989a).

        GDIs for carcinogens and for noncarcinogens in groundwater at the O-Une Ponds are presented
 in Table 6-2.
6.3    Toxictty Assessment

       Quantitative risk assessment involves combining intakes for exposed populations with reference
doses (RfDs, defined as acceptable daily doses for noncarcinogens) or slope factors (for carcinogens)
to derive estimates of noncarcinogenic hazard, or excess lifetime cancer risks, of the potentially exposed
populations.  Table 6-2 presents chronic oral health effects criteria (slope factors  and RfDs)  for the
chemicals of potential concern to be quantitatively evaluated in this assessment.

       No oral health  effects  criteria are  available  for aluminum, calcium, iron,  lead,  magnesium,
potassium, 2-propanol and sodium; therefore, potential risks associated with ingestion of these chemicals
will not be quantitatively evaluated. Exclusion of these chemicals from the quantitative evaluation is not
expected to  result in significant underestimates of risk. The essential nutrients (aluminum, calcium, iron,
magnesium, potassium, and sodium)  are not likely to pose adverse health effects at the concentrations
present in groundwater within the O-LJne Ponds area


6.4    Risk Characterization

       For carcinogens, potential risks are calculated as the product of the chronic daily intake (GDI) and
slope factors. Risks were compared to EPA's target risk range of 10"4 to 10"6.  An excess lifetime cancer
risk of 10"6 indicates that an individual's risk of cancer, over a lifetime, is increased by one in a million due
to exposure  to the carcinogen.  For noncarcinogens, potential hazards are presented as the ratio of the
GDI to the reference dose (CDI:RfD), and the sum of the ratios is referred to as the hazard index.  In
general, hazard indices that are less than one are not likely to be associated with adverse health effects,
and are therefore less likely to be of regulatory concern than hazard indices greater than one.

       Carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks associated with the ingestion of untreated groundwater
from monitoring wells MI001 and MI058 by future residents are presented in Table 6-2.  The estimated
upper bound excess lifetime cancer risks for ingestion of groundwater from MI001 is 1x10~2. This risk
                                              6-5

-------
 exceeds EPA's target risk range of 10"6 to 10"4 range for  human  health protectiveness, and  is due
 primarily to RDX and 2,4,6-TNT, although 2,4-DNT and 2,6-DNT also contributed to the elevated  risks. -

        The excess lifetime cancer risk for a future resident ingesting groundwater from MI058 is 2x10"2
 as presented in Table 6-2, and this value also exceeds EPA's  risk range for human health protectiveness.
 The primary chemicals contributing to this risk are RDX, 2,4,6-TNT and 2,4-DNT. It is important to note
 that RDX and 2,4,6-TNT are Class C carcinogens, and therefore their carcinogenic risks could be over-
 estimated.  The carcinogenic risks from such possible human carcinogens are based on inadequate
 evidence from human studies and limited evidence from animal studies. Therefore, the carcinogenic risk
 levels are calculated  conservatively and could be over estimated. For noncarcinogenic chemicals,  the
 hazard  index exceeded one for both MI001 (Hl=  1,000)  and MI058 (Hl=  3,000) due to  1,3-DNB,
 nitrobenzene, RDX, 1,3,5-TNB1 and 2,4,6-TNT.

        The highest  detected concentration  of lead was 1.25 /jg/L in  monitoring well MI001.  This
 concentration is less than the suggested EPA final 'clean-up* level of 15 pg/L for lead in groundwater
 (USEPA 1989b). Groundwater concentrations of 15 /jg/L lead are considered protective by EPA (USEPA
 I990a) and are likely to correlate with blood lead levels below 10 ug/L in roughly 99 percent  of young
 children who are not exposed to excessive lead paint hazards or heavily contaminated soils. Therefore,
 the lead in groundwater is not likely to contribute to the overall risk to future residents.


 6.5     FUTURE OFF-SITE  HUMAN HEALTH RISKS

        There are no current pathways whereby human health could be adversely affected from exposure
 to the groundwater near the O-LJne Ponds.  Therefore, the Rl focused on evaluating the potential future
 risks associated with eventual migration of contaminated groundwater from the O-Une Ponds area to off-
 post areas where exposures via residential use could occur. This future-exposure scenario was evaluated
 using a groundwater model based on advective-dispersive flow to determine future concentrations in the
 event that no control on migration or removal of contaminants is implemented. The model predicted that
 many decades  would be required before contamination from the O-Line Ponds area would reach  the
 facility boundary, but unacceptably high risks ultimately may be present if migration is allowed to continue
 unabated.  The results showed that the combined  lifetime cancer risks from potential exposure to
 groundwater  at the facility  boundary would exceed the 10"5 risk  level, and the hazard  indices for
 noncarcinogenic health effects also would be excessive.


6.6     ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS

       The  Rl  did  not identify any unacceptable  on-site  ecological risks due to contaminated
groundwater. An evaluation  of the ecological risks associated with contaminated soil, surface water, and
sediment in the vicinity of the O-LJne Ponds area is being performed as part of the FFS for OU 2.  In
addition, any off-site ecological impacts will be addressed in the Ecological Risk Assessment for the entire
Milan Army Ammunition Plant, targeted for publication in 1994.
   1The U.S. Army Biological Research and Development Laboratory is currently conducting sub-chronic
animal studies of the toxicity of this compound.

                                             6-6

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 6.7     BASELINE RISK ASSESSMENT SUMMARY

        The following conclusions may be drawn from the baseline risk assessment:

        •       Groundwater contamination associated with past use of the 0-LJne Ponds does not pose
               any short-term risk to human health or the environment under current land use conditions
               because groundwater in this area is not used as drinking water;

        •       Human health impacts are possible, however, if the O-Line Ponds area is developed for
               residential use and groundwater is used as a source of drinking water;

        •       Carcinogenic risk under the future residential land use scenario is due principally to the
               presence of high levels of explosive compounds in shallow groundwater immediately
               downgradient of the O-Line Ponds;

        •       Adverse health effects posed by  noncarcinogens  under the future  residential land use
               scenario are also due principally to explosive compounds;

        •       The quantrtation of risk indicates that the inorganic analytes are not at levels high enough
               to cause adverse health effects.

        The baseline risk assessment indicates that groundwater quality in the O-Line Ponds area has
been impacted and that use of this groundwater, currently or into the foreseeable future, for drinking water
would result in significant human health risks.  The removal of explosive compounds from groundwater
will reduce the overall carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks to acceptable levels.

        This interim remedial action will stop the further migration of contaminated groundwater in the
immediate  vicinity  of the  O-Line Ponds  area through extraction of groundwater  from  the aquifer.
Groundwater extraction and treatment will greatly reduce the concentrations of the chemicals of concern.
Therefore, implementation of this interim remedial action will result in significant reduction of the risks
potentially posed by the Operable  Unit.  The goal of the final  remedy for the site is to reduce the
concentrations of contaminants in groundwater to below health-based levels. The final action remedy will
ensure  that treatment of groundwater will occur to the  maximum extent practicable,  consistent with
CERCLA and the National Contingency Plan.

        Actual  or threatened releases of hazardous substances from this site if not addressed by
implementing the response action selected in this ROD, may present a current or potential threat to public
health, welfare or the environment
                                             6-7

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 7.0     DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVES
        Groundwater remedial alternatives were developed for OU 1 to satisfy the following remediation
 objectives:

        •       Protect human health and the environment;

        •       Reduce the levels of contaminants to concentrations such that off-site future groundwater
               users will not be exposed to the contaminants above health-based levels;

        •       Use permanent solutions and treatment technologies; and

        •       Achieve a remedy in a cost-effective manner.

        This section describes the extraction system and the treatment and discharge alternatives for
 groundwater.


 7.1     ALTERNATIVE T-1:    NO ACTION

        The NCP requires that the 'no action* alternative be evaluated at every site to establish a baseline
 for comparison. Under this alternative, no remedial action would occur to prevent current or future
 exposure  to the groundwater contamination.  Alternative T-1 does not have associated capital and
 operation  and maintenance costs, and will not require any time for implementation.


 7.2     ALTERNATIVE T-2:    LIMITED ACTION

        Alternative T-2 consists of long-term monitoring, physical barriers, and administrative actions. The
 •limited  action* alternative does not  reduce the toxicity, mobility, or volume of contamination but would
 reduce the probability of physical contact with contaminated media Institutional controls such as deed,
 access  and land use restrictions would be implemented to reduce physical contact with contaminated
 groundwater.  Public education programs would be designed to inform the workers and local residents
 of the potential site dangers. In addition, emergency provisions would provide a plan of action in the
 event of an accidental exposure or sudden increase in risks associated with the Operable Unit. Long-term
 environmental monitoring will be conducted at the O-Line Ponds area as well as quarterly sampling for
target pollutants in  groundwater and surface water.  The data collected from the monitoring program will
 be reviewed at a minimum of every five years as  required by the NCP at all sites where hazardous
chemicals remain untreated.

        The purpose of this alternative is to inform the public, provide a data base, and evaluate changes
 in site conditions over time. Alternative T-2 has an estimated capital cost of $49,000 and annual operation
and maintenance costs of $171,000.  Present worth is estimated at $2,678,000 for a thirty year period at
a five percent discount rate.


7.3     COMMON  ELEMENTS IN TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES T-3 THROUGH T-8

        The remaining groundwater treatment alternatives contain a number of common features. Except
for the 'No Action* and 'Limited Action" alternatives (Alternatives T-1 and T-2), all of the alternatives now
being considered for the Operable Unit include collection technologies, on-site treatment, and discharge.

                                             7-1

-------
 Collection technologies involve the removal of contaminated groundwater from the aquifer through use
 of extraction wells.  The extracted water will be piped to an on-site treatment system, through an
 aboveground piping system. On-site treatment would consist of a combination of chemical and physical
 treatment technologies. The treatment alternatives vary only in the combination of these chemical and
 physical processes used to meet required treatment effectiveness and different discharge criteria.

 7.3.1   interim Remedial Action Treatment System Goals

        The goal of this interim remedial action is to reduce the human health risks posed by conditions
 within the Operable Unit. This goal will be pursued by preventing future human exposure to contaminated
 groundwater through  the use of both active  groundwater  remediation  (extraction, treatment,  and
 discharge) and institutional controls. .

        To lower the potential carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks to acceptable levels within the area
 of interest, the concentrations of explosives compounds must be reduced to extremely low levels (this is
 further  discussed  in Section 9.0).  At present, it  is  not known if any currently-available  treatment
 technologies are capable of achieving this level of efficiency on a consistent basis for the required high
 flow rate and for this combination and concentration of contaminants. The FFS for this Operable Unit
 identified the most promising technologies and both bench- and pilot-scale treatability studies have been
 performed to evaluate the effectiveness of these technologies. -However, the technologies were tested
 at relatively small scale and the impact of system scale-up on treatment plant efficiency is not known.

        For this reason, the Army has  elected to choose the most promising remedial technology and
 apply it to the Operable Unit  under this Interim Action ROD. At a minimum, the treatment system will be
 operated such that health-based levels will not be exceeded at the facility boundary; off-site residents will
 therefore be protected from  the contaminants associated with the Operable Unit.  At the same time,
 institutional controls will preclude human exposure to the contaminated groundwater.

        The treatment technologies introduced and described in this section were selected not only for
 their ability to  protect off-site users but also for their potential to  reduce the on-site concentrations of
 contaminants to health-based levels. The ARARs and To Be Considered (TBC) standards relevant to this
 OU are described  in Table 10-1 through 10-3.  In addition, Federal Ambient Water Quality Criteria and
Tennessee Surface Water Standards are ARARs  for Alternatives T-4, T-6, and T-8,  which  include
 discharges to surface waters.

 7.3.2   Extraction System

        Each of Alternatives T-3 through T-8  make  use of an extraction well system to  remove
 contaminated  groundwater from  the aquifer immediately downgradient of the O-Line Ponds area.
 Continuous pumping from the extraction wells will also lower the water table in this area and reverse the
 hydraulic gradient  on the downgradient side.  Further migration of the groundwater currently within the
 contaminated area will therefore be prevented by this system.

        Because of the large  lateral and vertical extent of contamination within the area to be remediated,
 multiple extraction wells will be needed. It was assumed  in developing the extraction system cost estimate
that six 6-inch diameter wells will be installed to depths of 125 feet. Submersible pumps will be used to
pump water to ground level.  The piping from the wells to the  treatment plant will be corrosion-resistant
 and heated to prevent freezing.

