AWSfcRG W6RARY U.S.
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
Publication 9320.7-071
September 1995
V>EB\ Descriptions of 12 Sites Proposed
to the National Priorities List
in September 1995
Office of Emergency and Remedial Res
Hazardous Site Evaluation Division (52*
iponse
04G)
Intermittent Bulletin
Volume 5, Number 2
This document consists of descriptions of the 12 sites proposed to the National Priorities List (NPL) in September 1995.
The size of the site is generally indicated, based on information available at the time the site was scored using the Hazard
Ranking System, nominated using ATSDR health advisory criteria, or designated as a State top priority. The size may
change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. Sites are arranged alphabetically
by site name.
CLEANING UP UNDER SUPERFUND
The Superfund program is managed by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is
authorized by the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA),
enacted on December 11, 1980, as amended by the
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act
(SARA), enacted on October 17, 1986. In October
1990, SARA was extended to September 30,1994. An
appropriation by Congress for Fiscal Year 1995
authorized Superfund to continue to operate. The
Hazardous Substance Response Trust Fund set up by
CERCLA as amended pays the costs not assumed by
responsible parties for cleaning up hazardous waste sites
or emergencies that threaten public health, welfare, or
the environment; Superfund also pays for overseeing
responsible parties conducting cleanup.
Two types of responses may be taken when a
hazardous substance is released (or threatens to be
released) into the environment:
• Removal actions — emergency-type responses
to imminent threats. SARA limits these actions
to 1 year and/or $2 million, with a waiver
possible if the actions are consistent with remedial
responses. Removal actions can be undertaken by
the private parties responsible for the releases or
by the Federal government using the Superfund.
Remedial responses — actions intended to
provide permanent solutions at uncontrolled
hazardous waste sites. Remedial responses are
generally longer-term and more expensive than
removals. A Superfund-financed remedial
response can be taken only if a site is on the
NPL. EPA published the first NPL in September
1983. The list must be updated at least annually.
EPA's goals for the Superfund program are to:
Ensure that polluters pay to clean up the problems
they created; and
Work first on the worst problems at the worst
sites, by making sites safe, making sites clean,
and bringing new technology to bear on the
problem.
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REMEDIAL RESPONSES
The money for conducting a remedial response at a
hazardous waste site (and a removal action, as well) can
come from several sources:
• The individuals or companies responsible for the
problems can clean up voluntarily with EPA or
State supervision, or they can be forced to clean
up by Federal or State legal action.
• A State or local government can choose to
assume the responsibility to clean up without
Federal dollars.
• Superfund can pay for the cleanup, then seek to
recover the costs from the responsible party or
parties.
A remedial response, as defined by the National Oil
and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan
(the Federal regulation by which Superfund is
implemented), is an orderly process that generally
involves the following steps:
• Take any measures needed to stabilize conditions,
which might involve, for example, fencing the
site or removing above-ground drums or bulk
tanks.
• Undertake initial planning activities to scope out
a strategy for collecting information and analyzing
alternative cleanup approaches.
• Conduct a remedial investigation to characterize
the type and extent of contamination at the site
and to assess the risks posed by that
contamination.
• Conduct a feasibility study to analyze various
cleanup alternatives. The feasibility study is often
conducted concurrently with the remedial
investigation as one project. Typically, the two
together take from 18 to 24 months to complete
and cost approximately $1.3 million.
• Select the cleanup alternative that:
- Protects human health and the environment;
- Complies with Federal and State
requirements that are applicable or relevant
and appropriate;
- Uses permanent solutions and alternative
treatment technologies or resource recovery
technology to the maximum extent
practicable;
- Considers views of the State and public; and
- Is "cost effective" - that is, affords results
proportional to the costs of the remedy.
• Design the remedy. Typically, the design phase
takes 6 to 12 months to complete and costs
approximately $1.5 million.
• Implement the remedy, which might involve, for
example, constructing faculties to treat ground
water or removing contaminants to a safe disposal
area away from the site.
EPA expects the implementation (remedial action)
phase to average out at about $25 million (plus any costs
to operate and maintain the action) per site, and some
remedial actions may take several years to complete.
The State government can participate in a remedial
response under Superfund in one of two ways:
• The State can take the lead role under a
cooperative agreement, which is much like a
grant in that Federal dollars are transferred to the
State. The State then develops a workplan,
schedule, and budget, contracts for any services
it needs, and is responsible for making sure that
all the conditions in the cooperative agreement are
met. In contrast to a grant, EPA continues to be
substantially involved and monitors the State's
progress throughout the project.
• EPA can take the lead under a Superfund State
Contract, with the State's role outlined. EPA,
generally using contractor support, manages work
early in the planning process. In the later design
and implementation phases, contractors do the
work under the supervision of the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers. Under both arrangements,
the State must share in the cost of the
implementation phase of cleanup.
CERCLA requires that EPA select the remedy.
