&EFft United States Environmental Protection Agency EPA Proposes Interim Cleanup Plan for Eagle Zinc Site (Buildings and Associated Structures) Eagle Zinc Superfund Site Hillsboro, Illinois May 2009 For more information If you are interested in the Eagle Zinc site cleanup, please attend a public meeting at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 27, 2009, at Hillsboro High School, 522 E. Tremont St. Comments on the proposed plan should be submitted from May 18 to June 18: • Orally or in writing at the public meeting • Via the Web at epa.gov/region5/ publiccomment/ • Fax to Ginny Narsete at 312-692-2441 Contact EPA Ginny Narsete Community Involvement Coordinator 312-886-4359 Narsete. Virginia@.epa.gov Nefertiti Simmons Remedial Project Manager 312-886-6148 simmons .nefertiti@epa.gov EPA Region 5 toll-free: 800-621-8431, weekdays 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Read the documents Site-related documents and files may be viewed at the following location: Hillsboro Public Library 214 School St. An administrative record, which contains detailed information that will be used in the selection of the cleanup plan, is also located at the library and at EPA's Chicago office. As a second step in addressing the contamination issues at the Eagle Zinc site, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing an interim plan' to demolish the existing manufacturing buildings and associated structures, and manage the demolition waste onsite; until a final remedy is selected, which will address the remaining onsite contamination. The purpose of this proposed plan fact sheet is to provide background information about the Eagle Zinc site, describe the interim cleanup options being considered for the building demolition, and identify EPA's preferred option. The public is encouraged to comment on this proposed plan. EPA will be accepting comments from May 18 to June 18. See the adjacent box for ways to provide comments to EPA. You can also attend and participate in a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., May 27, 2009, at Hillsboro High School. EPA, along with its state partner, Illinois EPA, will select a final cleanup plan for this interim action at the Eagle Zinc site. This will occur after review and consideration of information provided by the public during the public comment period and public hearing. The final cleanup plan for this interim action will be announced in a local newspaper notice and presented in an EPA document called a record of decision. The final cleanup plan could differ from this proposed plan, depending on information or comments EPA receives during the public comment period. The public is also encouraged to review the supporting documents for the Eagle Zinc site at the Hillsboro Public Library and or on the Web. The information includes the site investigation report and other information that details the extent of contamination in and around the site buildings, and other documents that support the need for action to clean up this portion of the site. About the Eagle Zinc site The Eagle Zinc site is located in Hillsboro, Illinois (Montgomery County). The 132-acre site is located in a commercial/industrial/residential area in northeast Hillsboro. The site extends from Smith Road on the north to Middle Fork of Shoal Creek on the south. The site operated from 1912 to 2003, producing zinc oxide and other products. Leftover materials and contaminants from the manufacturing operations are concentrated in 15 piles, which are mainly located in the central and southern portions of the site (see Figure 1). A large pond that formerly provided water for site operations is located in the southwest corner of the site. Buildings formerly used for manufacturing operations currently occupy about 20 percent of the site and are the subject of this proposed plan identified on 1 Section 117(a) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, known as the Superfund Law) requires publication of a notice and a proposed plan for the site cleanup. The proposed plan must also be made available to the public for comment. This proposed interim cleanup plan fact sheet is a summary of information contained in the technical documents and the administrative record for the Eagle Zinc site. They are available for review at the Hillsboro Public Library, 214 School St. ------- vv"\W\C,\ i SMITH ROAD RR2-H. (8.000) Rflt? mi Wl« PRWBnYlJC (5,942) REHOUERLE VOlLAC (CV) RESCUE Pt E > BOU5TRUU. PROS RESCUE RLE < INDUSTRIAL PRG8 t2> & I I BULONG8 TO K DCMOtlS>CD 8UR»C€ K*. > •OUSTRIW. PROS RfSOuE PV£ >GA0UUM CA LEAD SUP ua (W-1-2I. RR » J UP14) Location of Reslduo Pile® Proposed Plan Li&cZXKSire. uttocn tVos CH2MHILL Figure 1. The site is currently zoned industrial by the city of Hillsboro and legal restrictions on the property limit future site use to industrial and commercial purposes. Local authorities have expressed significant interest in redeveloping the site. Summary of site risks The leftover materials inside of