        The extraction system has an  estimated capital cost of  $327,000 and annual operation and
 maintenance costs of $16,000. Present worth is estimated at $573,000 for a thirty year period  at a five
                                              7-2

-------
 percent discount rate. These costs must be added to the cost estimates for each treatment/discharge
 alternative to arrive at a total system cost.          .

 7.3.3   Discharge Options

        The two discharge options under consideration are re-injection into the aquifer and surface water
 discharge.  Alternatives T-3, T-5, and T-7 include re-injection as the discharge method.   In these
 alternatives, a series of injection wells will be installed upgradient of the former ponds. As treated water
 is re-introduced into the aquifer, the hydraulic gradient between the injection wells and the extraction wells
 will increase, and this will result in a higher rate of groundwater flow between the sets of wells.  It is
 anticipated that use of the re-injection discharge option (and resulting control over the hydraulic gradient)
 will increase extraction  system efficiency  and shorten  the amount of time needed to extract the
 groundwater currently within the contaminated area   Upgradient re-injection offers the  additional
 advantage of creating a closed-loop system. The potential for adverse environmental impacts to occur
 is reduced because the treatment system effluent will not leave the Operable Unit.

        Alternatives T-4, T-6, and T-8 include surface water discharge of the treatment system effluent.
 Because of the high expected flow rate (possibly as high as 500 gallons per minute), it is expected that
 this discharge method will consist of piping the treated water to the Rutherford Fork of the Obion River.
 It is not expected that the on-site drainageways could safely handle both the large treatment plant output
 and the runoff from precipitation events without significant modification. Discharge to the river offers the
 additional advantage of providing a mixing zone for the effluent  However, because the treated water will
 continuously be added to the river, the potential exists for ecological impacts to occur.

 7.3.4   Other Assumptions Used In the Cost Estimates

        The volume of groundwater which requires remediation is estimated to be as large as 108 gallons.
 The on-site treatment systems have a proposed flow rate of 500 gpm in order to reverse the groundwater
 gradient.  It has been estimated that the systems may have to operate for thirty years or more. Due to
 the long period of treatment anticipated, extensive administrative oversight will be required to ensure the
 proper operation and maintenance and overall performance of this alternative. Long-term monitoring of
 influent and effluent concentrations, residual characteristics, and the effectiveness of the alternative will
 be required.   Five year  reviews will also  be required as part of the long-term monitoring program.
 Institutional restrictions, public awareness programs, and  emergency provisions similar to Alternative T-2
would be implemented.

        Details of the treatment process would be  determined  in the Remedial Design phase through
engineering design and analysis and the competitive bidding process. Implementation of each treatment
alternative will require the construction of a treatment building and parking/staging area; building heating
and lighting; long-term  influent and effluent  and groundwater monitoring; and a five-year review of
Operable Unit conditions.


7.4     ALTERNATIVE T-3:   UV-OXJDAT1ON/RE-INJECTION

        Alternative T-3 uses ultraviolet  (UV) -oxidation to reduce the concentrations  of the  organic
contaminants in the extracted groundwater.  UV-oxidation is an emerging technology that uses ozone as
an oxidant and UV light to break down organic contaminants such as explosives. The UV light enhances
the reactivity of ozone by transforming these molecules into highly reactive hydroxyl radicals.  These
powerful oxidants react with the contaminants in the water, cleaving the chemical bonds and breaking
down the organic contaminants into simpler molecules. When carried to completion, the end products
of the oxidation process are carbon dioxide, water,  and inorganic oxidation products such as nitrates.

                                              7-3

-------
        In this system, the ozone is generated on-site using air and electricity; after use, it is catalyzed
 into oxygen and vented from the system. To reduce the risks associated with storage and handling of
 reagents, chemical oxidants will not be used in this system.  No off-gases or treatment residuals requiring
 disposal are generated by this process. Following treatment in the UV-oxidation chamber, the effluent
 is discharged by re-injection wells back into the aquifer.  Therefore,  the potential environmental risks
 associated with operation of this system are negligible.

        This alternative is expected to reduce the levels of organic compounds to levels such that health-
 based limits will not be exceeded at  the facility boundary.  However, this alternative does not remove
 inorganic constituents from the groundwater. The results of the baseline risk assessment indicate that
 the levels of inorganic analytes currently do not pose a threat to human health; however, fouling of the
 pipingAreatment system may result if the groundwater is not treated to remove these inorganic analytes.
 This could  potentially lead to increased system maintenance costs.  In addition, it is possible that the
 levels of inorganic analytes in extracted groundwater could rise above health-based limits either due to
 extraction from a more contaminated area or the addition of groundwater extracted from other Operable
 Units.  In this case, the treatment system must be modified to provide for treatment of inorganic analytes.

        UV-oxidation  has not previously been applied in  a full-scale treatment system  for these
 contaminants. To assess the potential performance of this  technology, the Army has performed bench-
 and pilot-scale treatability studies of UV-oxidation using groundwater extracted from a highly contaminated
 monitoring well immediately downgradient of the O-LJne Ponds.  The results of these studies indicate that
 significant reduction of the concentrations of explosives compounds can be achieved.

        Alternative T-3 has an estimated capital cost of $4,216,000 and annual operation and maintenance
 costs of $1,243,000. Present worth is estimated at $23,325,000 for a thirty year period at a five percent
 discount rate.
7.5    ALTERNATIVE T-4:    PRECIPITATION/UV-OXIDAT1ON/ION EXCHANGE/SURFACE WATER
                             DISCHARGE

       This alternative incorporates physical and chemical processes to treat the groundwater to levels
acceptable for  surface water discharge.   As in Alternative T-3, UV-oxidation  is used to reduce the
concentrations of the organic compounds.  No treatment residuals are produced through the use of this
process.

       To ensure that aquatic life will not be impacted by the treatment plant effluent, a series of metals
removal technologies are used.  Electrochemical precipitation and ion exchange are two treatment
technologies which are capable of removing metals from water. Electrochemical precipitation involves the
removal of metallic compounds from solution by adsorption and co-precipitation with a ferric hydroxide
floe. These solids are eventually dewatered by compression and disposed after proper characterization.
If the levels of inorganic analytes in the water must be further reduced, the ion exchange process may
be used.  Low levels of metals such as cadmium, iron and zinc, are captured  in the resin and less toxic
ions such as hydrogen or sodium are released.  Once the resin is exhausted, the ion exchange unit must
be replaced. In some cases, it is possible to recover the metals from the exhausted resin.

       Although electrochemical precipitation is not a widely used technology, it employs a simple
process and is  readily implementable. Both bench- and pilot-scale treatability studies were conducted
using  groundwater  extracted  from  a  highly  contaminated monitoring well  located  immediately
downgradient of the O-LJne  Ponds area  The results of these studies indicate that the technology is
capable of reducing the concentrations of inorganic analytes to very low levels.
                                              7-4

-------
        The reagents needed for the electrochemical precipitation process include sodium hydroxide and
 hydrochloric acid for pH control, a polymer to aid in settling of precipitated solids, and hydrogen peroxide
 to increase  precipitation efficiency.  These reagents must be shipped, stored, and handled properly to
 minimize risks to workers and the environment. In addition, the process generates a filter cake consisting
 of iron and the inorganics removed from the groundwater. Although the filter cake is not expected to be
 a hazardous waste, it must still be handled and disposed as a solid waste.

        The ion exchange technology is widely-applied and reliable.  Chemical reagents are not needed
 in this process.  However, the exhausted resin must be handled and disposed.

        This alternative relies on technologies that require chemical reagents  and/or  require proper
 handling and disposal of treatment residuals. These treatment residuals are not expected to constitute
 a hazardous waste but must  be treated as  solid waste.  In addition, the treatment system effluent is
 discharged  directly to surface water.  Therefore, low to moderate environmental risks are posed by this
 alternative.

        Alternative T-4 has an estimated capital cost of $6,030,000 and annual operation and maintenance
 costs of $2,691,000.  Present worth is estimated at $47,397,000 for a thirty year period at a five percent
 discount rate.
7.6    ALTERNATIVE T-5:    PRECIPITATION/GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON (GAC)/
                             RE-INJECTION

       This alternative incorporates GAC to reduce the levels of explosives such that health-based levels
will not be exceeded at the facility boundary.  GAC is a widely-applied and well-understood technology
for removal of organic compounds from water.  This process relies on the physical adsorption of organic
molecules onto a porous carbon matrix  containing active  adsorption sites.  The rate of adsorption is
compound-specific, and compounds that are less soluble in water are more likely to be adsorbed. The
explosives compounds are moderately soluble and therefore have a moderate affinity for carbon.

       The facility currently uses GAC to treat all process water; therefore, performance data are available
to evaluate this technology for the Operable Unit-specific contaminants.  However, the discharge levels
set for the facility treatment plants are much higher than the health-based limits  for the explosives
compounds; therefore, it is not known if GAC is capable of achieving these extremely low levels.  In
general, the removal efficiency of GAC is  reduced at low contaminant concentrations, especially at high
flow rates.  This is most likely due to channeling within the  carbon beds.

       Spent carbon loaded with explosives compounds cannot be regenerated (due to the low volatility
of the explosives compounds), cannot be efficiently regenerated, and therefore is typically disposed. The
spent carbon may constitute a hazardous waste and therefore must be handled in accordance with the
requirements of RCRA Subtitle C. Because explosives compounds would be highly concentrated on the
spent carbon, and because the weak forces holding the explosives molecules to the carbon are reversible,
mismanagement of the carbon may result in further human health risks and/or environmental damage.
The carbon usage rate for this alternative is estimated to range from 500 to 1,600 IDS of carbon per day.

       Chemical reagents must be handled and stored on site for use in the precipitation system. This
alternative utilizes technologies that generate treatment residuals; namely,  a large amount of spent carbon
and a small amount of filter cake containing iron and other inorganic analytes.  The re-injection wells used
to discharge the treatment system effluent form a closed loop with the extraction wells. Therefore, the
environmental risks posed by this technology are expected to be low to  moderate.'
                                             7-5

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        Under this alternative, the treated water would be discharged through re-injection wells back into
 the aquifer..            .....

        Alternative T-5 has an estimated capital cost of $3,376,000 and annual operation and maintenance
 costs of $1,964,000. Present worth is estimated at $33,567,000 for a thirty year period at a five percent
 discount rate.
 7.7     ALTERNATIVE T-6:    PRECIPITATION/GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON (GAC)/
                             ION EXCHANGE/SURFACE WATER DISCHARGE

        This alternative is similar to Alternative T-5 except that it may incorporate additional inorganics
 treatment in order to satisfy surface water discharge requirements.  An ion exchange system may follow
 the GAC treatment to ensure protection of aquatic life.

        The electrochemical precipitation unit requires that chemical reagents be handled and stored on
 site.   Residuals  generated  through  the implementation of this alternative  are filter  cake from the
 electrochemical precipitation process, a large amount of spent carbon from the GAC units, and exhausted
 resin from the ion exchange units. In addition, the treatment system effluent is discharged to surface
 water. The potential environmental risks posed by this alternative are expected to be low to moderate.

        Alternative T-6 has an estimated capital cost of $3,701,000 and annual operation and maintenance
 costs of $3,163,000.  Present worth is estimated at $52,324,000 for a thirty year period at a five percent
 discount rate.
7.8    ALTERNATIVE T-7:    PRECIPITATION/UV-OXIDATION/GAC/RE-INJECTION

       This alternative incorporates both organic and inorganics treatment processes to ensure that
levels of contaminants at the facility boundary will not exceed health-based limits.  Extracted groundwater
is pretreated using the electrochemical precipitation system described in Alternative T-4. Metals treatment
is implemented to prevent fouling within the piping or the GAC system which follows.  Although the
concentrations of metals detected in groundwater are not at high enough levels to pose a threat to human
health, the implementation of this technology provides inorganics treatment should the levels of metals
in the influent increase.  After the precipitation process, UV-oxidation is used to reduce the levels of
explosives compounds (see  Alternative T-3).  GAC (see Alternative T-5) is then used as a secondary
treatment step to further reduce the concentrations of organic compounds to levels that provide protection
of off-site residents. This second organic treatment step is used to treat  any organic compounds which
were not completely oxidized in the UV-oxidation system and to increase the cost efficiency of the overall
system.

