U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
West Vermont Drinking Water Contamination Site - Removal Polrep
Initial Removal Polrep

EPA Emergency Response

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region V
Subject: POLREP #1
Initial PolRep
West Vermont Drinking Water Contamination Site
B5UJ
Indianapolis, IN
Latitude: 39.7720520 Longitude: -86.2294990

To: HQ EOC, U.S. EPA
Brian Schlieger, U.S. EPA
Jason El-Zein, U.S. EPA
Sam Borries, U.S. EPA
Jim Augustyn, U.S. EPA
Jaime Brown, U.S. EPA
Cecilia Moore, U.S. EPA
Carolyn Bohlen, U.S. EPA
Carol Ropski, U.S. EPA
Heriberto Leon, U.S. EPA
Charles Rodriguez, U.S. EPA
Marcy Toney, U.S. EPA
Susan Prout, U.S. EPA
Valerie Mullins, U.S. EPA
John Glover, U.S. EPA
Nuria Muniz, U.S. EPA
Shelly Heger, U.S. EPA
Mark Johnson, ATSDR
Valencia Darby, U.S. DOI
Lindy Nelson, U.S. DOI
Rex Osborn, IDEM
Corey Webb, IDEM
Carmen Anderson, IDEM
Sarah Johanson, IDEM
Pam Thevenow, MCPHD
Adam Rickert, MCPHD
Ann McIver, Citizens Energy Group
Jeff Miller, Citizens Energy Group
Ryan Taylor, Citizens Energy Group
From: Shelly Lam, On-Scene Coordinator
Date: 11/8/2011
Reporting Period: November 8 - 11, 2011

1. Introduction
  1.1 Background
   
Site Number: B5UJ    Contract Number:  
D.O. Number:      Action Memo Date: 9/26/2011
Response Authority: CERCLA    Response Type: Time-Critical
Response Lead: EPA    Incident Category: Removal Assessment
NPL Status: Non NPL    Operable Unit:
Mobilization Date: 11/8/2011    Start Date: 11/8/2011
Demob Date:      Completion Date:  
CERCLIS ID: INN000510429    RCRIS ID:
ERNS No.:    State Notification:
FPN#:    Reimbursable Account #:

1.1.1 Incident Category
Time-critical removal:  Groundwater plume site with no identifiable source

1.1.2 Site Description

1.1.2.1 Location
The Site is a residential area bounded by West Vermont Street on the south, Holt Road on the east, West Michigan Street on the north, and North Rybolt Avenue on the west in Speedway, Marion County, Indiana.  The Site consists of 25 homes that rely upon private drinking water wells as their only sources of water. 

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat
During periodic sampling of the neighborhood, the Marion County Public Health Department (MCPHD) documented the presence of vinyl chloride above the Superfund Removal Action Level (RAL) at three residences along West Vermont Street and Cossell Road.  Concentrations were as high as 62.7 micrograms per liter (µg/L) in groundwater used as a drinking water source.  The RAL for vinyl chloride is 2 ug/L. 

Vinyl chloride is a hazardous substance, as defined by section 101(14) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).   According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), the effects of drinking high levels of vinyl chloride are unknown.  However, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has determined that vinyl chloride is a known carcinogen.  In addition to ingestion, there is a potential exposure to inhalation of vinyl chloride vapors via use of water for cooking, showering, and bathing.  Breathing vinyl chloride for long periods of time can result in permanent liver damage, immune reactions, nerve damage, and liver cancer.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results
MCPHD detected vinyl chloride in three residential drinking water wells.  Concentrations in those wells ranged from 2.1 to 62.7 ug/L.  Three potential sources are located in the immediate vicinity of the Residential Area where drinking wells have been contaminated by vinyl chloride.   These sites include the Allison Transmission Site to the north of the Residential Area, Genuine Parts to the northeast of the Residential Area, and a former dry cleaner located at Michigan Plaza to the northeast of the Residential Area.  These three potential sources have all had current and historical releases of hazardous substances related to the breakdown products of tetrachloroethene (PCE), including vinyl chloride.  The source of the residential contamination has not been determined.
2. Current Activities
  2.1 Operations Section
    2.1.1 Narrative

EPA is conducting a time-critical removal action to complete the following: developing and implementing site-specific plans including a Health and Safety Plan and a detailed work plan; conducting a hydrogeologic investigation to identify which of the three sources of contamination are impacting the affected residential wells.  Time-critical actions will include the collection of soil and groundwater samples; consolidation and packaging of hazardous substances, pollutants and contaminants for transportation and off-site disposal.