and immediately adjacent to the former manufacturing buildings were sampled as part of site investigations and levels of lead exceeding EPA Region 5's industrial removal criteria were discovered. Potential risks exist for people coming into contact with these materials. EPA is including office and storage buildings, where samples were not taken, in the proposed cleanup plan to speed up the cleanup process by making the assumption that similar levels of contaminants would most likely be found there. Attempting to demolish around these buildings while leaving them standing would be operationally difficult and not cost-efficient. In general, these buildings are very old and in poor condition adding to potential hazards at the site that are to be addressed under this interim action. Cleanup options EPA considered three options for this interim action to address the onsite manufacturing buildings. Each option was evaluated against nine evaluation criteria required by the federal Superfund law (further explained in the box on Page 4). The three options are summarized below. Full details are available in the technical documents on file at the Flillsboro Public Library and on the Web. Option 1— No further action EPA includes a "no action" option as a basis for comparison with other cleanup options. Since no action would be taken, risk to trespassers, site visitors and potential industrial and construction workers would continue from potential contact with the materials in and around the buildings. Cost—$0 Option 2 — Building demolition and consolidation of debris onsite This option includes demolition of all the buildings and associated structures onsite. The demolition debris would be placed in the southern portion of the site and temporarily covered with 1 foot of soil to prevent direct contact. This option also includes scrapping all appropriate steel and metal and brick present in the buildings, with any proceeds used to offset the interim 2 ------- cleanup costs. All wood present in the buildings and in onsite railroad ties would be disposed of ofYsite. Cost—$1.9 million Time to implement - 5 months Option 3 — Building demolition and off-site disposal of debris This option includes demolition of all the manufacturing buildings onsite. This option also includes scrapping all appropriate steel and metal and brick present in the buildings, with any proceeds used to offset the interim cleanup costs. All demolition debris would be disposed of offsite. Cost—$2.9 million Time to implement - 5 months EPA's proposed cleanup plan As contaminants are present in and around the buildings that exceed EPA Region 5's industrial removal cleanup criteria, EPA proposes Option 2, to demolish all of the buildings. Option 1, the no-action alternative, does not address the risks associated with levels of contamination in and around the buildings, and does not address the risks associated with the structural condition of the buildings. Under Option 2, the demolition debris will be consolidated in the southern portion of the site and covered with 1 foot of soil. The exact area will be determined during design of the cleanup action. The soil cover will provide temporary protection from direct contact with the demolition debris until a final remedy is selected for the site. This area is also the most likely area for materials to be potentially consolidated in the final cleanup plan for the site, which will minimize material handling issues to the extent possible. The wood debris from the building demolition will be disposed offsite and the metal and steel will be scrapped for value to help offset the demolition cost. Option 3 adds significant costs, and risks associated with transportation of the debris. Because the demolition debris is similar to the other metal-bearing materials at the site that will be addressed in the final cleanup plan, this interim cleanup plan (Option 2) can move forward quickly and cost-effectively if the debris remains on site in the same general vicinity as much of the other material that will be cleaned up. How do the options compare? EPA evaluated the cleanup options against seven of the nine criteria required by federal Superfiind law (see the table on Page 5) and selected its preferred option. State and community acceptance will be evaluated after EPA Cleanup criteria EPA uses nine criteria to evaluate and compare cleanup options. See the table on Page 5 comparing the alternatives against these criteria. 1. Overall protection of human health and the environment addresses whether an option adequately protects human health and the en\ ironment. This criterion can be met by reducing or eliminating contaminants or by reducing people's exposure to them. 2. Compliance with applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements, referred to as ARARs, censures that each cleanup option meets federal, state, and local laws and regulations. 3. Long-term effectiveness and permanence evaluates how well a cleanup option will work in the long term, including how safely remaining contaminants can be managed. 