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National Priorities List Proposed Rule #19
Site Summaries
Table of Contents
Page Site Name and Location
4 Aircraft Components Inc. (D&L Sales), Benton Harbor, Michigan
5 Brestobe-Perm, Incorporated, Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
6 Eastern Surplus Company, Meddybemps, Maine
7 Franklin Bum, Franklin Township, New Jersey
8 H&K Sales,.Belding, Michigan
9.. Hanlin-Allied-Olin, Moundsville, West Virginia
10 .. Jennison-Wright Corporation, Granite City, Illinois
11 LCP Chemicals, Brunswick, Georgia
12 Little Valley, Little Valley, New York
13..., Penta Wood Products, Burnett County, Wisconsin
14... Welsbach and General Gas Mantle Q)rtaminan'on,C^amden& Gloucester City, New Jersey
15 Wright Ground Water Contamination, Wright, Kansas
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&EPA
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPL
• OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington. DC 20460 September 1995
AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS INC. (D&L SALES)
Benton Harbor, Michigan
The Aircraft Components Inc. site consists of 17 acres of land in Benton Harbor, Michigan, bounded by the Paw
Paw River, North Shore Drive, and residential property. The main building on the site consists of a combination
warehouse/office building connected to a warehouse. Outbuildings include a large metal-walled Quonset hut and
a small Quonset hut. The buildings have been used for the past 40 to 50 years for the storage of radioluminous
aircraft gauges containing radium as part of a mail-order distribution service known as Aircraft Components, Inc.
After World War II, the U.S. Army sold aircraft components parts, including radioactive radioluminescent aircraft
dials, to Aircraft Components of Benton Harbor. Aircraft Components operated a mail order catalogue business
selling Army surplus. The estate of the owners of Aircraft Components sold the property in the early 1990s to
D&L Sales, which was interested in the warehouse building but not the Army surplus. D&L sold the aircraft parts
to H&K Sales of Belding, Michigan, an aircraft parts dealer. H&K Sales removed the bulk of the radioactive parts
to Belding, Michigan. However, numerous aircraft cockpit gauges with dials, pointers, and scales labeled with
radioluminescent paint were found throughout the site, including some gauges partially buried outside of the onsite
buildings. In addition to the remaining inventory of aircraft gauges (roughly estimated at several thousand), the
warehouse currently contains paper products and Christmas items in storage for shipment as pan of the business
managed by D&L Sales. The Michigan Department of Public Health (MDPH) staff are working with the owners
to control movement of merchandise on or off the site to ensure that the items are not contaminated. No individuals
routinely work at this site. . •
The MDPH Division of Radiological Health conducted a preliminary radiation survey on September 26, 1994.
Division staff, with the assistance of EPA Region 5, conducted a second supplemental radiation survey on October
20, 1994. Gamma radiation levels measured in the office building, warehouse, and Quonset huts ranged from
background levels to 5 milliroentgens per hour. Elevated radiation readings of 50 microroentgens per hour were
measured outside of the basement windows of the warehouse section. Both fixed and removable contamination
exceeded applicable State regulatory limits. Beta/gamma contamination levels ranged from about 100 counts per
minute to about 170,000 counts per minute. Ground contamination, after the aircraft gauges were relocated, was
measured to be 4,000 to 13,000 counts per minute beta/gamma. Investigations show that radioactive contamination
has migrated from the Benton Harbor warehouse to the land around the warehouse, including the Paw Paw River,
and possibly to surrounding wetlands.
A preliminary health physics analysis of currently available data relating to the radioluminous gauges indicates that
the likely exposure to individuals includes external exposure to gamma rays, internal exposure due to inhalation of
radon gas, and potential internal exposure due to inhalation and/or ingestion of contaminated material in the form
of dust or other fine particles. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) of the U.S. Public
Health Service issued a public health advisory on June 29,1995. Because some radiological contaminants are easily
removed from surfaces, ATSDR believes that this site poses a health hazard to onsite employees, future remediation
workers, nearby residents, and any intruders that may enter the onsite structures. Evidence of burning, vandalism,
and trespassing suggest that past exposure to radium and radon could have occurred.
[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was evaluated. The
description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See 56
FR 5600, February 11, 1991, or subsequent FR notices.]
Superfund hazardous waste site listed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended
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vvEPA
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPL
OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington. DC 20460 . September 1995
BRESLUBE-PENN, INCORPORATED
Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
The Breslube-Penn, Incorporated site is located on Montour Road in Coraopolis, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
The property is approximately 5 acres in size and has been inactive since late 1991 - early 1992. Five sources were
identified at the site: the storage tanks, the staged contaminated waste, the filter cake disposal area, the waste pile,
and the backfilled lagoon.
