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2.0 Current Activities
2.1 Operations
2.1.1 Narrative
During a vapor intrusion assessment conducted in March 2015 by the EPA for the PCE Former Dry Cleaners Site, the EPA discovered another former dry cleaner site (PCE Chestnut Street) to the west of the PCE Former Dry Cleaners Site. The levels of PCE vapors found in buildings at the Site present a significant health threat due to inhalation hazards.
2.1.1.1 Current situation
Groundwater samples were collected to identify source
areas of contamination contributing to the elevated levels of PCE previously
detected in subslab soil gas and indoor air, and to define the extent of PCE
contamination in groundwater.
Groundwater samples were collected from approximately 50
Geoprobe®
temporary. Temporary
well locations were selected to investigate potential contaminant source areas,
as well as to delineate the extent of groundwater contamination. The EPA mobile
laboratory was on site to analyze groundwater samples and provide real-time results
in order to select additional locations to sample based on the analytical
results. Duplicate samples were also
collected to send to the EPA Region 7 laboratory. Groundwater was found between 35 and 65 feet
bgs.
Groundwater samples were collected within discrete
depth intervals at each temporary well location. Samples were collected within multiple depth
intervals to help identify any downward contaminant migration.
A table showing sampling results can be found in the
document section.
OSC Fisher also met with local real estate agents to
discuss the vapor intrusion issues in downtown Atlantic.
2.1.2 Response activities to date
On September 8 and 9, 2015, the EPA conducted an assessment of the two properties, with TCE vapors inside the property higher than the TCE vapors in the subslab.
13 East 4th Street
The property at 13 East 4th Street consists of three businesses on the main floor over a basement. Above the businesses are apartments that are not currently occupied. The businesses are a shoe cobbler, a barber shop, and a sign shop.
The basement has several open and closed containers of paint, varnishes and strippers from the sign company. No specific container was found with TCE as a listed ingredient. However, several containers were rusty and there were several boards and other debris hampering the ability to find all containers.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Toxicological Profile for Trichloroethylene (Update), U.S. Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA 1997 states:
"Trichloroethylene is used in consumer products such as typewriter correction fluids, paint removers/strippers, adhesives, spot removers, and rug-cleaning fluids".
Therefore, the EPA will be requesting that the owner remove all containers from the basement that are no longer used. Then re-testing of the indoor air will be done to determine if there is still TCE in the indoor air that exceeds EPA Removal Action Levels.
The EPA and START located areas where groundwater sampling will be conducted in October 2015.
The EPA also met with the ERRS contractor. The ERRS contractor put out for bid four properties to install vapor mitigation systems. Three potential bidders met and conducted a walk-through of the four properties.
2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
PRPs have not been identified.
2.1.4 Progress Metrics
See the Documents section for a table of the progress metrics.
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