United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Share your opinions
If you are interested in the OMC Plant
2 cleanup, please attend the upcoming
public meeting on Thursday, Jan. 11 at
the Waukegan City Hall - City Council
Chambers from 6 to 8 p.m. (details on
back page.)
Comments on the proposed plan should
be submitted from Jan. 2 - Feb. 1, 2007:
• Orally or in writing at the public
meeting
• By Mail (see enclosed comment form)
• Electronically via the Internet at
epa.gov/region5/publiccomment/
• Via fax to Kevin Adler at
(312)353-5541
For more information contact:
Mike Joyce
EPA Community Involvement Coordinator
(312) 353-5546 or (800) 621-8431
weekdays 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
joyce.mike@epa.gov
fax:(312)353-1155
Kevin Adler
EPA Remedial Project Manager
(312) 886-7078 or (800) 621-8431
weekdays 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
adler.kevin@epa.gov
Tammy Mitchell
Illinois EPA Community Relations
Coordinator
(217) 524-2292
Tammy. Mitchell@illinois.gov
Erin Rednour
Illinois EPA Project Manager
(217) 785-8725
Tuesday through Friday
Erin.Rednour@illinois.gov
EPA Proposes First Cleanup
Plan for the Outboard Marine
Corp., Inc. Plant 2 Site
Outboard Marine Corp., Inc. Plant 2 Site
Waukegan, Illinois
December 2006
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to clean up
contamination at the Outboard Marine Plant 2 site by demolishing the
PCB contaminated building and digging up soil and sediment that is
contaminated with PCBs and compounds commonly found in hydraulic
oil called polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs. The most
contaminated building materials and soil will be removed from the site
while the least contaminated materials and soil will be consolidated on-
site. Scrap metals will be cleaned and recycled.
The purpose of this proposed plan is to provide background information
about the OMC site and Plant 2 specifically, describe the various cleanup
options considered, and identify EPA's recommended cleanup alternative.1
The public is encouraged to comment on this proposal which will be
discussed at a public meeting on Thursday, Jan. 11 (see box to the left).
EPA, in consultation with Illinois EPA, will select a final cleanup plan for
the OMC Plant 2 site. This will occur after review and consideration of
information provided during the comment period and public meeting. The
selected cleanup plan will be detailed in an EPA document called a record
of decision. The final plan could differ from this proposed plan depending
on information or comments EPA receives.
The public also is encouraged to review the supporting documents for
the OMC site. The information includes documents called the remedial
investigation and feasibility study and the site-wide human health and
ecological risk assessment report. The remedial investigation studies the
nature and extent of contamination at the site, while the feasibility study
evaluates different cleanup options. The risk assessment evaluates potential
health risks to people and the environment due to contamination at the site.
EPA will issue a separate proposed plan to address TCE (trichloroethylene,
the most commonly found contamination in ground water) and similar
contaminants found in ground water and in the ground beneath the Plant 2
building after the evaluation of cleanup methods for these contaminants is
completed.
Section 117 (a) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (CERCLA) requires publication of a notice and a proposed plan for the
site remediation. The proposed plan must also be made available to the public for
comment. This proposed plan is a summary of information contained in the remedial
investigation, feasibility study, and other documents in the administrative record for
the Outboard Marine Corporation Plant 2 site. Please consult those documents for
more detailed information.
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About the OMC site
The OMC Superfund site is located on Seahorse Drive
and Waukegan Harbor in Waukegan, 111. in Lake County
(Figure 1). EPA has divided the OMC site into four parts
called operable units. OU 1 is the Waukegan Harbor
site; OU 2 is the Waukegan Manufactured Gas and Coke
Plant (Waukegan Coke Plant) site; OU 3 is the PCB
containment cells; and OU 4 is the OMC Plant 2 site.
The city of Waukegan now owns much of the OMC site.
EPA began cleanup work at the OMC site in the early
1980s. The state had documented PCB contamination
in Waukegan Harbor in the mid-1970s, and the site was
placed on the first Superfund National Priorities List in
October 1981.
