By: Duane Craig
The public comment period wrapped up for the East 67th Street Superfund site north of Odessa, Texas, and the Environmental Protection Agency has outlined the proposed plan for cleaning up the current environmental issues there, according to the EPA’s recent status report.
A plume of contaminated groundwater roughly follows 67th Street and is bounded in the four compass directions by Yukon Road, VFW Lane, Andrews Highway and Alderfer Avenue. The contamination is a combination of 15,000 gallons of alcohol- and naphtha-based solvents and 635 gallons of tetrachloroethylene, or PCE. The EPA characterizes the contamination as being “an intentional release … from the former Delta Chemical facility (now Brenntag) located on East 67th Street.”
This is a particularly sensitive area from the perspective of groundwater aquifers because it is one place where the waters of the Trinity and Ogallala aquifers are interconnected, according to this report by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
The remedies are expected to include bringing municipal water to those whose wells are affected, injecting solutions into the plume that will speed up the decomposition of the chemicals, extracting and treating polluted water, setting up a soil vapor extraction system and plugging existing wells that could allow contaminated water to migrate between the aquifers.
Water Contamination, Land Pollution & Hazardous Waste Material are issues families all across America are afflicted with daily.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Asheville's Superfund Site Seeks Millions From PRPs
By: Duane Craig
The Environmental Protection Agency has billed two potentially responsible parties $6.5 million to cover the agency's costs to date in remediating the CTS of Asheville National Priorities Superfund site at 235 Mills Gap Road in Asheville N.C., according to an article in the Citizen-Times.
The site is widely contaminated with solvents such as trichloroethylene, or TCE, and residents have linked the contamination to cases of cancer in children. The EPA is currently monitoring 105 private water wells in the area, and in the past the agency paid to connect residents to municipal water when a spring and five private water wells turned out to be contaminated with not only TCE but also petroleum compounds, according to the EPA's report on the site.
The site is widely contaminated with solvents such as trichloroethylene, or TCE, and residents have linked the contamination to cases of cancer in children. The EPA is currently monitoring 105 private water wells in the area, and in the past the agency paid to connect residents to municipal water when a spring and five private water wells turned out to be contaminated with not only TCE but also petroleum compounds, according to the EPA's report on the site.
Ashville Superfund site still contaminated with trichloroethylene
Residents are tired of the time it has taken to get cleanup actions started, and they welcomed the news of the EPA's latest efforts to get the two companies involved to pay up. Contamination is expected to lie below a 79,000-square-foot deteriorating building that is used by gangs, drug dealers and their users. The EPA has also been conducting vapor intrusion assessments and has been pressuring the responsible parties to plan and implement remediation tactics. A soil vapor extraction operation has so far removed 6,000 pounds of solvents from soils just above the water table.Monday, January 30, 2012
Perryton on Track to Leave Contamination in Place
By: Duane Craig
Residents of Perryton, Texas, will no doubt be accepting the possibility that water in an interval of the Ogallala Aquifer will remain contaminated with carbon tetrachloride, according to a recent updateto that site’s Superfund status.
The Environmental Protection Agency is holding a public comment period to get input on its proposal to name the upper interval of the aquifer under one portion of town as technically impractical to clean up. That upper zone of the Ogallala is not considered to be a section of the aquifer that is a productive zone for water supplies in the area because the city draws water from the lower portion of the aquifer.
The local environmental issues associated with the groundwater were discovered in the late ’80s when one of the city’s wells tested positive for carbon tetrachloride. It was taken out of service, and over the years a pump-and-treat system was installed in the lower part of the aquifer to cleanup the chemical. That process is in its seventh year and has cleaned up the lower aquifer. The well that was taken out of service was capable of acting as a pathway for contamination to travel from the upper portion of the aquifer to the lower. That well has been plugged to prevent the contamination from migrating.
The contamination in the upper aquifer is bounded by Brillhart Street, First Street, Colgate Street and State Route 83.
Residents of Perryton, Texas, will no doubt be accepting the possibility that water in an interval of the Ogallala Aquifer will remain contaminated with carbon tetrachloride, according to a recent updateto that site’s Superfund status.
The Environmental Protection Agency is holding a public comment period to get input on its proposal to name the upper interval of the aquifer under one portion of town as technically impractical to clean up. That upper zone of the Ogallala is not considered to be a section of the aquifer that is a productive zone for water supplies in the area because the city draws water from the lower portion of the aquifer.
The local environmental issues associated with the groundwater were discovered in the late ’80s when one of the city’s wells tested positive for carbon tetrachloride. It was taken out of service, and over the years a pump-and-treat system was installed in the lower part of the aquifer to cleanup the chemical. That process is in its seventh year and has cleaned up the lower aquifer. The well that was taken out of service was capable of acting as a pathway for contamination to travel from the upper portion of the aquifer to the lower. That well has been plugged to prevent the contamination from migrating.
The contamination in the upper aquifer is bounded by Brillhart Street, First Street, Colgate Street and State Route 83.
Former Army Bio Weapons Fort Under Scrutiny for Illnesses and Deaths
By: Duane Craig
Fort Detrick, located at 810 Schreider St. in Frederick, Md., is under scrutiny for possible links of contamination to cancer illnesses and deaths, according to an article in The Baltimore Sun. What started as one man looking for answers to questions the locals had been asking for years, has turned into a full-blown effort to definitively link the fort to human health mayhem.
Fort Detrick is home to medical research and development today, but from the 1940s into the 1960s, it was where biological weapons were experimented with, including anthrax and smallpox. The western side of the fort was a testing ground for biological weapons delivery systems and served as a discard site for lab equipment and materials. Perhaps ironically, the fort is also currently home to a National Cancer Institute facility.
Fort Detrick suspected of environmental contamination
The man who started it all lost one daughter to cancer and recently had another diagnosed with it. He is fortunate enough to have the money necessary to pay for independent scientific investigations, medical tests of area people and now a lawsuit, in his quest to find answers about Fort Detrick's potential role in illnesses and deaths in the nearby communities. He has already spent $1 million, and some locals say they're glad someone with enough money came forward to shine some light on the issue so it could no longer be ignored.Fort Detrick is home to medical research and development today, but from the 1940s into the 1960s, it was where biological weapons were experimented with, including anthrax and smallpox. The western side of the fort was a testing ground for biological weapons delivery systems and served as a discard site for lab equipment and materials. Perhaps ironically, the fort is also currently home to a National Cancer Institute facility.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Abilene Looks into Sidestepping Potential Contamination
By: Duane Craig
Abilene, Texas, is eyeing the possibility of sidestepping its potential current environmental issues by adopting a municipal setting designation for its downtown area, according to this report at KTXS.com. City leaders recognize that after years of dry cleaning and automotive businesses being located there and the years of road construction activities, the groundwater is likely contaminated.
If there is contamination, the extent is not known, and some in the city would rather not know. Instead, they’d like to just get on with attracting new business. Part of that plan may include designating the area as one where people can’t use the groundwater for potable purposes if it is within the top 150 feet of soil. It also means that interested businesses wouldn’t have to do any cleanups related to water. They would, however, have to address “any other kinds of contamination.” The state’s environmental commission would have to approve the designation and terms the city sets forth.
Abilene’s original Town North area includes streets roughly bounded by U.S. Business Route 83, College Drive, Beech Street and South Seventh Street.
Abilene, Texas, is eyeing the possibility of sidestepping its potential current environmental issues by adopting a municipal setting designation for its downtown area, according to this report at KTXS.com. City leaders recognize that after years of dry cleaning and automotive businesses being located there and the years of road construction activities, the groundwater is likely contaminated.
If there is contamination, the extent is not known, and some in the city would rather not know. Instead, they’d like to just get on with attracting new business. Part of that plan may include designating the area as one where people can’t use the groundwater for potable purposes if it is within the top 150 feet of soil. It also means that interested businesses wouldn’t have to do any cleanups related to water. They would, however, have to address “any other kinds of contamination.” The state’s environmental commission would have to approve the designation and terms the city sets forth.
