United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region IV
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

The Springdale Apartment Site (the Site) covers ~ 10 acres and is located at 2510 Jackson Avenue, Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee. Cypress Creek lies directly adjacent and to the north of the property which is situated within a mixed residential, commercial and industrial neighborhood. The property has been divided into two sections designated “North Side” which is ~ 3 acres and “South Side” which is ~ 7 acres. Cypress Creek is adjacent and to the North of the site and eventually feeds into the Mississippi River via the Wolf River. The South Side consists of several occupied multi-family (rental property) apartment buildings. The North Side consists of several apartment buildings in various stages of construction ranging from a poured slab to completed framing and roof.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has conducted numerous investigations for this site and TDEC reports have documented high concentrations of pesticides, metals, volatile organic compounds, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and polychlorinated biphenyls in several studies conducted over a period of years from 1994 to present resulting in the TDEC request that EPA conduct a removal assessment of the northern portion of the site to determine if an EPA removal action was warranted.  

After consultation with the State of TN, it was determined that Fence Repair was necessary to ensure the safety of the surrounding community and the EPA OSC and Attorney requested the current site owner repair any and all breaches to the fence surrounding the northern portion of the site from the surrounding community which includes nearby schools, residents and apartment occupants.

EPA ERRB conducted a Removal Site Evaluation which also documented levels of hazardous substances above EPA established Removal Action Levels (RALs).  The hazardous substances included several collocated pesticides and herbicides that were present across the northern portion of the site.  Following EPA documentation of onsite hazardous substances, EPA mailed general notice letters to potential responsible parties (PRPs) and arranged a meeting at TDEC offices with the several state representative, PRPs and EPA personnel which included OSCs Spurlin, Lloyd and Attorney DuBois to discuss future site cleanup actions.

Following the meeting, TDEC representatives contacted ERRB Management and requested that the site be included under an existing State of Tennessee RCRA Order in order to address contamination on the northern portion of the Site. As requested, EPA returned the site to a state lead RCRA action but will be available to assist the State of Tennessee in any future site evaluations, as deemed necessary, in the future.