vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protectior
Agency
For more information
You may contact these EPA team
members for questions, comments
or more information about the
cleanup at the W.C. Reed Playfield
site:
For general questions:
Ginny Narsete
Community Involvement
Coordinator
312-886-4359
narsete .virginiac^epa.gov
For technical questions:
JJ Justice
On-Scene Coordinator
440-250-1744
i u st ice j aines c/cpa.go\
Or you may visit:
epa.gov/region5/cleanup/wcreed
You may call EPA toll-free at
800-621-8431, weekdays from
9:30 a.m. — 5:30 p.m.
U.S. EPA
Superfund Division (SI-7J)
77 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604
EPA also has a field office at
25063 Center Ridge Road in
Westlake.
EPA Responds to Questions
About Summer Park Cleanup
W.C. Reed Playfields Site
Cleveland, Ohio	April 2014
EPA expects to begin a $3 million cleanup in mid-June at W.C. Reed
Playfields, a 12-acre Cleveland city park in a residential area at the
intersection of West 15th Street and Denison Avenue. The city should be
able to reopen the park once the three-month cleanup is complete.
Area residents and others interested in the project have raised many
important questions about the contamination on the playfield, the impact
of contamination on adjacent properties and the cleanup plan. Here are the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's answers to the most frequently
asked questions.
Why is EPA cleaning up the W.C. Reed Playfield? The city closed the
playfield in December 2012 after soil tests showed high concentrations of
chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, better known as
PAHs, in the soil. City officials contacted the EPA for assistance. EPA
officials consulted with Ohio EPA and the federal Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry, and all agreed a cleanup was needed so
children could use the playfield again.
What are PAHs? Do they cause cancer? PAHs are found naturally in
the environment but they can also be man-made. Some artificial PAHs are
used to make dyes, plastics and pesticides. PAHs are created when
products like coal, oil, gas and garbage are burned but the burning process
is not complete. EPA has no information from studies on people to tell
what effects can result from being exposed to PAHs. However, the
Department of Health and Human Services has determined that some
PAHs may cause cancer.
US. EPA
personnel
collect soil
samples from
the W. C. Reed
Playfield.

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Where can I get more information about PAHs?
Contact Ohio EPA or Ohio Department of Health, or
visit:
www.atsdr.cdc.gov/substances/toxsubstance.asp ?toxid=
25
Has the concentration of PAHs on the playfield
increased or decreased over time? There's really no
way to determine that. Neither EPA nor city officials
know of any soil testing done on the playfield before
December 2012. Without analytical data prior to that
date, we can't make a comparison.
www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=121&tid=25#
www.epa.gov/wastes/hazard/wastemin/minimize/factsh
ts/pahs.pdf
How long has the city known about the PAH
contamination? Since December 2012 when testing
was done as part of planned upgrades to the playfield.
The city closed the playfield and EPA began evaluating
the site.
Why is W.C. Reed Playfield being cleaned up as
opposed to other city parks which some believe may
be more contaminated? The EPA became involved
with the W.C. Reed Playfield project because the city
asked for assistance. The EPA is not aware of any
other potentially contaminated city parks. However, if
you have information about contamination at other
parks, you should contact the Cleveland Health
Department.
What caused the PAH contamination at the
playfield? The EPA's review of the playfield's history
shows a ravine - about 60 feet deep - ran through the
middle of what is now the W.C. Reed Playfield. This
ravine was filled in, possibly with industrial debris, in
the early part of the 1900s. Samples taken below the
surface of the playfield show there is slag/cinder
material below ground. That could explain the high
levels of PAHs.
Is the PAH contamination instead caused by air
emissions from industry? No. Although industry
emissions are a source of PAHs in the Cleveland area,
soil samples from residential properties around the
playfield have not shown widespread PAH soil
contamination in concentrations greater than Ohio
EPA's standards. In addition, soil test results within the
playfield boundaries and surrounding properties
indicate the PAHs are mostly below the surface. Some
of the samples from deeper underground actually show
higher concentrations of PAHs. This suggests air
emissions are not the primary source of PAHs.
How will the playfield be cleaned up? Digging up
and removing all the fill material from the former
ravine would be prohibitively expensive and disruptive
to the community. So EPA plans to leave the
contaminated soil where it is and cover the playfield
with a barrier known as a "cap." EPA will install a
semi-permeable membrane over the entire playfield,
and cover it with 18 inches of silty clay and six inches
of topsoil. This will keep people from touching any
contaminated soil and prevent contaminants from
moving up through the soil. The cap will allow
residents to use the park safely for recreation.
Why not excavate the PAH-contaminated soil as
opposed to capping the playfield? The EPA's review
of soil samples shows the PAH concentration is greater
the farther down you dig. Given the ravine footprint on
the playfield and how deep it was, the removal of PAH-
contaminated soil is cost-prohibitive under the current
federal budget. Removal would also be even more
disruptive to the school and surrounding community.
So there will be no excavation on the playfield?
We'll need to do some digging on the playfield to
properly install the cap and make sure it is properly
graded. There will also be some over-excavation done
in areas where the city plans to install baseball diamond
backstops, overhead lighting, playground equipment
and new trees. The over-excavation will allow city
workers to install the playfield equipment and new trees
without being exposed to PAH-contaminated soil.
