SOUTH CAVALCADE STREET EPA Region 6 Houston, Harris County, Texas Congressional District 18 EPA ID# TXD980810386 Site ID: 0602895 Last Updated: August 2014 Contact: Raji Josiam 214.665.8529 Background The South Cavalcade Superfund Site occupies approximately 66 acres of land located approximately three miles north of downtown Houston, Texas, and about one mile southwest of the intersection of Interstate Loop 610 and U.S. Highway 59. The Site is bounded by Cavalcade Street to the north, Collingsworth Street to the south, and the Houston Belt & Terminal Railway Company (HB&T) Passenger Main to the east, and HB&T and Union Pacific Railroad to the west. The Site is situated in what would be considered a light industrial corridor, and is bounded on the west side by a large residential area. The Site is rectangular in shape and is approximately 3,400 feet long in the north-south direction by 900 feet long in the east-west direction. A wood treating plant operated at the Site from 1910 until 1962. Creosote and various metallic salts were used as the wood preservatives. The wood treating process area was located in the southern portion of the Site along Collingsworth Street. Koppers Company, Inc. (Koppers), now known as Beazer, operated the wood treating facility from 1940 until its closure in 1962. A coal tar distillation plant was also operated by Koppers on the southeastern portion of the Site from about 1944 until 1962. The Site is currently occupied by trucking firms, with much of the ground surface (particularly in the southern half of the site) covered by pavement, buildings, or storage areas. A ground water treatment facility is located at the eastern boundary in the central portion of the Site became inoperative due to a lightning strike in April 2006. Since April 2006, Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (DNAPL) has continued via manual pumping of DNAPL from the collection wells. Two areas of contaminated soil, along the southeastern boundary and in the south portion of the Site, have been capped and are being used for truck parking. The northern contaminated area of the site is currently not being used by any businesses. Site Photos Field Boring Evaluation - October 2012 Wastewater Treatment Plant South Cavalcade Street 1 EPA Publication Date: August 2014 ------- Southeastern Cap South Cap Evaluations and Current Status ^« EPA, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and the Site's Responsible Party, Beazer East, Inc. (Beazer), have been discussing different ground water remedial options for the Site, including a natural attenuation component. To support a possible modification of the current remedy, Beazer completed additional field work (9/2005) to better define the ground water plume at the southwest corner and the preferential migration pathways in the shallow (~ 18' to 21' below ground surface) and intermediate (~40-50' below surface) aquifers. This additional information is summarized in the Supplemental Ground Water Investigation Report (March 1, 2006) submitted to EPA. The first Site Map (included below) is taken from this report and illustrates the inferred boundaries of Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (DNAPL) for both aquifers. Based on the results of the investigation and previous fate and transport reports, Beazer has submitted in May 2007, a follow-up draft Focused Feasibility Study (FFS) to evaluate the current remedy, as well as other options to address the impacted ground water. A meeting was held on June 26, 2007 and on November 29, 2007 with Beazer and the regulators to discuss comments to the draft FFS. Beazer has submitted a draft Technical Impracticability (Tl) Demonstration Report to the regulators in November 2008. EPA, TCEQ, and Beazer met on January 18, 2011 to discuss plans for a ROD Amendment for the change in the groundwater remedy of the site from extraction and treatment to Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA) and establishing Tl zones at the site. EPA HQ has reviewed the MNA and Tl waiver document and has provided comments. Beazer has prepared a matrix evaluating different technologies for the site to address those comments. A meeting between EPA HQ, EPA R6, TCEQ and Beazer was held on December 14th 2011 and Beazer is evaluating remedies for the northern portion of the site. Beazer has submitted an FFS Amendment with the additional remedial options. EPA, TCEQ, and Beazer discussed the FFSA on May 16, 2012 and have requested Beazer to further delineate the saturated source area. EPA and the TCEQ have discussed the draft Human Health Risk Assessment Report and provided comments to Beazer. Beazer has installed additional borings in October 2012 to verify historical boring log information and to confirm the nomenclature of the varying levels of contamination. A discussion between EPA, TCEQ, and Beazer was held on November 16th 2012 regarding the evaluation of the borings and steps to be taken. EPA, TCEQ, and Beazer met on April 9th 2013 to discuss additional steps to be taken for the proposed