United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Public comment period
EPA will accept written comments on
the legal agreement until Wednesday,
April 7. This fact sheet includes a
pre-addressed comment form.
Copies of the full legal agreement can
be found at the village hall and in the
library.
Open house
EPA and representatives of state
agencies will be available to explain
and answer questions one-on-one
about the legal agreement as well as
the ongoing activities to deal with the
contamination under Hartford.
Written comments on the legal
agreement will be accepted at the
session.
Date:
Time:
March 25
1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Place: Community Center
715 N. DelmarAve.
Hartford
Public meeting
EPA will also hold a public meeting
on the same day to explain and
answer questions about the legal
agreement as well as the ongoing
activities. We will also accept oral
and written comments at this meeting.
Date: March 25
Time: 7 p.m.
Place: Community Center
715 N. DelmarAve.
Hartford
If you need special accommodations
in order to attend this meeting, please
contact Mike Joyce toll-free at:
(800) 621-843l,ext. 35546,
weekdays 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Companies Agree to Address
Vapors and Contamination
Hartford Area Hydrocarbon Plume Site
Hartford, Illinois
March 2004
Three oil companies have agreed to study ways to permanently clean up a
large pool of refined petroleum products that has contaminated the ground
underneath much of northern Hartford. The companies have also agreed to
find ways to protect homes and other buildings from dangerous fumes while
they design a permanent cleanup.
On March 17, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency signed a legal
agreement with Atlantic Richfield Co., Shell Oil Products US, and Premcor
Refining Group. These companies are considered potentially responsible
for the contamination. In this legally enforceable settlement, the companies
agreed to complete a thorough investigation of the pollution by the end of
2004 under EPA supervision. Once the investigation is complete, the
companies will design a way to permanently clean up the contamination in
the ground with the oversight of EPA.
If you suspect vapors in your home...
If you smell or suspect you have fumes in your home:
Call the Hartford Fire Department by dialing 911.
As part of the agreement signed by the companies, EPA has required they
develop a plan for responding to complaints of vapors in homes. The
companies have agreed to provide temporary housing and money for
incidental expenses if residents need to be evacuated from their home. EPA
will notify residents of further details of this plan once they are available.
Two kinds of home vapor removal systems being studied
Until the contamination can be removed, the companies have agreed to find
ways to protect people from possible vapor exposure in their homes. At
the end of February, a study was started to see if fumes can effectively be
stopped from getting into
houses. The study is ' EXHAUST
being done at two
residences in north
Hartford.
VENT PIPE
At one home, a pipe was
put into a small hole drilled
in the basement floor and
was routed through the
wall and up the side of the
house to the roof. A fan
draws the vapors up
through the pipe. The
sketch to the right shows
how this system works.
FAN
This drawing shows the type of vapor removal system
installed in a basement.
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The second system is
similar. The vapors are
drawn up through pipes
placed at four spots
outside the home. These
four pipes—all of which
are underground—are
linked by another
underground pipe that
encircles the home and
comes out of the ground
along the side of the
home, reaching to the
roof. A fan draws the vapors into this vent pipe expelling
them at roof level as in the diagram on Page 1.
This photo shows what a vent pipe
might look like at a home with a
vapor extraction system installed.
Once this study is complete, EPA will determine if either
of these systems will work in homes where vapors are a
problem. This study is expected to be completed by
May 1. However, if EPA determines that these systems
are not working, it will require the companies to find
other ways to protect people from dangerous fumes.
Investigating other ways vapors get into
homes
Another study the companies will be doing is looking at
other ways—such as through the sewer lines—that
vapors may be getting into houses. EPA expects a report
on the results of this investigation by June 2004.
1990s vapor removal system also studied
The companies are currently evaluating the effectiveness
of a system of extraction wells (put in to remove the
vapors) that were installed in the 1990s. Those wells
allow vapors to rise from the soil through pipes. The
vapors are collected and sent to be treated on the
Premcor property. The treated air is then released. If
EPA finds that all or some of these wells are still in good
shape and are in good locations, they may be used for a
new vapor removal system. The companies, at the
request of EPA, have installed a newer type of vapor
extraction well and are testing it to see how effectively it
works. (See map on Page 3 for the locations of the
vapor extraction wells.) The treatment system on the
Premcor property is also being examined for its
effectiveness. Although still operating, the wells and
treatment system installed in the 1990s are not as
effective now as they once were.
