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 was plausible that contaminated water from that pit overflowed onto the residential property. To address these concerns, EPA SESD sampled the two residential wells to determine if contamination from the site had migrated to the water source. Concurrently the Georgia Division of Public Health sampled the wells for fecal coliform to ensure that the flooding had not created a biological issue.
On October 17, 2005, EPA Science Ecosystem and Support Division sampled (SESD Project Number 06-0059) the wells at 166 Floraville Lane (Gress owner, well serves 5 houses) and 180 Floraville Lane (the Reichenbach residence). The Georgia Division of Public Health sampled the wells for fecal coliform concurrently.
All SESD analytical data were received and reported on October 27, 2005. To expedite the reporting, the metals analyses was limited to the heavy metal suite (arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, antimony, selenium, thallium and total mercury).
All samples were analyzed for metals, as described above, volatile organic compounds and extractable organic compounds. The organic suites cover possible site related constituents such as the BTEX suite, the napthalene related compounds and the PAHs associated with the paste treating operations (benzo-a-pyrene and pentachlorophenol). The drinking water standard detection levels were met for each of the samples. No volatile or extractable organic compounds were detected in either sample. The only detections were the barium and copper, summarized below. These results are typical and consistent with the annual residential well monitoring program results for the past five years.
Analyte Units Reichenbach Grant (Gress)
Barium ug/l 6.7 A 7.5
Copper ug/l 3.5 A ND (1.0 U)
A - Analyte analyzed in replicate. Reported value is "average" of replicates.
ND - Not detected
U - Analyte not detected at or above reporting limit.
In addition to the analytical results, the samplers,Messrs. Vail and Simpson, did not report any unusual odor or visual apperance of the well water during the pre-sampling purge of the wells.
Based on these observations and results, it does not appear that the wells were impacted by the Brunswick Wood Preserving site during the recent flooding.
The Georgia Division of Public Health samples were positive for coliform at the Reichenbach residence (180 Floraville) and negative at the Gress well. The inspector for the Division noted that neither well is built to code. He recommended that the Reichenbach well be disinfected and resampled
EPA will continue to provide bottled water to the Reichenbach residence for a limited period of time as a courtesy. Although there is no indication that the well was impacted by the Brunswick Wood Preserving NPL site contamination, providing a limited window to permit the Reichenbachs to disinfect and resample their well is within the discretion of the OSC. Approximately 10 days bottled water supply will be provided.
The Department of Health Resources will continue to work with the Reichenbachs on the disinfection of their well. The RPM (Brian Farrier) and CIC (Angela Leach) for the site will continue to work with the residents on this issue if necessary.
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