Evaluation of Ground-Water Extraction Remedies: Phase II, Vol. 2, February 1992.


           United States       Office of Emergency and   Publication 9355.4-05A
           Environmental Protection   Remedial Response     PB92-963347
           Agency          Washington, DC 20460   February 1992

           Superfund
&EPA     Evaluation of Ground-Water
           Extraction Remedies:
           Phase II

           Volume 2
           Case Studies and Updates

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Evaluation of Ground-Water Extraction Remedies: Phase II
Volume 2 - Case Studies and Updates

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                             Publication 9355.4-05A
                                  February 1992
EVALUATION OF GROUND-WATER
EXTRACTION REMEDIES: PHASE II
              Volume 2
            Case Studies
   Office of Emergency and Remedial Response
     U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
            Washington, D.C.

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                              CONTENTS




                                                                  Page




 Introduction	v






 Site Name



 Amphenol Corporation	1



 Black & Decker	11



 Des Moines TCE  	23



 Du Font-Mobile	34



 Emerson Electric	44



 Fairchild Semiconductor  	45



 General Mills  	70



 GenRad Corporation	91



 Harris Corporation	105



 IBM-Dayton  	117



 IBM-San Jose	134



 Nichols Engineering  	171



 Olin Corporation	194



 Ponders Corner  	207



 Savannah River Site  	218



Site A	-236



 Utah Power & Light	245



Verona Well Field	257
                                   in

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                            CONTENTS
                            (Continued)

Site Name                                                      Page
Ville Mercier .	285

Mid-South Wood Products	286

Occidential Chemical	314

Sylvester/Gilson Road	341

Tyson's Dump  	374

Western Processing	414
                                 IV

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                           INTRODUCTION TO  VOLUME  2
This volume was prepared as part of the second
phase of a study to  evaluate the effectiveness of
the ground-water extraction systems being used to
remediate ground-water contamination  at hazard-
ous waste sites.

Volume 2 includes updates  of 17 of the 19 case
studies originally written in  the first phase of the
evaluation   and   published   by   the   U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency in  1989 (U.S.
EPA, 1989). For  two of the sites in the original
study, Case  Study 5 and Case Study 19, no new
information  was available, so no  update has  been
written. Also included in this volume are five new
case studies for sites not addressed in the original
evaluation.  Volume 1 is a  companion document
summarizing the information on the 24 sites in
both phases  of the study and presenting general
conclusions.

The 17  case-study   updates  presented  in   this
volume are intended  to be true updates rather than
replacements of the original  case studies.  Enough
information  is given  in the updates to  make them
stand-alone  documents, but  much of the detailed
background  information presented in the original
case studies  has not been repeated.  For fullest
understanding of the sites, both the original  and
the update should be read.

The case studies and updates are thought to repre-
sent  site  conditions   and   remedial   activities
accurately,  on  the  basis  of the site  documents
acquired in this project. The documents generally
included site investigation and remedial design re-
ports and periodic  (usually  quarterly  or annual)
monitoring reports for  the operating ground-water
remediation  systems.  The  site  documents were
generally furnished by regulatory agency personnel
associated  with  the  sites   or   by  the  parties
responsible   for   remediation.     In   addition,
comments on drafts of each of the case studies and
updates were solicited from  individuals known to
be familiar with the sites. Many helpful comments
were received and were incorporated in the stud-
ies. Still, there is no  way to ensure that significant
facts have not been overlooked.

The case  studies and updates  are  meant to be
informative  rather  than definitive.  They should
not be  considered authoritative source documents
within  the framework  of enforcement  actions or
site negotiations. Under no circumstances are they
to  be  interpreted   as  official  statements  of
regulatory findings for the sites concerned.

Various interpretations  and conclusions about site
characteristics and remedial progress are presented
in the case studies  and  updates.  Many  of the
interpretations are taken directly from  the site data
and monitoring  reports.  In such cases, the source
documents containing the interpretation are usually
referenced.  Conclusions  drawn by the authors of
the case studies generally are presented in the last
two sections of each study, which are summaries
of the remediation as a whole and of issues related
to  nonaqueous-   phase   liquid  contaminants
(NAPLs).  Particularly in the "Summary of NAPL-
Related Issues," the authors felt  free to present
tentative interpretations  that  are  more  or less
speculative.