Protecting the water supply
Five monitoring wells have been installed between the area
affected by the contamination and where the village water
wells are located. These "sentinel" wells are being
monitored to ensure that the underground contamination
does not reach the village water supply. The results of the
samples taken from the sentinel wells so far have shown
no contamination. The map on Page 3 shows the
locations of these wells.
Designing a permanent cleanup
In the legal agreement, the companies potentially
responsible for the contamination have agreed to design a
long-term solution. The specifics of the cleanup will
depend on the investigations that are under way.
As part of these investigations, the companies pushed an
instrument into the ground at 66 different locations to find
out if petroleum products exist at each of those locations.
(See map on Page 3.) The technicians used a Rapid
Optical Screening Tool, which uses a laser to detect a
petroleum product. When the laser is pointed at a
petroleum product in the ground, it reflects fluorescent
light, confirming its presence.
ROST truck at work in Hartford.
Soil samples were also taken at 12 of the locations to help
EPA confirm the results of the optical screening. (See
map on Page 3.) This investigation, including the optical
screening and the soil sampling, will help EPA determine
where and how widespread the contamination is. This will
help the companies and EPA determine the best way to
design a permanent cleanup.
Pumping out the petroleum products
The companies are also studying how to pump the
petroleum products out of the ground. Two of three
existing wells are being used to see how quickly the
pollution can be removed. (See map on Page 3.)
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Map of Sampling Locations and Wells
N
Oil Tanks
•fc Sentinel Well Locations
O Vapor Extraction Wells (from the 1990s)
A New Vapor Extraction Well
(part of the current study)
Optical Screening Locations (to determine
the presence of petroleum products)
£J Soil Sampling Locations
(•) Petroleum Product Extraction Wells
Not to Scale
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For more information
For more information about the Hartford Area Hydrocarbon Plume site, please contact:
Mike Joyce
Community Involvement Coordinator
Office of Public Affairs (P-19J)
EPA Region 5
77 W.Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604-3590
Phone: (312) 353-5546 or
(800) 621-8431 Ext. 35546
Fax: (312)353-1155
E-mail: joyce.mike@epa.gov
Mara McGinnis
Community Relations Coordinator
Illinois EPA
1021 N.GrandAve. East
Springfield, IL 62794-9276
Phone: (217) 524-3288
Fax: (217) 785-7725
E-mail: mara.mcginnis@epa.state.il.us
Steve Faryan
On-Scene Coordinator
Emergency Response Branch (SE-5 J)
EPA Region 5
77 W.Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604-3590
Phone: (312) 353-9351 or
(800) 621-8431 Ext. 39351
Fax: (312)353-9176
E-mail: faryan.steven@epa.gov
Chris Cahnovsky
Manager, Collinsville Regional Office
Illinois EPA
2009 Mall St.
Collinsville, IL 62234
Phone: (618)346-5120
Fax: (618)346-5155
E-mail: chris.cahnovsky@epa.state.il.us
Kevin Turner
On-Scene Coordinator
Emergency Response Branch
EPA Region 5
8588 Rt. 148
Marion, IL 62959
Phone: (618)997-0115
Fax: (618)998-0425
E-mail: turner.kevin@epa.gov
Cathy Copley or Dave Webb
Environmental lexicologists
Illinois Department of Public Health
Edwardsville Regional Office
22 Kettle River Drive
Glen Carbon, IL 62034
Phone: (618)656-6680
Fax: (618)656-5863
E-mail: ccopley@idph.state.il.us
dwebb@idph.state.il.us
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Use This Space to Write Your Comments
Your input on the legal agreement for the Hartford Area Hydrocarbon Plume site is important to EPA.
You may use the space below to write your comments. You may hand this in at the March 25 public meeting or open
house, or detach, fold and mail to Mike Joyce. Comments must be postmarked no later than April 7. If you have any
questions, please contact Mike at (312) 353-5546, or toll-free at (800) 621-8431, ext. 35546, weekdays 9 a.m. -
4:30 p.m. Comments may also be faxed to Mike at (312) 353-1155 or sent via e-mail tojoyce.mike@epa.gov
Name
Affiliation
Address
City State_
Zip
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Detach, fold, stamp, and mail
Name _ ,
Address ace
City State
Zip
Mike Joyce
Community Involvement Coordinator
Office of Public Affairs (P-19J)
EPA Region 5
77 W.Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604-3590
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