Abilene’s original Town North area includes streets roughly bounded by U.S. Business Route 83, College Drive, Beech Street and South Seventh Street.
Fracking Hearing in Colorado Challenges Gas Industry and Citizens
By: Duane Craig
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, for natural gas has been blamed for making western Wyoming's air dirtier during winter than Los Angeles' air, according to this article in the Houston Chronicle. The claim was brought up during a public comment session on new rules for fracking held in Colorado by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Those new rules would reduce the air pollution from fracking by 25 percent and would boost oil and gas industry profits by capturing gas that could be sold instead of being lost to the atmosphere. Industry groups aren't sure about that and want more time to study the new rules. Colorado residents contend the industry has had enough time to clean up its act, and they want action before Colorado's mountains become socked in by haze, hurting tourism and jobs related to the outdoors.
Health issues were also cited at the hearing, with the American Lung Association urging the EPA to go further and limit methane emissions more directly. Others want the wholesale burn off of natural gas, also known as flaring, to be stopped, and still others want existing facilities to fall under the new rules as well.
Supporters of the oil and gas industry said more regulation will limit exploration, thereby reducing jobs and taxes. No new perspectives there.
Those new rules would reduce the air pollution from fracking by 25 percent and would boost oil and gas industry profits by capturing gas that could be sold instead of being lost to the atmosphere. Industry groups aren't sure about that and want more time to study the new rules. Colorado residents contend the industry has had enough time to clean up its act, and they want action before Colorado's mountains become socked in by haze, hurting tourism and jobs related to the outdoors.
Health issues were also cited at the hearing, with the American Lung Association urging the EPA to go further and limit methane emissions more directly. Others want the wholesale burn off of natural gas, also known as flaring, to be stopped, and still others want existing facilities to fall under the new rules as well.
Supporters of the oil and gas industry said more regulation will limit exploration, thereby reducing jobs and taxes. No new perspectives there.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Corpus Superfund Site Nears Cleanup
By: Duane Craig
The Brine Service Company Superfund Site in Corpus Christi, Texas, moves a step closer to having its list of environmental issues addressed with the completion of its Phase 2 report.
This site is about six miles west of the downtown area along the north side of Interstate 37 near Goldston Road. From the mid-1940s through the 1960s, Brine disposed of wastes in a couple of pits on the property. The environmental issues didn’t come to light until 1997 when a pipeline company that was laying pipe to connect two refineries unearthed waste including barium, cadmium, chromium, lead and mercury, as well as several organic compounds. The organic compounds identified included naphthalene, phenanthrene, benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, xylenes, 2,4-dimethylphenol, acenaphthene, 2-methylphenol (o-cresol), 3&4 methylphenol (m&p cresol), and phenol.
Water draining from the site eventually ends up in Tule Lake before flowing out to the Corpus Christi harbor and bay. Tule Lake is quite shallow and is a wildlife sanctuary that is home to various aquatic birds, including several listed on the state’s threatened species list. The bay supports commercial and recreational fishing.
The Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) that is underway will include an assessment of the risks the site poses to the environment and to humans. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry completed a health consultation on the site in late 2003. At that time, it found no conclusive evidence the site was endangering the public, except for those people whose wells had levels of arsenic that would end up exceeding safe levels in 2006 because of a planned lowering of the maximum contaminant level in that year. There were 15 wells where that was the case.
The Brine Service Company Superfund Site in Corpus Christi, Texas, moves a step closer to having its list of environmental issues addressed with the completion of its Phase 2 report.
This site is about six miles west of the downtown area along the north side of Interstate 37 near Goldston Road. From the mid-1940s through the 1960s, Brine disposed of wastes in a couple of pits on the property. The environmental issues didn’t come to light until 1997 when a pipeline company that was laying pipe to connect two refineries unearthed waste including barium, cadmium, chromium, lead and mercury, as well as several organic compounds. The organic compounds identified included naphthalene, phenanthrene, benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, xylenes, 2,4-dimethylphenol, acenaphthene, 2-methylphenol (o-cresol), 3&4 methylphenol (m&p cresol), and phenol.
Water draining from the site eventually ends up in Tule Lake before flowing out to the Corpus Christi harbor and bay. Tule Lake is quite shallow and is a wildlife sanctuary that is home to various aquatic birds, including several listed on the state’s threatened species list. The bay supports commercial and recreational fishing.
The Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) that is underway will include an assessment of the risks the site poses to the environment and to humans. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry completed a health consultation on the site in late 2003. At that time, it found no conclusive evidence the site was endangering the public, except for those people whose wells had levels of arsenic that would end up exceeding safe levels in 2006 because of a planned lowering of the maximum contaminant level in that year. There were 15 wells where that was the case.
Environmental Activity Creates Jobs Too
By: Duane Craig
Who says protecting the environment doesn't create any jobs? It does in West Virginia where Arch Coal Inc. will fork over $2 million that will hire "a lead land-use attorney, two supporting attorneys and an experienced land-use planner … along with a full-time office manager and an additional faculty member" for the West Virginia University College of Law, Land Use and Sustainability Clinic, according to this article in the Houston Chronicle.
Arch will also install equipment to treat and monitor selenium pollution it left behind as it took the tops off mountains to get coal. Involved are Arch's subsidiaries, Coal-Mac Inc. and Mingo Logan Coal Company, and five active and inactive or reclaimed sites. Arch will pay $200,000 to the federal government and $145,000 to cover plaintiffs' legal costs. That's money that has a direct impact on jobs, too.
Installing the treatment and monitoring systems adds even more jobs, and, if the company violates any more Clean Water Act rules it must pay $25,000 per incident. Earlier this year, Arch paid $5.8 million in fines and penalties related to its pollution legacy including iron, aluminum and manganese contamination released between 2003 and 2010. Some or much of that money will no doubt end up paying somebody for doing something.
Arch will also install equipment to treat and monitor selenium pollution it left behind as it took the tops off mountains to get coal. Involved are Arch's subsidiaries, Coal-Mac Inc. and Mingo Logan Coal Company, and five active and inactive or reclaimed sites. Arch will pay $200,000 to the federal government and $145,000 to cover plaintiffs' legal costs. That's money that has a direct impact on jobs, too.
Installing the treatment and monitoring systems adds even more jobs, and, if the company violates any more Clean Water Act rules it must pay $25,000 per incident. Earlier this year, Arch paid $5.8 million in fines and penalties related to its pollution legacy including iron, aluminum and manganese contamination released between 2003 and 2010. Some or much of that money will no doubt end up paying somebody for doing something.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Hanford Superfund Site Stands as Huge and Complex
By: Duane Craig
Dubbed by the Environmental Protection Agency as "one of the largest and most complex cleanup projects in the U.S.," another part of the Hanford Superfund site in Washington will enter the cleanup process soon. The EPA and the Department of Energy decided on using a combination of techniques for the cleanup because of the variety of ways plutonium has contaminated the soil, according to this news report.
In some soils, the plutonium was mixed with nitric acid, turning it from a relatively soil-stable material into one that migrates through soil more readily. In those places, more soil will be removed. Then, for the remaining areas, the soil will be stored in-situ at a designated, lined landfill at the Hanford site or be sent to the Waste Isolation Pilot Project in New Mexico if it has high levels of plutonium.
This Superfund site sits in southern Washington state, north of Kennewick and east of Yakima. It is right next to the Columbia River, and it is huge. It covers 586 square miles and is divided into four National Priorities List Sites -- 100, 200, 300 and 1100 Areas, according to an EPA fact sheet on the site. This particular cleanup action focuses on four soil waste sites where water and steam contaminated with plutonium 239 were disposed of. Plutonium 239 takes 48,000 years to decay. The area encompasses 10 square miles.