In the mid-1970s, American Tallow and Wiseman Oil Company both conducted operations at the site. American
Tallow operated as a meat-rendering business and discontinued operations at the facility around 1977. Wiseman
Oil Company operated as a waste oil processing and reclamation facility at the site. Used oils were re-refined into
fuel oils and sold to residual fuel users. Wiseman Oil also manufactured lubricating oil from the used oils for a
short period of time during its operation of the facility. A filtering agent clay was generated as a residue from the
filter during this process. The filter cake was stockpiled hi the southwestern portion of the property. In February
1981, sampling of accumulated sludge material within the diked areas surrounding the onsite oil storage tanks
indicated notable levels of polychlorinated (PCBs).
Wiseman Oil and American tallow had operated a lagoon in the southwestern end of the property. Oily plating
waste from a Westinghouse plant in New Jersey was allegedly disposed of in this lagoon. Runoff from the lagoon
and spillageonto the ground throughout the property caused ground water contamination. The lagoon was backfilled
in 1979, but the waste was not removed from the lagoon.
Breslube-Penn, Incorporated acquired the property and facility in 1982 after Wiseman Oil declared bankruptcy.
Breslube-Penn continued waste oil reprocessing operations. The company built tanks on the former location of
Wiseman's lagoon and also constructed a lubricating oil re-refining plant. The filter cake from this operation was
generally collected in a roll-off box and disposed of both onsite and offsite.
Breslube-Penn discontinued fuel oil reprocessing at the subject site in 1986. The facility was utilized as a waste
oil transfer station from 1986 through late 1991 or early 1992 when operations at the facility ceased. Three tanks
were installed for use in oil transferring operations.
A sampling site inspection was conducted at the facuity in October 1988. Samples collected from the staged
contaminated soil area, the filter cake area, and other areas 'onsite revealed elevated concentrations of volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), PCBs, and several inorganic
compounds, including cyanide. Downgradient ground water samples contained volatile and semi-volatile
contaminants and PCBs. Samples collected from the two onsite home wells indicated notable levels of VOCs. The
site is also threatening municipal drinking water wells.
Prior to July 1990, Breslube-Penn excavated and collected the formerly staged contaminated wastes into a large pile
located hi the western section of the property. Material from a 12-foot by 50-foot portion of the filter cake area
was removed and also staged in the large waste pile. The waste pile reportedly had no liner or cover. An expanded
site inspection was conducted in April 1991. Samples collected from the waste pile and from the former staged
contaminated waste area revealed elevated levels of VOCs, SVOCs, PCBs, metals, and cyanide. Samples from the
former filter cake area contained concentrations of several hazardous substances. Several inorganic contaminants
were detected in sediment collected from a drainage pipe from the site into Montour Run.
[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was scored. The
description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See 56
FR 5600, February 11, 1991, or subsequent FR notices.]
Superfund hazardous waste site listed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended
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vvEPA
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPL
OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington. DC 20460 September 1995
EASTERN SURPLUS COMPANY
Meddybemps, Maine
The Eastern Surplus Company property covers approximately 3 acres near the center of Meddybemps, Washington
County, Maine. Eastern Surplus Company is bordered by Meddybemps Lake to the north, the Dennys River to the
east, Route 191 to the south, and Stone Road to the west. Beginning in 1946 until the early 1980s this property
was the location of the Eastern Surplus Company, a retailer of army surplus and salvage items owned by Harry
Smith Senior and Harry Smith Junior. The property use before 1946 is unknown.
This property was originally inspected in October 1985 by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection
(MEDEP). During this inspection, MEDEP personnel noted chemical odors, leaking electrical transformers,
hundreds of deteriorating drums and containers, compressed gas cylinders, 16,000 pounds of calcium carbide, and
numerous areas of stained soil. The MEDEP immediately initiated emergency cleanup and removal measures and
erected a fence to secure the property.
Source sampling, arranged by the MEDEP and EPA between November 1985 and August 1990, has identified over
50 different hazardous materials on the property, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlorinated organic
compounds (solvents), heavy metals, acids, paints, oils, asbestos, and pesticides. Soil, ground water, and sediment
samples collected by the EPA between 1987 and 1988 have shown that many of these contaminants were released
into the environment.
Two other hazardous waste sites are located in Meddybemps. The Smith Junkyard site is approximately 2 miles
from the Eastern Surplus site on Rt. 191. The Smith Junkyard site's surface water migration pathway, however,
flows into the Dennys River over 3 miles downstream from the Eastern Surplus site and the sample locations
showing contaminants. The Green Hill Quarry site has only PCBs and chlorinated solvents as contaminants.
Contamination from the site threatens the adjacent Meddybemps Lake and the Dennys River. Both of these surface
water bodies maintain active fisheries and spawning areas, a National Wildlife Refuge, and habitat for the federally
designated threatened bald eagle. Additionally, drinking water supplies for an estimated 200 people who use private
drinking water wells located within a 4-mile radius of the property are threatened by contamination from the site.
[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site -was scored. The
description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See 56
FR 5600, February 11, 1991 or subsequent FR notices.]
