SITE DESCRIPTION

Background

The Villa Mobile Home Park Site (the “Site”) is located at 612 Venice Street in Kannapolis, Cabarrus County, North Carolina.  The geographic coordinates for the site are latitude 35.485786° north and longitude 80.607892° west.  The site is comprised of a residential mobile home located within a mobile home park.  The mobile home park is comprised of 56 mobile homes on approximately 10 acres of land.

A complaint was received from the City of Kannapolis on June 17, 2010 regarding battery casings found in a ditch at the Villa Mobile Home Park.  The ditch is located south of the intersection of Verona Street and Venice Street behind the mobile home at 612 Venice Street.  Personnel representing the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR), Division of Water Quality (DWQ) observed layers of battery chips throughout the bank of the ditch.

EPA along with Tetra Tech START collected a total of 11 soil and 2 sediment samples (5 composite surface soil, 6 grab subsurface soil, and 2 grab sediment samples including background and duplicate samples). Surface samples were collected from 0 to 6 inches below ground surface (bgs) and subsurface soil samples were collected from 6 inches to 2 feet bgs.  Two of the grab subsurface soil samples were collected in the ditch where the exposed battery chips were observed.  Based upon the proximity and number of the homes on each parcel of land, one composite and one grab sample was collected for each parcel of land or area of interest (i.e. ditch) for this sampling event.

Analytical results for the samples indicated the presence of lead in soils ranging in concentration from 154 to 4,130 ppm.  The highest concentration of lead was present in two samples collected from the drainage ditch containing the battery chips.  The concentration of lead present in these two samples (4,130 ppm and 5,400 ppm) was above the EPA Removal Action Level of 400 ppm for lead in residential soil.

PLANNED REMOVAL ACTION

Recommendation

Lead is a hazardous substance as defined by section 101(14) of the CERCLA and RCRA characteristic definitions.  CERCLA contaminants, if released from the Site, have the capability of presenting a potential hazard to the general public.  The threats come primarily from human exposure (i.e. residents) to these hazardous substances in the soil.  Direct contact, ingestion, and inhalation of lead contaminated soil are the primary pathways of exposure.  Continued exposure to the lead in the soil may cause potential chronic health effects to persons living nearby and trespassers.

Site conditions meet the requirements for initiating a time-critical removal action according to criteria listed in Section 300.415 (b)(2) of the NCP:

• Section 300.415 (b)(2)(i): “Actual or potential exposure to nearby human populations, animals, or the food chain from hazardous substances or pollutants or contaminants.”  The site is bound to the north and west by Verona Street, to the south by Irene Street, to the east by McLain Road.  Several residences are located within 50 yards of the site.  Direct contact, ingestion, and inhalation of these hazardous substances are primary pathways of exposure.

• Section 300.415 (b)(2)(iv): “High levels of hazardous substances or pollutants or contaminants in soils largely at or near the surface, that may migrate.” Sample analysis shows that two of the sample concentrations exceed the RAL for lead and pose a threat for both, surface and air migration, through runoff or dust respectively.

• Section 300.415(b)(2)(vii) “Availability of other appropriate federal or state response mechanisms to respond to a release.”  South Carolina DHEC referred this Site to EPA in 2010 and has indicated that the State lacks available funds to implement a cleanup at the Site in a timely manner.  If EPA Region 4 does not respond to this release, no other federal agency, state or local government has the capability to respond in a time-critical manner.

Due to the threat and/or future threat to human health from the hazardous substance, the Site achieves removal eligibility base on some or all of the removal criteria in 40 CFR 300.415(b)(2).