U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 3 Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia Hr Q < EPA TO CONDUCT REMEDIAL / I investigation for peck iron & 1 P metal superfund site ^ Portsmouth, VA httD://20.usa.gov/HbZH Mav2015 In-depth Study to Begin A comprehensive investigation of the nature and extent of contamination at the Peck Iron and Metal Site will begin in June 2015. The goal is to determine potential risks to human health and the environment and to develop a cleanup plan. EPA activities will include: • Collecting surface soil samples • Collecting subsurface soil samples from test pits and boreholes • Collecting surface water and sediment samples from Site wetlands and Paradise Creek • Installing groundwater monitoring wells • Collecting groundwater samples What You May Notice There will be a workers and large equipment on site. These workers will be wearing a variety of safety equipment to protect themselves from common work hazards. Workers will sometimes wear extra equipment such as half face respirators and protective outerwear. These are for worker protection only and not an indicator of any risk to the surrounding community. You will see common construction equipment such as excavators and drill rigs. There will be air monitors operating during working hours. Dust meters will be installed downwind of work areas to determine if there is a need for additional worker protection. Water misters for dust suppression will also be used during operational periods, if needed. A Brief Site History The Peck Iron and Metal Site is located immediately southwest of the intersection of Elm Ave. and Victory Blvd. The 33-acre Site is an inactive scrap metal recovery facility. The business purchased and processed metal scrap from military bases, other governmental entities and local businesses, including electric power and rail companies. Items processed included electrical transformers containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), lead/acid batteries, components of naval vessels, aircraft and tanks, insulated copper cables and demilitarized ordnance. Some of the items handled at the facility may have contained radioactive material, specifically radium- 226. Radium-226 was used to produce items such as luminous (self-illuminated) instrument dials and watch faces. Early investigations at the Site also found that the soil is contaminated with PCBs and heavy metals, including arsenic, chromium and lead. These contaminants have also been found in site groundwater. This groundwater is not used as part of the public water supply. ------- Our Previous Activities Community Involvement is Key to Our Success EPA began preliminary field investigations at the Site in December 2013. The preliminary work included surveying the Site for unexploded ordnance (UXO) to clear the way for drilling and excavation during field investigations and radiation screening. During the UXO survey, a training round was found and qualified Navy personnel removed it from the Site. Radiation screening identified areas on the Site where radioactivity levels were greater than twice the background levels. Further investigations were conducted and lead-214 and bismuth-214, the products of radioactive decay of radium - 226, were found in small objects and soil at the Site. For more information about our work please visit our website at http://go.usa.gov/HbZH EPA values and elicits input from the community during all phases of a cleanup. Please contact us about any questions or concerns you may have about this project. Additional community resources may be found at the following internet sites: Peck Iron and Metal Community Involvement Plan http://go.usa.gov/3WamY EPA Community Involvement Homepage http://go.usa.gov/3WamQ Contact Us EPA Community EPA Remedial Involvement Project Manager Coordinator Debra Rossi Larry Johnson 1650 Arch St (3HS23) 1650 Arch St (3HS52) Philadelphia, PA 19103 Philadelphia, 19103 215-814-3228 215-814-3239 Rossi. debra@epa. gov i ohnson.larry-c@epa. gov uosuqof vuin :n.t..t.v ZSSm :3poo[n:iM £0161 Yd ^iqdppBinid J99J1S ipjy ()C9| HI uoig^i £ AoueBv uojjoejcxid |Biueuiuoj!AU3 sejejs peiiufl ------- |