The Brunswick Wood Preserving Site is currently a National Priorities List site awaiting funding for the commencement of construction. A removal action in 1996 stablized much of the contamination; however, significant levels of arsenic, pentachlorophenol, chromium, and creosote remain from Escambia's legacy of site operations.
On 10/06/2005 Tropical Storm Tammy caused severe flooding on and around the site. Two residential wells are located adjacent to the site, on Floraville Lane. One well serves the Reichenbach family and the other well serves 5 houses continuing southeast along Floraville Lane. Ms. Debbie Gress owns these five properties and rents them. Currently four have tenants.
After the storm, residents observed a sheen near their property; some discolored water on their property; and a color change in their drinking water. The well on the Reichenbach property is not covered in a well housing of any sort. The residents did not know the depth at which the wells were screened. Concerns about potential well contamination were reported to GA EPD, who forwarded them to EPA and filed an NRC report. These residences are located near the Brunswick Wood Preserving Excavation Pit, an operable unit that Escambia used to allow treated polls to drip.
Approximately one foot of standing water remained in the pit on October 13, 2005. It is plausible that contaminated water from that pit overflowed onto the residential property.
Given the possibility that CERCLA hazardous substances had migrated from the site into residential wells, EPA recommended that the residents drink bottled water until data indicated tha that the water was within safe drinking water parameters. The EPA OSC, under delegated warranted authority, purchased and distributed bottled water for the residents present. In the days that followed, EPA contracted Pristine Water and Coffee (Brunswick, GA) to provide dispensers and bottled water to each occupied residence.
The residents drew small samples from the well. OSC noted that the water was clear and free of odors. Residents reported that the color change was temporary.
EPA has sampled these wells in the past to determine if the contamination from the site migrated to aquifer from which these wells draw. In a February 11, 2004 memo to Brian Farrier (RPM), Don Hunter (SESD)noted that from Oct 28 to Oct 29, 2003, SESD sampled the residential wells as it had done annually since summer 2000. "No volatile or extractable organic compounds were detected in any of the samples."
On Monday, October 11, 2005, OSC Dorian conferred with the Georgia Division of Public Health in Atlanta. OSC Dorian discussed not only the issue of CERCLA hazardous substances entering the well through flooding, but also expressed concerns that the flooding could have caused biological contamination (i.e., fecal coliform or e.coli), which are not CERCLA hazardous substances. The OSC noted that the wells do not appear well-constructed and that the residents do not disinfect their well-water. The Division initially indicated that the state could test the wells for both bacterial contamination and the chemical constituents of concern within 48 hours. In the days that followed, the state could only offer to provide testing for fecal coliform.
EPA discussed the using the well water for showering. The Division of Health had no specific guidance, but did not believe that showering posed a signficant risk.
EPA will continue to provide bottled water to the residents until sampling and anaylsis of well water is complete. Decisions concerning the wells will be made based on the data.
SESD will sample the wells for Volatiles, Extractables, and Metals. The State Division of Health (Brunswick County Health Department) will sample the wells for fecal coliform.
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