QCDA EPA Announces Proposed Plan to United States Amend 1988 Ground Water Remedy Environmental Protection Agency French Limited Superfund Site Crosby, Harris County, Texas July 2014 This Fact Sheet will tell you about... • Proposed Actions • Background Information • Proposed Remedy Amendment • For More Information • Proposed Plan Public Meeting Proposed Actions The Proposed Plan presents the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's (TCEQ) re-evaluation of the ground water remedy selected in the 1988 Record of Decision (ROD) for the French Limited Superfund Site (the Site). The Plan also considers information derived through additional investigation and performance of the previously selected remedy. This Plan addresses the changes to the ground water remedy only, and does not address any changes to the lagoon sludges and soil remedy selected in the 1988 ROD, because the lagoon sludges and soil remedy has already been implemented. The remedial actions implemented thus far at the Site are currently protective of human health and the environment. This Proposed Plan recommends the following preferred remedial alternative for the Site ground water, and identifies steps to be taken for continual protection of human health and the environment. • Contain the ground water contaminant plumes in two ground water zones. • Ground water cleanup levels for selected chemicals within a Defined Boundary cannot be achieved. • Prevent exposure to contaminated ground water above acceptable risk levels by implementing Institutional Controls (ICs) to restrict access to, or use of, contaminated water within the Defined Boundary. • Install additional monitoring wells and conduct short-term monitoring to verify the proposed Defined Boundary; conduct long-term monitoring to ensure that the plume is not expanding; evaluate data periodically and take appropriate contingency measures as needed. The EPA, in coordination with the State of Texas, will select a remedy for the Site after reviewing and considering all information and comments submitted during the 30-day public comment period. The Proposed Plan may also be modified based on new information or public comments received during the public comment period. Therefore, the public is encouraged to review and comment on all of the information presented in the Proposed Plan. The Public Comment Period for the Proposed Plan to Amend the 1988 Ground Water Remedy begins on July 17, 2014, and ends on August 15, 2014. All written comments should be addressed to: Charles Fisher Remedial Project Manager U.S. EPA, Region 6 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200 (6SF-RA) Dallas, Texas 75202 214.665.2224 or 1.800.533.3508 (toll-free) fisher.charles@epa.gov A Public Meeting to present the information contained in the Proposed Plan is scheduled for August 4, 2014, from 6:30 pm until 8:00 pm at: Harris County Public Library, Crosby Branch 135 Hare Road Crosby, Texas 77532 281.328.3535 ------- Representatives from EPA and TCEQ will participate in the presentation, followed by a question and answer session. All interested parties are encouraged to attend. This public meeting is being held in a fully accessible facility. Should you have specific needs or questions about this facility's compliance with the Americans with Disability Act requirements, please contact Janetta Coats, Community Involvement Coordinator, at 1.800.533.3508 or 214.665.7308, or email at coats.ianetta@epa.gov. The complete Proposed Plan is also available for viewing at: Harris County Public Library, Crosby Branch 135 Hare Road Crosby, TX 77532 Phone: 281.328.3535 Monday - 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm Tuesday, Thursday - 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Friday - 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm Saturday - 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Wednesday, Sunday - Closed Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Building E, Records Management, Room 103 12100 Park 35 Circle Austin, TX 78753 Phone: 512.239.2900 Fax: 512.239.1850 Monday-Friday - 8:00 am to 5:00 pm The Proposed Plan is available on the Internet at: www.epa.gov/earthlr6/6sf/6sf-decisiondocs.htm. Background Information The French Limited Superfund Site is located in northeast Harris County, Crosby, Texas, near the San Jacinto River, at old US Highway 90 and Gulf Pump Road. The Site was used as a sand quarry in the 1950s and 1960s, which resulted in the formation of an approximately 8-acre sand pit. The Site was permitted to accept industrial waste material from 1966 until 1971, and received an estimated 90- million gallons of chemical waste, transforming the sand pit into a lagoon. The Site is located within the floodplain of the San Jacinto River, in a floodway that is subject to potential flooding. The Site lagoon wastes and underlying contaminated soils have been contaminated with benzene, benzo(a)pyrene, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and arsenic. Site ground water in two zones has been contaminated with dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs). After the extraction and treatment of contaminated ground water, the remaining contamination was to be allowed to naturally attenuate (weaken) to levels below the federal and state drinking water levels. From 1992 to 1996, a ground water remediation system (pump and treat) operated on affected water bearing zones. From 1996 to present, annual ground water monitoring has been performed to document if the residual ground water contaminants can meet drinking water levels. This has not occurred. Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) at the Site formed a task group in 1983, and in 1988 named it the French Limited Task Group (FLTG). For more than thirty years, FLTG has investigated and implemented lagoon sludge, soil, and ground water remedies at the Site in an effort to achieve the Remedial Action Objectives (RAOs) established for the Site in the March 1988 ROD. The 1988 ROD selected remedial action for the Site included: in- situ biodegradation of sludges and contaminated soils with aeration of the lagoon waste for degradation enhancement; stabilization of residues followed by on-site disposal; ground water pump and treatment; surface water discharge to the San Jacinto River with treatment, as necessary; backfilling of the lagoon to grade and contour; and ground water monitoring. This Plan addresses the changes to the ground water remedy only and does not address any changes to the lagoon sludges and soil remedy selected in the 1988 ROD, because those remedies were completed. Hazardous substances remaining in the ground water at the Site are addressed in this Plan. ------- Proposed Remedy Amendment Based on the long-term operation of the selected remedy for ground water in the 1988 ROD, and a technical evaluation of its effectiveness, the EPA has concluded that cleanup of the dissolved contaminant plumes using pump and treat technology or other technologies, cannot be achieved. The ground water plumes in the two zones are not effectively responding to existing treatment technologies. Natural attenuation of the ground water contaminants and the characteristics of both zones act to limit expansion of the dissolved contaminant plumes. The current remedy, or alternate technology, is not capable of reaching the drinking water standards under the conditions found at the Site. The proposed Remedy Amendment consists of the following components: • Waive the drinking water levels in the two contaminated ground water zones within the Defined Boundary; • Continue a long-term ground water monitoring and reporting program to evaluate containment of the contaminated ground water within the Defined Boundary through natural processes; • Implementation of institutional controls (ICs) with the objectives of: 1) preventing the installation of water supply wells that would create a vertical migration pathway between the contaminated zones; and 2) preventing the installation of water supply wells that would cause the contaminants to migrate outside of the Defined Boundary; and • Performance of a statutory Five Year Review every five years to insure the remedy remains protective of human health and the environment. Justification for a Proposed Remedy The pump and treat remedy previously used, and a review of current technologies, are not technically capable of achieving results that would meet the drinking water cleanup levels established for the Site. Due to the low well yield and limited available hydraulic head, there is no technology currently available that can achieve further significant reduction of the contamination in the remaining section of the aquifer. For this reason, EPA proposes to waive the drinking water cleanup levels, since it is technically impracticable to achieve these levels. The Defined Boundary is based on Site geologic and hydrogeologic factors that limit the ability to effectively remediate the contamination present within the proposed Defined Boundary. These factors also limit the mobility of the contaminants. Containment of the remaining contamination in the two ground water zones is achieved by the absence of a potential ongoing source, low ground water flow velocity, and natural processes of degradation. For more information Please contact: Charles Fisher Remedial Project Manager U.S. EPA, Region 6 (6SF-RA) 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200 Dallas, TX 75202 214.665.2224 or 1.800.533.3508 (toll-free) fisher.charles@epa.gov Janetta Coats Community Involvement Coordinator U.S. EPA, Region 6 (6SF-VO) 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200 Dallas, TX 75202 214.665.7308 or 1.800.533.3508 (toll-free) coats.i anetta@epa. gov Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Marilyn Czimer Long, P.G., Project Manager Remediation Division (MC-143) P.O. Box 13087 Austin, Texas 78711-3087 512.239.0761 marilyn.long@tceq .texas. gov Inquiries from the news media should be directed to the EPA External Affairs Office at 214.665.2200. ------- Information can also be found at: U.S. EPA Headquarters: www.epa.gov U.S. EPA Region 6: www.epa.gov/region6 U.S. EPA Region 6 Superfund Division: http ://www. epa. gov/ earth 1 r6/6sf/6sf. htm The Proposed Plan is available on the Internet at: www.epa.gov/earthlr6/6sf/6sf-decisiondocs.htm SAVE THE DATE! Proposed Plan Public Meeting You are invited to learn more about the remedial action that is proposed for the French Limited Superfund Site Come and discuss with us the proposed amendment to the ground water remedy for the site, followed by a Question and Answer session. Representatives from EPA and TCEQ will be there to answer questions. August 4, 2014 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Harris County Public Library Crosby Branch 135 Hare Road Crosby, Texas 77532 oEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 1445 Ross Ave. (6SF-VO) Dallas, TX 75202 4 ------- |