|
|
BusinessWeek’s Steve Hamm is starting to get it:
[T]he case [against IBM] already stands as a warning for communities and businesses elsewhere. During America’s industrial heyday, TCE was a commonly used solvent for degreasing machinery. Only in recent years has the vaporous form of the chemical been recognized as a threat. It could be present in thousands of former industrial sites, where TCE vapors can pool under foundations and seep into basements.
The Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that such vapor pollution could be a problem in 852 of its Superfund cleanup sites. “We think this is a big issue that could affect communities’ health,” says Mary Mears, an EPA public outreach officer.
From the EPA newsroom:
EPA to Hold Public Meeting for Mill’s Gap Groundwater Contamination Site in Skyland, N.C.
Release date: 01/14/2008
Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov
(Atlanta, Ga. – Jan. 14, 2008) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a public meeting on Thursday, January 31, 2008 regarding current activities at the Mill’s Gap Groundwater Contamination site in Skyland, N.C. EPA, North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR), Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and Buncombe County Health Center officials will provide information and answer questions about recent sampling related to the site and an enforcement update.
The public meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Skyland Fire Department, 9 Miller Road, Skyland, N.C. Community members interested in obtaining additional information are encouraged to contact Sherryl A. Carbonaro, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, at (678) 575-7355.
The site is located off Mills Gap Road, approximately one mile east of Skyland, in Buncombe County, N.C. and consists of approximately nine acres of maintained grounds containing a large, single-story building. In 1952, IRC, Inc. (IRC) bought the land and constructed the building which was used for its electroplating operations. In 1959, IRC sold the property to CTS, Inc (CTS). From 1959 to 1986, CTS operated an electroplating facility at the site. In 1987, Mills Gap Road Associates (MGRA) purchased the site and is the current owner. Environmental sampling has indicated the subsurface beneath the former plant is contaminated with the chemical compound trichloroethylene (a.k.a. trichloroethene or TCE) as well as petroleum products. In 1999 TCE was discovered in nearby springs and one residential drinking water well. This past December, EPA and DENR commenced more extensive sampling that included expanded residential well sampling and vapor intrusion sampling at homes in close proximity to the site.
ATTENTION: A media availability session will be held at the Skyland Fire Department, 9 Miller Road in Skyland, N.C. from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 31, 2008. Officials will be available to answer media questions concerning current activities underway at the site. This arrangement will allow for the public to use the entire public meeting to get information and have their questions answered.
For a history of known contamination, testing, and clean-up efforts at the site from 1953 to September 2007, see this PDF timeline created by the Buncombe County Health Department.
Random Musings, a blog maintained in Arizona, is keeping folks abreast of the latest Scottsdale/Paradise Valley water developments. Most recently, they report that the faulty water treatment facility at Miller Road (MRTF) has been shut down. They learned this from Vicki Rosen of the EPA who sent another email. This time she says:
Hello CIG,
I learned a few more bits of information regarding the failure(s) at the MRTF. Specifically, this deals with the legal relationships between EPA, the State of Arizona, the County, the Participating Companies (PCs) and the AZ American Water Co.
EPA and the State of Arizona signed a Consent Decree (CD) with the PCs, not the water company. The PCs are responsible for extracting and treating groundwater contaminated with TCE. The PCs chose the water company to do this, but the PCs are not responsible for the operation & maintenance of the plant. EPA has no direct authority over the water company under the CD.
The AZ American Water Co. is subject to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) which EPA has delegated to the State and the State has delegated to the County. All three entities (fed, state, county) may take enforcement action against the water company. The PCs are not subject to the SDWA.
Read more at Random Musings.
A friend of the blog just sent this in. Note: CIG stands for Community Involvement Group. These are members of the community that represent citizen interests in the investigation and clean-up of the North Indian Bend Wash superfund site (more on this to come…).
—– Forwarded message from Rosen.Vicki@epamail.epa.gov —–
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:33:18 -0800
From: Rosen.Vicki@epamail.epa.gov
Subject: Another failure at the Miller Road Treatment Facility
Hello CIG members,
You may have already read about this week’s failure at the MRTF in the
newspapers, but this note is to let you know what EPA knows so far about
what happened.