       The bulk of the explosives compounds are expected  to be  destroyed through UV-oxidation.
Therefore, GAC will be used at a much lower rate through the implementation of this alternative than rates
estimated in Alternatives T-5 and T-6. The carbon  usage rate for this system is estimated to be between
70 to 150 IDS per day; this is a reduction of 90% from the carbon usage rate estimated for Alternatives
T-5 and T-6.

       This alternative requires the handling and storage of chemical reagents. The treatment residuals
generated from the implementation of this alternative are filter cake from the electrochemical precipitation
process and a relatively small amount of spent carbon from the GAC units. The re-injection wells used
to discharge the treatment system effluent form a closed loop with the extraction wells. Therefore, the
environmental risks posed by implementation of this alternative are expected to be low.

                                              7-6

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       Alternative T-7 has an estimated capital cost of $5,259,000 and annual operation and maintenance
costs of $1,413,000. .Present worth, is estimated at $26,980,000 for a thirty year period at a five percent
discount rate.


7.9    ALTERNATIVE T-8:   PRECIPITATION/UV-OXIDATION/GAC/ION EXCHANGE/SURFACE
                            WATER DISCHARGE

       This alternative is similar to Alternative T-7 in that it combines UV-oxidation and GAG to reduce
the levels of explosives  compounds in water.  Treatment through  ion exchange may be needed to
supplement the electrochemical precipitation treatment of inorganics for discharge to surface water.

       Chemical reagents must be handled and stored on site for the electrochemical precipitation unit.
The treatment residuals include filter cake from the precipitation system and exhausted resin from the ion
exchange system.  In addition, the effluent is discharged to surface water.  Therefore,  the potential
environmental risks posed by implementation of this system are low to moderate.

       Alternative T-8 has an estimated capital cost of $5,583,000 and annual operation and maintenance
costs of $2,611,000.  Present worth is estimated at $45,720,000 for a thirty year period at a five percent
discount rate.
                                             7-7

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 8.0     SUMMARY OF COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES
       This section evaluates and compares each of the alternatives described in Section 7.0 with
respect to the nine criteria used to assess remedial alternatives as outlined in Section 300.430 (e) of the
NCP. Each of the nine criteria are briefly described below. All of the alternatives which include active
treatment and discharge of groundwater (Alternatives T-3 through T-8) were evaluated to meet the
threshold criteria of protection of human health and the environment and compliance with ARARs.
However, each alternative meets the primary balancing criteria to different degrees.  To aid in identifying
and assessing relative strengths and weaknesses of the different remedial alternatives, this section
provides a comparative analysis of alternatives. As previously discussed, the alternatives are as follows:

       •      Alternative T-1, No Action;
       •      Alternative T-2, Limited Action;
       •      Alternative T-3, UV-Oxidation/Re-injection;
       •      Alternative T-4, Precipitation/UV-Oxidation/lon Exchange/Surface Water Discharge;
              Alternative T-5, Precipitation/GAC/Re-injection;
       •      Alternative T-6, Precipitation/GAC/lon Exchange/Surface Water Discharge;
       •      Alternative T-7, Precipitation/UV-Oxidation/GAC/Re-injection; and
       •      Alternative T-8, Precipitation/UV-Oxidation/GAC/lon Exchange/Surface Water.Discharge.


8.1    NINE EVALUATION CRITERIA

       Section 300.430 (e) of the NCP lists nine criteria by which each remedial alternative must  be
assessed.  The  acceptability or  performance of each alternative against the  criteria is evaluated
individually so that relative strengths and weaknesses may be identified.

       The detailed criteria are briefly defined as follows:

       •      Overall Protection of Human Health and Environment is used to denote whether a
              remedy provides adequate protection against harmful effects and describes how human
              health or environmental risks are eliminated, reduced, or controlled through treatment,
              engineering controls, or institutional controls.

       •      Compliance with ARARs addresses whether a remedy will meet all of the applicable or
              relevant and appropriate requirements of Federal and State environmental statutes and/or
              provides a basis for invoking a waiver.

       •      Long-term Effectiveness and Permanence refers to the magnitude of residual risk and
              the  ability of a remedy to  maintain  reliable protection  of human  health  and the
              environment, over time, once clean-up goals have been met

       •      Reduction of Toxlctty, Mobility,  or Volume through Treatment is the anticipated
              performance of the treatment technologies employed in a remedy.

       •       Short-term Effectiveness refers to the speed with which the remedy achieves protection,
              as well as the remedy's potential to create adverse impacts on human health and the
              environment that may result  during the construction and implementation period.

       •       Implementabllity is the technical and administrative feasibility of a remedy, including the
              availability of materials and services needed to implement the chosen solution.

                                             8-1

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        •      Cost includes both capital and operation and maintenance costs.

               State Acceptance indicates  whether, based  on its review of the  RI/FS Report and
               Proposed Plan, the State concurs with, opposed, or has no comment on the preferred
               alternative.

               Community Acceptance assesses in the Record of Decision following a review of the
               public comments received on the RI/FS Report and the Proposed Plan.

        The NCP (Section 300.430 (f)) states that the first two criteria, protection of human health and the
 environment and compliance with ARARs,  are threshold criteria1 which must be met by the selected
 remedial action. The next five criteria are 'primary balancing criteria", and the trade-offs within this group
 must be balanced. The preferred alternative will be that alternative which is protective of human health
 and the environment, is ARAR-compliant,  and  provides the  best combination of  primary balancing
 attributes.  The final two criteria,  state  and community acceptance are "modifying  criteria" which are
 evaluated following comment on the RI/FS reports and the Proposed Plan.


 8.2     PROTECTION OF HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

        The six alternatives which incorporate groundwater treatment and discharge (Alternatives T-3
 through T-8) provide  protection of human health and the environment.   When implemented with an
 extraction system,  the contaminated groundwater can be contained and removed from the ground for
 treatment thereby  eliminating the exposure pathway by which  off-site residents may be exposed to
 contaminants currently within the area defined by this Operable  Unit.  Although these alternatives may
 not be  capable of reducing the  concentrations of contaminants to levels below health-based limits,
 institutional controls will prevent contact with this groundwater, thereby eliminating the exposure pathway
 within the facility boundary. Alternatives T-3 through T-8 prevent  the future degradation of the condition
 of the off-site groundwater due to contamination currently within  this Operable Unit.

        Alternative  T-1, No Action, will not meet this criterion because no actions are taken to eliminate,
 reduce or control exposure pathways. Because this alternative does not meet this threshold criterion of
 protection of human health and the environment, it will not be considered further in the comparison of
 alternatives. Alternative T-2, Limited Action, does provide some protection in that it limits access to, and
 use of,  the contaminated groundwater through institutional controls.  However, these controls do not
 permanently reduce access to contaminated groundwater.


 8.3     COMPLIANCE WITH ARARS

        Treatment  alternatives T-3 through T-8  are capable of meeting either groundwater ARARs or
 surface water ARARs; and with the exceptions described below and in Section 9.0, are capable of meeting
 health-based limits (including EPA Health Advisories and Drinking Water Equivalency Levels established
 by RfDs and slope factors). Alternatives T-3, T-5 and T-7 are capable of treating the contaminants present
to levels acceptable for re-injection (in compliance with groundwater ARARs).  Alternatives T-4, T-6, and
T-8 incorporate additional treatment technologies to meet surface water ARARs. However, it cannot be
determined without additional performance data if any of the alternatives proposed for this remedial action
will remediate the groundwater within the facility  boundary to the levels set by the EPA Health Advisories
for RDX, 2,4,6-TNT, 1,3-DNB, and by the RfD for 1,3,5-TNB.

       The Limited Action alternative, Alternative T-2, does not provide any action to reduce the levels
of explosive compounds which are presently above the Health Advisories and other health-based levels.

                                             8-2

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 Over long periods of time, levels may decrease due to natural degradation and dilution. .In this case,
 eventual compliance with ARARs may be achieved.  However, the length of time before this occurs may
 be extensive.  Because this alternative does not meet this threshold requirement of compliance with
 ARARs, it will not be considered further in the comparison of alternatives.


 8.4    LONG-TERM EFFECTIVENESS AND PERMANENCE

        Each of the remaining alternatives provide long-term effectiveness and permanence for this limited
 scope action. Alternatives using UV-oxidation 0"-3. T-4, T-7 and T-8) are the most effective in the long-
 term  and the most permanent because, if properly designed and optimized, this process leaves no
 residual waste.  However, if complete oxidation is not achieved, intermediates could be formed which may
 be toxic.  Alternative T-3 uses UV-oxidation as the sole treatment process.  This alternative has the
 potential to be  very effective in the long term and very permanent. In addition, UV-oxidation can easily
 be adjusted to accommodate future fluctuations  in groundwater contaminant levels. The processes used
 in Alternative T-4 generate filter cake and exhausted resin from the additional inorganics treatment
 (precipitation and ion exchange) implemented.  These residuals must be disposed properly.

        Residuals generation is more of a concern in the remaining  alternatives which utilize GAG.
 Alternative T-7 and T-8 utilize GAG as a polishing step and, therefore, generate a relatively small amount
 of spent carbon.  This polishing step ensures that intermediates which may be generated  by the UV-
 oxidation system are not discharged.  Alternatives T-5 and T-6 use GAG alone for the removal of organic
 compounds and, therefore, generate large quantities of spent carbon. Alternatives T-5 through T-8 also
 generate  residuals  associated with the  removal of inorganic analytes.  All four of these alternatives
 implement precipitation, which produces  a filter cake, and  Alternatives  T-6 and T-8  implement ion
 exchange, which generates exhausted resin. These residuals, in addition to the spent carbon, must be
 disposed.

       The effectiveness of Alternatives T-3 and T-7 has been evaluated in treatability tests.   Both
 alternatives are capable of reducing the level of  explosives to those suitable for discharge. Although the
 levels of inorganic  analytes in the groundwater tested during the treatability tests were suitable for
 groundwater discharge and required no treatment, future levels may be higher and inorganics treatment
 may be necessary.  Such treatment is not provided under Alternative T-3.


 8.5    REDUCTION OF TOXICITY, MOBILITY OR VOLUME THROUGH TREATMENT

       Alternatives T-3 through T-8,  when used with an extraction alternative, all provide reduction of
toxicity, mobility or volume.  Each of these alternatives has the potential to treat contaminants to below
the specified ARARs.  Those alternatives which produce the smallest amount of residuals  reduce the
toxicity and volume most permanently.   Alternative T-3  produces the smallest amount of residuals.
Alternative T-4 produces a minimal amount of residuals which include filter cake from the precipitation unit
and exhausted  resin from the ion exchange units.

       Alternative T-7 generates a relatively small quantity of spent carbon as well as filter cake from the
precipitation process. Alternative T-8 generates exhausted ion exchange resin in addition to the residuals
generated by Alternative T-7. The largest quantities of residuals are produced by Alternative T-5 and T-6
which use GAG alone for organics treatment.   Between these two, Alternative T-6 generates more
residuals than T-5 because ion exchange is also utilized.
                                              8-3

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 8.6    SHORT-TERM EFFECTIVENESS

        Alternatives T-3 through T-8 would take approximately equal amounts of time and effort to
 implement.  All alternatives require that a treatment plant be built and that a discharge system such as
 re-injection wells or a surface water discharge system be constructed. No additional risks are incurred
 in the implementation of one alternative as compared to another.


 8.7    IMPLEMENTABILITY

        All of the alternatives are relatively easy to implement and readily available.  However,  some
 alternatives are easier to implement over the long term  due to their relatively  low maintenance and
 replacement requirements. Alternative T-3 may the easiest to implement because this system does not
 require downtime for the replacement and disposal of spent carbon or ion exchange units; however,
 untreated inorganics in the water may cause downtime due to system fouling. Alternative T-4 requires
 frequent replacement of ion exchange units.  Alternatives T-5 through T-8 all require replacement and
 disposal of spent carbon. Alternatives T-5 and T-6 have higher carbon usage rates than T-7 and T-8 and
 must be changed more frequently. In addition, T-6 and  T-8 may require ion exchange unit replacement.

        UV-oxidation processes used in Alternatives T-3, T-4, T-5 and T-6 are available through a limited
 number of vendors. The electrochemical precipitation process used in Alternatives T-4 through T-8  is a
 proprietary system.  GAC  used in  Alternatives T-5 through T-8, and ion exchange systems used in
 Alternatives T-4, T-6 and T-8, are offered by a large number of vendors.


