xvEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency For community information and participation Rafael P. Gonzalez Community Involvement Coordinator 312-886-0269 rafaelp.gonzalez@epa.gov. For technical information Carolyn Bury Project Manager Corrective Action Section 2 EPA Region 5 77 W. Jackson Blvd. (LU-16J) Chicago, IL 60604-3590 312-886-3020 bury.carolyn@epa.gov EPA toll-free 800-621-8431, weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information You may see site-related documents at EPA's regional office, 7th Floor Records Center, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, or visit https ://www. epa. go \7 i n /am p h c n o 1 fra nklin-power-products-franklin-ind EPA Requires New Investigations at Amphenol Former Franklin Power Products/Amphenol Corp. Franklin, Indiana August 2018 The former Franklin Power Products Inc./Amphenol Corp. site at 980 Hurricane Road in Franklin is under EPA jurisdiction to address historic pollution releases at the property. In 1990 and 1998, EPA and Amphenol entered into legal agreements called Administrative Orders on Consent established under a federal law called the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, or RCRA. The orders initiated "corrective action" at the property. Amphenol no longer operates at the site, which currently has other tenants. However, Amphenol is still responsible for investigation and cleanup under the EPA order. The 1990 order required Amphenol to investigate and clean up pollution posing unacceptable risks to human health and the environment both on its property and beyond the property boundaries. Cleanup measures included digging up contaminated soil and the installation of a groundwater recovery system. "Groundwater" is an environmental term for underground supplies of fresh water. The recovery system removes solvents from groundwater that were released from the 1960s through 1983. The 1998 order, which replaced the earlier order, required Amphenol to upgrade the recovery system. New concerns Recently, Franklin residents expressed concerns that leftover solvents from the site may be causing health issues. The solvents are primarily composed of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. VOCs in their gas form can rise from soil and groundwater into buildings through openings in foundations such as cracks. This environmental issue is called "vapor intrusion." Depending on the level of intrusion, this type of indoor air pollution could be harmful. EPA will require Amphenol to complete updated investigations to: • Determine the extent of VOC contamination in soil and groundwater. • Complete a vapor intrusion investigation if indicated by groundwater and soil conditions. • Perform new health risk evaluations. Continued on backpage ... ------- ... continued from front. These investigations will proceed under EPA oversight. EPA recently developed new vapor intrusion guidance. The guidelines include updated science regarding what concentrations of VOC chemicals in buildings and outside air can pose health risks to people. EPA's 1996 vapor intrusion risk evaluation of the neighborhood near Amphenol, using the risk standards and methodology at the time, concluded VOCs did not threaten people's health. Ambient Air Investigation: Under EPA oversight, Amphenol completed the first of two investigations of the air surrounding the site this July. The tests will determine VOC levels at the site perimeter including locations downwind of the groundwater recovery system VOC emissions pipe. EPA will report the results to the public when they become available in August. 400 Forsythe Ave. Building, Franklin: There has been confusion about the building at this address being part of the Amphenol property under RCRA jurisdiction. It is not. This location was the mailing address for Franklin Power Products in the 1990s and is not part of the EPA corrective action investigation. Corrective action process Corrective action, a component of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, requires facilities that treat, store or dispose of hazardous waste to investigate and clean up hazardous releases into soil, groundwater, surface water and air. In 1984, Congress passed the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments that granted EPA expanded authority to require corrective action at permitted and non- permitted treatment, storage and disposal facilities. The RCRA corrective action cleanup process focuses on results rather than specific steps. A typical cleanup may include phases such as: initial site assessment, site characterization, interim actions, evaluation of remedial alternatives, and implementation of the selected remedy. See this webpage to learn more about the RCRA corrective action program https://www.epa.gov/hw/learn-about-corrective- action. Former Amphenol Facility 980 Hurricane Road, Franklin rARVINtKPi jERO.VlNCF st f IJPPF-R SHELBYVILLE, pn.MOO.N- __ R'ATiTifSVT HOW I 2 ------- |