For most of the years between 1943 and 1989, the Hanford site produced plutonium for use in nuclear weapons. At one time, there were six nuclear reactors operating along the river and using its waters to cool their operations. Making plutonium created 43 million cubic yards of radioactive waste, more than 130 million cubic yards of contaminated soil and debris and allowed 475 billion gallons of contaminated water to be dumped on the ground. There are now 80 square miles of contaminated groundwater that have contamination exceeding groundwater protection standards. It poses a risk to the Columbia River and to the people living in Richland, Pasco and Kennewick. Those communities take their drinking water directly from the river. The population of people within 50 miles of Hanford is about half a million.
According to the second five-year review in 2007, the remediation of strontium-90 contamination in the groundwater was not effective, and the strontium-90 along the shoreline was not being reduced by the pump-and-treat system installed there. At the time, the EPA pointed to new work underway that would bring that remediation up to standard and make it protective of health.
Part of the overall remediation of Hanford meant setting up places to store huge amounts of contamination, forever. But the storage plan had to make sure the contaminants would not migrate through soil or into water or air. One such place is called the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility. From 1996 to 2001, the ERDF received two million tons of nuclear debris, and by 2007, the total was more than seven million tons. It still receives about 3,000 tons of waste every day, according to this EPA document. This disposal area lies between the western and eastern portions of the 200 Area. Hanford is a legendary reminder of World War II and the Cold War, and it shows just how easy it is to create messes that may never really be cleaned up.
In some soils, the plutonium was mixed with nitric acid, turning it from a relatively soil-stable material into one that migrates through soil more readily. In those places, more soil will be removed. Then, for the remaining areas, the soil will be stored in-situ at a designated, lined landfill at the Hanford site or be sent to the Waste Isolation Pilot Project in New Mexico if it has high levels of plutonium.
This Superfund site sits in southern Washington state, north of Kennewick and east of Yakima. It is right next to the Columbia River, and it is huge. It covers 586 square miles and is divided into four National Priorities List Sites -- 100, 200, 300 and 1100 Areas, according to an EPA fact sheet on the site. This particular cleanup action focuses on four soil waste sites where water and steam contaminated with plutonium 239 were disposed of. Plutonium 239 takes 48,000 years to decay. The area encompasses 10 square miles.
For most of the years between 1943 and 1989, the Hanford site produced plutonium for use in nuclear weapons. At one time, there were six nuclear reactors operating along the river and using its waters to cool their operations. Making plutonium created 43 million cubic yards of radioactive waste, more than 130 million cubic yards of contaminated soil and debris and allowed 475 billion gallons of contaminated water to be dumped on the ground. There are now 80 square miles of contaminated groundwater that have contamination exceeding groundwater protection standards. It poses a risk to the Columbia River and to the people living in Richland, Pasco and Kennewick. Those communities take their drinking water directly from the river. The population of people within 50 miles of Hanford is about half a million.
According to the second five-year review in 2007, the remediation of strontium-90 contamination in the groundwater was not effective, and the strontium-90 along the shoreline was not being reduced by the pump-and-treat system installed there. At the time, the EPA pointed to new work underway that would bring that remediation up to standard and make it protective of health.
Part of the overall remediation of Hanford meant setting up places to store huge amounts of contamination, forever. But the storage plan had to make sure the contaminants would not migrate through soil or into water or air. One such place is called the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility. From 1996 to 2001, the ERDF received two million tons of nuclear debris, and by 2007, the total was more than seven million tons. It still receives about 3,000 tons of waste every day, according to this EPA document. This disposal area lies between the western and eastern portions of the 200 Area. Hanford is a legendary reminder of World War II and the Cold War, and it shows just how easy it is to create messes that may never really be cleaned up.
Texas Taps ARRA for Longview Cleanup
By: Duane Craig
Gregg County, Texas, has received almost $64 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to Window on State Government, and a portion of that is going toward cleaning up local environmental issues at Longview.
The now-bankrupt Garland Creosoting treated wood with creosote from 1960 to 1997 in Longview, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s update on the Superfund site. This is a triangular site that is roughly bounded by Garland Road, South Eastman Road and Estes Drive. The City of Longview now considers the property’s best use to be for high-intensity retail business.
Garland used six tanks to recycle wastes from its operations and then placed those wastes into unlined impoundments on the soil’s surface. Between 1985 and 1989, investigators installed 12 monitoring wells to track the previously discovered groundwater contaminated with creosote. Operators of the wells discovered a “dense non-aqueous phase liquid,” or DNAPL, contaminating the groundwater. Garland closed the impoundments, removed the water and capped them to prevent further migration of the sludge. Garland then operated a groundwater recovery and treatment system until 1997 when it declared bankruptcy.
Long-term recovery actions have been taken over by a contractor, and those operations of recovery and treatment of leachate are expected to continue for another 10 years.
Gregg County, Texas, has received almost $64 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to Window on State Government, and a portion of that is going toward cleaning up local environmental issues at Longview.
The now-bankrupt Garland Creosoting treated wood with creosote from 1960 to 1997 in Longview, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s update on the Superfund site. This is a triangular site that is roughly bounded by Garland Road, South Eastman Road and Estes Drive. The City of Longview now considers the property’s best use to be for high-intensity retail business.
Garland used six tanks to recycle wastes from its operations and then placed those wastes into unlined impoundments on the soil’s surface. Between 1985 and 1989, investigators installed 12 monitoring wells to track the previously discovered groundwater contaminated with creosote. Operators of the wells discovered a “dense non-aqueous phase liquid,” or DNAPL, contaminating the groundwater. Garland closed the impoundments, removed the water and capped them to prevent further migration of the sludge. Garland then operated a groundwater recovery and treatment system until 1997 when it declared bankruptcy.
Long-term recovery actions have been taken over by a contractor, and those operations of recovery and treatment of leachate are expected to continue for another 10 years.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Hewlett Water Contamination Cleanup Set to Begin
By: Duane Craig
A mysterious plume of groundwater contamination is getting the cleanup go-ahead, according to this article in The Five Towns Patch. The Peninsula Boulevard Groundwater Plume describes a Superfund site in Hewlett, N.Y. that doesn't have a named source.
Early in the investigation, it was thought the former Grove Cleaners was responsible, but that was ruled out, according to the Environmental Protection Agency report. The contaminant is tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, and the contaminated groundwater flows toward a drinking water source called the Long Island American Water Plant 5 Well Field. Beginning in 1991, that well water has been treated with a packed power aeration system, or air stripper. The site was proposed for and listed with Superfund status in 2004.
The cleanup plan is to drill wells allowing the solvent to flow into them. Pumps will extract the water and send it through a treatment process before retiring it to the ground. The cleanup process may take 15 years or more. PCE easily evaporates into air where people can be affected by breathing it. It is considered a carcinogen.
Early in the investigation, it was thought the former Grove Cleaners was responsible, but that was ruled out, according to the Environmental Protection Agency report. The contaminant is tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, and the contaminated groundwater flows toward a drinking water source called the Long Island American Water Plant 5 Well Field. Beginning in 1991, that well water has been treated with a packed power aeration system, or air stripper. The site was proposed for and listed with Superfund status in 2004.
Contamination Clean up begins in Hewlett, N.Y.
There is a school nearby but vapor intrusion tests have shown no problems there. The agency also sampled nearby building slabs with the plan to install remediation systems if vapor intrusion was detected.The cleanup plan is to drill wells allowing the solvent to flow into them. Pumps will extract the water and send it through a treatment process before retiring it to the ground. The cleanup process may take 15 years or more. PCE easily evaporates into air where people can be affected by breathing it. It is considered a carcinogen.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Uranium in Drinking Water? It's Not Our Fault, and Stop Telling Us What to Do
By: Duane Craig
Cotter Corp. of Colorado, a subsidiary of General Atomics in San Diego, is glowing as the poster child for uranium misbehavior, and state authorities are nearing their limits in putting up with the errant corporate child's tantrums.
