Please refer to POLREP’s #1 and #4 for details.
Response activities to date
After a series of meetings with the Hartford Work Group (HWG) respondents in the Summer/Fall of 2003, the U.S. EPA requested that Work Plans be submitted and site activities commence during negotiations of a final Administrative Order of Consent (AOC).
Representatives from U.S. EPA and Illinois EPA continue to meet with the HWG technical committee every other month in addition to bi-monthly teleconferences.
Vapor Related Activities
Determined the status of current operations and maintenance activities regarding the existing soil vapor extraction (SVE) system including a series of vacuum tests to determine the vacuum influence exerted upon the vapor control boring’s and corresponding vapor probes.
Provided control of vapors into selected residential living spaces by interim protection measures.
Continue to conduct investigation for petroleum pipelines and utility lines contaminant migration pathways and how they relate to the Mississippi River.
Representatives from the ATSDR and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) have completed commenting on the Effectiveness Monitoring Program that the HWG submitted. The flow charts and documents have been modified to meet the needs of the ATSDR and Illinois Dept. of Public Health. The effectiveness monitoring has been on-going in the interim until the plan is finalized. An ATSDR fact sheet was developed to reflect the IDPH’s air sampling results.
The HWG submitted the Phase 3 SVE Expansion Technical Memorandum outlining the expansion of the Area Wide Vapor Extraction System in North Hartford. U.S. EPA conditionally approved the plan. Phase 3A field work began on October 3, 2006. Additional expansion of the Soil Vapor Extraction System is planned under this UAO and will be conducted under additional phases of construction.
To date, a total of 161 homes have been inspected for “needs assessment” purposes with 122 homes having some form of interim measures performed out of 157 design packages completed at this time.
On July 31, 2006, the HWG submitted the LNAPL Active Recovery 90% Design Report for expansion of the existing soil vapor extraction system. The Multi-Phase Extraction (MPE) (a.k.a. high vacuum extraction) manifold piping construction will occur after SVE with MPE pilot study work to follow during the summer of 2007. U.S. EPA is reviewing the LNAPL Active recovery 90% Design Report and will provide additional comments after scientists from U.S. EPA’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) perform a review of the aforementioned report.
Groundwater Related Activities
HWG has installed 5 sentinel wells for Village of Hartford drinking water wellhead protection purposes. The wells are sampled quarterly and results reported to the agencies.
Investigated the lateral extent of free product hydrocarbons with the HWG recommended random optical screening tool (ROST ).
The HWG has presented conceptual site model (CSM) information. The CSM will be updated as data is collected and will help determine and measure the impacts to the area wide regional groundwater and Mississippi River.
The pilot tests for free-phase product hydrocarbon removal using the H2A mobile high vacuum removal technologies are complete.
The U.S. EPA has a standing request for data and awaits updates to visual information depicting the vertical extent of the dissolved phase hydrocarbon plume. This conceptual site model information is to be updated as new geotechnical and groundwater plume data becomes available.
Dissolved phase well installations were completed in September, 2005. The Ground Water Investigation report was submitted to U.S. EPA in January of 2006. U.S. EPA has provided comments on the Ground Water Investigation Report and additional monitoring wells will be installed and sampled as part of these comments.
On July 31, 2006, the HWG submitted the LNAPL Active Recovery 90% Design Report for construction installation of a LNAPL removal system using “high vacuum extraction” technologies. SVE expansion will take place ahead of multi-phase extraction.
Initial installation of the manifold piping network started in the fall of 2006 with the construction installation of MPE pilot test wells to follow in 2007/2008.
General Project Activities
U.S. EPA has participated in the development of a formal program with the local fire department to prepare for and respond to vapor intrusions through the 911 emergency notification system.
U.S. EPA Headquarters’ Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (ORSTI) provided a comprehensive report that included critical information regarding project geotechnical and geochemical requirements. The report also identified existing data gaps with the plume investigation including recommendations how to optimize the overall nature of the PRP conducted investigation activities, data objectives, and for both short-term and long-term project goals.
