Follow-up Air Sampling to be £\ United States r ... Environmental Protection Conducted in Vicinity of Rickett's Dry Cleaning Site in Ballston Spa, NY January 2018 BACKGROUND In February 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collected air samples at 50 properties located near the Rickett's Dry Cleaning facility located at 2017 Doubleday Avenue in the village of Ballston Spa. The air samples were collected to determine if any of the properties have been impacted by vapor intrusion (see reverse for more information) as a result of chemicals being released into the environment at the Rickett's Dry Cleaning facility. Based on the EPA's assessment of the February 2017 sampling data, no corrective actions for vapor intrusion were required at any of the properties sampled. The concentrations of chemicals detected at the sampled properties were significantly below EPA's established target levels which were developed to be protective of human health. FUTURE ACTIONS During the winter of 2018, the EPA will be collecting air samples from approximately 11 individual residences previously sampled during EPA's 2017 sampling event. This follow-up sampling is being conducted to gather additional information to confirm that there have been no changes in the conditions at the properties since last year's sampling event. Consistent with the previous sampling effort, the process will include the installation of air sampling equipment and the subsequent collection of air samples from beneath and within the structures. The same 15 chemicals of concern will be analyzed for, with the primary chemicals being trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and vinyl chloride. Sampling results will be provided by the EPA directly to the property owner. The generalized results of the sampling effort will be provided to the village and may be available to the public, but will not include identifying property or owner information so as to protect the privacy of the homeowners. Publicly available information will be placed on the EPA's Rickett's Dry Cleaning webpage as it becomes available: https://www.epa.gov/nv/ricketts-dry-cleaning- site-village-ballston-spa-ny. Based upon the EPA's evaluation of the air sampling data, the EPA will take action for any structures that are determined to be adversely impacted by vapor intrusion. This action will include the option for property owners to have a system installed and maintained by EPA which will eliminate contaminated vapors from entering the structure. Since the summer of 2016, the EPA has taken action to address the potential for vapor intrusion impacts from the Rickett's facility. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is the lead agency for the long-term investigation of the site and will be evaluating cleanup alternatives. Community Update No. 3 WHAT IS VAPOR INTRUSION? Vapor intrusion is a term used to identify a process by which chemicals in contaminated groundwater can produce vapors which migrate through the soil and potentially enter buildings through cracks or other openings in basements or foundations (see reverse for additional information). If you have general questions or would like additional information regarding the site, please contact one of the following: Larisa Romanowski Community Involvement Coordinator 187 Wolf Road, Suite 303 Albany, NY 12205 518-407-0400 romanowski.larisa@epa.gov Don Graham On-Scene Coordinator 2890 Woodbridge Avenue Edison, NJ 08837 908-420-4506 graham.don@epa.gov For health related questions, please contact: Nick Mazziotta Human Health Risk Assessor 290 Broadway, 18th Floor New York, NY 10007 (212) 637-3920 mazziotta.nicholas@epa.gov ------- Community Update January 2018 General Questions and Answers about Vapor Intrusion Question Answer What is vapor intrusion? When chemicals or petroleum products are spilled on the ground or leak from underground storage tanks, they can give off gases, or vapors that can get inside buildings. Common products that can cause vapor intrusion are gasoline or diesel fuel, dry cleaning solvents and industrial de-greasers. The vapors move through the soil and seep through cracks in basements, foundations, sewer lines and other openings. Vapor intrusion is a concern because vapors can build up to a point where the health of residents or workers in those buildings could be at risk. wind effects X vapor intrusion through cracks in foundation slab water table groundwater plume of VOCs soil contaminated with VOCs VOCs = Volatile Organic Compounds. The chemicals found in the groundwater at the Rickett's site are VOCs. What are health concerns related to vapor intrusion? When vapor intrusion does occur, the health risk will vary based on the type of chemicals, the levels of the chemical found, the length of exposure and the health of exposed individuals. Prolonged exposure to chemical concentrations exceeding EPA target levels over many years may raise the lifetime risk of cancer or chronic disease. More information on the chemicals at the Rickett's site can be found at: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaas/index.asp. How is vapor intrusion discovered? Samples of gas in the soil or groundwater are first collected near a contaminated site. If no contamination is found near a site, then vapor intrusion should not be a problem. If contamination is found, depending on the type, the search may be widened to include samples closer to or on individual properties. The next step is to take vapor samples from the soil under the home's foundation; these are called slab, or sub-slab samples. These samples are often co-located with indoor air samples to assess potential transport into the interior of the home. What happens if a problem is found? The most common solution is to install systems often used to reduce naturally occurring radon that seeps into homes in some geographic areas. These systems, called radon mitigation systems, remove soil vapors from below basements or foundations before they enter homes. Vapors are vented outside of the homes where they become dispersed and harmless. These systems use minimal electricity and do not affect heating and cooling efficiency. They also prevent radon from entering homes - an added health benefit especially in radon prone areas. Once the source of the vapors is eliminated, the systems should no longer be needed. For additional information: https://www.epa.gov/vaporintrusion For information about EPA visit www.EPA.gov/region2/ ------- |