Superfund hazardous waste site listed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response. Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended
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&EPA
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPL
OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington. DC 20460 September 199S
FRANKLIN BURN
Franklin Township, New Jersey
rf
The Franklin Bum Site (FBS) is comprised of six separate parcels of land, located in Franklin Township, Gloucester
County, New Jersey. Federal and state investigations indicate that unpennitted copper reclamation activities
occurred at the site locations, beginning in or before the early 1960s. Piles of scrap copper wire, capacitors, and
transformers were deposited on the ground surface and then ignited to remove paint and insulation before metal
recovery. The burn operations resulted in the generation of hard packed black ash piles containing numerous
hazardous substances. Four of the six ash piles (Burn Sites [BS] 1, 3, 4, and 5) are located north of Marshall Mill
Road in Franklin Township. BS 2 is located approximately 2.5 miles to the north, east of Lincoln Avenue in
Franklin Township. BS 7 is located approximately 1 mile to the northeast of the clustered Burn Sites, 2,000 feet
northwest of Marshall Mill Road. The six ash pile locations are geographically related, were created through
similar activities, contain similar hazardous substances, and impact the same population, aquifer, and surface waters.
All the areas that form the FBS are located within rural-residential neighborhoods, with one ash pile (BS 5) located
in the yard of a private residence. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and Criminal
Justice Department (NJCJD) initially investigated the burn operations in the late 1970s. Subsequent actions included
recording complaints from nearby residents, recording violations, conducting investigations, issuing criminal
indictments, and issuing a directive requiring site remediation. Bum operations, however, did not cease until 1988.
The Gloucester County Department of Health (GCDH), the NJDEP, and the Franklinville Police Department then
initiated frequent monitoring of the Bum Site locations in order to ensure that bum operations were halted.
In May 1989, NJDEP requested that EPA assume the lead role in the assessment and remediation of the FBS, since
the potentially responsible parties were financially unable to comply. In May 1989, EPA conducted a removal
assessment of two black ash pile locations (BSs 1 and 2). Chemical analysis of the ash material indicated the
presence of chlorinated dioxins, furans, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, and heavy metals. EPA
initiated the erection of a chain-link fence surrounding the two assessed areas and the application of a soil binding
polymer (semi-pave) to the ash.
hi April 1991, EPA initiated a site investigation (SI) at the FBS to determine whether contaminants were migrating
offsite and to assess the potential threat to the environment. During initial reconnaissance activities, EPA discovered
through conversations with nearby residents that three additional ash piles existed (BSs 3, 4, and 5). The newly
discovered ash piles showed signs of public use. Chemical analysis of ash, soil, and sediment samples collected
indicated the presence of hazardous substances attributable to the FBS.
hi April 1992, EPA initiated an extent of contamination study at the newly discovered Bum Sites (i.e., 3, 4, and
5). Chemical analysis results indicated the presence of chlorinated dioxin, furans, and heavy metals in ash and soil
samples collected in and surrounding the ash piles.
hi September 1992, EPA continued their extent of contamination study to characterize contamination at another
discovered Burn Site (BS 7), located approximately 1 mile to the northeast of the cluster of Burn Sites (BSs 1, 3,
4, and 5). The investigation further defined the extent of contamination at BSs 4, 5, and 6 and investigated the
potential contamination of ground water.
Subsequent to all investigation activities, the ash and contaminated soil at BSs 4, 5, and 7 were removed. The soils
surrounding BSs 1, 2, and 3 were excavated and placed into consolidated ash and soil piles, which were covered
by temporary caps. EPA completed all removal activities in May 1993.
[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was scored. The
description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See 56
FR 5600, February 11, 1991, or subsequent FR notices.]
Superfund hazardous waste site listed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended
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vvEPA
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY •
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPL
; OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington. DC 20460 September 1995
H&K SALES
Belding, Michigan
H&K Sales is an aircraft parts dealer located in Belding, Michigan. The H&K Sales site consists of several acres
of land bounded by the Flat River, Bridge Street, and adjacent industrial buildings. The site includes a warehouse
building constructed with a mainly concrete floor and foundation, brick and block walls, and a metal roof. Storage
space is estimated at about 30,000 square feet with about 20,000 square feet occupied exclusively by aircraft gauges
and materials originating from the former Aircraft Components, Inc. facility.
After World War II, the US Army sold aircraft components parts, including radioactive radioluminescent aircraft
dials, to Aircraft Components, Inc. of Benton Harbor, Michigan. Aircraft Components operated a mail order
catalogue business selling Army surplus. The estate of the owners of Aircraft Components sold the property in the
early 1990s to D&L Sales, who were interested in the warehouse building but not the Army surplus. D&L sold
the aircraft parts to H&K Sales. H&K Sales transferred approximately 150 truck shipments of the radioactive parts
to their Belding, Michigan warehouse from November 1993 to April 1994. In addition, wooden cases with labels
indicating that they might contain unexploded ordnance were observed at the warehouse during an Agency for Toxic
Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) investigation; however, the contents of the cases have not been verified.