Pipelines related to active petroleum barge loading operations along the Mississippi River will continue to perform annual tracer gas and hydrostatic leak detection studies in addition to various past upgrades according to Department of Transportation regulated guidelines.
Daily Mississippi River gauge data is collected and compared with site groundwater monitoring transducers to better understand the hydraulic connection of impacted waters of the State with the River, and, to better understand the potential threats to the Mississippi River via active and abandoned sewers and pipeline corridors leading to the Mississippi River and surrounding surface water bodies. Furthermore, water gauge data is used to better understand the groundwater flow and migration towards the Mississippi River in comparison to the influences upon the regional groundwater pumping/consumption usage.
The HWG Technical committee has committed to a schedule for both conference calls and face-to-face meetings for 2007.
The HWG Technical Committee has submitted the Remedy Selection and 90% design selecting multi-phase extraction (MPE) to remove the LNAPL in North Hartford. Additional comments from U.S. EPA are pending at this time.
Community Relations Activities
During the week of May 23, 2005, U. S. EPA went door-to-door to meet with homeowners who have yet to opt into the needs assessment program. U.S. EPA is confident that all new participants were identified by that effort and that little more can be done to increase homeowner participation beyond what is already being conducted by HWG agents.
A U. S. EPA sponsored press release was conducted on May 25, 2005, in cooperation with the HWG community relations spokesperson. Future press releases are anticipated.
U. S. EPA will continue to deliver construction notices to residents affected by the construction activities of the SVE system.
U. S. EPA developed and mailed an “August, 2006 Fact Sheet” that was mailed to all residents in the Village of Hartford on August 2, 2006.
The agencies will continue to disseminate information to the public as required and address any questions that may arise.
Documents maintained in the U.S. EPA Information Repository and at the Village of Hartford Public Library were updated in January of 2007. Adobe (PDF) versions of the project documents are available for public review during normal visiting hours at the Village of Hartford Library located on Hawthorne Street
Vapor Related Activities
Construction activities related to the Phase 3 Soil Vapor Extraction System (SVE) began in early October of 2006. Additional expansion of the system is planned and detailed in Technical Memo’s provided by the HWG.
Groundwater Related Activities
The HWG has submitted the Ground Water Investigation Report to the Agencies in January of 2006. The agencies have provided comments to the HWG and additional investigation work is planned for the spring/summer of 2007.
Quarterly monitoring of the sentinel wells is on-going.
Bi-monthly gauging of selected monitoring wells is on-going.
A pilot test using high vacuum extraction technologies to remove free-phase floating oil from groundwater monitoring wells was completed in late July of 2006.
Construction activities related to the Phase 3 Soil Vapor Extraction System (SVE) began in early October of 2006. Additional expansion of the system is planned and detailed in Technical Memo’s provided by the HWG.
Sinclair Oil Company (Sinclair), a signatory to the settlement agreement, has temporarily dropped out of the HWG. Negotiations between the agency, HWG and Sinclair are on-going.
Residents represented by counsel have recently allowed oil company agents into the homes to perform the required initial needs assessment. (Ongoing)
U.S. EPA is supporting the United States Department of Justice (U.S. DOJ) in legal matters pertaining to another former refinery owner/operator, Apex Oil Company (Apex), regarding participation with past and future costs associated with past hydrocarbon releases from refinery and pipeline operations. A summary judgment from the court case could occur as early as spring 2007 if appeals from Apex outside counsel are not brought forth to the court case. (Ongoing)
The current ceiling using OPA funds is $ 1,138,262.00. As the project progresses, additional reimbursable monies will be needed from the oil pollution fund in order to maintain current level of effort. (Ongoing)
The investigation and future site clean-up at the Hartford Area Hydrocarbon Plume Site is being performed by the Hartford Working Group (an RP group). At this time, the U.S. EPA is not privy to their costs. All Agency response costs including contractor costs associated with the project shall be fully refunded as prescribed in the AOC executed between U.S. EPA and the RP’s.
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