Introduction: An important aspect of resource use is repairing damage from previous usage of the land. This
often happens when industrial companies move or go out of business. One was that the federal government
deals with this issue is through the use of legislation collectively acts on locations known as “superfund” sites.
Your task will be to understand what a superfund site is and how this process works to improve the
quality of our communities.
Part 1:
In your superfund packet you will find information about the superfund program. You will create a brochure for
the EPA to aid them in promoting understanding of this program.
In your brochure you must describe:
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What this program is and how it operates and who is in charge.
How it is conducted
How it is implemented
What are some considerations that must be taken into account when a superfund site is selected
How reclamation works
What a Brownfield site is
 What are remediation strategies (and examples of them i.e. Natural Attenuation, Phytoremediation,
Solidification)
 What types of reuse are there and how common are these uses for remediated superfund sites
Be sure to include other useful information for completeness
Part II:
There are information packets on several different locations for superfund site in and around our states. Choose
3 of them. State what the contamination was and what is being done to correct this issue (in at least a 6 sentence
paragraph). Then describe in a paragraph how you would reuse this land for a new and productive purpose.
What is Superfund?
Superfund is the name given to the environmental program established to address abandoned hazardous waste sites. It is also the name
of the fund established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended
(CERCLA statute, CERCLA overview). This law was enacted in the wake of the discovery of toxic waste dumps such as Love Canal
and Times Beach in the 1970s. It allows the EPA to clean up such sites and to compel responsible parties to perform cleanups or
reimburse the government for EPA-lead cleanups.
How Superfund Works
The Superfund cleanup process is complex. It involves the steps taken to assess sites, place them on the National Priorities List, and
establish and implement appropriate cleanup plans. This is the long-term cleanup process. In addition, the Agency has the authority
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to conduct removal actions where immediate action needs to be taken;
to enforce against potentially responsible parties;
to ensure community involvement;
involve states;
and ensure long-term protectiveness.
The blueprint for these activities is the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), a regulation
applicable to all federal agencies involved in responding to hazardous substance releases.
Over the past 20+ years, we've located and analyzed tens of thousands of hazardous waste sites, protected people and the environment
from contamination at the worst sites, and involved others in cleanup.
Who Implements Superfund
EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) in Washington, D.C. oversees the Superfund program. The Office
of Emergency Management within OSWER is responsible for short term responses conducted under the authority of Superfund. The
Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation, and the Federal Facilities Response and Reuse Office, also within
OSWER, have the lead for managing the long-term Superfund response program, the latter for responses involving Federal Facilities.
In addition, OSWER manages the federal Brownfields program.
The Program
Superfund Redevelopment operates as a nationally coordinated effort to ensure
that at every Superfund site, EPA and its partners have an effective process and
the necessary tools and information needed to the return the country’s most
hazardous sites to productive use. EPA focuses on two fundamental areas to
facilitate that outcome: (1) exploring future uses before the cleanup remedy is
implemented; an approach that gives the Agency the best chance of designing
cleanup remedies to support likely future use of a site; and (2) working with
communities to remove barriers not considered necessary for the protection of
human health or the environment at those sites where remedies are already in
place.
Since its inception, Superfund Redevelopment has helped communities reclaim
and reuse thousands of acres of formerly contaminated land. Through an array of
tools, partnerships, and activities, Superfund Redevelopment continues to
provide local communities with new opportunities to grow and prosper. Towns
and villages around the country are recovering idle properties and returning them
to productive use.
Brownfields are real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which
may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous
substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Cleaning up and reinvesting in these
properties protects the environment, reduces blight, and takes development
pressures off greenspaces and working lands. http://www.epa.gov/superfund/about.htm
Some Considerations for
Weighing Reuse Options
1. Size of the site
2. Populations close to the site
3. Community’s needs and desires
4. Transportation corridors
5. Land uses and conditions around the site
6. Site contamination and cleanup status,
based on EPA and state agency reports
7. Local regulatory frameworks, including
zoning and comprehensive planning
8. Potential partnerships and resources
A Little Background
D
uring the 1970s, the dangers of abandoned industrial waste came to light in a dramatic
Remediation
Strategies:
way. A site called Love Canal, in New York, became emblematic of the crisis. Love Canal made
national headlines when homeowners discovered, in their basements and playgrounds, pools
of chemicals that can cause birth defects, miscarriages and a range of other health problems. In
1978, President Jimmy Carter approved emergency funding to relocate 239 Love Canal families,
and the nation soon learned that Love Canal was not an isolated incident. Pockets of
dangerous industrial wastes were being uncovered across the country. Once alerted to these
dangers, lawmakers passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (CERCLA, or Superfund) to protect Americans from health risks posed by
contamination. In the decades since that time, the Superfund program has taken thousands of
cleanup actions to reduce health threats to Americans and the environment. Cleanups have
been completed at more than 900 NPL sites around the country. Even the infamous Love Canal
site has now been deleted from the NPL.