Beginning in April 2010, the state started telling Cotter to clean up one of its defunct mining properties, according to this report. Then, about a year ago in September, Cotter said 'no' to those orders and refused to clean up the Schwartzwalder mine. State regulators alleged the mine was leaking uranium-tainted water into Denver's water supply. Mine water contained uranium at 310 parts per billion, 100 times greater than acceptable levels. Then, in a subsequent act of disobedience, Cotter refused to pay the fines -- about $55,000 at the time.
Next, Cotter sued the state, claiming that regulators didn't have enough evidence to tell it to clean up its messes and that the contaminated water in the mine was not getting into the ground water or into nearby creeks that drain into Lake Arvada.
In June 2011, Cotter was still refusing to obey, and by September, uranium had tainted the water supplies of three water suppliers, Denver Water, Arvada and North Table Mountain, according to this report. Those water supplies serve about 1.3 million people in Colorado. Levels of the radioactive material are low, according to environmental officials, and the water is still okay to drink.
Beginning in April 2010, the state started telling Cotter to clean up one of its defunct mining properties, according to this report. Then, about a year ago in September, Cotter said 'no' to those orders and refused to clean up the Schwartzwalder mine. State regulators alleged the mine was leaking uranium-tainted water into Denver's water supply. Mine water contained uranium at 310 parts per billion, 100 times greater than acceptable levels. Then, in a subsequent act of disobedience, Cotter refused to pay the fines -- about $55,000 at the time.
Next, Cotter sued the state, claiming that regulators didn't have enough evidence to tell it to clean up its messes and that the contaminated water in the mine was not getting into the ground water or into nearby creeks that drain into Lake Arvada.
In June 2011, Cotter was still refusing to obey, and by September, uranium had tainted the water supplies of three water suppliers, Denver Water, Arvada and North Table Mountain, according to this report. Those water supplies serve about 1.3 million people in Colorado. Levels of the radioactive material are low, according to environmental officials, and the water is still okay to drink.
Crystal City Airport Superfund Site Gets Fourth Review
By: Duane Craig
The fourth, five-year review is nearing completion for the Crystal City Airport Superfund site, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. If the previous reviews are any indication, this one should also show the remediation done there is protecting human health and the environment from its list of environmental issues.
This site is a reminder of the agricultural legacy of contamination that lives within the country from the use of chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Back in the 1950s, there were aerial pesticide businesses operating from the site. These companies contracted with famers to spray their crops from the air with pesticides to kill a range of crop pests. The businesses mishandled the pesticide materials and improperly disposed of them, creating the environmental issues. In 1982, the companies declared bankruptcy and walked away from the mess, abandoning equipment and deteriorated drums.
The cleanup included removing 12,000 cubic yards of soil and placing it in a capped cell. There are public water wells nearby, and perhaps because they are so deep, 750 to 800 feet down, the contamination has not reached them. The site sits above the Carrizo Aquifer.
The contaminates in the soil included “arsenic compounds (1,450 ppm) and pesticides, specifically DDT (2,400 ppm) and toxaphene (1,100 ppm).” Crystal City is southwest of San Antonio and about 30 miles from the Mexican border.
The fourth, five-year review is nearing completion for the Crystal City Airport Superfund site, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. If the previous reviews are any indication, this one should also show the remediation done there is protecting human health and the environment from its list of environmental issues.
This site is a reminder of the agricultural legacy of contamination that lives within the country from the use of chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Back in the 1950s, there were aerial pesticide businesses operating from the site. These companies contracted with famers to spray their crops from the air with pesticides to kill a range of crop pests. The businesses mishandled the pesticide materials and improperly disposed of them, creating the environmental issues. In 1982, the companies declared bankruptcy and walked away from the mess, abandoning equipment and deteriorated drums.
The cleanup included removing 12,000 cubic yards of soil and placing it in a capped cell. There are public water wells nearby, and perhaps because they are so deep, 750 to 800 feet down, the contamination has not reached them. The site sits above the Carrizo Aquifer.
The contaminates in the soil included “arsenic compounds (1,450 ppm) and pesticides, specifically DDT (2,400 ppm) and toxaphene (1,100 ppm).” Crystal City is southwest of San Antonio and about 30 miles from the Mexican border.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Not in My Backyard. But It Already Is.
By: Duane Craig
You don't find refineries placed near homes worth millions of dollars, and homes with ocean vistas don't have their views obstructed by polluting industries. It's an economic fact that some properties are worth more than others, and it's also a fact that high-value properties face less environmental contamination issues than low-value properties -- with perhaps the exception of air pollution.
While there is talk of class warfare being waged on the rich these days, class warfare through environmental degradation has always been waged on lower-income people, and that was publicly recognized in the U.S. as far back as the 1960s, according to this archival reference.
As developed nations glanced around at their legacies of contamination, they started to strengthen their environmental rules to tranquilize the madness. But an unintended consequence was that polluters just started shifting their operations to countries where regulations were not as strict. They also started to simply ship the wastes and pollutants to other lands, as written about here and here. The "not in my backyard" syndrome continues playing out globally, just as it does locally, with polluting companies, and countries, discovering new ways to unload their pollution on others.
While it's true that contamination in America disproportionately affects middle- and lower-income people, the powerful, famous and wealthy are not immune. What's more, many of the privileged might be surprised to learn just how close they live and work to contaminated soil, air and water, a quiet trend that promises to evenly spread the effects and threats of pollution across all of America's classes. Here are some specific cases that show just how cozy everyone is becoming with contamination.
Current and past residents of the nation's White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. might be interested in knowing there have been 131 spills, incidents and releases of toxic substances within a half-mile radius of the building since 2001, according to this report.
Environmental Data Resources reports that the residence made famous by the woman who gave birth to eight kids in California has an illegal drug lab minutes from its front door. That residence also has had spills, releases and/or incidents related to hazardous substances within a half-mile radius, and within the same distance, there is a landfill and eight entities permitted to store, transport or generate chemicals that may be hazardous to human health.
The Trump Plaza Residences in Jersey City, New Jersey, bills its location as offering "a vibrant neighborhood" right at residents' doorsteps. What the sales pitch doesn't tell aspiring tenants is that at their doorsteps they'll also have a vibrant collection of 220 spills, releases and/or incidents related to hazardous substances. Included in that mix is one Superfund site. Then too, there are 63 places within a half mile that are permitted to store, transport or generate chemicals that may be hazardous to human health, according to this report.
It may be that we are beginning to run out of places where we can dispose of contamination to keep it out of our own backyards, regardless of social stature and economic power. Even the idea of "dumping it over there, far away from me" is just a comforting illusion because the earth is everyone's backyard -- and the only one we all have.
While there is talk of class warfare being waged on the rich these days, class warfare through environmental degradation has always been waged on lower-income people, and that was publicly recognized in the U.S. as far back as the 1960s, according to this archival reference.
As developed nations glanced around at their legacies of contamination, they started to strengthen their environmental rules to tranquilize the madness. But an unintended consequence was that polluters just started shifting their operations to countries where regulations were not as strict. They also started to simply ship the wastes and pollutants to other lands, as written about here and here. The "not in my backyard" syndrome continues playing out globally, just as it does locally, with polluting companies, and countries, discovering new ways to unload their pollution on others.
While it's true that contamination in America disproportionately affects middle- and lower-income people, the powerful, famous and wealthy are not immune. What's more, many of the privileged might be surprised to learn just how close they live and work to contaminated soil, air and water, a quiet trend that promises to evenly spread the effects and threats of pollution across all of America's classes. Here are some specific cases that show just how cozy everyone is becoming with contamination.
Current and past residents of the nation's White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. might be interested in knowing there have been 131 spills, incidents and releases of toxic substances within a half-mile radius of the building since 2001, according to this report.
