A release of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants is present at the Site.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) documented the presence of hazardous substances as defined by section 101(14) of CERCLA including tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE), cis-1,2-dichloroethene (DCE), vinyl chloride, chloroform, and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane; and pollutants and contaminants as defined by 101(33) of CERCLA.  

Hazardous substances are present in soil, groundwater, and soil vapor.  Possible exposure routes to hazardous substances include dermal contact with contaminated surface and subsurface soil during excavation activities; inhalation of contaminated air that has migrated through subsurface soil and groundwater, i.e. vapor intrusion; and ingestion of contaminated drinking water.  Potential human receptors include future on-Site workers and nearby residents, including children in a day care adjacent to the Site. 

At the request of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), EPA performed Site Assessments January 24 – 27, 2011 and April 9-10, 2012.  EPA and the Superfund Technical Assessment and Response Team (START) contractor collected seven subsurface soil samples for volatile organic compounds (VOC) and Toxicity Characteristic Leachate Procedure (TCLP) VOC analysis; ten groundwater samples from existing monitoring wells for VOC analysis; and nine soil gas samples, two of which were collected on-Site and seven of which were collected off-Site in a residential neighborhood about ¼ mile west of the Site.  
 

EPA compared soil results to May 2012 Regional Screening Levels (RSL) for industrial soil. 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane was detected in one sample at a concentration of 11 mg/kg, above the RSL of 2.8 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg).  All samples were below the Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) criteria for toxicity.  Historical soil analytical results documented that PCE was detected in near-surface soil (1 foot below ground surface (bgs)) at a maximum concentration of 2,400 mg/kg.

Groundwater results were compared to Superfund Removal Actions Levels (RAL), which were developed for contaminated drinking water sites.  The groundwater at Tuchman is not a drinking water source but could potentially migrate into the drinking water supply in the Fall Creek well field. Six of the ten monitoring wells sampled contained VOCs above the Superfund RALs; these VOCs included cis-1,2-DCE, PCE, TCE, and vinyl chloride.  PCE was detected at a maximum concentration of 49,000 micrograms per liter (ug/L).  Historical results indicated that PCE was detected in groundwater at a maximum concentration of 135,000 ug/L in groundwater monitoring well MW-2i.  TCE was detected at a maximum concentration of 2,960 ug/L.  

Soil gas data was collected at the site and in a residential area to the west.  The results were compared to soil gas screening levels for a 10^-4 cancer risk as established in EPA’s Vapor Intrusion Screening Level (VISL) spreadsheet, which were then converted from units of micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m³) to parts per billion by volume (ppbv) using standard atmospheric temperature and pressure and the molecular weight of each chemical constituent.  Seven of the nine soil gas samples contained VOCs above the VISL screening levels; these VOCs included chloroform, propylbenzene, PCE, and TCE. PCE was detected at a maximum concentration of 36,000 ppbv.

• Marked soil sample locations for an extent-of-contamination survey;
• Conducted an extent-of-contamination survey;
• Collected 95 soil samples, including duplicates and matrix spike/matrix spike duplicate (MS/MSD) samples;
• Installed perimeter fencing;
• Installed an electrical pole;
• Received the site trailer and excavator; and
• Began site security during off-site hours.