 8.8     COST

        Table 8-1 provides a comparison of the costs of the remaining six alternatives.

        In general, those alternatives implementing ion exchange (Alternatives T-4, T-6 and T-8) cost
 significantly more than their respective alternatives which do not  use ion exchange  systems and
 implement re-injection for discharge (Alternatives T-3, T-5, and T-7, respectively). The present worth of
 these  alternatives is approximately $20,000,000  more than systems implementing discharge  by re-
 injection.  The additional costs are due to the frequent replacement of ion exchange units.

        Of those alternatives developed for discharge to re-injection wells (Alternatives T-3, T-5 and T-7),
 Alternative T-3 has the lowest present worth value. Costs are low due to the relatively simple treatment
 scheme which uses only UV-oxidation. The present worth value for Alternative T-7 is only slightly higher
 than that for Alternative T-3. Because UV-oxidation is used as primary treatment and GAC is used as a
 polishing step in this alternative, the sizes of the systems are much smaller than units used in Alternatives
 T-3 or T-5. This alternative also implements precipitation, which provides greater protection of human
 health and the environment at a fractionally greater cost  Alternative T-5 has the highest present worth
 value due to the large quantities of carbon which must  be replaced and disposed.

        Alternatives developed for discharge to surface water are given in order of increasing present
worth cost as follows: Alternative T-8, Alternative T-4, and Alternative T-6. This order closely follows the
 rationale given above for Alternative T-7, Alternative T-3  and Alternative T-5, respectively.  However, due
to the implementation of precipitation in Alternative T-4 which was not implemented in Alternative T-3, the
 costs for Alternative T-4 are slightly higher than those for Alternative T-8.  Overall, costs for Alternatives
T-4, T-6, and T-8 are significantly higher due to the implementation of ion exchange.
                                              8-4

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                              TABLE 8-1
COMPARISON OF COSTS FOR GROUNDWATER TREATMENT/DISCHARGE ALTERNATIVES
Alternative \
T-3: UV-Oxidation/Re-injection
T-4: Precipitation/UV-Oxidation/lon Exchange/Surface Water
Discharge
T-5: Precipitation/GAC/Re-injection
T-6: Precipitation/GAC/lon Exchange/Surface Water Discharge
T-7: Precipitation/UV-Oxidation/GAC/Re-injection
T-8: Precipitation/UV-Oxidation/GAC/lon Exchange/Surface Water
Discharge
Costs
Capital = $4,216,000
Annual = $1,243,000
Present Worth = $23,325,000
Capital = $6,030,000
Annual = $2,691,000
Present Worth = $47,397,000
Capital = $3,376,000
Annual = $1,964,000
Present Worth = $33,567,000
Capital = $3,701 ,000
Annual = $3,163,000
Present Worth = $52,324,000
Capital = $5,259,000
Annual = $1,413,000
Present Worth = $26,980,000
Capital = $5,583,000
Annual = $2,61 1,000
Present Worth = $45,720,000
                                 8-5

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8.9    STATE ACCEPTANCE

       The State of Tennessee concurs with the selection of Alternative T-7.


8.10   COMMUNITY ACCEPTANCE

       Comments and responses from the July 16, 1992 Public Meeting have been captured in the
meeting transcription, which is included  in the Responsiveness Summary (Appendix A).  No written
comments were received during the comment period.


8.11   SUMMARY OF DETAILED EVALUATION

       Based on the above, the following general conclusions may be drawn:

       •      Treating groundwater to meet re-injection criteria for inorganic analytes (as in Alternatives
              T-3, T-5 and T-7)  is less  difficult and less costly than meeting Ambient Water Quality
              Criteria. In addition, re-injection would result in more efficient extraction of contaminated
              groundwater due to enhanced gradient control.  If upgradient re-injection is used, any
              residuals would be captured by the extraction system and less monitoring may be
              needed.

       •      Use of both UV-oxidation (primary treatment) and GAG (polishing step), as in Alternatives
              T-7 and T-8, appears to be preferable to using either process alone.  The advantages of
              the two-unit system are that intermediates which may result from incomplete oxidation
              would be  removed by the carbon and less system  maintenance would be required.
              Electrical costs are reduced significantly since the UV-oxidation system is not used  to
              reduce the level of organics to  discharge levels.  GAC usage is minimized since the
              concentration of organics in the  influent is greatly reduced through primary treatment.

       •      It is conceivable that inorganics treatment may be needed in the future due to expansion
              of the extraction system.  Also, the use of precipitation during the pilot-scale treatabiltty
              studies appeared to increase the efficiency of the UV-oxidation process.  It is therefore
              desirable to have the  ability  to treat both organics and inorganics.

       Based on the comparative analysis given above, the selected remedy is Alternative T-7.
                                             8-6

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 9.0     SELECTED REMEDY


        Based  upon  consideration  of  the  requirements  of CERCLA, the detailed analysis  of  the
 alternatives, and public comments, the Army, with the concurrence of EPA and TDEC, has determined
 that extraction of groundwater with treatment through the implementation of Alternative T-7 (precipitation,
 UV-oxidation, GAC, and re-injection) is the most appropriate interim remedy for OU 1 at the O-LJne Ponds
 Area at the Milan Army Ammunition Plant in Tennessee.  Because of the large size and  complexity of the
 treatment system, its  design may take  between 12 and 24 months.  This time estimate  includes the
 treatment system design and review, and preparation of bid packages.  Following the design phase the
 system construction will begin.  This  includes selection of contractors  and equipment  suppliers,
 installation, and .start up.  Although this section presents details of the selected remedy, some changes
 may be made based on the remedial design and construction processes.


 9.1    EXTRACTION SYSTEM

         The mobility of the contaminants in the aquifer will be reduced by reversing and controlling the
 groundwater gradient  through  the implementation of a groundwater extraction system.   The specific
 design of this system is dependent on modeling and aquifer testing results. Factors affecting the design
 of the extraction system are the depth and thickness  of the aquifer, the conductivity of the aquifer, and
the location of the contaminant plume. The highly conductive aquifer extends from the water table to a
 depth of approximately 260 feet below ground surface.  Explosives compounds have been detected at
 Health Advisory levels at a depth of 170 feet below  ground  surface.  In the  plane parallel  to the
 groundwater flow direction, the contaminant plume is approximately 2,500 feet long. Perpendicular to the
flow direction, the apparent width is 1,500 ft  Using these dimensions, a depth to the  water table of 45
feet, and a porosity of 20%, the volume of water to be extracted is 1 x 108 gallons. Because even very
 high extraction rates may produce only a relatively small cone of depression in high-permeability aquifers,
 multiple wells will be needed to reverse the groundwater potential gradient over this large area  It is
estimated that groundwater will be extracted from each extraction well at  a rate of 50 to 100 gpm.  For
 purposes of arriving at an order-of-magnitude cost for the extraction system, a representative extraction
well system design is presented and evaluated.

       This remedy will utilize approximately six extraction wells to achieve  groundwater gradient reversal
and to extract contaminated groundwater. Large-diameter wells will be constructed of PVC.  Submersible
pumps will pump water up to ground level where additional pumps will move water to the treatment site.
The total  extraction rate is estimated to be 500 gpm.  The extraction system will be constructed of
galvanized steel piping to provide corrosion resistance, and to prevent freezing, pipes will be heated with
steam injectors. The potential  location of the extraction system is shown along with the proposed re-
injection system locations in Figure 9-1.


9.2    TREATMENT AND DISCHARGE SYSTEM: ALTERNATIVE T-7

       In this remedy, shown schematically in Figure 9-2, electrochemical precipitation, UV-oxidation and
GAC are used in series.  The predicted flow  rate of the system is 500 gpm based on the extraction rate
needed to reverse the groundwater gradient.  Groundwater is first pretreated using electrochemical
precipitation. The level of inorganics is reduced to levels acceptable for re-injection. UV-oxidation is then
used to remove the bulk of the organic compounds from water, and GAC is then used as a polishing step
to reduce the levels of explosives compounds to below discharge levels (discussed in more detail below).
A granular media filtration unit may be needed between the UV-oxidation  and GAC
                                             9-1

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                                                 ROUTE 104
(O
N
                                  FORMER O-LINE PONDS
         O Extraction Welt Location

         D Re-Injection Well Location

         __ Paved Road

         —- Railroad Tracks

         - - - Groundwater Flow Direction
                                                                                    Proposed
                                                                                    Treatment Plant
                                                                                    Location
0-LINE
                                              Figure 9-1
                              Location of Extraction and Re-Injection Well Systems

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(O
Groundwater
Extraction -
System
LEGENI
m Filter Backwash
Hydrogen Peroxide
UY
Neutralization Oxidation
1
1 ». Ozone

V / Granular 1 1 i 1
__ FUrtrochamlcal 	 \ / Media 1 1 1 1
Precipitation A/ Filtration
/v 	 ~~
s- , i 	 -=i
Clanfier ^ I
t 	 U --*• Sludge to
™~* niterlPress Dl8JMJ9ul
Filtrate \
):
	 »- Liquids
	 ^ Solids


Granular . « • .
Media Granular Granular
Filtration * Acnvarea * Acnvarea
Carbon Carbon
	 Unit l\ Unit 412

Treated
Water *
Re-Injection
FIGURE 9-2
MIUN ARMY AMMUNITION PUNT
ALTERNATIVE T-7
FLOW DIAGRAM
ICF KAISER MOO LEE HIGHJAT
ENSINEEHS fu$$\™u
OMtic BBAX rrfdc* 04302
o«wi|E ..UdCENlr N»-
0* WM;' 092291O9

-------
 units to ensure that any solid particles which have formed due to oxidation of metals do not enter the GAG
 unit.  Treated water is then re-injected upgradient of the extraction system to aid jn hydraulic gradient
 control and provide additional flushing of the contaminated groundwater under the 6-Line Ponds. Each
 part of the treatment system is described in detail below.

 9.2.1   Electrochemical Precipitation

        The electrochemical precipitation process is proposed for this Operable Unit because of its
 relatively low maintenance demands, low residuals production, and low chemical reagent usage rate. This
 process utilizes ferrous ions which coprecipitate heavy metals present in the groundwater.  The ions are
 generated by passing a direct current through a cell containing carbon steel electrodes. Because calcium
 or ferric salt additives are not used to form a precipitate, the  amount of sludge  produced is reduced.
 Precipitates which form settle out in a clarifier, are pumped to a filter press, are dewatered and then
 disposed in the form  of filter cake.  The filter cake will be analyzed for hazardous waste characteristics
 and disposed accordingly.

       Treated water is filtered through  a granular media filtration system to remove any additional
 suspended  solids prior  to treatment with  UV-oxidation.  This procedure should  provide  adequate
 pretreatment to eliminate solids which may hinder the UV-oxidation system.  When suspended solids
 begin to appear in the effluent beyond acceptable levels for feed to the UV-oxidation unit, the filter must
 be backwashed to remove particles which have accumulated on the granular media. These solids will
 be recirculated through the electrochemical precipitation  process.

       Electrochemical precipitation will reduce the level  of heavy metals and other inorganics to below
 the groundwater standards. In addition, this process removes inorganics which may cause unnecessary
 loading on the GAG unit which follows.

 9.2.2  UV-Oxldatlon

       The selected  remedy incorporates UV-oxidation in combination with GAC for the treatment of
 groundwater contaminants to levels acceptable for re-injection into the aquifer. The bulk of the explosives
 contamination in the groundwater will be destroyed through UV-oxidation. The specific treatment goals
 of the  UV-oxidation system  is dependent on balancing the economic benefits gained in optimizing
 operating conditions of the system.

       After electrochemical precipitation and filtration, groundwater flows through a reactor which
 contains a series of baffles holding several UV lamps. Ozone, a strong oxidant, is uniformly diffused from
the  base of the reactor and is transformed into hydroxyl radicals, a reaction that is catalyzed by UV
 radiation.  Having a higher oxidation potential than ozone, these hydroxyl radicals react more readily with
the organic molecules. If complete oxidation is achieved, explosive contaminants are oxidized to carbon
dioxide, nitrogen,  water and salts. Excess ozone is converted to oxygen using a nickel-based catalytic
converter prior to  being vented to the atmosphere. Small chain aliphatic compounds may be formed as
intermediates if complete oxidation is not achieved, so the pH may require adjustment after treatment by
UV-oxidation. Results  from treatability studies have shown that UV-oxidation is highly effective in reducing
explosive concentrations  in groundwater.