On October 3,1994, the Michigan Department of Public Health (MDPH) Division of Radiological Health conducted
a preliminary radiation survey. Division staff, with the assistance of US EPA Region 5, conducted a second
supplemental radiation survey on October 21, 1994. Gamma radiation levels measured in the warehouse ranged
from background levels to 7 milliroentgens per hour. An estimated 3,000 to 6,000 radioluminous aircraft gauges
are in storage at this site. A relatively extensive area of the warehouse presented gamma radiation levels in excess
of 1. milliroentgen per hour. Surface contamination was measured as ranging from about .200 counts per minute
to about 5,000 counts per minute at several locations. Radon levels measured in the building ranged from about
30 to 50 picocuries per liter, well above expected background levels. No individuals routinely work at this site.
A preliminary health physics analysis of currently available data relating to the radioluminous gauges indicates that
the likely exposure to individuals includes external exposure to gamma rays, internal exposure due to inhalation of
radon gas, and potential internal exposure due to inhalation and/or ingestion of contaminated material in the form
of dust or other fine particles. ATSDR issued a public health advisory on June 29, 1995. Because some
radiological contaminants are easily removed from surfaces, ATSDR believes that this site poses a health hazard
to onsite employees, future remediation workers, nearby residents, and any intruders that may enter the onsite
structures.
[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was evaluated. The
description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See 56
FR 5600, February 11, 1991, or subsequent FR notices.]
Superfund hazardous waste site listed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended
-------
v>EPA
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPL
OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington. DC 20460 September 1995
HANLIN-ALLIED-OLIISI
Moundsville, West Virginia
The Hanlin-Allied-Olin site is an inactive chemical manufacturing plant located 2.5 miles south of Moundsville,
Marshall County, West Virginia. The site is currently owned by three parties: Hanlin/LCP Chemicals, Allied
Chemical Corporation, and Olin Corporation. The site includes a 135-acre North Plant owned by Allied and Olin,
and a 225-acre South Plant owned by Hanlin.
The site is bordered by the Ohio River to the north and west, West Virginia Route 2 to the east, and a golf course
to the south. Access is restricted by the river and by a chain link fence and security guard. The site is directly
underlain by a continuous unconsolidated alluvial aquifer. The majority of the population near the site relies on
ground water as a source of drinking water. The Marshall County Public Service District #2 utilizes two wells
approximately 0.6 miles south of the site to supply 3,000 people, and the Moundsville Water Department uses seven
wells approximately 2.9 miles from the site to supply 15,000 people. All of these wells are located in the alluvial
aquifer.
The entire site was owned and operated by Allied from 1953 to 1980. Allied's operation included the manufacture
of toluene diisocyanate (TDI), methylene dianiline, and hydrochloric acid, and included waste disposal areas on both
the North and South plants. Allied sold a portion of the North Plant to Olin in 1980 and sold the entire South Plant
to LCP Chemicals (Hanlin) in 1981. Allied still owns the west side of the North Plant, known as "Allied Park."
After purchasing the east side of the North Plant from Allied, Olin continued manufacturing the previously
mentioned chemicals and continued using an equalization pond. Olin also introduced new sources such as the new
TDI pile. After purchasing the South Plant, Hanlin continued using the South Plant for waste disposal operations,
including several waste lagoons. Hanlin also produced chlorine and sodium hydroxide by electrolytic mercury
decomposition in mercury cells in saltbrine and produced chloromethane by reacting methanol with anhydrous
hydrochloric acid. Production of chemicals on the South Plant ended by July 1991.
The sources owned by the three companies are aggregated into a single site because: 1) one party (Allied) originally
owned and operated the entire site for various operations; 2) after Olin and Hanlin purchased portions of the site,
they presumably continued to produce similar wastestreams with similar disposal methods; and 3) contamination
from each of the three properties threatens the same ground water resource.
Potential source areas on the North Plant include the lime pond, NAD pond black water, formaldehyde pond,
equalization pond, settling pond, old TDI pile, new TDI pile, storage tank area, and drum storage area. None of
these are used in scoring the site. Sources of contamination on the South Plant evaluated in the HRS Package
include the chloromethane production area, the mercury settling ponds/surface impoundments, and five wastewater
lagoons, which include three former spent lime ponds, a former storage pond, and a former clarification pond.
Other sources at the South Plant, which were not used in scoring the site, include a former trash dump, a former
acid neutralization pit/area, a brine well pond, another clarification pond, a former stabilized sludge burial area,
a former drum storage unit, and a tank storage area.
Hazardous substances contained in the three evaluated waste sources include mercury, methylene chloride,
chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, tetrachloroethene, trichloroethylene, and 1,1,2-trichloroethane. All of these
substances, as well as other related substances, have been detected in the ground water in the alluvial aquifer. A
1981 State Consent Decree ordered Allied to pump onsite wells on the northern (now Allied and Olin) and southern
(now Hanlin) properties for 20 and 14 years, respectively, or to otherwise prevent the offsite migration of
contaminants in the ground water. The site is not eligible for RCRA Corrective Action for various reasons relating
to ownership, permit dates, and financial solvency.