               REFERENCE

U.  S. Environmental  Protection Agency  (U.S.
EPA).  October 1989.   Evaluation  of Ground-
water  Extraction Retnedies:  Volume  2.  Case
Studies 1-19. EPA 9355.4-03.
                                                                   203

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                                                  UPDATE OF CASE STUDY 1

                                                       Amphenol Corporation
                                                            Sidney, New York
Abstract

Monitoring  data collected  since 1988 show that  the extraction system has continued to
induce a zone of capture that encompasses the areas of known volatile organic compound
(VOC)  contamination.  Concentrations of VOCs  have decreased in  some shallow wells
indicating the ground-water quality in the shallow  aquifer continues to improve as a result
of remediation.  However, VOC concentrations have  stabilized at higher levels in some
deeper wells.
Table of Background Data
Date of Problem Identification
Extraction Started
Types of Contaminants
Primary Aquifer Materials
Maximum Number of Extraction Wells
Maximum Total Extraction Rate
Estimated Plume Area
Estimated Plume Thickness
Maximum Reported Concentrations
1983
January 1987
Tetrachloroethylene
Trichloroethylene
Chloroform
Fluvial and glacial silt, sand, and gravel
2
260 gpm
9 acres
100 feet
Total VOCs 329 ppb

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                               CASE STUDY UPDATE
                           AMPHENOL CORPORATION

                          BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM
            INTRODUCTION

This  report discusses  events and  progress in
remediation at the Amphenol site from early 1989
through June 1990. It is an update of the original
case study, which  was based on data  collected
through the end of 1988 (U.S. EPA, 1989, Case
Study 1).

The Amphenol  site is  a manufacturing facility
located in the village of Sidney,  New York (see
Figure 1).  Electroplating wastewater impounded
in two waste treatment lagoons has contaminated
soil and  ground  water  at the site with volatile
organic compounds (VOCs).  This contamination
is a potential threat to the water  supply wells of
the village of Sidney.  The site is  administered by
the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation.

The problem was  first discovered in 1983  when
monitoring required by the EPA under the RCRA
showed that soils  and  ground water beneath the
treatment lagoons  were contaminated by VOCs.
The waste lagoons were taken out of operation in
1985. The ground-water extraction system began
operation in January 1987 and has been operated
almost continuously since startup.

The area is underlain by 100 to 200 feet of fluvial
and  glaciofluvial  deposits of  unconsolidated silt,
sand, and gravel.   Within  these  unconsolidated
sediments are  two transmissive zones referred to
as   the  shallow   and  deep  aquifer  zones,
respectively.  The unconsolidated deposits are
underlain by flat-lying shale bedrock.

The direction of ground-water flow is variable. It
is influenced by  the  water level  in the nearby
Susquehanna River, the surface topography, and
ground-water  pumping  from both  the  Sidney
production wells and the extraction system.   The
most common flow pattern, which occurs when the
river stage is high, is for ground water to flow to
the southeast and southwest away from the  river.
When this occurs, ground water in  the area of the
two  lagoons diverges  and  flows  to  both the
southwest  and  southeast.   When  ground-water
levels are high relative to the river stage, ground
water flows to the northwest.

The   primary  contaminants   of  concern  are
trichloroethylene   (TCE),   chloroform,  tetra-
chloroethylene, and other  VOCs.  The area of
greatest contamination is immediately southwest of
the two lagoons in the shallow aquifer zone.  The
shallow plume is divided  into  two  lobes,  one
extending west from  the lagoons parallel  to the
river and the other extending to the southeast.  The
deep plume is southeast of the lagoons and appears
to turn to the east at its southern limit in response
to ground-water pumping  by  the  water supply
wells of the village of Sidney.

           UPDATE ON SITE
          CHARACTERISTICS

There have been no important changes in the site
administration,  or in the  understanding of the
hydrogeologic setting or waste characteristics since
the time of the original case study.

             REMEDIATION

       Design and Operational
       Features of  Remediation
                 System

The objectives of remediation are to reduce total
VOC concentrations   to less  than  5 ppb in the
subsurface and to prevent  contaminated ground
water from reaching the  Sidney  water supply
wells.  The remediation  system,  as shown in
Figure 2, consists of two extraction wells—RW-1,
which  is  screened  from   100 to  120 feet  and
designed to remediate the deep aquifer zone, and
RW-2, which is  25  feet deep and designed to
remediate the shallow zone.  Both wells are close
to the lagoons.   Wells RW-1  and  RW-2 are
typically  pumped  at  approximately  140 and
60 gpm, respectively.