Yesterday (Wed. Jan. 16), Jamey received a call from Dennis Shirley,
consultant to the Participating Companies (PCs), advising that there had
been another release. Jamey immediately informed all the appropriate
people at EPA, but it was late in the day so that’s why this message
wasn’t sent sooner.
This is what we got from Dennis:
The release was discovered yesterday by Arizona American Water at 6:30 am.
A blower on Tower 3 (which treats water from well PCX-1) had shut off.
That shutoff could have happened as early as the day before (Tues, Jan.
15) at 2:30 pm. There may have been 16 hours when untreated water entered
the system.
Athough controls were supposed to be in place that would shut down the
system in such an event, this did not happen. Untreated water containing
TCE was discharged into the drinking water system. Sampling has found
that levels of TCE at approximately 20 parts per billion (ppb) were
distributed into the system. Sampling continues at the point of entry and
throughout the system.
The MRTF was immediately shut down as soon as the failure was discovered.
It is currently not operating.
AZ American Water and the PCs went into response mode and notified all
customers who would have gotten that water; this was done through a
reverse-911 system of phone calls to each household telling people to not
drink the water. People were also told that free bottled water would be
available at a particular location.
Top managers at AZ American Water have supposedly already briefed
Congressman Harry Mitchell directly.
This is what we know so far. EPA is consulting with a number of parties
to assess the situation and what should be done. In the meantime, almost
all of our NIBW team is out of the office until at least next Tues (Jan.
22). Jamey is spending time with his brand new baby boy (their first), so
it may be a while before you hear directly from him. I’m actually out of
the office today having just had minor surgery, and I will not be in
tomorrow either. If I get any emails from any of you, you may not get a
response until next week. Monday is a federal holiday.
I will be back in touch with everyone as we learn more. We will also
start to look at when we can get together in person to discuss these
important issues.
Vicki
—– End forwarded message —–
We’ll keep you posted as we learn more.
According to this report from Midland Reporter-Telegram (TX), the Midessa Ground Water Plume may soon be added to the Superfund list:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is looking for a responsible party or parties in west Midland County groundwater contamination and will make them pay for the cleanup if they are found, an EPA official says.
Remedial Project Manager Vince Malott of Dallas said the public comment period ended in November and his agency may put the project on its national “Superfund” list in late March or April.
“We have an enforcement officer working with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on potential leads to where the (contamination) source originated,” Malott said on Monday. “We’re still searching for the likely source and don’t have a lead we can announce.
“Once we get to that point, we will send the responsible party a notice and give them an opportunity to reply. We’re avoiding using taxpayers’ dollars if we can find viable financially responsible partners.”
[...]
When the situation was first announced in September, [well] water was reported to contain MCLs of dichloroethene, trichloroethene, dichlorothane and tetrachloroethene — all solvents that possibly had been used for degreasing or breakdown products disposed of unsafely.
TCEQ said the water supplies of 168 people were contaminated, including residents of Midessa Oilpatch RV Park and private wells just east of the Midland-Ector County line.
Read the full story here.
Note: Though EPA’s website is light on details, it tell us that PCE was detected in wells at concentrations as high as 1200ppb. Like TCE, the federal action level for PCE in water wells is 5ppb. As though this wasn’t bad enough, there were 3 other toxins found in these wells, including TCE (at what levels, the EPA does not say). Perhaps more revealing, however, is EPA’s note that:
There is no muncipal city water supply available to this rural sector of Midland county currently, or for the foreseable future. TCEQ has not yet defined the outer boundary of the plume.
Makes us wonder what the affected residents are drinking, bathing, and cooking with. Then there’s the question of how safe their air is. With significantly elevated levels of toxins running underground and seeping into wells, surely vapor intrusion must be a concern. What are the chances residents have been warned?
Yesterday brought us the introduction of the Toxic Chemical Exposure Reduction Act by Senators Clinton, Dole, Boxer, Lautenberg, and Kerry. Here are the main provisions of the 15-page bill:
The Act establishes that the EPA must:
- Publish a health advisory for trichloroethylene that fully protects, with an adequate margin for safety, the health of susceptible populations;
- Propose and impose a national primary drinking water standard that protects sensitive populations and is set as close to the maximum contaminant level goal for trichloroethylene as is feasible;
- Enforce the requirement that all qualified drinking water monitoring systems accommodate the new drinking water standards proposed and imposed above;
- Require monitoring of water supplies currently in the path or proximity of migrating TCE;
- Require that Consumer Confidence Reports include the known health risks of TCE exposure and detail any TCE discovered in the monitored water supplies.