2.1.2 Response Actions to Date
From November 8 - 11, 2011, EPA conducted the following time-critical actions:

  • Marked well and soil boring locations;
  • Conducted utility mark-out;
  • Conducted utility clearance at each drilling/boring location with an air knife;
  • Drilled two vertical aquifer sampling (VAS) locations;
  • Advanced six soil borings; and
  • Submitted soil and groundwater samples for laboratory analysis.

2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
Enforcement strategies are contained in a confidential Enforcement Addendum to the Action Memorandum.

2.1.4 Progress Metrics

Waste Stream Medium Quantity Manifest # Treatment Disposal
 Pending          
           
           


  2.2 Planning Section
    2.2.1 Anticipated Activities
The following sections discuss planned response activities and next steps.

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities
During the next reporting period, EPA will continue drilling VAS locations, setting monitoring wells, and submitting additional samples for laboratory analysis.  In early December, EPA is planning to collect site-wide groundwater samples.

2.2.1.2 Next Steps
Upon completion of field activities, EPA and its Superfund Technical Assessment and Response Team (START) contractor will prepare a report summarizing the results of the investigation.  The report will include a Conceptual Site Model including the release scenario and source(s).  EPA will use the information to prepare an enforcement strategy.

2.2.2 Issues
None
  2.3 Logistics Section
    Not applicable (NA)
  2.4 Finance Section
    2.4.1 Narrative
START costs are current through November 4, 2011.
   
Estimated Costs *
  Budgeted Total To Date Remaining % Remaining
Extramural Costs
TAT/START $25,000.00 $20,800.00 $4,200.00 16.80%
Intramural Costs
 
Total Site Costs $25,000.00 $20,800.00 $4,200.00 16.80%

* The above accounting of expenditures is an estimate based on figures known to the OSC at the time this report was written. The OSC does not necessarily receive specific figures on final payments made to any contractor(s). Other financial data which the OSC must rely upon may not be entirely up-to-date. The cost accounting provided in this report does not necessarily represent an exact monetary figure which the government may include in any claim for cost recovery.


  2.5 Other Command Staff
    2.5.1 Safety Officer
The OSC is the overall safety officer.  However, START has a health and safety representative on-Site.  The START contractor has prepared a Health and Safety Plan for the Site.  Site personnel attend daily health and safety briefings.

2.5.2 Liaison Officer
NA

2.5.3 Information Officer
Heriberto Leon from the Office of Public Affairs (OPA) is the Community Involvement Coordinator for the Site.  OPA prepared and mailed fact sheets to residents to notify them of field activities.
3. Participating Entities
  3.1 Unified Command
NA

3.2 Cooperating Agencies
EPA is receiving support from IDEM, MCPHD, and the Town of Speedway.
4. Personnel On Site
  The following numbers of personnel were on-site at various times during the reporting period:

Agency/Company Role # Personnel
EPA OSC 1
Weston Solutions START Contractor 2
WDC Drilling Subcontractor 4
IDEM State Geologist 2
Environ Genuine Parts Consultant 3
Mundell & Associates Michigan Plaza Consultant 4
ARCADIS GM Consultant 1


5. Definition of Terms
 
ATSDR Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
MCPHD Marion County Public Health Department
NA Not applicable
OPA Office of Public Affairs
OSC On-Scene Coordinator
PCE Tetrachloroethene
PRP Potentially Responsible Parties
RAL Removal Action Level
START Superfund Technical Assessment and Response Team
ug/L micrograms per liter
VAS Vertical Aquifer Sampling


6. Additional sources of information
  6.1 Internet location of additional information/report
Refer to www.epaosc.org/westvermont or http://epa.gov/region5/cleanup/cossellvermont/index.html for additional information.

6.2 Reporting Schedule
The next PolRep will be submitted on November 18, 2011.
7. Situational Reference Materials
  NA
POLREP #1 Last Updated 11/17/2011