9.2.3  Granular  Activated Carbon

       The GAG unit proposed for a 500 gpm system consists of 2 to 3 carbon units connected in series.
Each unit is capable of holding approximately 20,000 IDS of granular activated carbon (GAG). Because
UV-oxidation will remove most organic contaminants, and precipitation will remove inorganics, GAC will
be used at a much lower rate than the rates estimated for alternatives that rely solely on GAC for removal

                                              9-4

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 of explosives from groundwater.  However, if complete oxidation is not achieved with the UV-oxidation
 process, organic intermediates will also be adsorbed by the carbon and this usage rate may increase.

        Exhausted GAC may be disposed through companies such as Solvent Recovery Corporation,
 which presently accepts the GAC used at the PWTFs at MAAP.  Because the carbon is used as fuel,
 acceptance of the GAC and the costs for disposal are based on the BTU content of the carbon. The
 exhausted carbon is disposed through a high temperature incineration process operated by this company.


 9.2.4   Re-lnlectlon

        Treated water will be re-injected into the aquifer upgradient of the ponds as shown in Figure 9-1.
 The location and design of the re-injection well field are dependent on aquifer tests and modeling results.
 Re-injection wells made of PVC will be screened along the entire depth of the aquifer (approximately 200
 feet in length) to ensure adequate injection into the aquifer. Galvanized steel pipes will carry water from
 the treatment site to the re-injection system.


 9.3     PERFORMANCE MONITORING

        A monitoring program shall be developed and implemented during the interim response  action
 to ensure that hydraulic control of the groundwater within OU I is maintained. Specifically, an inward and
 upward gradient within the aquifer  must  exist to prevent  further  migration  of the  contaminated
 groundwater from the Operable Unit.  Information necessary for this determination includes:

        •       horizontal and vertical gradients in the groundwater within OU I;

        •       horizontal and vertical contaminant concentration gradients within OU I;

        •       changes in contaminant concentration or distribution over time; and

        •       effects of any modifications to the original interim response action.

        To provide this information, the groundwater containment performance monitoring plan shall
 include, at a minimum, the following:  locations of  new or existing monitoring wells for water quality
 sampling; frequency of water quality sampling; analytical parameters (focusing on chemicals of concern)
 and analytical methods to be employed; field sampling methods; specification of water level monitoring
 locations, methods, and frequencies using new or existing wells; and methods for capture zone analysis.

 9.3.1    Effluent Monitoring Program

        A monitoring plan for the effluent from the treatment plant shall be developed and implemented
 during the interim response action to ensure that control of the effluent is maintained prior to re-injection.
A monitoring program  shall be developed during  the design phase that provides  periodic and/or
continuous information on the chemical constituency of the treatment plant effluent

       To provide this information, the effluent  monitoring program shall include, at a minimum, the
following:  analysis of 24-hour composite samples at a frequency of twice a month for total suspended
solids, Target Analyte List metals, nitrates, nitrites, volatile organic compounds, and explosives compounds
 (treatment plant influent concentrations will also be monitored at this frequency and for the above-listed
parameters); and continuous monitoring of pH and control within the limits of 5 and 7.
                                             9-5

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 9.4     TREATMENT SYSTEM PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

        During the system start-up period, optimization studies shall be perfomed for reagent addition
 rates, initial pH for the UV-oxidation step,  and pH adjustment method. These data will be used to
 establish cost-effective operating conditions and will also be used to complete a sensitivity analysis.

        The interim remedy will be operated continuously for one year; during this time period, system
 performance data will be collected and analyzed. In particular, the following information will be recorded
 for evaluation:

        •    .  flow rate and influent concentrations;

        •      variations  in  reagent  addition rates and  any  corresponding  changes in  effluent
              characteristics;

        •      electricity usage; and

        •      frequency of downtime for system maintenance or repair, and the nature of the repairs.

        At the end of the one-year evaluation period, and after the toxicrty studies of 1,3,5-TNB have been
 completed and the data analyzed, the Army will prepare the final remedy ROD for OU 1, OU 2, and OU
 14. The system performance data will be summarized in this document.  The final remedy ROD will also
 contain  the most up-to-date health-based criteria for the chemicals of concern. System perfomance will
 be evaluated with respect to any changes in these levels from the health-based levels listed herein.

        If the Army, EPA, and the State of Tennessee  agree that a treatment system cannot reasonably
 be expected to meet the health-based levels for the chemicals of concern on a consistent basis, then that
 fact will  be documented in the final remedy ROD.  Achievable discharge levels will be determined from
the system perfomance data and other relevant information and will be entered into the final remedy ROD.


 9.5     INSTITUTIONAL CONTROLS

       The Army will ensure protection  of on-site future users of groundwater. The  active remediation
will be  supplemented with institutional controls to prevent ingestion  of contaminated groundwater
associated with OU I. These institutional controls will  consist of the following:

        •      The groundwater within  OU I will not  be used for potable purposes  while the levels of
              contaminants are higher than health-based  levels; this will be ensured by Milan Army
              Ammunition Plant Environmental Office review of all projects and leases involving well
              installation and usage at the facility.  Any well installed within the facility will be tested
              prior to  use.

        •      In  accordance with  Army  Regulation 200-1,  entitled  Environmental Protection and
              Enhancement, the Army is required to  perform preliminary assessment screening for the
              subject parcel being excessed. This screening will evaluate potential use of the property,
              identify  any additional remedial activities, and/or  place restrictions on the property to
              protect the future landowners through a document entitled Statement of Condition. The
              Army will implement the recommendations in the Statement of Condition prior to property
              transfer.
                                             9-6

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 In addition, a continuing program of public awareness will be used to inform the public of the hazards
 associated with contaminants that remain within the Operable Unit.
 9.6     REMEDIATION GOALS

        The goal of this interim action is to reduce the potential human health risks and restore the aquifer
 to the extent practicable with the proposed technology.  Active contaminant concentration reduction in
 conjunction with natural attenuation in the aquifer will be used to assure that contaminants from this
 Operable Unit do not affect future off-post drinking water. In addition, institutional controls will be used
 to prevent on-site future usage of contaminated groundwater and to maintain public awareness of the
 conditions at the Operable Unit.

        The contaminants of concern for this interim remedial action are identified in the baseline risk
 assessment conducted for this Operable Unit (Section 6.0). The list of chemicals of concern is comprised
 of all organic contaminants detected in the groundwater samples except those which are probable
 sampling or laboratory artifacts.  In addition, all inorganic analytes detected in the groundwater samples
 are included except those which are essential nutrients  or which were detected  at concentrations low
 enough that no adverse health effects are predicted. Because nitrates are an oxidation product of the
 explosives breakdown,  this analyte is included with the chemicals of concern. The list of chemicals of
 concern is provided in Table 9-1.

        In developing contaminant discharge levels for the proposed remedial action, the following two
 principal criteria have been applied:

        •       the discharge levels must be protective of off-post human health; and

        •       the discharge levels must be technically  achievable by a full-scale system.

 9.6.1    Federal MCLs and Tennessee Groundwater Standards

        For those contaminants for which Federal Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) and/or Tennessee
 Groundwater Quality Standards are available, discharge levels equal to the chemical-specific ARARs are
technically achievable and provide adequate protection of human  health and the environment.' The
discharge levels are listed in Table 9-1.

 9.6.2   Hearth Advisories

        For RDX, 2,4,6-TNT, HMX, and 1,3-DNB, EPA has developed Health Advisory levels  using the
assumption that 80% of  human exposure to the contaminants occurs through pathways other than
ingestion of groundwater (such as ingestion of crops irrigated with groundwater, showering and bathing,
and inhalation). These Health Advisories are not TBC standards for this interim remedial action because
the remedy will ensure protection of  human health and the environment through active groundwater
remediation and institutional controls.
                                              9-7

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                                       TABLE 9-1
                       Discharge Levels for Contaminants of Concern
Contaminant of Concern
Discharge
Concentration
fog/L)
Source or Description
INORGANIC CONSTITUENTS
Nitrate
10,000
Federal Maximum Contaminant Level
VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
Carbon Disulfide
3,500
Derived from Reference Dose (RfD); the
concentration corresponds to the level at which no
adverse health effects will result from daily
ingestion of 2 L of water over a lifetime
EXPLOSIVES COMPOUNDS
1 ,3-Dinitrobenzene
2,4-Dinitrotoluene
2,6-Dinrtrotoluene
HMX
Nitrobenzene
RDX
1 ,3,5-Trinitrobenzene
2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene
5
0.5
0.5
2,000
17.5
10
20
10
USEPA Office of Drinking Water Lifetime Health
Advisory, assuming 100% exposure occurs through
ingestion of water
Derived from Cancer Slope Factor (SF), assuming
an excess cancer risk of 10"8 and lifetime exposure
to 2 L of water per day
Derived from SF, assuming an excess cancer risk of
10"9 and lifetime exposure to 2 L of water per day
USEPA Office of Drinking Water Lifetime Health
Advisory, assuming 100% exposure occurs through
ingestion of water
Derived from Reference Dose (RfD); the
concentration corresponds to the level at which no
adverse health effects will result from dairy
ingestion of 2 L of water over a lifetime
USEPA Office of Drinking Water Lifetime Health
Advisory, assuming 100% exposure occurs through
ingestion of water
Propo*ed discharge level, based on treatabilify
study data, technical feasibility, and cost
USEPA Office of Drinking Water Lifetime Health
Advisory, assuming 100% exposure occurs through
ingestion of water
Total excess cancer risk: 6 x 10"5
                                          9-8

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        The baseline risk assessment conducted for the groundwater operable unit indicates that under
 the residential future land use scenario (the most stringent future land use conditions), all significant
 potential human health risk is due to ingestion of groundwater as drinking water. Other risk pathways are
 far more secondary because of the nature of the contaminants, which are not volatile and do not pose
 significant risk via the dermal contact exposure route.  Also, crop irrigation is not widely practiced in this
 region.

        For the reasons given above,  the concentrations corresponding to 100%  exposure through
 drinking water have been selected as the discharge levels. For RDX, 2,4,6-TNT, HMX, and 1,3-DNB, these
 levels are 10; 10; 2,000; and 5 pQ/L, respectively.  As will be discussed in the next section, it has been
 estimated that the concentrations of these contaminants will not exceed the Health Advisory levels (2; 2,
 400; and 1 A/g/L, respectively)  at the facility boundary.

 9.6.3   Other Risk-Based Guidance

        EPA has classified 2,4- and 2,6-DNT as Group B2 carcinogens and has issued a Slope Factor (SF)
 of 0.68 (mg/kg/day)"1 for both  isomers.  Based on the assumptions of a 70 kg human ingesting 2 L of
 water per day for a lifetime, a concentration in groundwater of 0.5 pg/L corresponds to an excess cancer
 risk of 1 x 10"5.  These slope factors are TBC standards.

        For carbon  disulfide, nitrobenzene, and 1,3,5-TNB, EPA has issued reference doses (RfD) of 1 x
 10~1, 5 x 10"4, and 5 x 10~5 mg/kg-day, respectively. For carbon disulfide and nitrobenzene, these values
 have been used to calculate concentrations in water which are unlikely to result in adverse health effects.
 These values are listed in Table 9-1 as 3,500 and 350 pg/L, respectively.  For carbon disulfide and
 nitrobenzene, these RfDs are  TBC standards.   For 1,3,5-TNB, the RfD is not a TBC standard for this
 interim remedial action because the remedy will ensure protection of human health and the environment
 through active groundwater  remediation and institutional controls.

        It  has been concluded  from the  treatability  study data that the rate-limiting compound for
 ultraviolet oxidation, which is the preferred treatment method because of the high efficiency and lack of
 treatment residuals, is 1,3,5-TNB. The retention time study indicates that 2,4,6-TNT is readily oxidized into
 1,3,5-TNB,  which then has greater resistance to the free hydroxyl radicals due to a molecular structure
 which is less susceptible to attack.  Although the concentration of 1,3,5-TNB was eventually reduced to
 less than the detection limit, a relatively long retention time was needed.  Therefore, if the system is
 designed to treat groundwater such that the concentration of 1,3,5-TNB is reduced to extremely low levels,
 the cost efficiency of the system would  be greatly reduced.

