vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Public Affairs
77 West Jackson Boulevard (P-19J)
Chicago, Illinois 60604-3590
Illinois Indiana
Michigan Minnesota
Ohio Wisconsin
U.S. EPA Wants to
Hear From You
U.S. EPA is offering two
opportunities for the public to learn
more about the proposed clean-up
plan:
Open House
Monday, October 2, 2000
12 noon to 4 p.m.
Oak Creek City Hall
8640 S. Howell Avenue
Oak Creek, Wisconsin
This session will have an informal format
and give residents an opportunity to talk
with representatives from U.S. EPA,
Wisconsin DNR, Wisconsin Division of
Health, DuPont, El Paso, and City of Oak
Creek. Pictures and maps of the site will
be on display. There will be no
presentation and oral comments will not
be accepted.
Public Hearing
Tuesday, October 10, 2000
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Oak Creek City Hall
8640 S. Howell Avenue
Oak Creek, Wisconsin
The hearing will include a formal
presentation explaining the proposed
clean-up plan, followed by questions and
answers and an opportunity for the
public to provide oral comments.
Residents may also give U.S EPA written
Proposed Plan for Cleanup
of the Boerke Site
Oak Creek, Wisconsin
September 2000
Introduction
This Proposed Plan announces the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency's (U.S. EPA's) recommended clean-up plan for the Boerke site
in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. It describes the plan - referred to as Off-Site
Stabilization with Off-Site Disposal - and discusses why U.S. EPA is
recommending it.
U.S. EPA invites public input on the clean-up recommendation. Public
input is important to the clean-up process. Based on new information
obtained through public comments, U.S. EPA may modify its
recommended plan or select another from the alternatives listed on page
4.
In considering U.S. EPA's recommended clean-up plan, the public may
wish to refer to a site investigation report, which was recently completed
and is summarized in this Proposed Plan. This report, called an
Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA)1, described, analyzed and
compared a number of cleanup alternatives for addressing the arsenic
contaminated soil and sediment2 at the Boerke site. The report is available
in the Oak
Creek
Public
Library.
Aerial view looking west
'Section 300.415 (b)(4)(I) of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) and Section 113 (k)(2) of
CERCLA require publication of a notice describing U.S. EPA's recommended alternative. The EE/CA must also be made available to the
public for comment. This Proposed Plan is a summary of information contained in the EE/CA for the Boerke Site. Please consult the
EE/CA for more detailed information.
2Words in bold are defined in the glossary on page 7.
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Recommended Clean-up Alternative
Site Location
Off-Site Stabilization with Off-Site Disposal
(Alternative 3)
Under this plan, contaminated disposal area fill material,
surrounding soil, and sediment (approximately 17,000
cubic yards or 24,000 tons) would be excavated,
transported, treated, and disposed of at an appropriate
off-site facility. Contaminated material would be
excavated to a depth of approximately 10 feet in the
disposal area, 5 feet in the surrounding soil area, 1 foot
in the wetland, and to an average depth of 0.6 feet in the
drainage swale. These depths are based on field
investigations that identified the location and extent of the
arsenic waste. Excavated areas would be backfilled with
clean fill to match the original grade.
The swale would be covered and graded to accept
surface water runoff from the site. Surface water from
the wetland would be removed and treated. The
wetland would be restored with appropriate vegetation.
Institutional controls would be established to limit digging
or other intrusive activities in the remediated areas in the
future. Ground water would be monitored to evaluate
the water quality beneath the site.
The cost of implementing this plan is $5,393,000. This
cost is presented as Present Net Worth, which is the
total cost of an alternative in terms of today's dollars,
using a discount rate of 7 percent, and an operation and
maintenance period of 30 years.
U.S. EPA considers this plan the most favorable of all
alternatives considered because it best satisfies the three
evaluation criteria (see box on page 4). It provides for
the removal of the most highly contaminated material,
allowing for future industrial and/or commercial use of
the site and prevents people from coming in direct
contact with any residual soil containing elevated levels
of arsenic. In addition, it requires only maintenance of
the institutional controls after completion. Although this
plan is more expensive than the other alternatives
considered, it proves to be the most favorable for
protecting human health and the environment.
The Boerke site is located in a rural area in Oak Creek,
Wisconsin, about 15 miles south of Milwaukee. The
vacant 70-acre site, which lies at the top of a steep
bluff along Lake Michigan, is partially wooded and has
a small wetland. The 50-acre portion of the site is
currently owned by EPEC Polymers, Inc. (EPEC) -
referred to in a previous fact sheet as El Paso - and is
the subject of this Proposed Plan. The 20-acre
western portion along 5th Avenue is currently owned by
the Boerke Trust.
The site is bordered to the north by an industrial
property now owned by E.I. DuPont de Nemours and
Company (DuPont). Directly to the west across 5th
Avenue is the Oak Creek water purification plant.
Scattered residences are located to the north, west,
and south, interspersed among mixed commercial and
industrial properties. The nearest residence is 0.2 miles
from the site. Directly to the south is Bender Park, a
county recreational park and marina. Ryan Road
borders the southern property boundary.