With respect to Vapor Intrusion, the EPA must:
–
We have some thoughts to share on several of these provisions, and will be back shortly to do so.
Meantime, we have emailed representatives for Senator Dodd and Senator Lieberman, both from Connecticut, and have asked if the Senators will be able to support the TCE Reduction Act. So far…no reply. But it’s only been a day.
We’ll keep you posted.
Big day in the TCE world today, marked by 1 word: LEGISLATION.
Okay, maybe two words: PROPOSED LEGISLATION
Today, Senators Clinton, Dole, Boxer, Lautenberg, and Kerry introduced a bill that proposes to:
Amend the Safe Water Drinking Act to protect the health of susceptible populations, including pregnant women, infants, and children, by requiring a health advisory, drinking water standard, and reference concentration for trichloroethylene vapor intrusion, and for other purposes.
Cited formally as the “Toxic Chemical Exposure Reduction Act of 2007″ (get it? “TCE Reduction Act”?) the Senators have proposed that EPA revise the national standard for allowable TCE levels in public drinking water, create a national standard for allowable TCE in indoor air, and enforce nationwide monitoring and cleanups based on these new standards. All of this is proposed to occur within the 3-18 months of the bill’s enactment.
Since the details of the bill are interesting and worth comment, we’ll post them here shortly. For now, we’ll say this: We think this bill, if passed and enforced, could go a long way towards better protecting the public from TCE.
Of course, if the EPA chooses to or is forced to play politics, we also envision ways that they could still stagnate change even if the bill is passed…
As we said, more to come from us on this. Meantime, you can download the full bill here.
Lastly, we are in the process of contacting Senators from our home state, Connecticut, to ask for their support for this legislation. We strongly urge readers to contact their state Senators as well.
(If any readers do contact their Senators for support, please consider letting us know the kind of feedback you receive. If we’re able to keep track of whom has pledged their support, we’ll keep readers posted by running updates on this blog. What could possibly be more exciting?)
UPDATE: For the official press release from Senator Clinton announcing the proposed legislation, see here.
Each of these stories deserves its own post and and, almost certainly, some commentary. Until we get more time for this, please be sure to check them out directly via the links below. All of them come courtesy of the Google. (Sorry to do it this way, we’ll try to get the full versions up soon. That reminds us, we’re still looking for local correspondents).
- Sen. Schumer calls on EPA to clean up local TCE sites
Times Herald-Record, NY
- Schumer: Sidney sites contaminated
The Daily Star, NY
- Get it right – Tallevast cleanup must be thorough
Bradenton Herald, FL
-
Experts claim plan to clean up Tallevast flawed
The Bradenton Herald, FL
- Schumer wants EPA to clean up dangerous water contaminant
Herkimer Evening Telegram, NY
href=”http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/5-0&fp=4684bdbd3d60ce1a&ei=Z5CERrK2B4KcrQPkmc3YDg&url=http%3A//www.politicalaffairs.net/article/articleview/5493/1/268/&cid=1117655826″>
Hawaiian Activists Fight US Military Bases
Political Affairs Magazine, NY - Schumer: Feds dragging their feet setting tougher drinking water and clean-up standards
Little Falls Evening Times, NY
-
Schumer blasts EPA over handling of pollutant
Poughkeepsie Journal, NY
-
IBM workers’ records pushed for TCE study; Researcher cites worldwide interest
Press & Sun-Bulletin, NY
- IBM Cancer Study Could Apply to Endicott
WCIZ TV News, NY
Protect Victor residents from poison
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, NY - Victor needs swift cleanup
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, NY
- Leaders seek action on TCE, cite Victor
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, NY
State to open cancer cluster study in Victor
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, NY
href=”http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/6-0&fp=4684445378348abb&ei=ZZGERriAL4z2qgOGiqTNDg&url=http%3A//defense.iwpnewsstand.com/showdoc.asp%3Fdocid%3D6262007_june26a&cid=1117656704″>
Democrats Stepping Up Scrutiny of DOD Environmental Compliance
InsideDefense (subscription), DC
EPA settles for $1.7M in CA groundwater cleanup of San Gabriel Valley Area 2 Superfund Site
Water Technology Online, NY - Village of Hempstead feud lingers
Newsday, NY
- Study works on bacteria-eating toxin
United Press International -
- TI faces toxics lawsuit re: Hamilton Park, TX
EETimes.com
Victor pollution clues come up dry
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, NY - US EPA settles with Poway firm for $63100 over toxic chemical
WebWire (press release), GA
-
Council waives water cleanup in three districts
Fort Worth Star Telegram, TX
- Interview with Dr. Michael Gros, a victim of water contamination at Camp Lejeune
World Socialist Web Site, MI
The Daily Press (Hamptons Road, VA) reports:
A cancer-causing industrial solvent has been found coursing in huge levels through the water table under Naval Weapons Station Yorktown.
