6 EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Enforcement and
Compliance Assurance
(2201 A)
EPA 520-F-95-005
Summer 1996
Superfund At Work
Hazardous Waste Cleanup Efforts Nationwide
W.R. Grace
Site Profile
Site Description: 260 acres in
Acton, Massachusetts
Primary Contaminants: Vinylidene
chloride, benzene, ethyl benzene,
vinyl chloride, and bis(-2 ethylhexyl)
phthalate
Potential Range of Health Effects:
Increased risk of cancer, central
nervous system disorders
Nearby Population: 20,000 people
Ecological Concerns: The Assabet
River ecosystem; Sinking Pond and
watershed
Year Listed on NPL: 1983
EPA Region: 1
Congressional District: 5
Building consensus entailed hard work, patience, and trust.
Success in Brief
Partnership Produces
Measureable Results
Public support for environmental protection has grown over the past 25
years because of tangible results. Government and industry have made
noteworthy progress in all areas partly because of corporate accountability
bolstered by effective enforcement of laws and regulations.
Sometimes traditional controls give way to new strategies that take
advantage of individual stewardship and voluntary action. When federal
and state agencies work together with private companies and citizens,
everyone has a voice. The faceless bureaucrats in business, industry, or
government are no different from the people affected by a hazardous
waste site: real men and women who raise children, go to work, and pay
taxes. The same people who worked at the factory that caused the con-
tamination, shop at the local grocery store. In the end, everyone has the
same interest and working together is the only solution.
An example of a successful partnership was the one forged between the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Massachusetts Depart-
ment of Environmental Protection (MADEP), the W.R. Grace Company,
and the citizens and local government of Acton, MA. Town officials and
local residents were heavily involved in the blueprint for cleanup at the
site. Company representatives signed agreements that would span more
than 15 years. EPA and MADEP learned
important lessons in the value of public
perspective. Alert citizens became
versed in the topics of hazardous waste,
ground water, air quality, and innova-
tive technology. Most importantly, the
environment now sustains a larger
population of species for the greater
cause of biodiversity.
The Site Today
The aquifer restoration system in-
stalled by W.R. Grace in 1985 continues
operating to reduce contaminant levels
in ground water to federal standards.
Excavation of 12 areas for a series of
innovative soil treatments is under way
in anticipation of the landfill cap con-
struction. Treated wastes are scheduled
to be capped in an on-site landfill during
1996.
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Superfund At Work • W.R. Grace Site, Acton. MA
Summer 1996
About 25 miles west of
Boston, the W.R. Grace site
extends over 260 acres of
Acton, Massachusetts. The
property is flanked in part by
Fort Pond Brook and the
Assabet River. A dozen
schools, a nursing home,
and 190 private homes
are within two miles of
the site boundaries.
Approximately 20,000
people live in the Town
of Acton.
The W.R. Grace Company
owned and operated a fac-
tory here since 1954, produc-
ing sealing compounds, latex
products, and battery separa-
tors. Prior to that, the site
had been the location of
other chemical companies
that produced sealants for
rubber containers, latex
A Site Snapshot
products, plasticizers, and
resins. Past disposal practices
at the facility resulted in exten-
sive soil, sediment, and ground
water contamination.
Chemi-
cals includ-
W.R. Grace Site
Acton, Massachusetts
ing vinylidene
chloride (VDC),
benzene, and other volatile
organic compounds (VOCs)
leached from on-site landfills
and unlined lagoons into the
ground water. Two Acton
water supply wells, Assabet #1
and #2, are within a quarter
mile of the site to the south-
west. Surface water from
Sinking Pond on the site feeds
into the ground water aquifer
that is the source for Assabet
Wells #1 and #2, supplying 40
percent of Acton's
drinking water.
The main contami-
nant, VDC, is a sus-
pected carcinogen and has
been shown to cause central
nervous system dysfunc-
tions. Some water samples
revealed VDC concentra-
tions in excess of 100 parts
per billion (ppb); federal
standards define acceptable
levels as less than 7 ppb. To
illustrate the potency of this
chemical, seven parts per
billion are comparable to
seven kernels of corn in a
filled, 45-foot silo, 16 feet in
diameter.
