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U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION 10

March 1999

Results from investigations conducted in January and February 1999, indicate that chromium contamination has
migrated in the ground water as far as NE 30th Avenue. The investigations and cleanup efforts at the
Boomsnub/BO C Gases site are intended to prevent the contamination in the alluvial aquifer from entering the
Upper Troutdale Aquifer, the regional water supply, which lies below the alluvial aquifer.

Recent Activities Near NE 30th Avenue

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) installed 21 temporary monitoring wells
to define the extent of the contamination in
the alluvial aquifer. The alluvial aquifer is not
used for the public water supply. Samples
showed low levels of chromium, below the
maximum contaminant level (MCL) for
drinking water which is 100 parts per billion
(ppb), as far west as NE 30th Avenue. However
levels as high as 1440 ppb were found
approximately 175 feet east of NE 30th (near
IVIW-41, see Figure on page 3). In addition,
trichloroethene (TCE) contamination as high as
lOOppb was found near AMW-42. The MCL
for TCE is 5 ppb.

As a result of these high concentrations, EPA
and BOC Gases have installed extraction wells
at these two locations, both on Bonneville
Power Administration property. EPA is
currently installing a temporary extraction line
to connect these wells to the rest of the
ground water extraction network until the
long-term pipeline is installed. BOC Gases is
also installing three monitoring wells along NE
30th Avenue to help EPA determine how
effectively the contamination is being
controlled.

PUBLIC MEETING

EPA will attend a public meeting
sponsored by the Clark County Citizen's
Hazardous Waste Task Force scheduled
for April 22,1999, from 7pm to 10pm at
8000 NE 52nd Court. At that meeting
EPA will provide more detail on the
activities described in this fact sheet. If
you are interested in activities at the site
or have questions, you are encouraged
to attend this meeting.

BOC Gases Removal Action (Operable Unit 2)

BOC Gases will soon release results of the Site
Evaluation conducted to determine if a
significant source of TCE and other volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) remain in the soil
on the BOC Gases property. The results show
that most of the VOCs contamination has
moved from the soil into the groundwater and
no soil removal appears necessary. However,
action is necessary to control and contain
ground water contamination which continues
to migrate from beneath the BOC Gases
property. BOC Gases is preparing a document
called an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis
(EE/CA). The EE/CA analyzes the effectiveness
and cost for two ground water cleanup
alternatives to control and clean up
contaminated groundwater beneath its


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property. The two alternatives are: 1) air
sparging with vapor extraction and, 2) in-well
stripping with vapor extraction. When the EE/
CA becomes available in late spring 1999, a
fact sheet and newspaper advertisement will
announce a 30-day public comment period
during which you can comment on the
alternatives. EPA will select the cleanup
alternative after reviewing and considering
your comments.

Site-Wide Groundwater (Operable Unit 3) and
Boomsnub Soil Cleanup (Operable Unit 1)

Information from EPA field investigations
completed at the Boomsnub Soil Operable Unit
(OU1) and the Site-Wide Groundwater Unit
(OU3) is being compiled into a Remedial
Investigation Report (RI) summarizing the
findings. The updated information from these
investigations is being used to help select the
final cleanup actions for OU1 and OU3. The
Remedial Investigation Report should be
available for public review in April 1999.

Work is well underway to identify a final
cleanup action. EPA is evaluating three
alternatives based on relative effectiveness,
impiementabiiity, and costs. Cleanup options
being considered for groundwater include: 1) a
higher-capacity pump and treat system, 2) a
"reactive barrier wall" that intercepts and treats
contaminants flowing through ground water,
and 3) "in-well stripping" technology that uses
pumping wells but treats the ground water as it
flows through the aquifer. A Feasibility Study
Report (FS) summarizing this information is
being prepared and will be available for public
review before EPA asks for formal public
comment on the cleanup alternatives.

Boomsnub/BOC Gases	March 1999

1

Background

Boomsnub operated as a metal plating
facility from 1967 until June 1994 at 7608
NE 47th Avenue. BOC Gases, located across
the street from Boomsnub at 4758 NE 78th
Street, is an active compressed gas
manufacturing plant. For the purpose of
environmental investigation, Boomsnub and
BOC Gases are considered as one site because
migrating contamination from both has
resulted in a merged plume of contaminated
ground water consisting of volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) and chromium.

In the summer and fall of 1994, the building
where chrome plating took place at
Boomsnub was demolished and removed
from the site and 6,051 tons of chromium-
contaminated soil were also removed.
Elevated levels of chromium and VOCs were
detected in ground water samples from wells
both on and off the Boomsnub property.
Ground-water monitoring wells in which
elevated levels of VOCs were detected are
located downgradient from BOC Gases. A
new pump-and-treat system was designed
and installed to more efficiently treat larger
volumes of chromium and VOCs in ground
water in order to stop the advancement of
contamination. On April 25, 1995, EPA
added the site to the National Priorities List.

To facilitate the investigations and cleanup,
the site was divided into three separate
operable units in 1997. Although the
contamination problems and the purpose of
the investigations are specific for each unit,
the investigation and decisions about the
cleanup are being conducted concurrently.

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Boomsnub/BOC Gases

March 1999


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For More Information

Documents pertaining to the cleanup of the Boomsnub/BOC Gases site are available for public
review at the Fort Vancouver Regional Library, 1007 East Mill Plain Boulevard in Vancouver.

For interested parties, EPA has made available groundwater data collected at the site from
1987 to 1998. This and other information about the Boomsnub/BOC Gases site can be found
at: http://www.epa.gov/r10earth/datalib/superfund/boomsnub.htm

If you have any questions, please call one of the following:

Jean Baker, Community Relations Coordinator (206) 553-2587
Debbie Yamamoto, Project Manager (206) 553-7216
Peter Contreras, Project Manager (206) 553-6708
You may also call EPA toll-free at 1-800-424-4372

To ensure effective communication with everyone, additional services can be made available to
persons with disabilities by contacting one of the numbers listed above.

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United States	EPA Region 10

Environmental Protection	Community Relations and Outreach

Agency	1200 Sixth Avenue, ECO-C81

Seattle, Washington 98101-1128

BULKRATE
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
U S EPA
Permit No. G-35

SUPERFUND FACTSHEET

BOOMSNUB/BOC CASES
Vancouver, Washington


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