- To be added to the community email or text alert notification list, please contact Jackie Lane (lane.jackie@epa.gov) and include the e-mail and/or phone numbers you would like added.
- If you have any other concerns or questions, please contact Fatima Ty.
Activities
Project Schedule (subject to change)
Background
AMCO Chemical Corporation owned and operated the property as a chemical distribution facility from the 1960s to 1989 in Oakland, California. During operation of the facility, bulk chemicals were off-loaded from a rail spur on-site and stored in drums and storage tanks before being transferred to smaller containers for resale
The AMCO Chemical Superfund Site (Site) is underlain by two unconsolidated aquifers that are separated by a regional aquitard. The upper aquifer is composed of fill and native sand and silty sand deposits with thin layers of silt and clay (Merritt Sand). The Merritt Sand is underlain by a competent confining layer consisting primarily of lean clay (Older Bay Mud). The lower aquifer consists of variable fluvial and marine sediments (Alameda Formation).
Over 200 individual contaminants were detected in groundwater, soil, soil gas, and air during the RI, with 98 of those identified as contaminants of concern (COCs). The COCs include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (chlorinated and petroleum hydrocarbons), SVOCs, organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, metals, and dioxins/furans. The data from the RI show that groundwater contamination is present in the upper aquifer, with no data collected from the aquitard or lower aquifer.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted a non-time critical removal action (NTCRA), an interim removal action to address portions of the Site with the highest concentrations of VOCs that pose a threat to human health or the environment. EPA created this website to share information about the NTCRA.
The primary goal of the NTCRA is to reduce potential risks associated with vapor intrusion (VI) into structures and residences at and near the Site, by reducing the highest levels of chlorinated VOCs located in the central portion of the Site. The NTCRA involved: - Construction and operation of in-situ thermal heating (ISH) removal technology;
- Operation of the vapor extraction system;
- Sampling and analysis necessary to monitor system effectiveness and remediation progress; and
- Monitoring to ensure operations are protective of human health.
The NTCRA reduced the potential for VI in existing and future structures on the Site. While the NTCRA focused on VI, the Site’s concrete layer mitigates potential risks associated with other pathways of exposure, including dermal contact, ingestion of contaminated soils and/or inhalation of dust particles.
After completing the NTCRA, EPA conducted a treatability study using in-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) and is now in the process of determining final cleanup of the Site. The final action will address VOC and non-VOC contamination pathways remaining on Site.