OMC cleaned up Waukegan Harbor from 1990 to 1992
by dredging the north harbor area and placing the dredged
material into former Boat Slip #3 after it was converted
into a containment cell. OMC also dug up PCB-laden
soil on the north side of the Plant 2 property and placed it
into two newly created containment cells located on the
north side of Plant 2. OMC thermally treated some of the
dredged sediment prior to placement into the former Boat
Slip #3 containment cell and/or one of the northern cells,
removing more than 30,000 gallons of PCB-containing
oil for off-site destruction. As part of the 1990 to 1992
harbor cleanup, OMC constructed Boat Slip #4 to replace
former Boat Slip #3 for Larsen Marine Service. Some of
the soil excavated from Boat Slip #4 contained creosote,
leading to the discovery of the Waukegan Coke Plant site.
The nearby Waukegan Coke Plant site is being cleaned up
by several former owner/operators under EPA supervision
and is not the subject of this proposed cleanup plan.
Until it declared bankruptcy in December 2000, OMC was
in charge of inspecting and maintaining the three PCB
containment cells. EPA and then Illinois EPA performed
these tasks until mid-2005 when the city of Waukegan
assumed responsibility for this work. The city of
Waukegan purchased the Waukegan Coke Plant property
from OMC in July 2002. After OMC legally abandoned
the OMC Plant 2 property in December 2002, the city
began proceedings to acquire this property, completing the
acquisition in December 2005. The city plans to redevelop
these former OMC properties in accordance with the
Lakefront Redevelopment Plan it completed in June 2003.
The OMC Plant 2 building is a 1-million square foot
facility where OMC made outboard motors from
about 1948 until 2000. The building was abandoned in
December 2002. From 1961 until 1972, the production
lines of Plant 2 used hydraulic and lubricating oils
containing PCBs. They were the sources of the PCBs in
Waukegan Harbor sediment until OMC plugged its sewer
lines in 1976.
In 2004, EPA studied the nature and extent of soil and
groundwater contamination at the OMC Plant 2 facility.
The study results were issued in an April 2006 remedial
investigation report. In 2005, EPA began studying ways
to clean up the Plant 2 facility that would protect human
health and the environment. The results of this study were
issued in December 2006 in a feasibility study report.
Summary of site risks
A study of potential risks to public health, wildlife and the
environment was done for the OMC Plant 2 site. Site soil,
sediment, ground water and inside surfaces of the Plant 2
building contain levels of contaminants including PCBs
and PAHs. These may present risks to people if workers,
trespassers or others come into contact with them. PCBs
and PAHs in site soil and sediment also may present risks
to birds and small mammals as well as plants.
Ground water and soil also are contaminated with volatile
organic compounds such as TCE and vinyl chloride. If
this water is used for drinking, it would pose a risk to
people. Once the site is redeveloped, vapor seeping into
residential units from the contaminant plume area also
could pose risks. EPA is studying cleanup methods for the
ground water and will release a separate proposed cleanup
plan in 12 to 18 months.
Figure 2 presents the locations of the affected areas on the
OMC Plant 2 site.
Summary of cleanup options
EPA considered four options for the OMC Plant 2 building
and four options for the soil and sediment at the Plant 2
site. Each one was evaluated against nine criteria required
by the Superfund law (see page 6). The eight options
are summarized below; full details are available in the
technical documents on file in the Waukegan Public
Library.
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Here are details on
the site cleanup
options
OMC Plant 2 Building
Option 1B: No further
action
EPA uses the no-action option
as a basis for comparison
with other cleanup options.
Under this option, EPA would
do nothing further to remove
or contain the PCBs in the
OMC Plant 2 building. Since
no action would be taken,
this option would increase
the potential for human and
animal contact with the PCBs
because potentially harmful
levels of PCBs would remain
inside the building. EPA
would recommend no further
use of the contaminated
building areas because of the
potential health risks that the
PCBs may pose.
