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The East 23rd Avenue Battery Site is located in the City of Tampa, Florida. The Site is approximately 2 acres in size and consists of three adjacent residential yards. The previous owners of the properties used automotive battery casings as paving material throughout the front, side and back yards of the properties. A nearby resident contacted the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission (HCEPC) regarding the Site. The resident was concerned about a possible link between the presence of the battery casings and elevated blood lead levels in the resident’s child. A HCEPC inspection of the Site found the battery casings, and that the battery casings were on-site for some time. During this time the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) was also contacted regarding the Site. HCEPC requested EPA conduct a removal site evaluation.
Based on HCEPC’s request, EPA’s ERRB conducted a removal assessment at the Site on March 19, 2005. Screening for lead in soil was conducted with a portable x-ray fluoroscope (XRF). Based on the levels of lead found during the screening, surface soil samples were collected in and around the yards. During the sampling, battery casings and chips were apparent in all three of the yards.
Analytical results indicated the presence of elevated levels of lead, above removal action criteria, in residential surficial soils at the Site. Levels as high as 2,000 mg/kg and 11,000 mg/kg for lead, were found. EPA’s Removal Action Level (RAL) for lead in residential soil is 400 mg/kg.
The East 23rd Avenue Battery Site is at intersection of East 23rd Avenue and North Nebraska Avenue within the city limits of Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida. The Site is residential.
On July 14, 2005, the EPA Region 4 Waste Management Division Director approved an Action Memorandum establishing a $575,143 Site Ceiling.
On August 20, 2005, EPA and ERRS met with the homeowners to discuss the pending action.
On September 5, 2005, EPA, START, and ERRS mobilized to the Site to excavate and dispose of the battery casings and contamination associated with the battery casings.
Excavation and restoration activities are expected to continue. START is on-scene conducting extent of contamination sampling with the portable XRF.
Restoration of the areas will be conducted after excavation has been completed.
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