Environmental Data Resources reports that the residence made famous by the woman who gave birth to eight kids in California has an illegal drug lab minutes from its front door. That residence also has had spills, releases and/or incidents related to hazardous substances within a half-mile radius, and within the same distance, there is a landfill and eight entities permitted to store, transport or generate chemicals that may be hazardous to human health.
The Trump Plaza Residences in Jersey City, New Jersey, bills its location as offering "a vibrant neighborhood" right at residents' doorsteps. What the sales pitch doesn't tell aspiring tenants is that at their doorsteps they'll also have a vibrant collection of 220 spills, releases and/or incidents related to hazardous substances. Included in that mix is one Superfund site. Then too, there are 63 places within a half mile that are permitted to store, transport or generate chemicals that may be hazardous to human health, according to this report.
It may be that we are beginning to run out of places where we can dispose of contamination to keep it out of our own backyards, regardless of social stature and economic power. Even the idea of "dumping it over there, far away from me" is just a comforting illusion because the earth is everyone's backyard -- and the only one we all have.
Contamination Acceptance Runs High in Odessa
By: Duane Craig
Odessa, Texas, is largely unconcerned with the contamination and environmental issues left behind by Flint Hills Resources, and if the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality rules favorably on the company’s municipal setting designation, it won’t have to clean up the lingering groundwater contamination.
The company had 54 years of refinery and chemical activity at its plant near Odessa and, oops, there was some benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, styrene and naphthalene that got into the groundwater. But few are concerned because the TCEQ is on the scene monitoring things just to be sure everyone’s well water stays safe.
Because the plume of contamination is not moving and Flint Hills has been pumping the stuff out for 10 years, it seems all but final that the TCEQ will release the company from doing any more cleanup. Residents in Odessa trust Flint Hills and the TCEQ, with one woman claiming she never had any concerns the contamination would reach her well.
Meanwhile, residents near the facility are busily switching from municipal water to well water. Nearby streets include Pool Road, South Dixie Boulevard, East San Benito Drive, East Hammett Drive, Hammett Drive and South Grandview Avenue.
Odessa, Texas, is largely unconcerned with the contamination and environmental issues left behind by Flint Hills Resources, and if the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality rules favorably on the company’s municipal setting designation, it won’t have to clean up the lingering groundwater contamination.
The company had 54 years of refinery and chemical activity at its plant near Odessa and, oops, there was some benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, styrene and naphthalene that got into the groundwater. But few are concerned because the TCEQ is on the scene monitoring things just to be sure everyone’s well water stays safe.
Because the plume of contamination is not moving and Flint Hills has been pumping the stuff out for 10 years, it seems all but final that the TCEQ will release the company from doing any more cleanup. Residents in Odessa trust Flint Hills and the TCEQ, with one woman claiming she never had any concerns the contamination would reach her well.
Meanwhile, residents near the facility are busily switching from municipal water to well water. Nearby streets include Pool Road, South Dixie Boulevard, East San Benito Drive, East Hammett Drive, Hammett Drive and South Grandview Avenue.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Responsible Parties in Omega Superfund Site May Be on the Hook for $70 million
By: Duane Craig
The Omega Chemical Corporation Superfund site in Whittier, California, needs $70 million to cleanup the volatile organic compounds in the ground water, according to a recent report at 89.3 KPCC, Southern California Public Radio. The plume of contamination extends 4.5 miles in a southwesterly direction, at least to Los Nietos Road.
Cleanup of the soil and above-ground area began in 1995. More than 100 potentially responsible parties banded together to "remove and treat 3,000 drums of hazardous waste, 60 cubic yards of hardened resin material, hundreds of empty contaminated drums, numerous cylinders and various other smaller containers." The group also emptied two rainwater sumps and four evaporators. It cleaned two cooling towers, removed 67 refrigerant gas cylinders and disposed of 40,000 gallons of contaminated liquids, according to the history of the site kept by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Cleanup of the soil and above-ground area began in 1995. More than 100 potentially responsible parties banded together to "remove and treat 3,000 drums of hazardous waste, 60 cubic yards of hardened resin material, hundreds of empty contaminated drums, numerous cylinders and various other smaller containers." The group also emptied two rainwater sumps and four evaporators. It cleaned two cooling towers, removed 67 refrigerant gas cylinders and disposed of 40,000 gallons of contaminated liquids, according to the history of the site kept by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Whittier, Ca needs $70 million to cleanup superfund site
The California Department of Toxic Substances Control had been alerted to problems at the business in the 1980s, and during the 1990s, the department had tried unsuccessfully to get the operators of the facility to remove wastes and clean up the site. The business recycled refrigerants and solvents from 1976 to 1991. Spills and leaks led to soil contamination with tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, trichloroethylene, or TCE, Freons 11 and 113 and other contaminants. One of the operable units managed by the EPA is addressing vapor intrusion in several buildings along the perimeter of the Omega property, while the other two operable units focus on the ground water contamination.Dallas/Fort Worth Encourages EPA Rules on OIl and Gas Industry
By: Duane Craig
Some people in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, area are facing down the well-financed oil and gas industry in calling for the Environmental Protection Agency to implement its proposed rules that will limit pollution at petroleum wells and help to reduce their list of environmental issues, according to this story in Bloomberg Businessweek.
One state representative said the rules would finally curb the pollution of drillers because the state has so far turned a blind eye to the public health issues and local environmental issues created by the oil and gas industry. He also lauded the EPA’s approach, which would actually increase industry revenues. But, the increase in revenues was discounted by at least one industry spokesperson who said the EPA’s numbers were wrong. Others at the hearing held September 29 included a woman who claimed her child has leukemia because of nearby natural gas drilling. Another industry spokesperson said the rules would be too cost prohibitive for many of the oil and gas well operators because they don’t have the capital the large oil and gas companies have.
The proposed rules would require drillers to recapture and sell gas that now escapes into the air. There are thousands of oil and gas wells in the counties including and surrounding Dallas and Fort Worth.
Some people in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, area are facing down the well-financed oil and gas industry in calling for the Environmental Protection Agency to implement its proposed rules that will limit pollution at petroleum wells and help to reduce their list of environmental issues, according to this story in Bloomberg Businessweek.
One state representative said the rules would finally curb the pollution of drillers because the state has so far turned a blind eye to the public health issues and local environmental issues created by the oil and gas industry. He also lauded the EPA’s approach, which would actually increase industry revenues. But, the increase in revenues was discounted by at least one industry spokesperson who said the EPA’s numbers were wrong. Others at the hearing held September 29 included a woman who claimed her child has leukemia because of nearby natural gas drilling. Another industry spokesperson said the rules would be too cost prohibitive for many of the oil and gas well operators because they don’t have the capital the large oil and gas companies have.
The proposed rules would require drillers to recapture and sell gas that now escapes into the air. There are thousands of oil and gas wells in the counties including and surrounding Dallas and Fort Worth.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Uranium and Radon Contamination Not Always Linked to Mining
By: Duane Craig
There doesn't have to be uranium mining nearby to cause contamination of water supplies because uranium occurs naturally in many parts of the country. Take Georgia for example.
In Macon, some homeowners were recently surprised to find uranium at 21 times the safe limit in their well water and radon in their indoor air. One woman claimed she was drinking nearly a gallon of the water every day, and others who had their hair tested for uranium found it contained high levels of the radioactive material, according to this report in Macon.com.
There is a layer of granite that runs through several southeastern states. Water that lies below that layer can be high in uranium, and radon is more prevalent above ground in those places also. This creates double jeopardy for those living above the granite. Radon inside buildings is thought to contribute to incidents of lung cancer as people bathe and wash clothes in water containing uranium. In other cases, the radon may seep into buildings through the foundations as it naturally rises through the soil. One in 15 radon air tests in Georgia will have unacceptable limits of the gas.
