EPA/ROD/R03-01/561 2001 EPA Superfund Record of Decision: US ARMY - FORT RITCHIE EPA ID: MD0000795211 OU 03 CASCADE, MD 11/27/2000 ------- WASTELAN OU-3 DECISION DOCUMENT FOR OPERABLE UNIT 2 - FORMER INCINERATOR AREA AT FORT RITCHIE ARMY GARRISON, MARYLAND 1.0 PURPOSE 1 This Decision Document describes the selection of No Further Action for Operable Unit (OU) 2 - Former Incinerator Area at Fort Ritchie Army Garrison. No Further Action was selected in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and Army Regulation AR 200-1, as applicable. In 1995, Fort Ritchie was selected for Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). In support of the BRAC environmental restoration program, an environmental Site Investigation (SI) and subsequent removal action was conducted at OU2 in preparation for property transfer. The OU2 parcel, located in the northern portion of Fort Ritchie, was a site at which installation waste was burned from the 1930s to 1975 in two separate incinerators that have since been demolished. Based on the findings of the OU2 investigation and subsequent removal action work, no further remedial action is necessary to ensure the protection of human health and the environment. Therefore, No Further Action at OU2 has been selected by the U.S. Army with concurrence from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Region III, Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), and public. Documents supporting this decision are located in the information repository. 2.0 SITE RISK ~~\ A baseline human health risk assessment (HHRA) and screening-level ecological risk assessment (ERA) were conducted as part of the OU2 SI. The HHRA concluded that future adult and child residential cumulative cancer risks (4 x 10"5 for both receptors) did not exceed the USEPA acceptable target risk range of 1 x 10"6 to 1 x 10"4. Taking into consideration background levels, the cumulative non-cancer hazard index (HI) was below 1 forthe future adult (Hl=0.6), however, slightly exceeded 1 forthe future child resident (Hl=2.6), indicating a potential for adverse health effects. This exceedance was primarily driven by the contaminant concentrations detected in a sample collected from residual incinerator ash. As discussed below, this ash has been removed from the site and therefore the risk to human health is considered acceptable. The screening-level ERA and risk management evaluation concluded that four inorganic compounds may pose unacceptable risk to terrestrial plants, soil invertebrates, and vermivorous and omnivorous mammals at the OU2 site. Specifically, antimony, copper, thallium, and zinc concentrations present in residual incinerator ash were identified as chemicals that could potentially adversely affect ecological receptors at OU2. The contaminated ash at this location was subsequently excavated and removed from the site based on an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA). As a result of this removal action, no contaminants are currently present at OU2 exceeding a level protective of human health and the environment. 3.0 REMEDIAL ALTERNATIVES ~l Based on the findings of the SI ERA, three remedial alternatives were evaluated in the EE/CA for residual incinerator ash at OU2: 1) No Further Action - The NCP and CERCLA require that No Action be evaluated to establish a baseline for comparison to other alternatives. Under this alternative, no remedial action of any kind would be implemented; 2) Fencing and Monitoring - Under the Fencing and Monitoring alternative, a fence would be installed around the incinerator to prevent terrestrial wildlife (specifically larger mammals) from accessing the contaminated ash. Long-term monitoring of surface soil and groundwater DACA31-95-D-0083 1 of 2 Decision Document for OU2 TERC08-154 Fort Ritchie Army Garrison November 2000 Final Document ------- would be performed to determine if ash contaminants are migrating past the perimeter of the fence; and 3) Excavation and Disposal - Under the Excavation and Disposal alternative, all contaminated ash from within the incinerator would be excavated and disposed. Based on the evaluation of the three alternatives in the EE/CA, Excavation and Disposal was identified as the recommended alternative for the site. A non-time-critical removal action was subsequently conducted at OU2that consisted of the excavation and off-site disposal of residual incinerator ash. Therefore, since no contaminants are currently present at OU2 exceeding a level protective of human health and the environment, No Further Action is recommended forOU2. Fort Ritchie has a Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) which has been actively involved throughout the environmental investigation activities conducted during the SI. The RAB includes representatives from USEPA and MDE, as well as members of the local community. Comments on the EE/CA were solicited from the USEPA, MDE, and public. Comments were received and considered by the U.S. Army priorto performance of the removal action and the subsequent selection of No Further Action forOU2. 5.0 DECLARATION ~l No Further Action is necessary at OU2 to ensure the protection of human health and the environment. Therefore, none of the CERCLA §121 statutory determinations are necessary since no remedy is being selected. Since no hazardous substances are present onsite above levels that allow for unlimited use and unrestricted exposure, the five-year review will not apply at this site. 6.0 APPROVAL AND SIGNATURE ~l In summary, the Army will implement No Further Action forOU2 at Fort Ritchie. The total costforthis action is below $2 million, therefore, the appropriate approval authority is the Installation Commander for Fort Ritchie. Since Fort Ritchie is a closed BRAC site and therefore has no Installation Commander, the appropriate approval authority is from the BRAC Environmental Coordinator and Military District of Washington (MDW) BRAC Officer. Approved By: 4.0 PUBLIC/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT William D. Hofmann "Z7 M-O'J SO Date BRAC Environmental Coordinator William M. Spigler Date MDW BRAC Officer DACA31-95-D-0083 TERC08-154 November 2000 2 of 2 Decision Document for OU2 Fort Ritchie Army Garrison Final Document ------- |