        Given the difficulty in  reducing the concentration to extremely low levels, and the fact that
 institutional controls will preclude the use of undiluted effluent as a potable water supply, a discharge
 concentration of 20 yg/L is selected for this compound.

 9.6.4   Estimate of Off-Site Concentrations of Contaminants after Remediation

        The discharge limits developed  in the previous sections specify the maximum concentrations of
 explosives and other contaminants that may be in the treatment system effluent for this interim remedy.
The purpose of setting these discharge levels is to provide protection of human health within the capability
 of the treatment system.   To ensure  that the discharge levels are sufficiently  protective of off-site
 groundwater users, an estimate was made of the maximum levels of contaminants in groundwater at the
 facility boundary.  In developing these estimates, it is assumed that the only  human health exposure
 pathway is the transport of contaminants to the facility boundary (approximately 9,000 feet from O-LJne)
 and then ingestion of contaminated water by residents living off site.
                                              9-9

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        The assumption was made that the proposed action will successfully stop the further migration
 of contaminated groundwater from the O-Line Ponds area and that re-injection of treated water (with
 concentrations of contaminants at or below the discharge levels) will occur upgradient of the ponds. The
 re-injected  water  will  mix with  both untreated  contaminated  groundwater  and  uncontaminated
 groundwater. Therefore, the interim remedial action is complete, and in the absence of a final remedial
 action which achieves  all  health-based levels, the area downgradient of the re-injection wells (and
 approximately as long as the currently existing area of contaminated groundwater) will be nearly uniformly
 contaminated with explosives at levels assumed to be equal to the cleanup levels.  Transport of these
 contaminants will then occur toward the hypothetical receptors on the facility boundary. This is a highly
 idealized approximate model of contaminant transport, but existing data are not sufficient to formulate a
 more detailed approach.
        where:
               *        = porosity of the aquifer material
               ^current   = current width of the area of contaminated groundwater;
               Lcurrent   = current length of the area of contaminated groundwater (greater than or
                         equal to the discharge level);
               recurrent   = current depth of the plume;
               ^discharge = discharge concentration;
               Wfuture   = future width of the area of contaminated groundwater;
               Lfutura    = future length of the area of contaminated groundwater;
               rjfuture   = future depth of the plume; and
               ^off-site   = concentration at facility boundary.

        Assuming that the width and depth of the area of contaminated groundwater are the same for the
current and future cases, the equation reduces to:
This may be expressed as:


C
                                      air-nit
The distance from the southernmost edge of the current area of contaminated groundwater to the facility
boundary is 9,000 feet The levels of RDX in groundwater were used in estimating the current length of
the area of contaminated groundwater because available  data indicate that this is the most areally
extensive contaminant. The length of the area within which the concentration exceeds the discharge level
is approximately 1,800 feet.  Therefore, the off-site levels are estimated to be 5 times smaller than the
discharge levels. Using this  estimated relationship between  discharge levels and off-site levels, the EPA
Health Advisory levels for RDX, 2,4,6-TNT, 1,3-ONB, and HMX will be met at the facility boundary. The
discharge levels therefore provide adequate protection of human health in off-site areas.
                                              9-10

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 9.6.5   Achievement of Remediation Goals

        Results from pilot-scale studies performed on groundwater from the O-LJne ponds indicate that
 groundwater may be treated to levels below the discharge levels established for the groundwater for this
 Operable Unit. Therefore, treatment of the 0-Line Ponds groundwater through the implementation of the
 selected remedy will reduce the risks posed by the present groundwater to the target risk range specified
 for this Operable Unit.


 9.7    COST OF THE SELECTED REMEDY

        A summary of  the costs for this alternative are given in Tables 9-2 (extraction system) and 9-3
 (treatment and re-injection system). The total  capital costs for the treatment system is $2,098,000.
 Additional capital costs include $206,000 site preparation, $451,000 for the installation of a re-injection
 system, and $327,000 for the extraction well system.  The total present worth of this remedy is estimated
 to be approximately $27,553,000 (30 years, 5% discount rate), including capital  costs of $5,586,000 and
 annual O&M  expenditures of $1,429,000.  These costs are  preliminary and  are subject to change
 depending on final  system design.  Cost estimates are based on vendor information and generic unit
 costs.

        The capital  costs for the electrochemical precipitation unit will be affected by the selected flow
 rate. Although the size of the unit will affect the capital cost of the unit, cost versus flow rate is not a linear
 function due to economies of scale. For the electrochemical precipitation process, flow rate is expected
 to have a greater effect on equipment size than inlet contaminant concentrations because the size of the
 equipment is mainly determined by the rate of flocculent settling rather than by a chemical reaction rate.
 In general, polymers can be added to the groundwater to enhance settling as necessary to respond to
 contaminant concentration variations. However, the sizing of ancillary equipment such as the filter press
 is highly dependent upon  the contaminant loading in the groundwater and the  groundwater flow rate.

        The most significant operating costs for electrochemical precipitation are electrical and iron
 consumption.  Electrical consumption and iron dosage are more linearly related to flow rate than to inlet
 contaminant concentrations.  The optimum dosage of iron must be determined through performance
 testing should the inlet contaminant concentrations change significantly.  Filter cake disposal is also a
 significant operating cost; sludge volume is directly related to the contaminant loading in the groundwater
 and the groundwater flow  rate.

        The capital  cost for the UV-oxidation unit will be affected by the  selected flow rate, the inlet
 contaminant concentrations, and the effluent concentration desired. Although the size of the unit will
 affect the capital cost of the unit, cost versus flow rate is not a linear function due to economies of scale.
The contaminant concentrations affect the required residence time, which in turn affects the size of the
 equipment.

        The operating costs of the UV-oxidation  unit are affected by the flow rate, the inlet contaminant
 concentrations, and the effluent concentration desired for this first organics treatment step. The two most
 significant operating costs  are electricity and oxidant consumption. Oxidant dosage is proportional to flow
rate of the system. Electrical consumption is directly related to the residence time of the groundwater in
the unit and  the  groundwater  flow rate (i.e.,  the size of the  unit).   The  effects  of  contaminant
concentrations on required residence time in the reactor can be estimated using reaction kinetics data
obtained during treatability testing.  Residence time of the final treatment unit may be adjusted by varying
the number of operating UV lamps.
                                             9-11

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                                                            Table 9-2
                                               Summary of Costs for Extraction System

ITEM
1.
II
GENERAL ACTIONS/SITE PREPARATION
1. Contractor Mobilization/ Demobilization
Subtotal:
. EXTRACTION SYSTEM
1. Extraction Wells
2. Submersible Pumps (6 shallow well pumps)
3. Collection Piping
Subtotal:
SUBTOTAL (1, II)
111
. ADDITIONAL SYSTEM COSTS
1. Health and Safety 10X of Capital subtotal
2. Bid Contingency 15X of Capital subtotal
3. Scope Contingency(p) 15X of Capital subtotal
25X of Annual subtotal
Subtotal :
CONSTRUCTION SUBTOTAL (1, II, and III)
IV.
IMPLEMENTATION COST
J. Eng. Services During Construction 15X of system subtotal
, Engineering & Design 10X of system subtotal
Subtotal:

A.
B.
C.
TOTAL CAPITAL COSTS
TOTAL ANNUAL COSTS
TOTAL PRESENT WORTH OF ANNUAL COSTS
TOTAL PRESENT WORTH OF CAPITAL AND ANNUAL COSTS (A « C)
QUANTITY CAPITAL ANNUAL
COST 0 8 M
COST
$20,000
$20,000
6 wells $68,000
6 pumps $10,000 $13,000
2870 ft $89,000
$167,000 $13,000
$187,000 $13,000
$19,000
$28,000
$28,000
$3,000
$75,000 $3,000
$262,000 $16,000
$39,000
$26,000
$65,000

$327,000
$16,000

Present Worth
of Annual Costs
30 years, 57. 30 years, 107.


$200,000 $123,000
$200,000 $123,000
$200.000 $123,000
$46,000 $28,000
$46,000 $28,000
$246,000 $151,000



$246,000 $151,000
$573,000 $478,000
M  .

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                                 Table 9-3
Summary of Costs for Alternative T-7: Preclpttatlon/UV-OxIdation/GAC/Re-lnjectlon
ITEM
I. Administrative Actions
1. Institutional Restrictions/Emergency Provisions (a)
2. Public Education Program (b)
3. Program Oversight (c)
Subtotal:
II. GENERAL ACTIONS/SITE PREPARATION
1. Parking/Staging Area (c)
2. Treatment System Building Construction (d)
3. Building lighting and Heating (e)
4. Contractor Mobilization/ Demobilization
Subtotal:
III. GROUNDUATEft TREATMENT SYSTEM
1. Pre-treatment System (Precipitation) (f)
2. UV-Oxidation Unit (g)
3. Granular Media Filtration Unit (h>
4. Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) Adsorption Unit (i)
5. Part-time System Operator (j)
Subtotal:
IV. RE- INJECTION SYSTEM
1. Injection Wells
2. Horizontal Pumps
3. Discharge Piping
4. System Controls
Subtotal:
V. LONG-TERM MONITORING I REVIEW
1. Weekly Effluent I Monthly Residuals Monitoring (k)
2. Quarterly Grounduater Monitoring and Reporting (t)
3. Quarterly Surface Water Monitoring I Reporting (m)
4. Five-Year Reviews (SIS, 000 ea)
Subtotal:
SUBTOTAL (I, II, III, IV and V)
VI. ADDITIONAL SYSTEM COSTS
1. Health and Safety 10X of Capital subtotal
2. Bid Contingency 1SX of Capital subtotal
3. Scope Contingency 15X of Capital subtotal
25X of Annual subtotal
Subtotal :
CONSTRUCTION SUBTOTAL (I, II, III, IV, V and VI)
VII. IMPLEMENTATION COST
1. Eng. Services During Construction 15X of systsn subtotal
2. Engineering I Design 10X of systaai subtotal
3. Permitting/Coordination (o)
Subtotal:

A. TOTAL CAPITAL COSTS
B. TOTAL ANNUAL COSTS
C. TOTAL PRESENT WORTH OF ANNUAL COSTS
TOTAL PRESENT WORTH OF CAPITAL AND ANNUAL COSTS (A * C)
QUANTITY CAPITAL
COST
115,000
$20,000
*35,000
1200 sq ft $1,000
7500 sq ft $150,000
S35.000
$20,000
1206,000
USD, 000
$980,000
$95,000
$165,000
2180 hrs/yr $8,000
$2,098,000
3 wells $99,000
3 punps $11,000
4450 ft $316,000
$25,000
$451,000
$200,000
6 tiells
6 reports
$200,000
$2,990,000
$299,000
$449,000
$449.000
$1,197,000
$4,187,000
$628,000
$419,000
$25,000
$1.072,000

$5,259,000

ANNUAL
0 t M
COST
$75.000
$75,000
$7,000
$7,000
$200,000
$368,000
$53,000
$94,000
$44,000
$759,000
$5,000
$26,000
$31,000
$121,000
$67,000
$67,000
$3,000
$258,000
$1,130,000
$283,000
$283,000
$1,413,000



$1,413,000

Present
of Annual
30 years, 5X
$1,153,000
$1,153,000
$108,000
$108,000
$3,074,000
$5,657,000
$815,000
$1,445,000
$676,000
$11,667,000
$77,000
$400,000
$477,000
$1,860,000
$1,030,000
$1,030,000
$46,000
$3,966,000
$17,371,000
$4,350,000
$4,350,000
$21,721,000



$21,721,000
$26,980,000
Worth
Costs
30 years, 10X
$707,000
$707,000
$66,000
$66,000
$1,885,000
$3,469,000
$500,000
$886,000
$415,000
$7,155,000
$47,000
$245,000
$292,000
$1,141,000
$632,000
$632,000
$28,000
$2.433,000
$10,653,000
$2,668,000
$2,668,000
$13,321,000



$13,321,000
$18,580,000
                                  9-13

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                                                  Table 9-3 (cont'd)
       Summary of Costs for Alternative T-7: PreclpHatlon/UV-OxIdatlon/GAC/Re-lnJectlon
NOTES AND ASSUMPTIONS