Twenty-two water tests in the Macon area had uranium present in excess of 30 parts per billion, the recognized safe limit, but a few tests had concentrations as high as 300 and 400 parts per billion. Water testing is on the increase in Macon.
 |
| Photo from: BEAU CABELL/THE TELEGRAPH |
In Macon, some homeowners were recently surprised to find uranium at 21 times the safe limit in their well water and radon in their indoor air. One woman claimed she was drinking nearly a gallon of the water every day, and others who had their hair tested for uranium found it contained high levels of the radioactive material, according to this report in Macon.com.
There is a layer of granite that runs through several southeastern states. Water that lies below that layer can be high in uranium, and radon is more prevalent above ground in those places also. This creates double jeopardy for those living above the granite. Radon inside buildings is thought to contribute to incidents of lung cancer as people bathe and wash clothes in water containing uranium. In other cases, the radon may seep into buildings through the foundations as it naturally rises through the soil. One in 15 radon air tests in Georgia will have unacceptable limits of the gas.
Twenty-two water tests in the Macon area had uranium present in excess of 30 parts per billion, the recognized safe limit, but a few tests had concentrations as high as 300 and 400 parts per billion. Water testing is on the increase in Macon.
Bexar County Faces Local Environmental Issues
By: Duane Craig
A plume of groundwater contamination is spreading below Bexar County along Bandera Road, and the Environmental Protection Agency, along with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, is considering next steps to deal with the current environmental issues.
The source of the contamination isn’t known. The contaminants include tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene in concentrations above the maximum contaminant level, or MCL, within the Edwards Aquifer. This site is named the Bandera Road Ground Water Plume and is in the northwestern portion of San Antonio. The plume is about a half mile wide and a mile long. It is centered in a business area, with some residential homes nearby, between Poss Road and Grissom Road, approximately 590 feet southwest of Bandera Road.
Originally, there were five private wells contaminated with the chemicals, and two city wells are within a mile of the plume. The plume is spreading, and investigators have now found the chemicals in a total of 12 wells. The original five affected wells now have carbon filters installed, and they are being sampled every six months. Three wells that are in the Edwards Aquifer have been abandoned and plugged. A well at an auto repair business has also been plugged. The most significant contamination occurs in a monitoring well near an old dry cleaning business. That well has concentrations of the chemicals as high as 11,700 parts per billion. During the planned remedial investigation, the EPA is also assessing the potential vapor intrusion pathways.
A plume of groundwater contamination is spreading below Bexar County along Bandera Road, and the Environmental Protection Agency, along with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, is considering next steps to deal with the current environmental issues.
The source of the contamination isn’t known. The contaminants include tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene in concentrations above the maximum contaminant level, or MCL, within the Edwards Aquifer. This site is named the Bandera Road Ground Water Plume and is in the northwestern portion of San Antonio. The plume is about a half mile wide and a mile long. It is centered in a business area, with some residential homes nearby, between Poss Road and Grissom Road, approximately 590 feet southwest of Bandera Road.
Originally, there were five private wells contaminated with the chemicals, and two city wells are within a mile of the plume. The plume is spreading, and investigators have now found the chemicals in a total of 12 wells. The original five affected wells now have carbon filters installed, and they are being sampled every six months. Three wells that are in the Edwards Aquifer have been abandoned and plugged. A well at an auto repair business has also been plugged. The most significant contamination occurs in a monitoring well near an old dry cleaning business. That well has concentrations of the chemicals as high as 11,700 parts per billion. During the planned remedial investigation, the EPA is also assessing the potential vapor intrusion pathways.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Bridge City receives Clean bill from EPA
By: Duane Craig
That maintenance includes mowing, removing shrubs and trees, keeping riprap areas clear of vegetative growth, making repairs to the caps as necessary to correct the effects of erosion, settlement, cracking and animal activity (i.e., burrowing) and prohibiting trenching, digging and other destructive activities.
This site is known as the Bailey Waste Disposal site, and the land it sits on was originally a tidal marsh where the Sabine River and Neches River commingle. Industrial and municipal waste was dumped there in levees from the 1950s to 1971. It wasn’t until the 1980s that the site was defined by the EPA, and the original 280 acres was reduced over the years as further investigations were done. The list of environmental issues included contamination from ethylbenzene, styrene, benzene, chlorinated hydrocarbons and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, industrial wastes and debris, rubbery chunks, municipal wastes, corroded drums and tarry wastes. The solution was to remove the most problematic contaminants, stabilize the rest of the waste where it lay and then cap it so it could not spread from the containment area.
That maintenance includes mowing, removing shrubs and trees, keeping riprap areas clear of vegetative growth, making repairs to the caps as necessary to correct the effects of erosion, settlement, cracking and animal activity (i.e., burrowing) and prohibiting trenching, digging and other destructive activities.
This site is known as the Bailey Waste Disposal site, and the land it sits on was originally a tidal marsh where the Sabine River and Neches River commingle. Industrial and municipal waste was dumped there in levees from the 1950s to 1971. It wasn’t until the 1980s that the site was defined by the EPA, and the original 280 acres was reduced over the years as further investigations were done. The list of environmental issues included contamination from ethylbenzene, styrene, benzene, chlorinated hydrocarbons and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, industrial wastes and debris, rubbery chunks, municipal wastes, corroded drums and tarry wastes. The solution was to remove the most problematic contaminants, stabilize the rest of the waste where it lay and then cap it so it could not spread from the containment area.
Bailey Waste Disposal Site Removed from National Priorities List
Two capped waste areas near Bridge City, Texas recently got a clean bill of health on their environmental issues list. The Environmental Protection Agency declared that all appropriate responses to the environmental issues were completed and no further action was needed, other than ongoing maintenance.
Merced Takes on Big Oil Over MTBE Contamination
By: Duane Craig
Merced, California, and its Redevelopment Agency have sued numerous oil companies for their alleged part in contaminating the water supplies there with methyl tertiary butyl ether, or MTBE, and tert-butyl alcohol, or TBA, according to this article in the Merced Sun-Star.
MTBE continues to be a growing contaminant in water supplies across the country, according to the EPA. Even very low amounts of it make water smell like turpentine and taste like chemicals, and in high amounts it is a suspected carcinogen. MTBE is water-soluble and doesn't cling to soil very well, so it migrates quickly to ground water. TBA is used in gasoline to boost the octane rating, but what many people may not be aware of is that it has also been used to coat metal food containers. Studies done with rats, as reported by California, have shown this chemical to be a potential carcinogen.
Merced, California sues oil companies for MTBE contamination
The city contends that the companies sold gasoline containing the substances to local service stations and those stations improperly handled them, causing them to be released into the environment. The main avenue to the ground water was leaking underground storage tanks. The city also linked the oil companies deeply to the contamination by alleging they promoted the additives as being environmentally beneficial but failed to disclose it would make water undrinkable. The contamination supposedly occurred between 1992 and 2002. The city also alleges the defendants were "negligent, careless, reckless or intentionally failed to prevent leaks of MTBE or TBA through the use of appropriate technology, installation and maintenance of gasoline delivery systems that could prevent leaks or monitor and discover them as soon as possible."MTBE continues to be a growing contaminant in water supplies across the country, according to the EPA. Even very low amounts of it make water smell like turpentine and taste like chemicals, and in high amounts it is a suspected carcinogen. MTBE is water-soluble and doesn't cling to soil very well, so it migrates quickly to ground water. TBA is used in gasoline to boost the octane rating, but what many people may not be aware of is that it has also been used to coat metal food containers. Studies done with rats, as reported by California, have shown this chemical to be a potential carcinogen.
Monday, January 16, 2012
50 tons of propylene released in the air
By: Duane Craig
The county alleges that Exxon released 50 tons of propylene into the air between April 12 and June 2 but didn’t report the event until June 9. Polypropylene reacts with sunlight to create ground-level ozone. The county says it needs the information about emissions releases quickly so it can notify residents if there is a need to evacuate or take shelter.
Some residents have complained of a rotten egg odor coming from Exxon Mobil’s facility that has forced them to go indoors. The county attorney says that when incidents such as that happen, the business is in violation of state code because the smell alters residents’ use of their property. The county is also seeking a monetary penalty up to $1 million.