One test showed the trichloroethylene, or TCE, at 18,000 parts per billion, or ppb. A follow-up test put it at 3,900 ppb.
By a quirk of geology, the water table drains into Indian Field Creek, which flows directly into the York River.
Years after those tests, the TCE level is now 800 ppb. But the landfill thought to be creating the pollution has yet to be entirely cleaned up, despite the off-the-charts sample data.
TCE is just one of many serious pollution problems at the secretive Navy base. More than 30 polluted sites have been identified, and about half have been cleaned up.
Read more here.
Or check out EPA’s NPL site narrative, ATSDR’s Public Health Assessment (can you guess the conclusion?), or Virginia DEQ’s site fact sheet [PDF, HTML].
Rita Beamish from the Associated Press has written three articles that are running in papers around the world today:
Camp Lejeune Water Under Scrutiny
The former residents, who together seek nearly $4 billion, believe their families were afflicted by water containing industrial solvents before the Marines shut off the bad wells in the mid-1980s.
Dates Important in Water Contamination
Key events in the contamination of drinking water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
Solvents in Water Present Perils
Industrial solvents known as TCE and PCE are known health hazards, but the amount of exposure that can cause harm is subject to debate.
Update (June 13):
Congress investigates tainted water at Marine base by Kimberly Hefling
The government Tuesday disclosed results from a new study the same day lawmakers listened to emotional testimony from families about cancers and other illnesses they blame on tainted tap water at the sprawling base.
The Camp Lejeune hearing begins tomorrow. You can watch/listen via webcast here. It appears the witness list for the hearing has been revised. The updated witness list includes:
Panel I
Mr. Jerome Ensminger
North Carolina
Dr. Mike Gross
Texas
Mr. Jeff Byron
Ohio
Panel II
United States Marine Corps
Major General Robert C. Dickerson, Jr.
Commanding General
PSC Box 20005
Camp Lejeune, NC 28542-0005
Accompanied by Ms. Kelley A. Dreyer
Environmental Restoration Program Manager
Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps (I&L)
2 Navy Annex
Washington, DC 20380-1775
United States Navy
Ms. Pat Leonard
Director
Office of the Judge Advocate General
Claims, Investigations, & Tort Litigation (Code 15)
1322 Patterson Avenue, Suite 3000
Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5066
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease registry
Thomas Sinks, Ph.D.
Deputy Director
National Center for Environmental Health/ATSD
Mail Stop E-28
1600 Clinton Road
Atlanta, GA 30333
Accompanied by Frank Bove, Sc.D.
Senior Epidimiologist (sic)
and
Morris Maslia
Environmental Engineer
Panel III
Mr. Peter J. Murtha
Director
Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics, and Training
Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
U.S. Enviornmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvanie Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460
Accompanied by Mr. Tyler Amon
Special Agent
Criminal Investigation Division
Mr. Franklin Hill
Director, Superfund Division
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 4
61 Forsyth Street, SW
Atlanta, GA 30303
Maria G. Crosse, Ph.D.