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Site Location
Site History
Prior to the 1940s, a portion of the site measuring
approximately one-quarter acre served as a disposal
area for arsenic wastes from an adjacent dye
manufacturing facility located on the property directly
north of the Boerke site. Results of investigations
conducted by DuPont in the mid-1980s revealed that
high levels of arsenic were present in several areas:
disposal area soils; sediment in an adjacent wetland; and
sediment in portions of a drainage swale that extends
from the wetland to the north along the property
boundary to Lake Michigan.
In December 1994, at the request of the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources (DNR), U.S. EPA
performed a site investigation to determine the need for
U.S. EPA assistance and cleanup. After collecting and
analyzing a limited number of soil and sediment samples
at various locations on the site, U.S. EPA determined
that the site posed a potential threat to human health and
the environment and that a cleanup was needed.
Engineering Evaluation/Cost
Analysis Activities
In September 1995, U.S. EPA and DuPont, who U.S.
EPA previously identified as a potentially responsible
party for the placement of arsenic materials in the
disposal area, signed an Administrative Order by
Consent (Order). The Order required DuPont to
conduct a site investigation study, called an EE/CA (see
box in the next column) and to prepare a report. In
August 1999, the Order was amended to include EPEC
as a potentially responsible party.
Field Investigations
As part of the EE/CA study, the potentially responsible
parties conducted a series of extensive field
investigations to evaluate the nature and extent of arsenic
contamination in the surrounding soil, sediment, surface
water and ground water; and to
collect data needed to evaluate the potential risks to
people and the environment by the presence of arsenic
at the site.
These investigations were completed in three phases.
During Phase I (November 1995 to February 1996),
contractors for the potentially responsible parties
collected and analyzed soil and sediment samples to
evaluate the extent of contamination in the disposal
area, surrounding soil, surface water, and swale
sediment. On December 14, 1998, Phase II was
conducted to evaluate shallow ground water at the site.
In September and October 1999, the Phase III
investigation took place to fill information gaps about
contamination in disposal area soils, swale sediments,
wetland sediments and surface water, shallow ground
water, and seepage water identified along the
Lake Michigan bluff.
Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis
An Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis or
EE/CA is a document prepared to help decision
makers better understand site contamination and
clean-up needs. Specifically, the EE/CA
documents:
History of site operations resulting in
contamination
Site conditions such as hydrogeology,
topography, and plant and animal life
Location and type of site contamination
Potential for people and the environment to
come into contact with site chemicals
Possible health risks to people and the
environment
Clean-up alternatives, including their costs,
potential effectiveness, and implementability
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In total, these investigations delineated the extent of
arsenic contamination in the disposal area, surrounding
soil, and wetland and swale sediments. These
investigations revealed that surface water, shallow
ground water, and seepage water did not contain arsenic
at levels of concern to public health. This information
collected was used to identify and evaluate appropriate
clean-up alternatives. Areas of the Boerke site
proposed for cleanup under the U.S. EPA-
recommended clean-up alternative due to the presence
of contamination are roughly defined as the colored
areas of the enclosed map.
After completion of the field investigations, the
potentially responsible parties installed erosion and
sediment control devices around the wetland and swale
to help prevent further movement of contaminated
Explanation of the Evaluation Criteria
U.S. EPA typically uses three criteria to
compare the clean-up alternatives in an EE/CA
and to recommend the most favorable clean-up
remedy. The evaluation criteria consists of:
Effectiveness. U.S. EPA assesses the degree
to which a clean-up alternative provides for
overall long-term protection of human health and
the environment as well as preventing potential
short-term risk posed to workers, nearby
residents, and the environment by implementing
the cleanup alternative.
Implementability. U.S. EPA assesses how
technically or administratively difficult the clean-
up alternative will be to implement, and also
considers community and State acceptance and
the availability of goods and services.
Cost. U.S. EPA compares the costs of each
alternative including estimated capital, operation,
maintenance, and present net worth costs.
material away from the disposal area and installed a
security fence around the site boundary.
Other Clean-up Alternatives
Considered
The EE/CA evaluated two other clean-up alternatives:
Alternative 1Limited Action and Institutional
Controls
Alternative 2On-site Containment with Soil Cover
Detailed information on these two alternatives can be
found in the EE/CA in the information repository.
Evaluation of Risks to People and
the Environment
A streamlined risk assessment was conducted as part
of the EE/CA. This assessment looked at how people
and the environment could be exposed to arsenic at the
site and the potential health affects associated direct
exposure to arsenic.
People
The site is vacant and unused for any routine activities
and the property has deed restrictions to maintain the
land use as commercial/industrial. The site is fenced,
thereby controlling access.
People trespassing on the site may be exposed to
contaminated materials in certain areas of the site. One
possible way people may be exposed in these areas
would be through incidental ingestion, which may occur
when a person gets dirt on their hands and then put
their hands in their mouths. Other ways of exposure
may include dermal contact directly through the skin by
touching contaminated materials or by breathing
particles of contaminated material that may become
airborne. Based on information developed by U.S.