EPA considers anticipated future use when
As the number of cleanup-up sites grew, EPA saw that although these former Superfund sites
were clean and safe, they were often left idle and abandoned. In some cases, the sites became
eyesores and targets for vandalism. EPA recognized that as part of its mission to protect human
health and the environment it should expand its efforts to make its cleanup activities
consistent with community goals to reuse these sites. In 1999, EPA launched the Superfund
Redevelopment Initiative (SRI), a coordinated national effort to facilitate the return of the
country’s most hazardous sites to productive use. Since its inception, the Superfund
Redevelopment Initiative has helped communities reclaim and reuse thousands of acres of idle
land. Through an array of tools and partnerships, SRI helps to provide local communities with
new opportunities to grow and prosper. Towns and villages around the country are recovering
idle properties as vibrant parts of community life.
2. Recycling: Treating or converting toxic
waste material to make it safe and reusing it
for other purposes.
deciding on a site’s remedy. EPA then, to the
extent practicable, chooses cleanup
techniques and technologies that are
consistent with the reasonable anticipated
future use of the land. Below is a list of some
cleanup techniques that EPA uses to make
sure that human health and the environment
will be protected when sites are
appropriately used:
1. Off -Site Disposal: Moving contaminants
away from the site to a facility that can safely
handle them.
3. Containment: Placing covers over toxic
waste deposits or installing barriers around
them to prevent migration and to keep
people from coming into contact with the
waste.
4. Treatment: Processing the waste at the site
to either remove the contaminants from soil,
sediment or ground water or bind
contaminants into soil or sediment.
a. Thermal Treatment: Using heat to render
contaminants harmless by increasing their
volatility; immobilizing them; or destroying
them through burning, decomposition or
detonation.
Solidification: Physically binding or
enclosing contaminants within a solid mass
like concrete.
Stabilization: Inducing chemical reactions
between a stabilizing agent (such as lime,
Portland cement, fly ash or kiln dust) and the
contaminants to reduce their mobility.
Bioremediation: Breaking down toxic
contaminants by using natural
microorganisms.
Phytoremediation: Using plants to help
remediate sites. The plants draw up soil and
water pollutants through their root systems
and either immobilize the contamination or
metabolize it.
Chemical Transformation: Detoxifying
contaminants by transforming their chemical
structure.
Natural Attenuation: Using natural
biotransformation processes such as dilution,
Reuse Types
S
uperfund sites being reused often have multiple purposes and benefits for site owners, community members and others. At the
time of publication, there were more than 550 Superfund sites returned to, or planned for, productive uses. The kinds of reuse that
Superfund sites can support are as varied as the communities that design them. There is no one-size-fits all formula for site
redevelopment. Generally, however, reuse falls into one of seven broad categories: commercial, industrial, ecological, recreational,
public service, residential or agricultural purposes. Often more than one type of reuse occurs at a single site.
Case Study Smoothing
the Way for Outdoor Fun
in Tennessee
A
rlington Blending & Packaging
was once home to a pesticide
formulation and packaging plant
where leaks and spills contaminated
the soil, sediment and ground er. In
1996, EPA and contractors excavated
and treated 41,000 tons of
contaminated soil. They then
backfilled the area with clean soil.
Although it was safe, the site
remained unused due to the
disincentive associated with the
previous contamination. EPA stepped
in to help local stakeholders who were
interested in finding a new use for the
site. In July 2004, EPA issued a letter
to the town of Arlington, detailing the
liability statutes that will protect the
town’s interests when they take
ownership of the property because of
unpaid taxes. To further reassure the
residents of the site’s safety, EPA
issued an RfR Determination on
October 16, 2004, declaring the site
ready, the remedy protective, and
clarifying what requirements had to be
followed for the use to remain safe.
