A Removal Site Evaluation (RSE) was conducted in response to a request from the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).  The Villa Mobile Home Park Battery Dump Site (the Site) is isolated to a small portion of the Villa Mobile Home Park located in Kannapolis, Cabarrus County, North Carolina.  The mobile home park is comprised of several parcels over 10 acres of land containing approximately 54 mobile homes.  It is bound to the north and west by Verona Street, to the south by Irene Street and to the east by McLain Road.  The primary area of concern is located to the southeast of the intersection of Verona and Venice Streets.  The extent of the buried battery casings and associated contamination is unknown at this time, although estimated to be contained within three parcels of the property.

According to residents at the Villa Mobile Home Park, during periods of heavy precipitation, the current piped stream cannot contain the water flow and the stream overflows from the headwall located on the north side of Venice Street and flows overland to the open area approximately 100 feet downstream.  This overland flow is estimated to be partially responsible for the erosion of the stream, causing the battery casings to be exposed.

The Villa Mobile Home Park (the Site) is located near the intersection of Venice Street and Verona Street in Kannapolis, Cabarrus County, North Carolina.  The geographic coordinates are 35.485786 ° N, -80.607892 ° W.  The surrounding land use to the north, south and west is residential.  The area to the east is wooded.  Groundwater is expected to flow to the stream channel that transects the Site, which then flows east approximately 500 feet through piping where it discharges to Coldwater Creek, which ultimately flows into Lake Concord approximately ½ mile from the boundary of the mobile home park. 

  
1.1.2.2 Description of Threat

Lead is a hazardous substance as listed in 40CFR302.4, and referred to in Section 101(14) of CERCLA, as amended.  Human exposure to lead contaminated soil at the Site poses a significant threat to public health.  Direct contact, ingestion and inhalation are the primary pathways of exposure.  Continued exposure to the soil contaminated with concentrations of lead exceeding the Removal Management Level (RML) of 400 ppm of lead may pose chronic health effects to persons living nearby.  During a demographic survey conducted in July 2012, NCDENR IHSB discovered approximately 70 adults and 70 children reside in the mobile home park.

Analytical results reveal that elevated lead levels are present in surface soils and in the open channel creating a potential for downstream migration.  Visual inspection indicates battery casings throughout the banks of the drainage ditch.  The presence of battery chips in the vicinity of the McLain Road outfall supports the possibility of contaminant migration through the culvert due to high flow rate following periods of heavy precipitation.  Lead concentrations in samples collected from the drainage ditch exceed the residential RML by an order of magnitude.

The neighboring City of Concord utilizes Lake Concord as a source for its municipal water supply.  Potential contamination of this water body exists due to the possibility that lead could migrate via the piped channel into Coldwater Creek which ultimately discharges into Lake Concord. Coldwater Creek is designated WS-IV; CA (Water Supply-IV/Highly developed; Critical Area).

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results

In July 2012, EPA ERRB, START contractor OTIE and DENR IHSB met on-site to perform X-Ray Fluorescent (XRF) screening and lab analysis of samples at several locations in the vicinity of the test pits excavated during the S&ME investigation.  Ten locations were screened at the surface, near surface (0-6”), and subsurface (ranging from 1-3’ below ground surface).  Of the ten locations, five samples were collected for lab analysis.  Elevated lead concentrations for near surface screening ranged from 478 mg/kg to 5,940 mg/kg. Five out of seven locations where subsurface screening was performed indicate lead concentrations that exceed the residential RML for lead. Values range from 597 to 3,451 mg/kg of lead. 
 

On October 3rd, EPA OSC Alyssa Hughes met on-site with NCDENR Inactive Hazardous Site Branch (IHSB) project manager Miguel Alvalle.  Fact sheets outlining the background information, purpose and scope of the removal action and relevant contact information were distributed throughout the mobile home park.

On October 10^th, EPA OSC Hughes met on-site with ERRS contractor Environmental Restoration. A removal strategy and logistical needs were discussed.

On October 23^rd a group of interested parties met on-site to review the site history, background information, recent investigations and plans for the impending removal action.  The group consisted of EPA, EPA ERRS contractor, NCDENR IHSB, NCDENR IHSB consultant S&ME, NCDENR Water Division, City of Kannapolis public works officials and Capstone Management, the management company hired by the bankruptcy trustee to manage the property.  The group discussed preliminary plans for coordinating the EPA removal with the NCDENR IHSB stream restoration and storm water management.  Following the on-site meeting, the group met at the City of Kannapolis Public Works office.  Additional participants were the bankruptcy trustee and the Cabarrus Health Department.

During the week of October 23^rd ERRS contractor Environmental Restoration mobilized equipment and set up perimeter fencing and erosion and sediment control fencing.  The four trailers within the footprint of the area identified as containing battery casings were also removed.  These trailers were vacant with no plans for occupancy.