Cost: $0
Option 2B: Building
demolition with off-site
disposal
Under this option, EPA
would demolish the PCB-
contaminated portions of the OMC Plant 2 building,
including affected concrete floors (but not footings).
EPA would try to decontaminate as much of the structure
as possible so that steel, copper wire, concrete, and
equipment can be recycled. Materials that cannot be
decontaminated to PCB levels below 1 part per million
will be sent off-site for disposal in approved, licensed
facilities. (A part per million is a tiny amount, similar
to a drop of food dye in 16 gallons of water.) Soil
containing PCBs above 1 ppm within a 20-foot distance
from the building also would be excavated and disposed
of off-site. Pre-demolition activities would include an
asbestos survey and abatement, removal and disposal
of mercury-containing electrical switches, and removal
and disposal or recycling of machinery in the building.
NORTH 5HOR = SANITARY DISTRICT
Figure 1 - Site and Area Features
Post-demolition activities would include sampling and
analysis to demonstrate that the cleanup was successful
and backfilling of clean soil or fill material into excavated
areas as appropriate.
The proposed cleanup work would yield a cleaned
surface area the size of the building footprint plus 20 feet
around (about 40 acres), that would be ready for reuse
for residential or commercial/industrial purposes. Further
work would likely be necessary to clean up the ground
water and contaminated areas beneath the site, but EPA
would no longer need to address or monitor the cleaned
up surface areas.
Cost: $13.9 million
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446,052.32 sq.ft.
• Soil Boring Location
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Estimated Extent of PCBs or SVOCs Above PRGs
Area Requiring Decontamination
TSCA Concrete
Figure 2 - Building Material and Site Cleanup Areas
Option 3B: Building demolition with
off-site disposal and on-site consolidation
This option is the same as Option 2B except that materials
that cannot be decontaminated and exceed 50 ppm PCBs
will be sent off-site for disposal in an approved, licensed
facility. Materials that cannot be decontaminated and
exceed 1 ppm PCBs would be consolidated on the north
side of the OMC Plant 2 site between the existing PCB
containment cells. EPA also would excavate and dispose
of off-site and/or consolidate on-site, as in Option 2B,
contaminated soil within 20 feet of the building. After
materials were placed in the berm, it would be covered
with 12 inches of clean soil and seeded.
Although EPA would no longer need to address or
monitor the cleaned up area, EPA, the state, or the city of
Waukegan would need to monitor and maintain the on-site
consolidation area well into the future.
Cost: $13.1 million
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Option 4B: Building demolition with
off-site disposal and on-site consolidation,
with harbor sediment berm
(EPA's recommended cleanup option)
The cleanup plan under Option 4B is identical to Option
3B, except that the on-site consolidation berm would
be constructed along the northern property boundary
including over the PCB containment cells. The berm
would be constructed to allow for future (or concurrent)
placement of Waukegan Harbor sediment should a harbor
cleanup plan be enacted. After materials were placed in
the berm, it would be covered with 12 inches of clean soil
and seeded.
Cost: $13.6 million
Soil and Sediment
Option 1S: No action
EPA uses the no-action option as a basis for comparison
with other cleanup options. Under this option, EPA would
do nothing further to remove or contain the PCBs in
the contaminated soil and sediment at the OMC Plant 2
site. Since no action would be taken, this option would
increase the potential for human and animal contact with
the PCBs because potentially harmful levels of PCBs
would remain on-site. EPA would recommend no further
use of the contaminated building areas because of the
potential human health and environmental risks that the
PCBs may pose.
Cost: $0
Option 2S: Excavation of soil and sediment
with off-site disposal
Under this option, EPA would dig up on-site soil and
sediment with PCBs exceeding 1 ppm and/or PAHs
exceeding 2 ppm and dispose of the material off-site as
appropriate. Material exceeding 50 ppm PCBs would
be disposed of in a federally licensed facility. After
excavation is completed, the areas would be filled in with
clean soil.