Director, Public Health and Military Health Care Issues
U.S. Government Accountability Office
441 G Street, NW, Room 5K21
Washington, DC 20548
A friend of the blog gave us a state-by-state list of U.S. EPA Superfund sites where trichloroethylene (TCE) is a contaminant of concern. We have made the list available for public download.
Note: We attempted to post a summary table as we did with the RCRA sites, but it was not formatting correctly, so we temporarily removed it. Meantime, here’s a high level summary of the data (when we can fix the table glitch, we’ll re-post it):
- 76% of the Superfund sites have TCE contamination (432 of 566)
- 17% of Superfund sites with TCE contamination are DoD facilities (75 of 432), 20% are some sort of federal facility (89 of 432)
- 83% of federal facility superfund sites are contaminated with TCE (89 of 106), 84% of these are DOD sites (75 of 106)
- Source: CERCLIS3/Superfund Reporting Center 06/13/2006
A friend of the blog gave us a list of U.S. EPA RCRA sites where trichloroethylene (TCE) is a major contaminant. We have made the list available for public download.
| Summary Chart |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Region |
2008 Baseline
Facilities |
2008 Baseline
facilities reported to have TCE |
2008 Baseline
facilities reported to have TCE: DoD |
2008 Baseline
facilities reported to have TCE: non-DoD federal facility |
2008 Baseline
facilities reported to have TCE: total federal facilities |
|
| 1 |
190 |
132 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
| 2 |
x:num>164 |
x:num>103 |
x:num>6 |
x:num>0 |
x:num>6 |
|
| 3 |
x:num>289 |
x:num>92 |
x:num>0 |
x:num>1 |
x:num>1 |
|
| 4 |
x:num>308 |
x:num>181 |
x:num>30 |
x:num>4 |
x:num>34 |
|
| 5 |
x:num>399 |
x:num>148 |
x:num>13 |
x:num>2 |
x:num>15 |
|
| 6 |
x:num>233 |
x:num>40 |
x:num>18 |
x:num>6 |
x:num>24 |
|
| 7 |
x:num>109 |
x:num>61 |
x:num>4 |
x:num>1 |
x:num>5 |
|
| 8 |
x:num>60 |
x:num>21 |
x:num>5 |
x:num>3 |
x:num>8 |
|
| 9 |
x:num>164 |
x:num>83 |
x:num>22 |
x:num>1 |
x:num>23 |
|
| 10 |
x:num>52 |
x:num>17 |
x:num>0 |
x:num>1 |
x:num>1 |
|
| Total |
x:fmla=”=SUM(B4:B13)”>1968 |
x:fmla=”=SUM(C4:C13)”>878 |
x:fmla=”=SUM(D4:D13)”>98 |
x:fmla=”=SUM(E4:E13)”>19 |
x:fmla=”=SUM(F4:F13)”>117 |
|
|
|
45%
of the 2008 Corrective Action Baseline has TCE contamination (878 of 1968) |
|
|
84%
of the DoD facilities on the Corrective Action Baseline have TCE
contamination (98 of 116) |
|
11%
of the 2008 Baseline facilities with TCE contamination are DoD facilities,
13% are some sort of federal facility |
|
|
|
|
x:str=”This list was developed through a survey of the EPA Regional offices and is based “>This
list was developed through a survey of the EPA Regional offices and is
based |
|
|
on
the Regions’ and states’ current knowledge of the 2008 RCRA GPRA baseline
high priority |
|
facilities.
style=’mso-spacerun:yes’> |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NEWS RELEASE
Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman
For planning purposes: June 8, 2007
Contact: Jodi Seth 202-225-5735
MEDIA ADVISORY:
Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Hearing on Contaminated Drinking Water at Camp Lejeune
The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing
on Tuesday, June 12, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. in room 2322 Rayburn House
Office Building. The hearing is entitled Poisoned Patriots:
Contaminated Drinking Water at Camp Lejeune.
The purpose of this hearing is to examine issues arising from the
extensive, high-level contamination of drinking water at U.S. Marine
Corps Base Camp Lejeune. This is the first of a series of hearings the
Subcommittee plans to hold on environmental problems at Department of
Defense (DOD) facilities.