WR
W.R. Grace Site
Timeline
• AWD settlement for $2.5 million
• Landfill and lagoon closure plan designed
• W.R. Grace installs pump-and-treat system
• Air strippers installed
• EPA includes site on NPL
• AWD reopens the wells with a carbon filtration system A
• MADEP orders W.R. Grace to cease disposal
• Consent decree signed
• Congress enacts Superfund
• Citizen group forms
• Two new drinking water wells open
• Acton Water District takes
water samples X
• Assabet wells #1 and #2 N
closed
W.R. Grace begins
manufacturing
1
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Superfund At Work • W.R. Grace Site, Acton, MA • Summer 1996
Past Disposal Practices Jeopardize Drinking Water
Since 1954, three separate
divisions of W.R. Grace have
operated here, producing
sealing compounds, latex prod-
ucts, and battery separators. In
the early days, wastewater from
manufacturing operations went
untreated into a series of un-
lined lagoons on the site. Over
time, chemicals in the effluent
seeped into the ground, unde-
tectable for more than 20 years.
Because of the proximity of the
facility to the town water sup-
ply wells, the Acton Water
District (AWD) sampled the
nearby ground water and wells
in 1978. The samples revealed
the presence of VDC and ben-
zene in two of Acton's water
supply wells.
The discovery of contamina-
tion in the drinking water
supply prompted the Town of
Acton to close the wells. By
1979, the town had opened new
wells to replace Assabet #1 and
#2. The Town of Acton and the
Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection
(MADEP) began investigating
W.R. Grace's waste disposal
practices to determine the
extent of contamination in the
municipal well field. Based on
the findings, MADEP issued an
order to W.R. Grace in July,
1980 to cease waste disposal
practices and conduct a full site
remediation program. The
company complied with the
state order, and by 1980 all
organic chemical operations at
the site had ceased.
Pre-Superfund Settlement
Reduces Aquifer Contamina-
tion
In October 1980, two months
prior to the passage of Super-
fund, EPA and W.R. Grace
signed an agreement called a
consent decree which outlined a
framework for cleanup. The
company agreed to fully restore
the Sinking Pond aquifer and to
design a phased cleanup pro-
gram for on-site waste disposal
areas. The consent decree also
directed W.R. Grace to conduct
investigations on the nature and
extent of ground water contami-
Continued on page 4
< Public hearings held
• Remedy selected
• TAG awarded
• EPA and MADEP announce completion of the Community
Relations/Public Involvement Plan
W ' Lagoon excavation begins
Excavation continues
1 Landfill cap construction (planned)
I s • Ground water assessment (planned)
1989
1992
1994
1995
1996
1997
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Superfund At Work • W.R. Grace Site, Aclon, MA
Summer 1996
Supply
Continued from page 3
nation, to serve as EPA's scien-
tific basis for comprehensive
cleanup.
Two months later, Congress
enacted the Comprehensive
Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability
Act of 1980 authorizing the
Superfund program. A pri-
mary purpose of the law was
to remediate hazardous waste
sites using private funding
whenever possible. In 1983,
EPA placed the W.R. Grace site
on the National Priorities List
(NPL), a roster of abandoned
or uncontrolled hazardous
waste sites requiring compre-
hensive cleanup. AWD also
pursued the company for the
costs of the well closure which
W.R. Grace paid four years
later.
EPA approved W.R. Grace's
work plan for aquifer restora-
tion in October 1984, and by
1985 the company had in-
stalled a ground water pump-
and-treat system. Ten extrac-
tion wells pump contaminated
ground water from beneath the
waste disposal areas and an
air-stripping tower extracts the
contaminants. After treatment,
the ground water is then dis-
charged into nearby Sinking
Pond. This system signifi-
cantly slowed migration of
pollutants to the aquifer. Toxic
concentrations, which at one
time exceeded 100 ppb, range
from one to three ppb.
Latex:
Natural Chemical with Multiple Uses
Latex is a milky white juice found in several families of flowering
plants such as the Para rubber tree of Brazil. One kind of natural latex
known as chicle, once was widely used to make chewing gum.
Another kind, gutta-percha, was used in making golf balls. The latex
of the opium poppy is the source of opium and the alkaloid morphine.
In the paint and coatings industry, synthetic latex has come into
widespread use since the late 1940s. Every paint contains a binder or
resin which forms the film and holds the paint together. Latex is a
specific type of binder with useful properties, such as protection of
wood and masonry from all types of weather. Other properties
include color and gloss retention, blister resistance, long-term flexibil-
ity, and ease of application. Spills, brushes, and hands clean up with
soap and water. In the rubber industry, synthetic latex also is used to
manufacture hundreds of items including tires, overshoes, and adhe-
sives. The elasticity and toughness of latex ensure a long life for many
products.
Today, manufacturers follow strict regulations on discharge of
effluent or disposal of hazardous wastes generated during industrial
processes. Many companies have gone beyond traditional waste
control measures and practice pollution prevention by reducing the
risks associated with toxic chemicals. Solvent substitution, product
redesign, and equipment modification successfully reduce or elimi-
nate hazardous waste.