[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was scored. The
description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See 56
FR 5600, February 11, 1991, or subsequent FR notices.]
Superfund hazardous waste site listed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended
-------
vxEPA
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPL
OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington. DC 20460 September 1995
JENNISON-WRIGHT CORPORATION
Granite City, Illinois
The Jennison-Wright Corporation site is located on a 20-acre parcel property at 900 West 22nd Street in Granite
City, Madison County, Illinois. The area surrounding the site consists primarily of residential and industrial
properties. Operations began at the facility in 1910 and continued until 1989. The facility treated wood block
flooring and railroad ties. Compounds used in the operations included creosote, pentachlorophenol, and zinc
naphthenate. Jennite, an asphalt sealer product composed of coal tar, pitch, clay, and water was also manufactured
at the site.
Midland Creosoting Company acquired portions of the property in 1921 and 1926. Midland Creosoting Company
conveyed and warranted their holdings to the Jennison-Wright Corporation on January 29, 1940. The Jennison-
Wright Corporation operated at the site until 1981, when the property was acquired by 2-B-J.W. After acquiring
the property, 2-B-J.W. changed its name to Jennison-Wright Corporation. Neyra Industries purchased the Jennite
equipment and continued the Jennite process onsite. Operations at the site continued,until the Jennison-Wright
Corporation filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in November 1989. An auction was held in 1990 to sell process
equipment and other items.
Wastes generated during treating operations include waste and wastewaters contaminated with creosote,
pentachlorophenol,. and related compounds. These wastes were disposed of hi two lagoons. After operations
ceased, wastes were left at the site in a railroad tank car, a buried railroad tank car, two above-ground storage
tanks, and two lagoons. Samples collected by the Illinois EPA during 1988 and 1991 CERCLA inspections revealed
that soils at the site and nearby residential soils contain similar compounds.
In 1992, Illinois EPA stabilized waste hazards at the site, which included removing and containing asbestos,
removing and containing contaminated material from the lagoon area, and securing drums in an onsite building.
Currently, the Illinois EPA is conducting a non-time critical removal action at the site. This will address the two
above-ground storage tanks, the buried railroad tank car, the above-ground railroad tank car, the lagoons, and the
drums secured onsite.
The site is being proposed for the National Priorities List (NPL) because it satisfies a component of the NPL/RCRA
policy: the owner has demonstrated an inability to finance appropriate remedial action by invoking bankruptcy laws.
[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was scored. The
description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See 56
FR 5600, February 11, 1991, or subsequent FR notices.]
Superfurtd hazardous waste site listed under trie Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended
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&EPA
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPL
OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington. DC 20460 September 1995
LCP CHEMICALS
Brunswick, Georgia
LCP Chemicals is located on Ross Road in Brunswick, Glynn County, Georgia. The site is bordered by the Turtle
River marshes to the west and south and the urban populations of Brunswick to the north and east. The site is
comprised of approximately 500 to 600 acres, the majority of which is not used due to the predominance of tidal
marshlands. The remaining land portion of the property is occupied with process buildings, administration offices,
railroad spurs, treatment, storage and disposal units, and tank storage facilities.
The site was originally owned and operated by the .Atlantic Refining Company, which operated a petroleum refinery
from 1919 until 1930. Portions of the site were also owned by Georgia Power Company and the Dixie O'Brien
Paint Company. In 19SS, the entire property was purchased by Allied Chemical, Inc., which manufactured caustic
soda, chlorine, and hydrochloric acid by the electrolysis of sodium chloride using mercury cells. In 1979, LCP
Chemicals purchased the property and continued the process practiced by Allied Chemical. From 1955 until 1968,
waste sludges containing mercury produced by Allied Chemical were sold to an offsite reclaimer. From 1968 until
the facility was sold to LCP Chemicals, several hundred to several thousand tons of contaminated sludge were
disposed in surface impoundments that were constructed onsite along the tidal marsh.
In 1989, U.S. EPA Region 4 performed a field investigation consisting of 86 samples. . Mercury was detected hi
all seven onsite sources; lead was detected in six sources, and PCBs were found in the majority of sources.
Mercury and lead were also detected in ground water in temporary wells near the site and in Purvis Creek, hi
1991, a Georgia Environmental Protection Division/Department of Natural Resources (GAEPD/DNR) investigation
revealed elevated levels of mercury and lead in sediment and surface water samples near the site. Mercury was
also found at elevated levels in crab tissue and oyster samples in the surrounding waters. The same study revealed
extremely high levels of PCBs in sediment and crab tissue. Portions of Purvis Creek have been closed to
commercial fishing.. . ,
The drinking water supply for the area consists of private wells and the Brunswick municipal wells. The municipal
wells draw water from the Upper Floridan Aquifer while the private wells are drilled at a wide range of depths.