This option would be completed at the same time as the
selected building cleanup option. The proposed cleanup
work would enable the excavated soil and sediment areas
of the site to be ready for reuse for residential and/or
commercial/industrial purposes. Further work would be
necessary to clean up the ground water and contamination
under the site, but EPA would no longer need to address
or monitor the cleaned up surface areas. Ecological risks
would be greatly reduced as well.
Cost: $8.2 million
Option 3S: Excavation of soil and
sediment with off-site disposal and on-site
consolidation
Under this option, EPA would excavate on-site soil and
sediment exceeding 1 ppm PCBs and/or 2 ppm PAHs
and dispose of the material similar to Option 3B. Soil
or sediment containing 50 ppm PCBs or higher would
be disposed of off-site at an approved, licensed federal
facility. Soil or sediment containing less than 50 ppm
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PCBs would be consolidated in a berm to be located
between the two PCB containment cells on the north side
of the property. After material is placed in the berm, it
would be covered with 12 inches of clean soil and seeded.
This option would be completed at the same time as the
selected building cleanup option. Although EPA would
no longer need to address or monitor the cleaned up area,
EPA, the state, or the city of Waukegan would need to
monitor and maintain the on-site consolidation area well
into the future.
Cost: $6.2 million
Option 4S: Excavation of soil and
sediment with off-site disposal and on-site
consolidation, with harbor sediment berm
(EPA's recommended cleanup option)
This option is like 3S. EPA would excavate on-site soil and
sediment exceeding 1 ppm PCBs and/or 2 ppm PAHs and
dispose of the material similar to 4B. The difference is that
Site-related documents may
be reviewed at:
Waukegan Public Library
Reference Desk
128 N. County St.
Waukegan
EPA Region 5 Records Center
77 W. Jackson Blvd., 7th Floor
Chicago
Weekdays 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Certain EPA information, including this fact sheet, can
be reviewed electronically at: www.epa.gov/region5/
sites/outboardmarine
An administrative record, which contains detailed
information upon which the selection of a cleanup
plan will be based, is also located at the Waukegan
Public Library and at the EPA Chicago office.
Evaluating the options
EPA used the following nine criteria to evaluate each of the options. The table on Page 7 compares each one
against these criteria:
6. Implementability evaluates the technical difficulty
in building and operating the cleanup system and
whether materials and services are available to carry
1. Overall Protection of Human Health and the
Environment addresses whether an option adequately
protects human health and the environment. This
criteria can be met by reducing or eliminating
contaminants, or by reducing exposures to them.
2. Compliance with Applicable or Relevant and
Appropriate Requirements, referred to as ARARs,
assures that each project complies with federal, state
and local laws and regulations.
3. Long-term Effectiveness and Permanence
evaluates how well an option will work in the long
term, including how safely remaining contaminants
can be managed.
4. Reduction of Toxicity, Mobility or Volume
through Treatment addresses how well the option
reduces the harmful effects, movement and amount of
contaminants.
5. Short-term Effectiveness is how quickly the
option can be done, as well as its potential harm to
workers, residents and the environment.
out the project.
7. Cost includes estimated capital or start-up costs. An
example is the cost of buildings, treatment systems and
monitoring wells. It also considers costs to implement
the cleanup and operate and maintain it over time.
Examples include laboratory analysis, repairs and
personnel hired to operate equipment. A cleanup is
considered cost effective if its costs are proportionate to
its overall effectiveness.
8. State Acceptance is whether the state environmental
agency, in this case Illinois EPA, agrees with EPA's
recommended option.
9. Community Acceptance evaluates how well the
community near the site accepts the option. EPA and
Illinois EPA will evaluate community acceptance after
the public comment period.
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soil or sediment containing less than 50 ppm PCBs would
be consolidated in a berm to be located along the northern
property boundary including over the PCB containment
cells. The berm would be constructed to allow for future
(or concurrent) placement of Waukegan Harbor sediment
should a harbor cleanup plan be enacted. After material is
placed in the berm, it would be covered with 12 inches of
clean soil and seeded.