The county alleges that Exxon released 50 tons of propylene into the air between April 12 and June 2 but didn’t report the event until June 9. Polypropylene reacts with sunlight to create ground-level ozone. The county says it needs the information about emissions releases quickly so it can notify residents if there is a need to evacuate or take shelter.
Some residents have complained of a rotten egg odor coming from Exxon Mobil’s facility that has forced them to go indoors. The county attorney says that when incidents such as that happen, the business is in violation of state code because the smell alters residents’ use of their property. The county is also seeking a monetary penalty up to $1 million.
Harris County Takes Exxon to Task on Emmissions
By: Duane Craig
From Jan. 1 to Sept. 15, 2011 the Exxon Mobil Baytown facility reported 25 air emissions events to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, according to TCEQ records. But, Harris County, Texas, claims that one of those events was not reported to the state or the county until after the 24-hour required reporting deadline. And for that, Harris County has sued Exxon Mobil, according to this report in yourdeerparknews.com.
From Jan. 1 to Sept. 15, 2011 the Exxon Mobil Baytown facility reported 25 air emissions events to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, according to TCEQ records. But, Harris County, Texas, claims that one of those events was not reported to the state or the county until after the 24-hour required reporting deadline. And for that, Harris County has sued Exxon Mobil, according to this report in yourdeerparknews.com.
Old TCE Plume Set to be Cleaned Up
By: Duane Craig
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, trichloroethylene, or TCE, is expected to be dangerous to humans in concentrations exceeding 5 parts per billion in drinking water. In Hereford Township, Pennsylvania, however there are places where it reaches 900,000 parts per billion, according to this report at WFMZ-TV News online.
Homes that were affected along Dale Road got new wells and filtration systems as an interim solution until the money could be found to do a cleanup or containment. In 2009 $11 million in funds showed up and that money is going to build a water treatment plant that will be fed by extraction wells extending along a 6,000-foot pipeline. Once the water is treated at the plant it will be released into the environment.
TCE found 5 parts per billlion in Pennsylvania
A liquid source of the TCE is continuously recreated as water flows over bedrock that is saturated with the chemical. That liquid adds to the nearly three mile plume of contaminated groundwater all originating from the former Bally Case and Cooler Company. Barrels of TCE were brought to the location and after being stored for awhile were eventually dumped there in the late 1960s.Homes that were affected along Dale Road got new wells and filtration systems as an interim solution until the money could be found to do a cleanup or containment. In 2009 $11 million in funds showed up and that money is going to build a water treatment plant that will be fed by extraction wells extending along a 6,000-foot pipeline. Once the water is treated at the plant it will be released into the environment.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Officials Prescribe a Remediation Plan for CVS
By: Duane Craig
From Lincoln, Nebraska, the JournalStar.com reports a CVS pharmacy that is supposed to be built where 16th Street and South Street intersect, will be delayed due to soil contamination.
The culprit is tetrachlorethene, another name for tetrachloroethylene, and a widely used chemical for dry-cleaning fabrics and for degreasing metal, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The substance makes people dizzy, sleepless and nauseated and causes confusion, difficulty walking, unconsciousness and death in concentrated doses, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. It is found in more than half of the EPA's National Priorities List sites.
In this case there was a dry cleaning establishment located on the proposed CVS site back in the 1980s. The groundwater has a 300-foot plume of the contaminant traveling west and southwest and has higher concentrations of the chemical in the soil that what standards allow. Gas vapors also exceed minimum standards.
A remediation plan will have to be put in place before construction of the CVS can begin. Along with ongoing groundwater monitoring to ensure the contamination doesn't increase, the land there will be restricted to only commercial or industrial use and water wells will not be allowed. As usual, the public can comment on the plan but barring any major objection approval is expected by the end of September.
The culprit is tetrachlorethene, another name for tetrachloroethylene, and a widely used chemical for dry-cleaning fabrics and for degreasing metal, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The substance makes people dizzy, sleepless and nauseated and causes confusion, difficulty walking, unconsciousness and death in concentrated doses, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. It is found in more than half of the EPA's National Priorities List sites.
Soil contamination halts new CVS pharmacy
In this case there was a dry cleaning establishment located on the proposed CVS site back in the 1980s. The groundwater has a 300-foot plume of the contaminant traveling west and southwest and has higher concentrations of the chemical in the soil that what standards allow. Gas vapors also exceed minimum standards.
A remediation plan will have to be put in place before construction of the CVS can begin. Along with ongoing groundwater monitoring to ensure the contamination doesn't increase, the land there will be restricted to only commercial or industrial use and water wells will not be allowed. As usual, the public can comment on the plan but barring any major objection approval is expected by the end of September.
Latest Cleanup Plan for Texarkana Site May Stick
The latest Environmental Protection Agency record of decision on the Texarkana Wood Preserving Site modifies the earlier RODs from 1993, 1998 and 2010. The ROD outlines the processes that are used to cleanup the list of environmental issues at a Superfund site.
The new remediation plan is to solidify the creosote contamination in the soil right where it lies. Contaminated soils will be removed to a depth of two feet and then consolidated on-site. Deep groundwater contamination will continue to be monitored to see if and when it migrates toward sensitive areas. The shallow groundwater contamination had not been addressed in earlier decisions, other than to monitor to make sure it didn’t move into nearby Day Creek. But now, that shallow contamination will be monitored for natural attenuation where the materials break down over time and are then absorbed by naturally occurring processes.
The new remediation plan is to solidify the creosote contamination in the soil right where it lies. Contaminated soils will be removed to a depth of two feet and then consolidated on-site. Deep groundwater contamination will continue to be monitored to see if and when it migrates toward sensitive areas. The shallow groundwater contamination had not been addressed in earlier decisions, other than to monitor to make sure it didn’t move into nearby Day Creek. But now, that shallow contamination will be monitored for natural attenuation where the materials break down over time and are then absorbed by naturally occurring processes.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Texas Register Reveals Potential Environmental Issues
The comment period is open on administrative orders issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for the environmental issues list published in the Texas Register on Sept. 30. The TCEQ takes comments until Oct. 31 and then decides whether the administrative orders will stand.
In one case, a dry cleaning company with operations at 500 West Central Ave., Comanche; 953 East Main St., Eastland; and 1610 West Walker St., Breckenridge, didn’t renew the licenses for the three dry cleaning facilities and may be fined $2,600.
At 500 West Garland St., Grand Saline, a convenience store is listed as having failed to notify TCEQ of changes in its underground storage tanks and of not having leak detection systems in place. According to TCEQ, it also didn’t sufficiently account for its inventories and didn’t dispose of hazardous waste at an authorized facility. It also allegedly didn’t get a registration number from the Environmental Protection Agency permitting it to handle hazardous wastes. That business may be fined $13,468.
The owner of underground storage tanks at 14544 Allendale Lane, Conroe, had several alleged violations related to those tanks, including not checking them for leaks and not maintaining the vapor recovery system. Penalties there could amount to $13,074.
In another case, a person removed an underground storage tank at 539 North Pine St. in Woodville, but they didn’t properly plug it, cap it or remove connected pipes and equipment before pulling it from the ground. The holes weren’t plugged before the tank was moved either. The penalty could be $2,500.
All of this and more is included in the Texas Register for the TCEQ on Sept. 30, 2011, which can be searched here using docket number TRD-201103884. You have to use just the numbers and enter them in both fields on the form next to “TRD ID.”
In one case, a dry cleaning company with operations at 500 West Central Ave., Comanche; 953 East Main St., Eastland; and 1610 West Walker St., Breckenridge, didn’t renew the licenses for the three dry cleaning facilities and may be fined $2,600.