4. Reduction of toxicity, mobility, or volume through treatment addresses how well the cleanup option reduces the harmful effects, movement, and amount of contaminants. 5. Short-term effectiveness compares how quickly the cleanup can be completed and the health risks posed to cleanup workers and nearby residents while the alternative is under construction. 6. Implementability assesses how difficult the cleanup option will be to construct and operate, and whether technology, materials and sen ices are readily available. 7. Cost compares the expense of each option over time in a financial calculation called present worth. Cost includes capital expenditures plus operation and maintenance costs. Present w ortli is the total cost of an alternative over time in terms of today's dollar value. A cleanup is considered cost effective if its costs are proportionate to its overall effectiveness. 8. State acceptance is whether the state environmental agency, in this case Illinois EPA. agrees with EPA's recommended option. EPA evaluates state acceptance after it receives comments on its preferred option. 9. Community acceptance evaluates how well the community near the site accepts the option. EPA and IDEM will evaluate community acceptance after the public comment period. 3 ------- receives public comments. More information about the option evaluation is provided in the technical documents on file at the Hillsboro Public Library and or the Web. Next steps EPA, in consultation with Illinois EPA, will evaluate public reaction to the recommended cleanup option during the public comment period before deciding on a final cleanup plan for this interim action. Based on new information or public comments, EPA may modify its recommended option or select another. EPA encourages the public to review and comment on the cleanup options. EPA will respond in writing to public comments in a responsiveness summary, which will be attached to the document detailing the final cleanup plan, called a record of decision. EPA will announce the selected cleanup plan in a local newspaper advertisement, place a copy of the record of decision with the other technical documents at the Hillsboro Public Library, and post it on EPA's Web site: www.epa.gov/region5/sites/eaglezinc. What is lead? Lead is a highly toxic metal that was used for many years in products found in and around our homes. Lead may cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. Children 6 years old and younger are most at risk because their bodies are growing quickly. Research suggests that the primary sources of lead exposure for most children are deteriorating lead-based paint, lead-contaminated dust, and lead-contaminated residential soil. Evaluation criteria for Eagle Zinc site Evaluation Criteria Options 1 2* 3 Overall protection of human health and the environment ~ ¦ ¦ Compliance with ARARs ¦ ¦ ¦ Long-term effectiveness and permanence ~ ¦ ¦ Reduction of toxicity, mobility, or volume through treatment ~ ~ ~ Short-term effectiveness ¦ ¦ ¦ Implementability ¦ ¦ ¦ Cost (millions $) $0 $1.9 $2.9 State acceptance Will be evaluated after the public comment period Community acceptance Will be evaluated after the public comment period ¦ Fully meets criteria ~ Partially meets criteria ~ Does not meet criteria *EPA's recommended option 4 ------- Upcoming Public Meeting about Eagle Zinc Cleanup Wednesday, May 27, 2009 6:30-8:30 p.m. Hillsboro High School 522 E. Tremont St. At the meeting. EPA will explain the proposed plan and provide opportunities to ask questions and make comments. You may also submit written comments. If you need special accommodations for the public meeting, contact Ginny Narsete by May 21. 2009. On the Web Site information is also posted on the Web at: www.cpa.gov/rcgion5/sitcs/caglezinc avstjf// ps/o/oa/ jo apem jaded uo pajuud si jaaqs }oe; sii]± (sejnionjis paiepossv pue sBmpijng) :31IS ONIZ 310V3 UOd NVld dflNV310 IAIIU31NI S3SOdOUd Vd3 aaisanoau aoiAuas Nyni3y ssvio isyid AouaBy UOI108;OJd |B1U8LUU0JIAU| S01BIS peijun Vd3'sv ------- Comment Sheet EPA is interested in your comments 011 the proposed cleanup plan for the Eagle Zinc site. EPA will consider public comments before selecting a final cleanup plan. Please use the space below to write your comments, then fold and mail this form. Comments must be postmarked by June 18. Comments may also be faxed to Ginny Narsete at 312-692-2441. If you have general questions, contact Ginny Narsete at 312-886-4359 or through EPA's toll-free number at 800-621-8431, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weekdays. Comments may also be submitted to EPA via the Internet at: epa.gov/region5/publiccomment. Name Address City State Zip ------- Fold on Dashed Lines, Tape, Stamp, and Mail Name Address City State Zip Place Stamp Here Nefertiti Simmons Remedial Project Manager EPA Region 5 (SR-6J) 77 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago. IL 60604-3590 ------- |