Landfill and Lagoon Closure
Plan Under Way
Solid and hazardous wastes
generated during various
manufacturing processes had
been disposed of in unlined
lagoons and a landfill covering
six acres. In cooperation with
EPA, W.R. Grace conducted
studies to determine the best
approach to address contami-
nants found in the lagoons and
landfill.
After examining several
options, EPA selected a plan that
involved excavating the sludge
lagoons and mixing the wastes
with fly ash, quick lime, and
portland cement. This mixture
4
then enters a thermal desorp-
tion system that uses heat
generated by the addition of
lime to enhance the release of
VOCs before the treated mate-
rial is allowed to solidify. Emis-
sions driven off during treat-
ment are collected and treated
by thermal oxidation. This
technology uses a flare to burn
and destroy the VOCs. Engi-
neers will then transfer the
solidified sludge to the on-site
industrial landfill and install an
impermeable cap with a high-
density, polyethylene liner.
Specific cleanup standards
are required for the contents of
Continued on page 6
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Superfund At Work • W.R. Grace Site, Acton, MA
Summer 1996
Community Involvement Shapes Decisions for
Cleanup Strategies
Every Superfund site has
unique characteristics and so EPA
tailors the remedy to "fit" not
only the hazardous waste, but
the people who live and work
there. Who knows better than
the folks in the area what some of
the effects of a hazardous waste
site have been? The local boy son
their bikes riding home from
school are the ones who see the
fish kills. Mothers at home nurs-
ing their babies are the first to
detect foul odors in the air. The
retired couple out for a walk in
the park will spot a fire and call
the emergency preparedness net-
work. Every day, average citi-
zens from all walks of life detect
changes in the environment and
alert local officials.
The Superfund law is unique in
that public participation is both a
requirement written into the law
and a necessary component for the
selection of remedy. To encourage
citizen participation, the Superfund
law requires public meetings so
that questions and concerns can be
addressed throughout the site
cleanup process. Scientists, engi-
neers, and technicians from a vari-
ety of disciplines can assemble site
facts and details, but do they make
sense? How does the decision EB\
must make about the thorough-
ness and permanence of a remedy
effect the people down the street or
in future generations?
The Superfund program offers
the flexibility to air different op-
tions or set aside timetables to ac-
commodate specific community
requirements. At least two pub-
lic comment periods are held dur-
ing the remedial process. EB\
provides construction activity up-
dates, fact sheets, and notices of
major milestones and events.
In the small Town of Acton,
citizen involvement was excep-
tionally high and helped EE\ and
MADEP reach decisions that were
appropriate for the community.
EPA and state officials welcomed
the opinions and the testimonials
of residents who came to public
meetings or wrote their ideas
down on paper. Without this lo-
cal expression, government offi-
cials would have had to act in a
vacuum, not fully appreciating
what was important to the people
who live there.
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Superfund At Work • W.R. Grace Site, Acton, MA • Summer 1996
Continued from page 4
each of the lagoons. To meet
these standards, adjustments
have had to be made to exca-
vate deeper or require treat-
ment in others; a solid mat
heavily contaminated with
benzene in the boiler lagoon
was sent to a licensed hazard-
ous waste incinerator instead.
Excavation is currently under
way, and work on the landfill
cap is scheduled for 1996.
Technical Assistance Grant
Awarded
The Acton community was
initially unsure about EPA's
selected remedy and expressed
concern that landfilling the
hazardous waste would merely
hide, rather than permanently
eliminate, the waste. At public
meetings, community members
asked EPA to delay the selection
of remedy so residents could
apply for a Technical Assistance
Grant (TAG). In 1989, EPA
awarded a TAG to the Acton
Citizens for Environmental
Safety (ACES). ACES then used
the funds to hire a technical
advisor to review EPA's techni-
cal approach to the site and to
make recommendations on
behalf of local residents. The
advisor monitors the removal
and treatment of contaminants
at the site.
Success at W.R. Grace
Discovery of contamination in ground water led to the closure of both municipal wells and the
factory almost 15 years ago. The drinking water supply for the Town of Acton was replaced many
times faster than the restoration of the aquifer. But 10 years of ground water treatment have reduced
contaminant levels to near federal standards. Construction efforts to excavate and solidify 12
distinct areas used for hazardous waste disposal are under way. In 1996, a landfill cap will be
installed over the immobilized mass of industrial waste. Citizen awareness, corporate responsibil-
ity, effective enforcement, and state oversight all contributed to the successful remediation of this
site.
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