remedy. The Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) is planning a north-south extension of the Hardy Toll Road, to be built in the rail right-of-way adjacent to the western boundary of the Site. The Toll Road, once constructed as planned, would further separate these industrial properties from the residential areas to the west. The HCTRA is also planning on expanding Collingsworth Street adjacent to the southern boundary of the Site. South Cavalcade Street 2 EPA Publication Date: August 2014 ------- The EPA, TCEQ and Beazer have been having discussions with the HCTRA regarding their plans for the Hardy Toll Road extension and Collingsworth Street expansion. Several meetings and discussions have been held between EPA, TCEQ, Beazer, HCTRA, and City of Houston (COH) personnel to discuss the project. The discussions continue with the HCTRA regarding the plans. HCTRA met with EPA on January 26, 2010 and followed that up with a letter seeking EPA's concurrence on their approach to environmental management practices during construction. EPA has concurred/responded to the specific management practices listed in the letter on February 26, 2010. HCTRA has received approval for the project and soil sampling of the Collingsworth Road along the Site was completed in June. EPA and TCEQ met with ENVIRON (Technical Consultants to the Railroad and to HCTRA) and COH on October 9th, 2012 to discuss status of the Railroad relocation of fiber optic lines, the Collingsworth Bridge project, and Toll Road Expansion. EPA and TCEQ have reviewed the Materials Management Plan for the HB&T Passenger Main relocation from the west of the site to the east of the site within the existing railroad right-of-way. EPA and TCEQ participated in a meeting held by the Ryon Civic Association on February 7, 2013 and presented information on the status of the site. Fieldwork at the Site was completed in June 2013 by Beazer to obtain additional soil and groundwater information needed in support for the proposal of a remedial alternative for the contaminated groundwater at the Site. The Proposed Plan for the ground water remedy was published on July 25, 2013 and the public comment was extended another 30 days and ended September 23, 2013. The preferred remedy proposed was a Technical Impracticability Waiver with short-term and long-term monitoring and institutional controls. A public meeting was held on August 6, 2013 at Jefferson Davis High School to present the proposed plan and receive comments. The meeting was well attended by the residents and stakeholders including City of Houston, Harris County, on-site businesses, and contractors. The public meeting panel was represented by the EPA, the TCEQ, and the Texas Department of State Health Services. The EPA has received several calls and a few written comments from the residents and other stakeholders since the meeting and their questions are being answered. The comments received have been taken into account and the selected remedial alternative will be documented in a Record of Decision (ROD) Amendment and the response to the comments received on the Proposed Plan will be included with the ROD Amendment to be published in 2014. Currently, discussions are ongoing with the TCEQ regarding certain provisions of the draft ROD Amendment. EPA met with a couple of community leaders on March 18, 2014 to hear their questions and concerns. EPA continues ongoing dialog with the community leaders to address their questions and concerns. Benefits Contaminated soils have been contained and capped in two separate areas of the Site, eliminating any potential for direct contact with impacted soils and ensuring current and future protection of human health and the environment. The DNAPL extraction system, in operation since 1996, has removed over 4000 gallons of product. The 1988 Record of Decision requires that ground water extraction continue until contaminants have been removed to the maximum extent practicable, through treatment to drinking water standards and no detectable polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). That remedial technology is currently being re- evaluated, along with other alternatives. There is, however, no known exposure to contaminated ground water in the area. Drinking water is provided by the City's municipal water system, and there is no indication of private well use down gradient from the Site. Institutional controls have been established at the Site to ensure that future use will remain non-residential and to prohibit on-site ground water use. National Priorities Listing (NPL) History NPL Inclusion Proposal Date: October 15, 1984 NPL Inclusion Final Date: June 10, 1986 HRS Score: 38.69 South Cavalcade Street 3 EPA Publication Date: August 2014 ------- Site Maps Soil Remedial Action - Capped Areas Cavalcade St NORTHERN AREA Southern Cap Southeastern Cap Collingsworth St South Cavalcade Street 4 EPA Publication Date: August 2014 ------- avalcadeSt - v LEGEND Collingsworth St South Cavalcade Street 5 EPA Publication Date: August 2014 ------- Wastes and Volumes National Lumber and Creosoting Company