The hearing will include testimony from former Marine Corps residents
of Camp Lejeune who, along with their families, drank the contaminated
water, cooked their food in it, and bathed in it. The Subcommittee
will also receive testimony from the Government agencies involved in
dealing with the contamination, assessing the adverse health effects,
and investigating allegations of criminal violations of Federal law,
including the Marine Corps, the Department of the Navy, ATSDR, the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Government
Accountability Office (GAO).
WITNESS LIST
Panel I
Mr. Jerome Ensminger
North Carolina
Dr. Mike Gros
Texas
Mr. Jeff Byron
Ohio
Panel II
United States Marine Corps
Major General Robert C. Dickerson, Jr.
Commanding General
Accompanied by Ms. Kelly A. Dreyer
Environmental Restoration Program Manager
United States Navy
Ms. Pat Leonard
Director
Office of The Judge Advocate General
Claims, Investigations, & Tort Litigation (Code 15)
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Department of Health and Human Services
Thomas Sinks, Ph.D.
Deputy Director
National Center for Environmental Health/ATSDR
Accompanied by Frank Bove, Sc.D.
Senior Epidimiologist
and
Morris Maslia, P.E.
Environmental Engineer
According to The Mercury (Pottstown, PA):
A high-ranking federal official has agreed to revisit and possibly reconsider a controversial decision to exempt two local tubing plants from new, more restrictive pollution regulations, according to a local congressman.
William Wehrum is the assistant administrator for air and radiation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
According to a Wednesday announcement from U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach, R-6th Dist., Wehrum “agreed to review and possibly reconsider the agency’s current regulation exempting certain industries from tough TCE standards” following a May 18 conference call in which a variety of state and federal elected officials participated.
Read the full story here
According to the Pottstown Mercury (PA), the following Pennsylvania lawmakers have joined the fight to apply EPA’s new solvent emissions regulations to the narrow tube industry (all have written letters criticizing the exemption, all were reportedly on a conference call with EPA pressing this issue on Friday):
This was announced just last Friday on the PR Newswire:
Governor Edward G.
Rendell announced today that the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection has filed a petition for review with the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the District of Columbia Circuit challenging the Environmental
Protection Agency’s National Air Emissions Standards on hazardous air
pollutants halogenated solvent cleaning[sic].
[...]
“I believe the EPA did not adequately consider public health risks when establishing new air emissions standards for TCE, nor did they take into account the reasonable, economically-feasible and expedient measures that are available to the narrow tube industry to reduce emissions,” said Governor Rendell, noting his reason for directing DEP to challenge this action. “Exempting these industries from more stringent emission standards fails to protect the well-being of our people, our communities and our economy.”
[...]
“Contrary to the argument that reductions in TCE emissions will place an unfair burden on the narrow tube industry, we are seeing voluntary reductions by manufacturers in Montgomery County that can be realized within a year,” said Governor Rendell. “That calls into question the EPA’s evaluation of the facts about this industry. For the sake of our residents, I am asking the EPA to act quickly in reviewing our objections and reverse this decision.”
The question Rendell raises is an interesting one: Should voluntary efforts by a few undermine regulatory exemptions for an entire industry? We wonder what impact, if any, Rendell’s argument may have on those organizations considering or undertaking such voluntary TCE reduction efforts (beware the law of unintended consequences).
At the same time, we wonder if perhaps Rendell is avoiding a more obvious question: Why have ANY exemptions from health-protective standards like these? It just seems like obvious nonsense to us that any organization, let alone the most powerful polluters in the world, should get a free pass from keeping people safer because it is hard or expensive for their business. More on this another time…
For now, bravo to Governor Rendell for taking action to keep his citizens safe.
Back in April, the EPA promulgated new, more stringent emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants. Trichloroethylene (TCE) was one of the pollutants impacted by these new standards*.
At the same time, EPA carved out exemptions in the new standards allowing certain industries to simply opt out of compliance because of “technological challenges and high costs.” The narrow tube industry was one of these industries**. Hence, the narrow tube industry was exempted from reducing its TCE emissions.
This exemption did not sit well with the Board of Supervisors in Lower Providence, Pennsylvania. Lower Providence includes the towns of Collegeville and Trappe, both ranked as having higher TCE levels in their ambient air than most towns in the state…and both happen to be home to narrow tube manufacturers who emit lots of TCE. Today, in a strong rebuke, the Board unanimously passed a resolution opposing the EPA’s exemption.
