J jflz. - Study Area Gets Smaller as Potential Sources are Eliminated - Perkasie TCE Assessment Bucks County, Pennsylvania £ s 5 \ 2 S3 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region 3 Community Update September 2005 The Perkasie TCE Assessment Why Are We Doing This? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is conducting an investigation into possible soil vapor contamination in residential areas of Perkasie Borough. EPA has been collecting samples from various areas of the Borough to find out if trichloroethylene (TCE) vapors exist and if they are getting into homes ("vapor intrusion.") EPA's mission is to protect human health and the environment. Our investigation into possible TCE contaminated vapor intrusion is to help ensure healthy residential indoor air quality. During the study, EPA has also been evaluating possible cleanup options to intercept any contamination before it causes health concerns at residential homes. TCE is often linked to past industrial activities and was also a common ingredient in adhesive, paint removers, typewriter correction fluids and spot removers. Long- term exposure to TCE-contaminated vapors are a potential risk to human health. The purpose of this fact sheet is to keep the community informed of the investigation and updated as the study progresses. J n To date, EPA's study has detected TCE contamination in some parts of the Borough, but not at levels that pose immediate health risks. The locations where some contamination has been detected are located within the study area shown on Map 1 and warrant further examination. If at any point, elevated levels of TCE vapors are found at concentrations considered to be a potential threat to human health inside residential homes, EPA will respond immediately to eliminate exposure and implement a cleanup plan for impacted homes. During this investigation, EPA is working with toxicologists at the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). ATSDR is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that, among other services, provides public health advice and consultations regarding human health risks posed by hazardous substances in the environment. Example of a drill rig used to install monitoring wells. 1 ------- Study Area Getting Smaller Sampling Results EPA is investigating areas for possible sources of the TCE contamination. So far, EPA has been able to eliminate several areas as the potential source, allowing the study to become smaller in scope and more focused. Map 1 shows the new, smaller study area. Within this area, EPA is collecting quarterly samples from 42 locations. One or more samples are collected at each location. The results of sampling will help EPA identify the boundaries of the contamination, or plume. Plumes are not usually in a neat, uniform shape, like a circle or oval. They can often zig-zag because of the type of soil, sand and/or fractured bedrock in the area. From September 2003, EPA has been studying the Perkasie area for TCE contamination by collecting various types of samples, including: Property Soil Vapor (PSV), collected from randomly selected residential yards and businesses; Sub-Slab Soil Vapor (SS), depending on PSV samples, vapors are collected from a hole drilled on an angle to reach underneath homes; Indoor Air (IA), depending on SS sampling, IA samples have been collected from a few houses; Surface Water (SW), collected from the creek; Groundwater (GW), collected from various depths below the surface; and Creek Sediment (SED), collected along the edge of the creek. Residential samples are collected every three months (quarterly), to account for seasonal differences that may exist. See Table 1 for recent sampling results. The Perkasie Borough drinking water supply, sometimes called "town water," is routinely tested and must meet federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards. Private well owners should have water quality tests done on a regular basis. Local health and /or environmental agencies, as well as private companies may offer water Map 1: Study Area Map not to scale Study area is approximate Stream Culvert ~ Area of investigation 2 ------- Table 1: Summary of Recent Samples Collected Dates of Sampling Events PSV SS IA SW GW SED # of results indicating further investigation is needed 10-12/2004 (Event F) 68 22 12 1 SS; 4 PSV; 9 IA 12/2004 (Event G) 12 34 12 8 GW 01/2005 (Event H) 65 18 11 4 PSV; 2 SS; 7 IA 02/2005 (Event SW) 4 13 4 GW 04-05/2005 (Event I) 23 35 23 17 GW 05/2005 (Event J) 40 16 9 5 PSV; 7 IA Numbers indicate how many samples were collected of each type. More than one sample may be taken at each location. The previous fact sheet included a similar table with results from Sampling Events A through F. A copy of this and previous fact sheets are available for review at the Bucks County Public Library, Samuel Pierce Branch, located at 491 Arther Avenue, Perkasie, PA. Next Steps: Groundwater Monitoring... EPA is testing groundwater quality due to the possible link between TCE-contaminated water and TCE- contaminated soil vapor. Over time, contaminated groundwater can often cause the vapors within the surrounding soil to also become contaminated. So as a measure of safety, EPA is monitoring groundwater quality, as well as soil vapor, during this investigation. EPA will be installing about 15 additional groundwater monitoring wells. This well work is estimated to begin in late September 2005. Samples are collected with the permission of the property owners. Residential participation is voluntary and at no cost to the property owners. EPA is also collecting samples at commercial and industrial locations within the study area. For More Information... If you have health-related questions about TCE, please contact: Bucky Walters ATSDR Regional Representative (215)814-3139 Or visit the website: www.atsdr.cdc.gov Groundwater is the supply of fresh water under the earth's surface. Unlike surface water, such as streams and rivers, groundwater flows very slowly. Groundwater tends to move from high to low points underground along a "hydrologic gradient," or slope, just like surface water; however, groundwater does not flow in a fast, straight line. It has to maneuver its way between layers of soil particles and fractures in rock. Depending on the hydrogeology of the area, it can sometimes take groundwater up to 15 years to move one mile. For More Information... If you have questions about this project, please contact: Trish Taylor EPA Community Involvement Coordinator (215)814-5539 tavlor.trish@epa.gov or Rich Fetzer EPA On-Scene Coordinator (215)814-3263 ------- If you have question and would like to talk with EPA, PADEP and/or ATSDR, please attend the Public Briefing and Availability Session Thursday, September 29, 2005 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Perkasie Borough Fire Hall 100 North Fifth Street, Perkasie, PA. There will be a brief update/presentation that should last about 20 minutes starting at 6:15 p.m. Come with questions. Representatives will be available to discuss your concerns on a one-on-one basis after the short presentation. EPA's Update on the Perkasie TCE Vapor Intrusion Assessment s Q w % V PROt^ LU o p* U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1650 Arch Street (Mailcode 3HS52) Philadelphia, PA 19103 Attn: Trish Taylor ------- |