(a) • For controlling access to contaminated areas, restricting future property use,
      and restricting the drilling of new drinking water wells.
(b) - To increase public awareness of hazards through press releases,  presentations, and  posting of signs.
(c) - Costs include  the annual salary of one program oversight manager for  the groundwater treatment program.
      Costs do not include government oversight of this task,
(d) - 30 ft x 40 ft  staging area of 8" deep gravel.
(e) • Includes a 75  ft x 100 ft prefabricated steel building, 6" concrete base, insulation, electrical  wiring, and plumbing.
(f) - Lighting consists of 25 8' fluorescent lights
(a) - Includes electrochemical precipitation system consisting of a reactor,
      a clarifier, a granular media filtration unit, a filter press,  assorted1pumps and tanks.
      Operating costs of S0.25/ lOOOgal wastewater include power and maintenance.
     . The amount of  sludge removed is estimated at 15 cubic feet/day » S180/55 gal drum.
(h) - Includes 3 SOOOgal contactors, 4 reactors, and ozone generator.  Operating costs include
      ozone and electrical costs.
(i) - Includes 3 vessel multi-media filter skid with punps, influent  and effluent tanks.
      Operating costs of S0.20/ 1000 gal wastewater.
(j) • Includes 2  20,0001b adsorbers connected in series.  Annual costs include delivery
      and cost of activated carbon.
(k) - Part-time system operator is assumed to cost *20/hr and is used approximately 1 8hr shift per day.
(1) - Sixty effluent samples will be taken per year and analyzed for  TAL/TCL, explosives, and cyanide.
      The analytical costs are 12000 per sample. The residual samples (24/y*ar) will b* tested for TCLP metals and VOCs,
      corrosivity, ignitability and reactivity at a cost of S700 per sample.
(m) - The cost for well sampling la $2240 per sampling event. Six (6) wits are proposed.
      The analytical costs are S2000 per sample, tested for TAL/TCL,  explosives and cyanide.
(n) - The costs for  surface water sampling is S2260 per sampling event. Six locations are proposed to be  monitored quaterly.
      Surface water  will be tested for  TAL/TCL, explosives and cyanide at  a  cost of 12000 per sample.
(o) - Cost includes  permit application process and/or coordination with state/federal officials regarding discharge of treated water.

      TAL/TCL - Target Analyte List/Target Compound List
      TCLP - Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure
      VOC - volatile organic compounds
                                                           9-14

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        GAG units are designed to provide an adequate contact time given a maximum flow rate.  If the
flow rate is lower than assumed and the contaminant concentrations are constant, a smaller unit can be
specified, the depth of the carbon bed (i.e., the contact time) will not be reduced; however, the cross-
sectional area of the  unit would be reduced.  If the flow rate is higher than that assumed and the
contaminant concentrations are held  constant, a  larger unit  (i.e.,  larger  cross-sectional area to
accommodate the higher flow rate) or a number of small adsorption units in parallel can be designed.
In this case, the depth of the carbon bed(s) will be held constant.  As with the other treatment units, the
cost of the GAG unit will vary with flow rate; however, cost versus flow rate is not a linear function due to
economies of scale. The carbon usage rate is also dependent upon the flow rate.  If the flow rate is lower
than that assumed and the inlet contaminant concentrations are held constant, the carbon usage rate will
be lower because the unit is smaller (i.e., holds less carbon) even though the carbon bed life (i.e.,  time
to contaminant breakthrough) does not change.  If the flow rate is higher than that assumed and the inlet
contaminant concentrations are held constant, the carbon usage  rate will be higher because the unit is
larger (i.e., holds more carbon) even though the carbon bed life does not change.

       The only  effect that a change in inlet contaminant concentrations will  have on the carbon
adsorption unit is on operating costs (i.e., purchase of activated carbon and regeneration/disposal of
spent carbon). That is, if the inlet concentrations are lower than  assumed (due to extended treatment
through UV-oxidation or a decrease in contaminant levels in  the groundwater over time), the carbon
adsorption bed will have a longer life (i.e., greater time to contaminant breakthrough) and will have to be
changed out less frequently; if the inlet contaminant concentrations are higher than assumed, the carbon
adsorption bed will have a shorter life and will have to be changed out more frequently.

       Re-injection costs are dependent on flow rate only. If the effluent flow from the treatment system
is increased, a greater number of re-injection wells will be needed, increasing capital and operating costs.
Likewise, if the effluent flow is decreased, fewer wells will be needed to re-inject the water into the aquifer
and capital and operating costs will decrease.
                                             9-15

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 10.0   STATUTORY DETERMINATIONS


        Executive Order 12580 delegates the authority for carrying out the requirements of CERCLA
 sections 104(a), (b),  and (c)(4) and 121 to the Department of Defense, to be exercised consistent with
 section 120 of the Act.  Therefore, under its legal authorities, the Army's primary responsibility at MAAP
 is to undertake a remedial action that achieves adequate protection of human health and the environment.
 In addition,  section 121 of CERCLA establishes several other statutory  requirements and preferences.
 These specify that when complete, the final remedial action for the O-Line Ponds area must comply with
 applicable or relevant and appropriate environmental standards established under Federal and State
 environmental laws unless a statutory waiver is justified. The final remedy also must be cost-effective and
 utilize permanent solutions and alternative treatment technologies  or resource recovery technologies to
 the maximum extent practicable.  Finally, the statute includes a preference for remedies that  employ.
 treatment that permanently  and significantly reduce the volume, toxicity, or mobility of hazardous
 substances  as their principal element. The following sections discuss how the selected interim  remedy
 is consistent with these statutory requirements as far as practicable given the limited scope of the action.


 10.1    PROTECTION OF HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

        The selected remedy will contain and remove contaminated groundwater from the ground, thereby
 reducing the risk posed by this  potential exposure pathway.  This alternative extracts contaminated
 groundwater, treats it to remove contaminants below the discharge levels listed in Section 9.6 of this ROD,
 and re-injects the treated water into the aquifer. Groundwater quality will be improved by implementation
 of the selected remedy and potential health risks will be significantly reduced.  No unacceptable short-
 term risks or cross-media impacts will be caused by implementation of the remedy.

        Although contamination will remain within the Operable Unit above health-based levels, institutional
 controls will  prevent contact with these contaminants until a final groundwater remedy is implemented.


 10.2    COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE OR  RELEVANT AND APPROPRIATE REQUIREMENTS

        The  ARARs for this Operable Unit include action-specific, chemical-specific and location-specific
 requirements. To-be-considered (TBC) guidance are also listed.

 10.2.1  Actlon-Spectflc ARARs

        This remedy  will be operated in accordance with all Federal and Tennessee treatment facility
 requirements.  A list of action-specific ARARs and TBC guidance is presented in Table 10-1.

        According to Rule 1200-4-6-.14  of the State of Tennessee Water Laws,  re-injection of treated
 groundwater is permissible.  A Class V injection well may be used provided that no hazard to existing or
future use of the groundwater as cited in rule 1200-4-6-.05 exists.  Groundwater usage under this later
 rule includes domestic water supply, industrial water supply, livestock watering and wildlife, surface water
drainage, and irrigation.  The rule stipulates that groundwater used for these purposes may be subject
to treatment prior to the actual use. Treatment of extracted groundwater will take place prior to use of
a Class V injection well for re-injection, and therefore will not disqualify the groundwater from being used
for any of the stated uses in the rule.
                                            10-1

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                                                                          Table 10-1
                                    Identification of Action-Specific ARARs and To-Be-Considered Guidance
          Authority
   Requirement
      Status
                                                    Requirement Synopsis
      Federal Regulatory
      Requirement
O
rb
National
Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA)
of 1969
Applicable
Federal actions may not result in environmental damage.
                          Occupational Safety
                          and Hearth Act
                          (OSHA) - General
                          Industry Standards
                          (29 CFR 1910)
                     Applicable
                     These regulations specify the 8-hour time-weighted average concentration for various organic
                     compounds. Training requirements for workers at hazardous waste operations are specified in
                     29 CFR 1910.120.
                          OSHA • Safety and
                          Hearth Standards
                          (29 CFR 1926)
                     Applicable
                     This regulation specifies the type of safety equipment and procedures to be followed during
                     site remediation.
OSHA-
Recordkeeplng,
Reporting, and
Related Regulations
(29 CFR 1904)
                                               Applicable
                     This regulation outlines the recordkeeping and reporting requirements for an employer under
                     OSHA.
                          Resource
                          Conservation and
                          Recovery Act
                          (RCRA). RCRA
                          Subtitle C (40 CFR
                          260)     	
                     Relevant and
                     Appropriate
                     RCRA regulates the generation, transport, storage, treatment, and disposal of hazardous waste.
                     CERCLA specifically requires (in Section 104(c)(3)(B)) that hazardous substances from
                     remedial actions be disposed at facilities in compliance with Subtitle C of RCRA.
                          RCRA - Standards
                          for Owners and
                          Operators of
                          Permitted
                          Hazardous Waste
                          Facilities (40 CFR
                          264.1 - 264.8)
                     Relevant and
                     Appropriate
                     General facility requirement include general waste analysis, security measures, inspections,
                     and training requirements.
                          RCRA-
                          Preparedness and
                          Prevention (40 CFR
                          264.30-264.31)
                     Relevant and
                     Appropriate
                     This regulation outlines requirements for safety equipment and spill control.

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                        Table 10-1 (cont'd)
Identification of Action-Specific ARARs and To-Be-Considered Guidance
Federal Regulatory
Requirement
Federal Guidance
State Regulatory
Requirement
RCRA -
Contingency Plan
and Emergency
Procedures (40 CFR
264.50 - 264.56)
RCRA-
Groundwater
Protection (40 CFR
264.90 - 264.109)
RCRA - Closure and
Post-Closure (40
CFR 264.1 10-
264.120)
National Ambient
Air Quality
Standards (40 CFR
Part 50)
USEPA
Groundwater
Protection Strategy •
USEPA Policy
Statement (August
1984)
State of Tennessee
Water Laws (Rule
1200-4-6-.14)
State of Tennessee
Ambient Air Quality
Primary Standards
(Rule 1200-3-3-.03)
Relevant and
Appropriate
Relevant and
Appropriate
Relevant and
Appropriate
Applicable
To be considered
Applicable
Applicable
This regulation outlines the requirements for emergency procedures to be used following
explosions, fires, etc.
This regulation details requirements for a groundwater monitoring program to be installed at
the site.
This regulation details specific requirements for closure and post-closure of hazardous waste
facilities.
Federal agencies are required to determine if the site is located in a non-attainment zone for
ozone. Sites within non-attainment areas must consider the ozone attainment status in
designing remediation systems.
Identifies groundwater quality to be achieved during remedial actions based on the aquifer
characteristics and use.
The requirements for a Class V injection well are listed.
Identifies the air quality standards for ozone.

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        Since land re-surfacing and construction activities will be performed upon implementation of a
 treatment alternative, air quality ARARs are applicable. For each technology within this remedy, applicable
 air quality regulations will be met. UV-oxidation requires the generation of ozone, a regulated substance,
 for use as an oxidant. The Tennessee Ambient Air Quality Primary Standard for ozone is 0.12 mg/L by
 volume (Rule 1200-3-3-.03).

        In regards to disposal of the spent carbon and precipitation filter cake, important potential ARARs
 are the Land Disposal Restrictions (LDRs) implemented by EPA under the Hazardous and Solid Waste
 Amendments (HSWA). Under these restrictions, hazardous waste may not be landfilled without meeting
 the prescribed treatment standard. If these restrictions are applicable (i.e., if the spent carbon and/or filter
 cake are determined to constitute a hazardous waste), then the disposal  of the wastes will be performed
 in compliance with the LDRs.

 10.2.2  Chemlcal-Specfflc ARARs

        The selected interim remedy provides a means of reducing the levels of contamination in extracted
 groundwater to below clean up levels set by ARARs and TBCs at the facility boundary and will achieve
 these  levels within the facility for most contaminants.  The remedy will significantly  reduce the
 concentrations of RDX, 2,4,6-TNT, HMX, and 1,3-DNB within the Operable  Unit; however, the health-based
 limits applicable to these constituents may not be achieved within the facility boundary during this interim
 action. Further remediation of groundwater within the Operable Unit may be addressed in the subsequent
 final  remedial action.  To ensure protection of human health and the environment while the subsequent
 action  is being developed, institutional controls will be used to prevent use of the water.