EPA and its partner agencies regarding the health
effects associated with exposure to arsenic, the levels
of arsenic at some locations of the site are considered
to be significant enough so that frequent contact may
increase a person's risk of developing skin and other
types of cancer.
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Public Comment Sheet
Your input on U.S. EPA's recommended clean-up plan for the Boerke site is important.
You may use the space below to write your comments, then fold and mail to the address on the reverse side. Comments
must be postmarked on or before October 31, 2000. You may also fax or email your comments to Bri Bill, U.S. EPA
Community Involvement Coordinator, at (312) 353-1155 or bill.brianafg),epa.gov.
If you have questions, contact Bri Bill at 312-353-6646 or toll free at 800-621-8431 extension 36646.
Name
Affiliation
Address
City
State
Zip
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BOERKE SITE
PUBLIC COMMENT SHEET
Detach this page, fold on dashed lines, staple, stamp, and mail
Name
Address.
City
Zip
State
FIRST CLASS
BriBffl
Community Involvement Coordinator
Office of Public Affairs
U.S. EPA (P-19J)
77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago,IL 60604-3590
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Environment
Plant and animal life may be exposed directly to the
arsenic in the disposal area, the surrounding surface
soil, and sediment in the wetland and drainage swale.
Animals may be exposed to arsenic in areas where it
was found by incidental ingestion of soil or ingestion of
plants growing in soil with elevated levels of arsenic.
Inhalation of soil particles with elevated levels of arsenic
that may become airborne is not considered a
significant exposure route for animals. The elevated
levels of arsenic found in the disposal area and
surrounding soil and sediment may pose an
unacceptable risk to plant and animal life that are
directly exposed to these areas of the site.
The Next Step
U.S. EPA will evaluate public comments received
during the public comment period before selecting a
final clean-up plan. The final plan will be described in a
document called an Action Memo. U.S. EPA will
respond to comments in a document called a
Responsiveness Summary which will be attached to the
Action Memo.
After the final clean-up plan is selected, U.S. EPA will
meet with DuPont and EPEC and request that they
conduct the cleanup. Following these negotiations, the
clean-up plan will be designed and implemented.
Glossary of Terms
Sediment Unconsolidated materials on the bottoms of rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Sediment consists
primarily of clay, silt, sand, and gravel along with some organic material from decomposing plants
and animals.
Swale A long, narrow, trough-like depression. At the Boerke site, the swale provides drainage
from the site during periods of heavy precipitation or snow melt.
Potentially Parties that U.S. EPA has found to be potentially legally responsible for contamination
Responsible and/or cleanup at a site. Under Superfund, these parties can include persons (including
Party companies) that are owners or operators of Superfund-designated sites, persons who arranged for
disposal of hazardous substances at a site, or certain persons who transported hazardous
substances to a Superfund site. At the Boerke site, U.S. EPA has named DuPont and EPEC as
potentially responsible parties.
Administrative A legal agreement under the authority of the Superfund law between U.S. EPA and
Order by potentially responsible parties whereby these parties agree to perform or pay the cost of a
Consent (Order) cleanup or other action. The Order describes the problems at the site, actions to be taken, and
relevant legal authorities if the order is not complied with.
For More Information
U.S. EPA has established a file for public review called an information repository. The information repository contains
general information about U.S. EPA's Superfund clean-up program as well as documents related to the project,
including the EE/CA. The repository is located at the Oak Creek Public Library, 8620 South Howell Avenue, Oak
Creek, WI 53154.
An administrative record, which the selection of the clean-up plan will be based on, is located at the Oak Creek Public
Library and at the U.S. EPA office in Chicago, Illinois.
7
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Contact Information
To obtain more information about the Boerke site, please contact one of the individuals listed below.
If you would like more information about the cleanup, please contact:
Bri Bill Mike Collins Tom Wentland
Community Involvement Coordinator Remedial Project Manager Site Manager
U.S. EPA (P-19J) U.S. EPA (SR-6J) Wisconsin DNR
Office of Public Affairs 77 West Jackson Boulevard P.O. Box 12436
77 West Jackson Boulevard Chicago, IL 60604 Milwaukee, WI 53212
Chicago, IL 60604 (312) 886-6436 (414) 229-°853
/">io\ TCT /c/c/i/c 11- u i^ wentlt@jnail01.dnr.state.wi.us
(312)353-6646 collms.michael(g),epa.gov w
bill.briana@epa.gov
You can also call U.S. EPA's toll-free hotline at (800) 621-8431.
If you have questions about health impacts from the site, please contact:
Chuck Warzecha
Wisconsin Division of Public Health
1414 E. Washington Avenue, Room 96
Madison, WI 53705
(608) 267-3732
warzeci@,dhfs.state.wi.us
vvEPA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 5
Office of Public Affairs
77 West Jackson Boulevard (P-19J)
Chicago, IL 60604-3590
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
FIRST CLASS
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