Has the EPA installed a similar cap at other sites
destined for recreational use? Yes. Sites like the
W.C Reed Playfield are often well suited for
recreational uses - sports fields, hiking trails, parks and
playgrounds. Caps are in place at the Ohio River Park
in Neville, Pa.; the International Minerals Co. site in
Terre Haute, Ind.; the Mill Creek Dump in Erie, Pa.; the
Bangor Gas Works in Bangor, Maine; and the Westline
site in Westline, Pa. Ohio EPA has approved use of a
cap for sites destined for recreational reuse, including
the Diamond Shamrock site in Painesville, the Merex
site in Cleveland and South High School in Cleveland.
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How long will it take the EPA to clean up the
playfield? We plan to start in early June, and expect to
be finished by the end of August. Once the cleanup is
done, the Cleveland Parks and Recreation Department
will begin its previously planned renovations.
How does the EPA plan to address nuisance dust
associated with the cleanup of the playfield? During
the project, EPA will monitor the air at five points along
the playfield's perimeter for nuisance dust. If monitors
show too much dust, or if there is visible dust, then the
cleanup contractor will take steps to suppress the dust.
EPA will also collect perimeter air samples to be sure
PAH-contaminated dust is not drifting away from the
playfield during the cleanup.
Why is the EPA not relying on phytoremediation or
similar measures? In order for phytoremediation to
work properly, the entire affected area needs to be
covered with vegetation that effectively promotes
phytoremediation, which it is not. Also, it could take
years to make the playfield available for public use
again. The EPA has also ruled out measures such as soil
washing or thermal and chemical destruction of PAHs
in the soil. Those methods are too expensive and take
too long to consider for large areas.
Can the playfield be left as it is and allow the PAHs
to naturally degrade? No. PAHs often degrade
naturally in the soil. However, even after 60 years, the
PAH concentrations at the playfield are still above Ohio
EPA's standards.
Will all of the trees be removed? After consulting an
arborist from the Ohio Department of Natural
Resources and commercial tree management
companies, the EPA has determined that most of the
trees must be removed so we can properly install the
cap. The EPA has identified about a dozen swamp
white oak trees for preservation. These trees will be
professionally pruned and fertilized before the cleanup
begins to give them the best chance of survival.
Was a tree census conducted by a qualified tree
expert? Yes. A forester from ODNR's Division of
Forestry conducted a census of the playfield trees Sept.
25, 2013. You can see a copy of the census by visiting:
www.epaosc.org/site/region_list.aspx?region=5
What measures have been taken to prevent runoff
onto adjacent properties after the cap is installed?
EPA is developing a stormwater management plan to
keep surface runoff from the playfield from flooding
adjacent properties. This includes proper grading and
"green" stormwater infrastructure options, such as
drainage swales and rain gardens.
Where will the trucks come in and out of the
playfield? I'm concerned about heavy truck traffic
on residential streets. The EPA will use an existing
entrance to the playfield, near the intersection of West
15th Street and Denison Avenue, as the truck route. With
the exception of some truck traffic necessary to remove
contaminated soil from adjacent residential properties,
the EPA will not use residential streets to move either
contaminated soil or clean backfill material.
What happens over time when the barrier material
and/or overlying soil cover erodes? The EPA is
preparing an operations and maintenance plan for the
city's Parks and Recreation Department, detailing what
must be done to maintain the barrier, overlying soil and
vegetative cover, and tree wells. When the plan is
approved by EPA and the city, you will be able to see it
at: www.epaosc.org/site/region_list.aspx?region=5.
Will the EPA sample properties adjacent to the
playfield or within the original ravine footprint to
determine if they are contaminated? We collected
soil samples in December 2013 from 35 parcels adjacent
to the playfield or within the historic limits of the
ravine. We are seeking permission to collect soil
samples from the remaining parcels within this target
area, and we hope to take samples there in April or May.
How many properties were found to be
contaminated and will need to be cleaned up? The
EPA mailed letters Feb. 27 to inform property owners of
the soil sample results. As of mid-March, we have
found 23 parcels with PAH concentrations greater than
the Ohio EPA's residential standards. The EPA will
discuss cleanup options with parcel owners in April.
Is the contamination found on adjacent properties
related to that in the playfield soils? EPA conducted
PAH fingerprint analysis of some samples collected in
December 2013. While some results are pending,
preliminary results show a probable match.
What cleanup option is available to property
owners? The EPA will discuss specific cleanup details
with each property owner. Generally, the EPA will dig
up and remove up to two feet of contaminated soil at
affected off-site parcels, and replace it with 18 inches of
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silty clay fill material followed by six inches of topsoil.
Who will pay for the cleanup of PAII-contaminated
soil on adjacent properties? The EPA will pay for the
cleanup of PAH-contammated soil on any properties
adjacent to the playfield or within the historical
footprint of the ravine.
Residents of the Foster Pointe apartments adjacent
to the playfield have smelled sewer gas odors, which
have affected their health. Is this related to the PAH
contamination found in the playfield? The EPA does
not believe there is a relationship because the playfield
contaminants do not readily evaporate and disperse as a
gas. City officials have told EPA that during
construction of the apartment complex, contaminated
soil was removed and clean fill was placed on the site to
reach final construction grade. EPA and city officials
believe the sewer gas odors in the apartment complex
may be related to improper installation of water traps in
sanitary drains. City officials will work with residents
and the apartment complex owner to determine if the
traps are properly in place.
U.S. EPA will spend approximately $3 million this summer and fall on a cleanup project to contain hazardous chemicals just
below the surface of the W. C, Reed Plavfields.
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