United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region III
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

See previous POLREPS for Site description information.  

A summary of the removal site evaluation (characterization) conducted is contained in the document "Summary of Removal Site Evaluation Analytical Data", dated February 2, 2010, posted to the web at www.epaosc.org/tcca.  In general, the Site contains inorganic and organic contamination of soil (primarily sandblasting grit) and shallow underground water (contaminated by former lagoon contents and tank releases).  Additionally, the Site's ground water and surface water exiting the TCCA property contains detectable concentrations of Site-related contamination.  Finally, samples collected from residential properties adjacent to the Site and from dirt alongside the roadways leading from the Site contain detectable concentrations of inorganic and/or organic contaminants attributable to the Site.  

The TCCA Site contains a large amount of sandblasting grit contaminated by inorganic contamination (e.g., lead) and organic contamination (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)).  The Site formerly contained lagoons; the residuals in these lagoons contain high concentrations of organic contaminants such as benzene, naphthalene, and PAHs and these contaminants have entered into the subsurface soils and shallow underground water.  

The Site property continues to be used by numerous businesses for storage of equipment and materials.  

Based upon the analytical results of the samples collected during the removal site evaluation and an evaluation of the potential threats posed by the hazardous substance contamination at the Site, EPA Region III approved additional funding to conduct additional response actions at the Site. The total funding now available for response actions is $2,650,469.  The response action will generally include actions intended to consolidate onto the TCCA property those hazardous substances posing a threat which have migrated from the property and to minimize further release of hazardous substances from the Site through a combination of disposal and covering actions.

After obtaining formal access to the railroad property adjacent to the TCCA property, EPA re-initiated the response action at the Site.  Initial actions focused on characterizing the contaminants upon the railroad right of way, evaluating drainage from the TCCA property, evaluating details of the pending response action (such as erosion controls), and coordinating with the Site owner, users of the property, and State and Local government entities.  The OSC informed adjacent residents of the general nature of the pending response action and then re-initiated response activities on October 19, 2010.

ERRS continued to remove the layers of sand above the large lagoon.  The sand depth ranges from under 3 feet thick to over 5 feet thick.  This effort is to enable a quick excavation of the lagoon material when disposal begins. However, a layer of sand ( approximately 6-8 inches) is being left on top to minimize the odors.  Material for disposal was staged near the truck access road to prepare for off-site disposal.

Construction continued on the water treatment system and a tent is being built to contain and heat the system due to weather conditions.  Although little or no water is expected, the possibility exists and EPA has implemented plans to be capable of managing the water.  The tanks have a capacity of 40,000 gallons.

Bids for transportation and disposal were submitted and reviewed.  A consent package was submitted to the Contracting Officer.  Bids are expected to be awarded by next Friday, Jan. 28.

Once the disposal contract is awarded, disposal will commence.  

The remaining sand above the lagoons will be removed and the lagoon material will be trucked offsite.  An estimated 20-40 truckloads per day will be hauled offsite.

Additional trucks will be hauling in clay material to install the final "cap" over the site.