The municipal system serves 28,844 residents and private wells serve approximately 5,000 residents within a 4-mile
radius of the site. The nearest drinking water well is located slightly beyond 0.25 miles from the site.
Runoff from the site flows off the western edge of the facility into a canal, which flows approximately 0.35 miles
through an area of wetlands and enters Purvis Creek. Purvis Creek merges with the Turtle River 0.9 miles
downstream and then with the Brunswick River an additional 7.5 miles downstream. The river flows approximately
5 miles before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. Wetlands bound the majority of the surface waters, which are
inhabited by numerous endangered species.
The State of Georgia has designated LCP Chemicals as its highest priority site.
{The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site -was scored. The
description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See 56
FR 5600, February 11, 1991, or subsequent FR notices.]
Superfund hazardous waste site listed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response. Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended
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vvEPA
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
ARFNOY
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPL
OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington. DC 20460
September 1995
UTTLE VALLEY
Little Valley, New York
The Little Valley site is located in a primarily rural and agricultural area between the Village of Little Valley and
the City of Salamanca, New York. Approximately 13 years ago, the Cattaraugus County Health Department
(CCHD) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) identified trichloroethene
(TCE) in nearby private wells. A plume of TCE has been documented to extend approximately 6 miles toward the
City of Salamanca.
Possible sources of ground water contamination include a former Envirotech drum storage area, a private disposal
site next to the former 'drum storage area, the 9th Street Landfill (an inactive municipal landfill), and facilities
operated by King Windows and Bush Industries. NYSDEC has installed a number of monitoring wells in the area
to investigate possible sources for the contamination.
NYSDEC and CCHD first discovered TCE in private wells among residences along Route 353 in 1982. TCE was
again detected in private drinking water wells between Little Valley and Salamanca at levels above the New York
State drinking water standards for public water supplies. Some of the highest concentrations were found just south
of the Village of Little Valley. The sampling results show a plume of TCE that extends about 6 miles from the
southern end of Little Valley to the northern edge of Salamanca; which is part of the Allegheny Indian Reservation.
On September 1, 1995, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) recommended dissociation
of individuals from the release. CCHD, the New York State Department of Health, and EPA Region 2 believe that
the release poses a significant threat to public health. EPA Region 2 anticipates that it will be more cost-effective
to use remedial authority rather than removal authority to.respond to the release.
[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was scored. The
description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See 56
FR 5600, February 11, 1991, or subsequent FR notices.]
Superfund hazardous waste site listed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response. Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended
Revised
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UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPL
OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington. DC 20460 September 1995
PENTA WOOD PRODUCTS
Burnett County, Wisconsin
The Penta Wood Product (PWP) facility covers 88.5 acres of a 122.5 acre property located on Highway 70 in the
Town of Daniels, two miles west of the Village of Siren in a rural area of Burnett County in northwest Wisconsin.
PWP was a wood treating facility that operated from 1953 to May 1992. The operations onsite included pressure
treating timbers and posts with pentachlorophenol (PCP) in a fuel oil carrier, and Chemonite, which contains
ammoniacal copper zinc arsenate and ammoniacal copper arsenate (ACA). Hazardous wastewater from the site
operations was discharged to two lagoons and a woodchip pile. Numerous isolated spills and poor work practices
released wood treating chemicals into the soils and ground water at the site with little or no .response action taken.
Onsite soils are contaminated with PCP, arsenic, copper, and zinc. The highly contaminated areas are located in
and around the former treatment buildings. Due to the high permeability of surficial soils, precipitation onsite flows
rapidly through the soil to the aquifer allowing contaminants in the surface soils to be carried rapidly to the ground
water.
High levels of PCP and arsenic were detected hi ground water and soils onsite in 1988. Dioxins, associated with
PCP, are a minor concern at the site and are still under investigation. High levels of PCP in the ground water
forced closure of the onsite wells for drinking water purposes in 1988. The contaminated aquifer is currently used
for a private water supply for 1,661 people and a municipal well supply for 1,682 people within a 4-mile radius of
the site. The Wisconsin Department of Health & Social Services and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry expressed concerns about the PCP and arsenic hi onsite soil and ground water.
Ecological risk evaluations prepared by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) and U.S. EPA
Region 5 indicate the arsenic and PCP levels in the site soils and woodchip pile pose a potential threat to the
mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, and invertebrates on and adjacent to the site.
WDNR became involved at PWP in 1986 due to the unreported spills associated with the treatment process. The
PWP facility was closed hi May 1992 because of the owner's financial inability to comply with Wisconsin
Department of Justice requirements.
WDNR placed priority on the site for inclusion in the Superfund Accelerated Cleanup Model (SACM) Regional
Decision Team Pilot in fiscal year 1993. hi March 1993, EPA issued general notice letters and 104(e) letters, and
a unilateral administrative order (UAO) hi August 1993. PWP's response to the UAO confirmed then- inability to
pay for cleanup actions at the site. PWP is currently liquidating its assets, and EPA is seeking a "cash out"
administrative settlement.
