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On January 9, 2007, WVDEP requested that the US Environmental Protection Agency Region 3 conduct a removal assessment and possible removal action at the site.
BACKGROUND:
On December 2, 2003 WVDEP inspector conducted a Compliance Schedule Evaluation (follow-up) of the former Old Athens Turnpike property in downtown Princeton, Mercer County, WV. Previous industrial waste disposal activity on the property has already been documented as the source of lead contamination of the soil in this residential area. S. S. Belcher, a salvage company, operated on adjacent property from the 1920s through 1990 on property leased from Norfolk Southern Railroad. Clean up of lead contamination on the Norfolk Southern property, resulting from S. S. Belcher's battery scrapping operation, has long been complete and the groundwater monitoring wells closed. The administrative order, however, remains open since 1) the contamination has involved both properties and originated from a single source and 2) since lead contamination in the surface soils on the Old Athens Turnpike has potential to impact the downgradient Norfolk Southern property. The inspection was to assess the current status of the property and the contamination thereon.
Sample results received on December 19, 2003 indicated both samples exceeded 1,000 mg/L (ppm) total lead and one exceeded the TCLP regulatory limit of 5.0 mg/Kg. Sample 1 contained 3,380 mg/Kg (ppm) total lead with a TCLP lead of 3.6 mg/L. Sample 2 contained 151,000 mg/Kg total lead and 780 mg/L TCLP lead.
OSC Kelly has reviewed the history and data submitted by WVDEP. The OSC has determined that further assessment must be completed at the Site. However, there is a clear case of who "owns" the property. WVDEP has documented that the West Virginia Department of Highways (WV-DOH)owns the property, but through letters and meetings with DOH, DOH denies ownership.
The OSC will seek assistance from EPA ORC and Enforcement to investigate who owns the property before proceeding with any field activity.
On March 28, 2007, OSC Kelly, along with EPA START personnel performed a sampling event of homes along the upper portion of Old Athens Turnpike.
The OSC received written permission from 3 residents and verbal permission from the other two residents. Verbal permission was given due to the property owner was not home and the OSC contacted them by telephone.
START utilized the X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) unit to perform in-situ monitoring of the residents backyards. The lower half of each backyard was focused on due to its close proximity to the known contamination from the old scrapyard. Five locations in each of the lower half of the yards were monitored with the XRF. These 5 locations consisted of the center and 4 corners of each lower half of the backyards. The location of each area monitored with the XRF unit was recorded using a Trimble Pro-XH GPS unit. Additionally, a surface soil sample was collected from each backyard at the location where the highest level of lead was detected on the XRF unit.
The soil sample collected from each resident's property will be analyzed for metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), and pesticides. The samples were shipped to the laboratory for analysis on 3/29/2007. Unvalidated results will be received 72 hours after being delivered to the lab. Validated results will be received in 30 days.
The XRF results showed levels from Non-Detect to a high of 307 parts per million (ppm).
The OSC contacted the Princeton Office of Enforcement and provided him with the results of the XRF sampling.
There are no planned removal actions for the residential homes due to this sampling event revealing low lead quantities.
OSC will await validated results. At that time, the OSC will provide each resident with a letter explaining the results along with a map indicating the sample location.
OSC will continue to work with ORC to gain access to the Old Athens Turnpike in order to address the lead contamination already discovered there.
OSC will continue to communicate site activities with local and state officials.
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