At this time, it is unclear what impact this will have on the narrow tube manufacturers TCE emissions in Collegeville and Trappe.
–
* We owe readers more detail on this. As with other things we’re backed up on, it’s coming. Swear.
** EPA received significant comments on the proposed standards from four industry sectors: the aerospace manufacture and maintenance industry, the narrow tubing manufacturing industry, industries that use continuous web cleaning machines, and a major military equipment maintenance facility. These industries commented that they would face serious technological challenges and high costs if the proposal were finalized. All four were granted exemptions.
The Repository (Canton, OH) reports:
The Ohio EPA has come up with a plan to clean up soil and groundwater contamination in the Allen Avenue and Kimball Road SE area caused by the former Bison Corp. site.
[...]
The chemicals tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) were previously found in elevated levels inside some of the homes near the former Bison site, according to the EPA.
[...]
[Vanessa] Steigerwald Dick [an environmental scientist at the EPA's Twinsburg office] said it could take five to 12 years to lower the groundwater contamination to acceptable levels.
–
The Ohio EPA is holding an informational session and public hearing on May 17 to discuss the agency’s plans to clean up contaminated soil at the former Bison Corp. site on Allen Avenue SE, along with the groundwater contamination it’s caused. The meeting is at 6 p.m. in the community room of the Edward L. “Peel” Coleman Community Center, 1400 Sherrick Road SE.
Copies of the agency’s preferred plan are available at the main branch of the Stark County District Library or at the EPA’s Northeast District office in Twinsburg by first calling (330) 963-1200.
The public comment period ends May 25.
Comments regarding the plan may be presented at the hearing or submitted in writing to Vanessa Steigerwald Dick, Ohio EPA Northeast District Office, 2110 E. Aurora Rd., Twinsburg, 44087. Comments also may be faxed to (330)487-0769 or e-mailed to:
vanessa.steigerwald@epa.state.oh.us
According to this report in New Jersey’s The Times:
Though the former Mercer Rubber Plant allegedly dumped cancer-causing agents into nearby waterways for more than 100 years, testing thus far shows the drinking water in the area is not contaminated.
[...]
The check of the drinking water is part of the environmental testing near the defunct Mercer Street plant, where controversy erupted several weeks ago over whether neighborhood residents have developed cancer as a result of pollution from the company.
While the drinking water is considered safe, DEP officials said the shallow groundwater that rests closer to the soil may hold volatile chemicals that could pose a danger to residents.
[...]
Public well records between 1987 and 2006 provided by Aqua New Jersey, formerly Garden State Water, show sporadic detection of TCE in four public wells near the site, including one that exceeded the state’s volatile toxin standards, said Edward Rapciewicz, vice president of operations until his retirement last week.
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Though contamination in the drinking water has been ruled out, the potential pathway of vapor intrusion that could expose residents to the cancer-causing agents has not yet been addressed.
If volatile chemicals are spilled onto the ground or dumped into water sources, the toxins are capable of “evaporating” into the soil’s air pockets and sinking into the groundwater, said Michael Aucott, research scientist with the DEP Division of Science and Research.
“The soil has pores, or spaces between particles, that are normally filled with air and water. If a volatile substance is in the area, some of that will get into the pores just like air would,” Aucott said. “If there are cracks in the foundation it’s possible for the vapor of contaminants to seep into homes through basements and the flooring.”
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While testing the groundwater is helpful, geological factors need to be examined to rule out as a health threat, Aucott said.
For example, the type of soil in an area can show whether vapor intrusion is more likely and the typical travel direction that contaminants would follow, he said.
Whereas a clay sediment makes it harder for toxins to re main underground, sand particles are larger and allow volatile organic chemicals to travel through more easily. Because toxins can stay in soil for an extended period of time — depending on the soil and depth — testing the groundwater alone may not be enough, Aucott said.
“Different soils have different abilities to transmit vapors or liquids,” Aucott said. “Shallow groundwater might tell you a lot, but unless all of the other situational variables are known, it’s hard to definitely say there is no contamination.”
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