This cleanup option would be completed at the same time
as the selected building cleanup alternative.
Cost: $6.6 million
How do the options compare?
EPA evaluated the cleanup options against seven of the
nine criteria. The state and community acceptance criteria
will be evaluated after EPA receives public comments. The
degree to which the cleanup options meet the evaluation
criteria and how they compare to other cleanup options are
discussed below and illustrated in the chart below.
Options IB and IS (no-action) are not protective of people
and the environment and would not meet ARARs.
Options 2B, 2S, 3B, and 3S, when completed, would
Evaluation Criteria for the OMC Plant 2 Site
protect people and the environment over the long term by
removing potentially harmful levels of contaminants from
the site, meet ARARs, and would be easily implemented
over a short timeframe. Options 3B and 3S, however, would
leave materials on-site in a containment area.
Options 4B and 4S are similar in scope to Options 3B
and 3S, but could result in a cost savings by providing a
containment area for Waukegan Harbor sediment should the
harbor be cleaned up (under a separate cleanup plan).
None of the options would use treatment technologies to
treat the PCB contaminants; however, the action options
would use treatment methods to reduce the volume of PCB-
contaminated materials and allow for recycling of steel,
copper wire, and perhaps equipment from the OMC Plant 2
building.
EPA's recommended option
Based on the analysis completed to date, EPA believes
that the best cleanup options for the Plant 2 building and
soil and sediment at the OMC Plant 2 site are Alternatives
4B and 4S. In 2007 or early 2008, EPA plans to present a
second proposed cleanup plan to clean up the contaminants
in ground water and the contamination underneath the site.
Criterion
Overall protection of human health
and the environment
Meets ARARs
Long-term effectiveness and
permanence
Reduction of toxicity, mobility, or
volume through treatment
Short-term effectiveness
Implementability
Cost
State acceptance
Public acceptance
1B/1S
D
D
D
D
D
•
None
2B/2S
•
•
•
D
16-20 months
to complete
•
$22.1 million
3B/3S
•
•
•
D
17-20 months
to complete
•
$19.3 million
4B/4S*
•
•
•
D
17-20 months
to complete
•
$20.2 million
Will be evaluated after the public comment period
Will be evaluated after the public comment period
Fully meets criteria
D Partially meets criteria D Does not meet criteria
"EPA's recommended options
7
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You're Invited to a Public Meeting
about the Proposed Cleanup of
the Outboard Marine Plant 2 Site
Thursday, Jan. 11, 2007
6 - 8 p.m.
Waukegan City Hall - City Council Chambers
100 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.
Waukegan
At the meeting, EPA will give a presentation to explain
the proposed plan, and you will have a chance to
comment for the record. You also may submit your
written comments at the meeting.
If you need special accommodations for the public
meeting, contact Mike Joyce at the contact information
on Page 1 by Jan. 4.
If you have scientific and technical questions about the
PCB cleanup, you may contact EPA Remedial Project
Manager Kevin Adler at the contact information on
Page 1.
Comments may be faxed to Kevin Adler at
(312) 353-5541 or submitted via the Internet at:
epa.gov/region5/publiccomment/
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Fold on Dashed Lines, Tape, Stamp, and Mail
Name
Address
City State
Zip
Kevin Adler
Remedial Project Manager
EPA Region 5 (SR-6J)
77 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604-3590
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Comment Sheet
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is interested in your comments on the proposed cleanup plan for the OMC Plant 2
site. EPA will consider public comments before selecting a cleanup action for the Plant 2 site. Please use the space below
to write your comments, then fold and mail this form. Comments must be postmarked by Feb. 1, 2007. If you have general
questions, contact Mike Joyce at (312) 353-5546, or through EPA's toll-free number at (800) 621-8431. Those with
electronic capabilities may submit their comments to EPA via the Internet at epa.gov/region5/publiccomment.
Name
Address
City State.
Zip
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