At 500 West Garland St., Grand Saline, a convenience store is listed as having failed to notify TCEQ of changes in its underground storage tanks and of not having leak detection systems in place. According to TCEQ, it also didn’t sufficiently account for its inventories and didn’t dispose of hazardous waste at an authorized facility. It also allegedly didn’t get a registration number from the Environmental Protection Agency permitting it to handle hazardous wastes. That business may be fined $13,468.
The owner of underground storage tanks at 14544 Allendale Lane, Conroe, had several alleged violations related to those tanks, including not checking them for leaks and not maintaining the vapor recovery system. Penalties there could amount to $13,074.
In another case, a person removed an underground storage tank at 539 North Pine St. in Woodville, but they didn’t properly plug it, cap it or remove connected pipes and equipment before pulling it from the ground. The holes weren’t plugged before the tank was moved either. The penalty could be $2,500.
All of this and more is included in the Texas Register for the TCEQ on Sept. 30, 2011, which can be searched here using docket number TRD-201103884. You have to use just the numbers and enter them in both fields on the form next to “TRD ID.”
Rockford Investigates Mysterious Well Contamination
By: Duane Craig
Private water wells have been mysteriously contaminated with volatile organic chemicals in Rockford, Illinois, according to this report in WIFR.com. The area affected extends from the Cottonwood Airport east to Alliance Avenue, south to Auburn Street and North to the ends of Soper Avenue, North Johnston Avenue, Bond Avenue, North Day Avenue, North Horace Avenue, North Greenview Avenue, North Willard Avenue, North Burbank Avenue and Catbaugh Avenue.
The area also includes Parkside Avenue and Liberty Drive. The announcement came out August 2 and at that time there were two wells contaminated. On August 25, WIFR.com reported that environmental officials had done two additional tests and discovered four more contaminated samples. Two of those samples registered above the maximum allowed level.
In June, one resident complained of odor in the drinking water and that began the investigation. Historical records show that besides the airport there have been several gas stations near the neighborhood over the years, and to its east is a hardware manufacturer and importer/exporter as well as an assembly, packaging and warehousing operation. The Northwest Community Center has been in operation on Alliance Avenue since the late 40s, is housed in a 15,000 square foot building and has property taken in a land swap from a local manufacturing concern.
Volatile organic chemicals contamination around Cottonwood Airport
The area also includes Parkside Avenue and Liberty Drive. The announcement came out August 2 and at that time there were two wells contaminated. On August 25, WIFR.com reported that environmental officials had done two additional tests and discovered four more contaminated samples. Two of those samples registered above the maximum allowed level.
In June, one resident complained of odor in the drinking water and that began the investigation. Historical records show that besides the airport there have been several gas stations near the neighborhood over the years, and to its east is a hardware manufacturer and importer/exporter as well as an assembly, packaging and warehousing operation. The Northwest Community Center has been in operation on Alliance Avenue since the late 40s, is housed in a 15,000 square foot building and has property taken in a land swap from a local manufacturing concern.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Tales of Irene and Fuel Contamination
By: Duane Craig
Residents in the lower Hudson River area of New York discovered fuel-laden water in their basements after the heavy rains from tropical storm Irene. The fuel is thought to have originated at a nearby heating, ventilation and air conditioner contractor that also has fuel delivery operations, according to this report in lohud.com.
The smelly water was being pumped out of basements in Sloatsburg, New York by the local fire department while the state Department of Environmental Conservation investigated the cause of the spill. Immediately after the incident it was being assumed that storm water rose above the containment wall around the fuel facility and when combined with high winds jostled some tankers causing them to leak.
But, according to a report in NorthJersey.com the Ramapo River in New Jersey was also affected as an estimated 10,000 gallons of diesel and home heating oil leaked into that waterway from the same fuel storage and delivery facility. The facility stores up to 30,000 gallons of various fuels at any time. Other reports placed a 3,000 gallon tank and another 500 gallon tank in the nearby woods where observers said the smell of gasoline was so strong they couldn't stay in the area more than a few minutes. One of those tanks bore the markings of the same fuel facility.
 |
| Flooding in NY Subway |
Environmental Conservationists investigating fuel spill
The smelly water was being pumped out of basements in Sloatsburg, New York by the local fire department while the state Department of Environmental Conservation investigated the cause of the spill. Immediately after the incident it was being assumed that storm water rose above the containment wall around the fuel facility and when combined with high winds jostled some tankers causing them to leak.
But, according to a report in NorthJersey.com the Ramapo River in New Jersey was also affected as an estimated 10,000 gallons of diesel and home heating oil leaked into that waterway from the same fuel storage and delivery facility. The facility stores up to 30,000 gallons of various fuels at any time. Other reports placed a 3,000 gallon tank and another 500 gallon tank in the nearby woods where observers said the smell of gasoline was so strong they couldn't stay in the area more than a few minutes. One of those tanks bore the markings of the same fuel facility.
Triangle Chemical Site Showcases Reckless Environmental Attitudes
By:Duane Craig
Tucked away near Bridge City, Texas, is the Triangle Chemical Company Superfund site. The list of environmental issues here includes groundwater contaminated with volatile organic chemicals. Fish from the nearby Coon Bayou started dying in March 1976, and before it was over, there were seven fish kills leading up to 1982, all ostensibly from the VOCs that made their way into the bayou, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Evidence show no migration of groundwater contamination
Triangle mixed and blended chemicals on this two acre site from the early 1970s to 1981, according to the EPA’s 2006, five-year review. It made finished products from the chemicals, including industrial cleaning compounds, automotive brake fluid, windshield washer solvent, hand cleaners and pesticides. The finished products and the raw chemicals used in their manufacture were stored above ground in tanks. They were also stored in 55-gallon drums.
The EPA characterized the waste management practices at the site as poor during the years it operated. For example, there were deteriorating drums, and tanks that were simply leaking their contents onto the ground, creating future environmental issues. This contaminated the soils and the groundwater with the VOCs. The Texas Department of Water Resources (the forerunner to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) investigated the site in 1981and concluded Triangle had caused the fish kills by discharging hazardous waste into the bayou. TDWR took action requiring the company to “achieve compliance with pollution control laws and to prevent further untreated discharges from the site,” in August 1981. TDWR returned in October to find the site abandoned.
All told, there were 51,000 gallons of hazardous liquids, 1,095 55-gallon drums and 350 cubic yards of contaminated soil and trash left behind. Today, the site is cleaned up and in the monitoring stage. Evidence to date shows the groundwater contamination is not migrating.
Tucked away near Bridge City, Texas, is the Triangle Chemical Company Superfund site. The list of environmental issues here includes groundwater contaminated with volatile organic chemicals. Fish from the nearby Coon Bayou started dying in March 1976, and before it was over, there were seven fish kills leading up to 1982, all ostensibly from the VOCs that made their way into the bayou, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Evidence show no migration of groundwater contamination
Triangle mixed and blended chemicals on this two acre site from the early 1970s to 1981, according to the EPA’s 2006, five-year review. It made finished products from the chemicals, including industrial cleaning compounds, automotive brake fluid, windshield washer solvent, hand cleaners and pesticides. The finished products and the raw chemicals used in their manufacture were stored above ground in tanks. They were also stored in 55-gallon drums.
The EPA characterized the waste management practices at the site as poor during the years it operated. For example, there were deteriorating drums, and tanks that were simply leaking their contents onto the ground, creating future environmental issues. This contaminated the soils and the groundwater with the VOCs. The Texas Department of Water Resources (the forerunner to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) investigated the site in 1981and concluded Triangle had caused the fish kills by discharging hazardous waste into the bayou. TDWR took action requiring the company to “achieve compliance with pollution control laws and to prevent further untreated discharges from the site,” in August 1981. TDWR returned in October to find the site abandoned.
All told, there were 51,000 gallons of hazardous liquids, 1,095 55-gallon drums and 350 cubic yards of contaminated soil and trash left behind. Today, the site is cleaned up and in the monitoring stage. Evidence to date shows the groundwater contamination is not migrating.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)