The extraction system  has not been modified since
the end of 1988.  However,  a second production
well for the village of Sidney, one located farther

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                                                                Amphenol Corporation
                        i Former
                  Waste Lagoons
                                                     1000   2000    3000    4000   5000
SQUKW: USGS.1082. SidmyQtud«ngiB,7J
Minute Topographic Swmt
1000     0     2000

     scale in fast
Figur* 1
SITE LOCATION MAP
AMPHENOL SITE

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nol Ftocomy Wrt
PfttMiMtorMnl (Of«p.
PtnafMtwrNMffDtfpMid
Sidney Sewag*
Treatment Ptant
Source ERM. 1990s

No
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Amphenol Corporation
northeast of the lagoons than Well No. 1, was put
into operation on November 30, 1989. Although
Well No. 1 is operational and is pumped
intermittently for maintenance purposes, Sidney
has generally used only Well No. 2 for its water
supply since November 1989 (Woodyshek, 1991).
Since 1989, Well No. 2 has been operated
intermittently at 800 gpm, whereas prior to
November 1989, Well No. 1 was operated
continuously at 400 gpm. The change in pumping
has caused a slight increase in the zone of capture
of the water supply wells and a slight decrease in
the zone of capture of the recovery wells.

EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE

The two extraction wells appear to continue to
capture the contaminant plume and prevent
contamination from reaching the water supply
wells, despite the addition of Well No. 2.
Contaminant concentrations in wells 7-D and
12-D, the deep wells that are closest to the water
supply wells, were found to be below detection
limits when these wells were sampled in March
1990. Since sampling began in the mid-1980s,
water supply well No. 1 has consistently contained
1 to 3 ppb of TCE and other volatiles and has not
shown any decrease in concentrations in response
to remediation. Contaminant concentrations have
been consistently below detection limits in Well
No. 2. Despite the persistence of contamination in
Well No. 1, ground-water contour data suggest that
the remedial objective of preventing the
contaminant plume from migrating to the water
supply wells has been met since the end of 1988.

Figures 3, 4, and 5 are time series graphs of total
VOC concentrations in wells 1-S, 17-S, and 1-D,
respectively. Wells 1-S and 1-D are paired wells
located immediately south of the west lagoon,
while well 17-S is located immediately west of the
west lagoon. All three wells have been among the
most contaminated wells at the site historically.
Figures 3 and 4, both show that total VOC
concentrations have continued to decrease
gradually since the end of 1988, indicating that
ground-water quality in the shallow aquifer zone
continues to improve as a result of remediation.

Figure 5 shows that total VOC concentrations in
deep well 1-D were stable from late 1988 through
mid-1990. These results suggest that the
remediation system has not significantly improved
the water quality in the part of the deep aquifer
zone adjacent to the deep extraction well since the
end of 1988.

Table 1 shows a comparison of total VOC
concentrations in 8 monitoring wells from 1986
through June 1990. The concentration of total
VOCs has decreased substantially in all the
contaminated shallow wells listed in Table 1 since
1986. However, the concentrations have been
essentially stable in deep well 18-D since 1986.
The overall decrease in VOC concentrations at the
site are likely to be a result of remedial activities,
including the drainage of the wastewater lagoons
in mid-1985, the removal of contaminated soils in
late 1986, and the startup of the extraction system
in January, 1987.

SUMMARY OF REMEDIATION

The monitoring data collected since 1988 show
that the extraction system has continued to induce
a zone of capture that encompasses the areas of
known contamination by VOCs and protects water
supply wells, despite changes in water supply
pumping. Continued gradual improvement in the
water quality of the shallow aquifer zone is also
evident. Monitoring data show that concentrations
have stabilized in some deep wells, indicating that
the extraction system may not be improving
ground-water quality in the deep aquifer zone in
some areas.

SUMMARY OF NAPL-RELATED
ISSUES

The presence of contaminants in the form of
nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) has not been
suggested in any of the information reviewed for
the Amphenol site. Although the chlorinated
organic solvents that are the primary contaminants
of concern have the potential to remain in the
aquifer as a dense nonaqueous phase, the historical
means of contaminant deposition, the source
removal actions at the site, and the observed
distribution of ground-water contamination suggest
that NAPLs, if present at all, probably do not exist
in large quantities.

The VOCs from the Amphenol plant were
apparently conveyed to the storage lagoons as a
constituent of the plant's process waste water. It
is not known to what extent the VOCs were
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-4
Tabtel
COMPARISON OF TOTAL VOC CONCENTRATIONS