        More stringent Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs), established by the Safe Drinking
 Water Act, are not relevant and appropriate standards given the risks posed by the Operable Unit.

        All groundwater ARARs will  be  achieved through the implementation of the selected remedy.
 Applicable groundwater ARARs and TBC guidance are listed in Table 10-2.

 10.2.3   Location-Specific ARARs

       The  construction  and  operation of the treatment facility and extraction/re-injection  wells
 incorporated in this remedy will comply with all location-specific ARARs.  A list of location-specific ARARs
 and TBC guidance is presented in Table 10-3.


 10.3   COST EFFECTIVENESS

        By implementing both UV-oxidation and GAC for the treatment of explosives in groundwater, the
 selected remedy represents the best cost/benefit ratio, being only incrementally more costly than the
 lowest  cost option while providing greater protection to human health and the environment.


 10.4    UTILIZATION   OF   PERMANENT   SOLUTIONS   AND  ALTERNATIVE   TREATMENT
       TECHNOLOGIES (OR RESOURCE RECOVERYTECHNOLOGIES) TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT
       PRACTICABLE

       The selected remedy is not designed or expected to be the final treatment for groundwater at
the site; however, the remedy represents the best balance of trade-offs among alternatives, given the
 limited  scope of the action. The selected remedy permanently removes contaminants from the
                                            10-4

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                                                          Table 10-2

                      Identification of Chemclal-Speclflc ARARs and To-Be-Consldered Guidance for Groundwater
/'••Nv-A«th9fliy;-' •"•••
Federal Regulatory
Requirement
State Regulatory
Requirements
Federal Criteria.
Advisories, and
Guidance
:i';::: Requirement!; :: ;;
Safe Drinking Water
Act(SDWA)-
Maxlmum
Contaminant Levels
(MCLt), 40 CFR
141.11-141.16
Rules of the
Tennessee
Department of
Health and the
Environment,
Chapter 1200-5-1-
.06
EPA Carcinogen
Assessment Group
Potency Factors
EPA Office of
Drinking Water
Hearth Advisories
(HAs)
EPA Risk Reference
Doses (RfDs)
;/:%:":^s>. ;/'y:
Relevant and
Appropriate
Relevant and
Appropriate
To Be Considered
To Be Considered
To Be Considered
; \:::;:; : ; : Requirement Synopsis
MCLs have been promulgated for a number of common organic and inorganic contaminants.
These levels regulate the concentration of contaminants in public drinking water supplies
based on health effects and technical capabilities. MCLs may also be considered relevant and
appropriate for groundwater aquifers potentially used for drinking water.
The State of Tennessee has adopted groundwater standards and public water supply
standards.
Potency factors are developed by EPA from health effects assessments or evaluation by the
Carcinogen Assessment Group. Carcinogen potency factors are used in the baseline risk
assessment to compute the individual incremental cancer risk resulting from exposure to site
contaminants.
Hearth advisories developed from estimates of risk due to consumption of contaminated
drinking water considering noncarcinogenic effects only. Hearth advisories are considered for
contaminants In groundwater that may be used for drinking water.
RfDa are dosa levels developed by EPA for non-carcinogenic effects. RfDs are used in the
baseline risk assessment to characterize risks due to exposure to non-carcinogenic
contaminants In groundwater.
9
en

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                                                                           Table 10-3
                                   Identification of Location-Specific ARARs and To-Be-Considered Guidance
           Authority
   Requirement
      Status
                                Requirement Synopsis
      Federal Regulatory
      Requirement
9
o>
RCRA - Location
Standards (40 CFR
264.18)
Relevant and
Appropriate
This regulation outlines the requirements for constructing a RCRA facility on a 100-year
floodplain. The facility must be designed, constructed, operated, and maintained to avoid
washout by a 100-year flood, unless waste may be removed safely before floodwater can reach
the facility or no adverse effects on human health and the environment would result if washout
occurred.
                          RCRA - Location
                          Standards (40 CFR
                          264.16)
                     Relevant and
                     Appropriate
                     This regulation prohibits new treatment, storage, or disposal of hazardous waste within 61
                     meters (200 feet) of a fault displaced in Holocene time.
                          Executive Order
                          11988: Floodplain
                          Management (40
                          CFR 6. Appendix A)
                     To be considered
                     Federal agencies are required to reduce the risk of flood loss, to minimize the impact of floods,
                     and to restore and preserve the natural and beneficial values of floodplains.
Executive Order
11990: Protection of
Wetlands (40 CFR
6, Appendix A)
                                               To be considered
                     Federal agencies are required to .minimize the destruction, loss, or degradation of wetlands,
                     and preserve and enhance the natural and beneficial values of wetlands.  .
                           National
                           Archaeological and
                           Historic
                           Preservation Act (16
                           USC 469); National
                           Historic Landmarks
                           Program (36 CFR
                           65)
                     Relevant and
                     Appropriate
                     Federal agencies must take action to recover and preserve artifacts within areas where action
                     may cause irreparable harm, loss, or destruction of significant artifacts.

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 extracted groundwater and returns the treated water back to the aquifer.  UV-Oxidation through the use
 of ozone and ultraviolet light is capable of breaking down contaminants without generating residuals. This
 technology is considered an innovative technology and was evaluated in the EPA's Superfund Innovative
 Technology Evaluation Program (SITE) in 1990 (USEPA, 1990b).  A relatively small amount of GAC will
 be used as a polishing step in this remedy.  Although partially addressed in the selected remedy, the
 statutory preference for remedies that  employ treatment that reduces toxicity, mobility, or volume as a
 principal element will be addressed by the final response action for groundwater.

        The remedy was selected with consideration given to the five primary balancing criteria  This
 remedy is the most effective alternative because it removes both inorganic and organic contaminants from
 the groundwater. This remedy also reduces the toxicity, mobility or volume of the groundwater through
 active extraction and treatment. Although other alternatives generated less residuals by not implementing
 the use of QAC, this alternative was chosen because the additional organics treatment step ensures
 complete treatment of the groundwater.  Short-term  effectiveness does not play a large role in the
 selection of a remedy because all alternatives require the construction of an extraction system and a
 treatment plant.  The selected remedy,  however, is slightly more effective  in the short-term because this
 remedy does not generate a large quantity of residuals to be handled  and disposed.  Although the
 selected remedy is not the easiest alternative to implement of all the alternatives considered, due to the
 implementation of three different treatment technologies, the added effectiveness outweighs the added
 difficulty in implementing this option. The selected remedy costs only slightly more than the least costly
 alternative yet provides greater protection to human health and the environment.

       Of the five primary  balancing criteria discussed above, long-term effectiveness and permanence
 and cost were the most decisive factors.  The selected remedy provides the most economical means of
 attaining the highest degree of treatment effectiveness.  EPA, the State of Tennessee, and the community
 accept this alternative.

 10.5   PREFERENCE FOR TREATMENT AS A PRINCIPAL ELEMENT

       The selected remedy satisfies the statutory preference to utilize permanent solutions and treatment
 technologies to the maximum extent practicable. An innovative technology, UV-oxidation, will be used to
 remove the  organic contaminants from groundwater such that the  treatment system effluent will not
 contain contaminants above the discharge  levels presented in Section  9.6.   During the first year of
 operation, a performance evaluation will be conducted to determine if the treatment plant is capable of
 meeting the health-based levels on a consistent basis.

       Contaminants in the groundwater which have been detected  well  above health-based guidance
 levels pose a potential threat to future residents of the area By extracting the contaminated groundwater,
treating it through the use of electrochemical  precipitation, UV-oxidation and  GAC to levels below
 remediation  goals, and re-injecting it back into the aquifer, this remedy offers the best approach to
 protecting off-site groundwater conditions and reducing the risks posed by on-site conditions.

       This interim remedy only addresses OU1 and does not address contaminated soil, surface water
or sediment present at the O-Urte Ponds area These media are incorporated into OU 2, which will be
addressed by the Army.
                                             10-7

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 11.0    DOCUMENTATION OF SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES

        During EPA and State of Tennessee review of the Proposed Plan, the draft Treatability Study
 Report, and the draft ROD for OU 1, it was determined that the most appropriate means of expediting the
 proposed remedy for this Operable Unit is through an Interim Action  Record of Decision.   This is
 considered by the Army, EPA, and State of Tennessee to be a significant change. As required by Section
 117(b) of CERCLA, the rationale for this significant change is documented in this ROD and  in the
 Administrative Record.  This significant change will not result in a change in cost, timing, or level of
 performance of the remedy.

       The decision to address the remedy  with an Interim Action ROD was  made for the following
 reasons:

        •      The treatability  study data for the UV-oxidation process indicates that although this
              technology is highly effective in removing explosives compounds from groundwater, the
              rate-limiting compound is 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (1,3,5-TNB).

              The Drinking Water Equivalency Level (DWEL) for 1,3,5-TNB, as set by the EPA Reference
              Dose, is 2 /jg/L The treatability study data indicate that the proposed treatment system
              may not be able to achieve this level of removal efficiency at full scale, given the expected
              high flow rate and high influent concentrations. Because 1,3,5-TNB may not be removed
              to health-based levels, and the performance data necessary to document  selection of
              alternative standards are not yet available, the proposed remedy cannot be considered
              the final remedy for the site.

       •      Although the Army is uncertain that the DWEL FOR 1,3,5-TNB can be met, the  decision
              was made  to move ahead with the action  so that contaminated  groundwater can be
              extracted and treated using the proposed system, which represents best  available
              technology. Such an action may be performed under an Interim Action ROD.

       The Army is committed to providing a final remedy for the site which satisfies  all health-based
criteria or provides technical data, consistent with CERCLA and the National Contingency  Plan, which
justifies alternative standards.
                                            11-1

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 12.0  REFERENCES


 Cody et al.  1,3-Dinitrobenzene: Toxic effect in vivo and in vitro.  J. Toxicol. Environ. Health 7(5):
        829-847, 1981.

 Jackson Sun. June 27, 1992.

 Milan Mirror Exchange. June 24, 1992.

 Registry of Toxic Effects Of Chemical Substances (RTECS), 1983. U.S. Department of Health and Human
        Services, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

 USAEHA, U.S. Army Environmental Hygiene Agency,  U.S. Department of the Army. 1978.
        Potable/Recreational Water Quality Survey No. 31-24-0163-79, Milan Army Ammunition Plant.
        March 28, 1978.

 USATHAMA, U.S. Army Toxic and Hazardous Materials Agency, U.S. Department of the Army.  1978.
        Installation Assessment of Milan Army Ammunition Plant. Report No. 122. June 1989.

 USATHAMA, U.S. Army Toxic  and Hazardous Materials Agency, U.S. Department of the Army.  1982a.
        Milan  Army Ammunition Plant Contamination  Survey.  Report DRXTH-FS-FP-82131. Pugh, D.L:
        Envirodyne Engineers. January 1982.

 USATHAMA, U.S. Army Toxic  and Hazardous Materials Agency, U.S. Department of the Army.  1982b.
        Milan  Army Ammunition Plant O-Line Settling  Ponds Closure Plan.  Wirth, P.K. September 1982.

 USATHAMA, U.S. Army Toxic and Hazardous Materials Agency, U.S. Department of the Army.  1991.
        Milan  Army Ammunition Plant Remedial Investigation Report. Okusu, N., et al.:  ICF Technology,
        Inc., Fairfax, VA.  December, 1991.

 USATHAMA, U.S. Army Toxic and Hazardous Materials Agency, U.S. Department of the Army. I992a.
        Milan  Army Ammunition Plant Focused Feasibility  Study for Operable Unit One Groundwater
       Alternatives. McKendry, J.,  et al.: ICF Technology, Inc., Fairfax, VA. July, 1992.

 USATHAMA, U.S. Army Toxic and Hazardous Materials Agency, U.S. Department of the Army. 1992b.
       Milan  Army Ammunition Plant O-LJne Ponds Groundwater Operable Unit Proposed Plan. July,
        1992.

 USEPA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  1988a Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS).  U.S.
       Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Health and Environmental Assessment.  EPA/600/8-
       86/032a

 USEPA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1988b. Health Advisory for Octanydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-
        1,3,5,7-tetrazocine(HMX).  Office of Drinking Water. Washington,  D.C.  November 1988.

USEPA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  1988c. Drinking Water Health Advisory for Hexahydro-
       1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Drinking Water.
       November 1988.
                                           12-1

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