constructed and operated a wood preserving facility on the Site from 1910 to 1938, at which time the property was acquired by the Wood Preserving Corporation, a subsidiary of Koppers Company. In 1940, that Corporation became a part of Koppers Company, Inc., now known as Beazer East, Inc., and operated the wood treating facility from 1940-1962. Koppers constructed a coal tar distillation plant in the southeastern portion of the Site, which operated from 1944 to 1962, at which time the property was again sold, and later subdivided. In 1983, the Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority investigated the Site for potential use and found evidence of creosote in the subsurface. The site was referred to the Texas Department of Water Resources (TDWR) for further investigation and, in 1984, recommended to EPA for placement on the National Priorities List (NPL). The Site was added to the final List on June 10, 1986, for further assessment and remedial action. The two capped areas of contaminated soils, associated with these operations, are shown on the second Site Map. Areas of ground water contamination have been defined for both the shallow and intermediate aquifers, as indicated on the first Site Map. Health Considerations Primary risk from the site stems from the carcinogenic polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (cPAHs), volatile organics, and metal salts associated with creosote and the wood preservation process. These constituents are found both in the contaminated soils and in ground water, as DNAPL and dissolved-phase constituents. Record of Decision (ROD) The Record of Decision for the Site was signed by EPA on September 26, 1988, and remedies selected for surface soils (0-6"), surficial soils (0-6' below ground surface), and ground water: Soils: The ROD recommended soil flushing and washing to reach a risk-based remedial goal of 700 parts per million for carcinogenic PAHs, based on ingestion and direct contact. A subsequent pilot study demonstrated that the contaminants would not reduce to the required levels. Beazer East, Inc. submitted a proposal to contain contaminated soils under a protective cap. On June 26, 1997, the Regional Administrator signed an Amended ROD to allow contaminants to be sealed and contained under a six-inch thick reinforced concrete cap. Two areas of contaminated soils were capped, with a remedial design that optimized reuse of the property as parking space for trucks. Construction was completed in June 2000. Ground Water: The ROD required the extraction and treatment of contaminated ground water, including the recovery and treatment of a (DNAPL) to the maximum extent practicable. Remaining contamination would then be allowed to naturally attenuate to background levels. The decision document also allowed biological treatment to reach remedial goals. In 1995, EPA agreed to reconsider the remedial goals outlined in the 1988 ROD against other options, including monitored natural attenuation or a Technical Impracticability (Tl) waiver. Beazer East, Inc. has since submitted additional ground water information to support re-evaluation of the remedy and discussion of an appropriate ground water monitoring network. Any new remedial options not specified in the 1988 ROD will be considered through the remedy decision process as a ROD Amendment or Explanation of Significant Differences. See the "Current Status" section for an update on this process. The third Five-Year Review for the South Cavalcade Superfund Site, signed in September 2012, evaluated the effectiveness of the current remedies in place. In summary, the review found the remedy implemented for contaminated soils to be protective of human health and the environment. The ground water remedy South Cavalcade Street 6 EPA Publication Date: August 2014 ------- was also considered protective in the short-term. Once the remedial alternative is selected and implemented the groundwater remedy will continue to be protective in the long-term. The Third Five-Year Review for the South Cavalcade Superfund Site is available at http://www.epa.gov/reqion6/6sf/texas/south cavalcade/final-5-vear-review-south-cavalcade.pdf. Site Contacts EPA Remedial Project Manager: Raji Josiam 214-665-8529 EPA Site Attorney: Gloria Moran 214-665-3193 EPA Regional Public Liaison: Donn Walters 214-665-6483 EPA Community Involvement Coordinator Bill Little 214-665-8131 TCEQ Project Manager: Marilyn Long 512-239-0761 EPA Superfund Region 6 Toll Free Number: 1-800-533-3508 TCEQ Superfund Toll Free Number: 1-800-633-9363 Information Repositories Houston Central Library Houston Metropolitan Research Center (Julia Ideson Building) 500 McKinney Street Houston, Texas 77002 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 10 am - 6 pm Wednesday: 10 am -8 pm Saturday: 10 am - 5 pm Friday and Sunday: Closed Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Building E, Records Management, First Floor 12100 Park 35 Circle Austin, Texas 78753 (512) 239-2920 Monday - Friday: 8 am to 5 pm South Cavalcade Street 7 EPA Publication Date: August 2014 ------- |