EPA initiated a time-critical removal because of the imminent and substantial threat to public health and welfare
and the environment posed by the large volumes and high concentrations of PCP, arsenic, and trace dioxin
contamination. EPA has completed-Phase I of the time-critical removal action (April to October 1994), which
included disposal of process wastes from tanks and removal of highly contaminated soil. Phase II will address the
remaining ACA and PCP contaminated soils and sludge, and complete the decontamination of tanks for disposal.
This site is part of an EPA nation-wide study on presumptive remedies for wood treating sites. EPA has begun a
two phased study to determine the extent of contamination of the ground water and soils onsite, and will conduct
treatability studies investigating the potential for bioremediation technologies to treat the soils onsite. These
activities are occurring concurrently as a result of SACM.
[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was scored. The
description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See 56
FR 5600, February 11, 1991, or subsequent FR notices.]
Superfund hazardous waste site listed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended
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vvEPA
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPL
OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington. DC 20460
September 1995
WELSBACH AND GENERAL GAS MANTLE CONTAMINATION
Camden and Gloucester City, New Jersey
The Welsbach and General Gas Mantle Contamination sites are comprised of two former incandescent gas mantle
manufacturing facilities and numerous residential properties located in the urban areas of Camden and Gloucester
City, New Jersey. The site was initially identified in 1980 during an archive search conducted as part of the
investigation of a contaminated radiological site located in northern New Jersey. As a result, an aerial radiological
survey of Gloucester, New Jersey and surrounding areas was conducted hi May of 1981. The survey encompassed
a 20-square kilometer area surrounding the former General Gas Mantle and Welsbach companies, located in Camden
and Gloucester City. The survey identified eight separate areas with elevated radiation levels. These included
locations of the former Welsbach plant and General Gas Mantle Corporation and three residential areas. The
remaining areas exhibiting elevated radiation levels were attributed to sites permitted by the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) to use and store radioactive materials.
After several preliminary screening surveys, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP),
conducted a comprehensive investigation in 1991 of five non-NRC permitted areas (termed for this report as Camden
Radiation Sites Areas 1 through 5, or the Welsbach and General Gas Mantle Contamination sites Areas 1 through
5) in the Camden and Gloucester City vicinity to determine the extent of radiological contamination present.
Numerous residential properties were found to have gamma radiation levels exceeding twice the background level
for gamma radiation. Of the 93 properties investigated by NJDEP, 32 properties were selected for evaluation due
to their being inhabited by individuals or workers. The 32 properties are located throughout Camden and Gloucester
City. The most probable route of radiation exposure is direct contact with gamma emitting materials. Although
potential contamination of ground water, surface water, and air is suspected, releases to these routes have not been
documented. To date, certain contaminated areas have been covered with asphalt or cement and one residence was
acquired by NJDEP due to magnitude of the risk posed by the radioactive materials present at that property.
[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was scored. The
description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See 56
FR 5600, February 11, 1991, or subsequent FR notices.]
Superfund hazardous waste site listed under die Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended
Revised
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vvEPA
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST NPL
OERR Hazardous Site Evaluation Division Washington. DC 20460 September 1995
WRIGHT GROUND WATER CONTAMINATION
Wright, Kansas
The Wright Ground Water Contamination site is in the. City of Wright, an unincorporated town in north-central Ford
County, Kansas. The site was identified in 1988, following collection and analysis of a ground water sample from
a private Wright well being tested for real estate purposes. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in
the ground water sample and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) was notified.
KDHE collected ground water samples from several wells throughout Wright in 1989 and confirmed the ground
water contamination. VOCs were detected in 16 private wells; pesticides and heavy metals were also detected in
a few wells. Wright does not have a municipal water system; all water is provided by privately owned wells.
Approximately 208 people in Wright are currently using water from private wells. The wells supplying 83 of these
people have been shown to contain hazardous substances at concentrations above health based benchmarks. The
VOCs that have been detected in private wells are benzene, bromodichloromethane, carbon tetrachloride,
chloroform, 1,2-dibromoethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, ethyl benzene, styrene, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, and
trichloroethylene. In 1991, the Right Coop began offering bottled water to the residents of Wright and also provided
several residences with whole-house filter systems. However, recent investigations have found that some of the
residential wells in Wright are used without treatment systems.
Investigations at the site, including a 1990 KDHE Screening Site Inspection and a 1994 EPA Expanded Site
Inspection, identified several potential sources of the VOCs. Several of the potential sources have been subject to
more detailed investigation; however, based on currently available data, the contamination detected in the private
wells cannot be definitely attributed to any of these sources.
The site is believed to pose the greatest threat to ground water. There are no perennial surface water bodies within
two miles of the site and it is unlikely that the hazardous substances in the ground water would be released to the
air migration or the soil exposure pathways.
[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was scored. The
description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and the extent of contamination. See
56 FR 5600, February 11, 1991, or subsequent FR notices.]
Superfund hazardous waste site listed under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended
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