Now local stakeholders are moving
forward with a park that includes a
playground, field space, walking and
biking trails, exercise stations and a
basketball court.
SEATTLE MUNICIPAL LANDFILL (KENT HIGHLANDS)
WASHINGTON
EPA ID# WAD980639462
EPA Region 10
King County
Kent
9th Congressional District
Other Names: Kent-Highlands Disposal
Site, Military Road Landfill, City of Seattle,
Kent Highlands Disposal Site
Last Update: April, 2010
Site Description
The Seattle Municipal Landfill (Kent Highlands) site is located in the city of Kent, Washington, approximately 14 miles south of
Seattle. From 1968 to 1986, the City of Seattle leased the site and disposed of refuse on about 60 acres of a 90-acre ravine located on a
hillside above the Green River. In addition to municipal wastes, the landfill accepted paint residues, industrial sludge, and other
industrial wastes. In 1984, contaminants reached monitoring wells, and leachate (contaminated liquids) was leaking from the eastern
side of the landfill. The leachate mixed with storm water runoff was collected in a pond, which discharged into a sanitary sewer
system permit by the city of Kent.
Site Responsibility: This site is being addressed through state and municipal actions.
NPL Listing History
Dates
Proposed Date:
06/24/1988
Removed Date:
Withdrawal Date:
Final Date:
08/30/1990
Deleted Date:
Threats and Contaminants
Media Affected: Groundwater
Landfill gas contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including toluene, xylene, vinyl chloride, and trichloroethylene (TCE).
Groundwater is contaminated with VOCs and heavy metals.
The landfill is located within the City of Kent. The surrounding area is a mix of urban residential areas and commercial areas. Three
public water supply wells are located within three miles of the landfill. People could become exposed to contaminants through
ingestion of or direct contact with contaminated groundwater and lechate, or through inhalation of landfill gas.
Cleanup Progress
The landfill was closed in 1986. Measures to contain contamination on landfill property were completed in July 1995. Ongoing
monitoring is being performed to assess the effectiveness of the containment measures. The cleanup actions are being overseen by the
Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology).
A recent review of monitoring data by Ecology indicates gas is being controlled as required. Landfill leachate is sent to a publiclyowned water-treatment works; leachate characteristics are within permit limits.
Ground water monitoring indicates that vinyl chloride and manganese exceed standards established for the landfill in selected
compliance monitoring wells. The levels of vinyl chloride and manganese do not constitute an emergency condition.
Surface water discharge to the Green River may need some additional treatment measures to bring the water quality into full
compliance with state standards. Specifically, the dissolved oxygen concentration in the water may need to be increased and the
ammonia concentration decreased. These are not emergency conditions.
Ecology is discussing actions to address these conditions with the City of Seattle.
LOWER DUWAMISH SITE
WASHINGTON
EPA ID# WA0002329803
EPA Region 10
King
Seattle
09 Congressional District
Other Names:
Last Update: April, 2010
Site Description
Sediments in the Lower Duwamish Waterway are contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs),
phthalates, and inorganics. To address the long-term threat these contaminants pose to the human food chain and sensitive river environments, the
site was added to EPA's National Priorities or "Superfund" List on September 13, 2001. The Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site is located
south of Elliot Bay, near downtown Seattle, Washington. The waterway is maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a federal navigation
channel. Most of the shoreline along the Duwamish Waterway is industrialized or developed for commercial purposes; however, the residential
community of South Park also abuts the shoreline. In addition, over 200 storm drains, combined sewer overflows, and other outfalls discharge to this
reach of the river. Historical or current commercial and industrial operations on the waterway include cargo handling and storage; marine
construction; boat manufacturing; marina operations; paper and metals fabrication; food processing; and airplane parts manufacturing. Contaminants
may have entered the river via spills during product shipping and handling, direct disposal or discharge, contaminated groundwater discharge, surface
water runoff, storm water discharge, or contaminated soil erosion.
Site Responsibility: This site is being addressed through an administrative order on consent with potentially responsible parties.
NPL Listing History
Dates
Proposed Date:
12/01/2000
Removed Date:
Withdrawal Date:
Final Date:
09/13/2001
Deleted Date:
Threats and Contaminants
Media Affected: sediments
A number of investigations within the Duwamish Waterway prior to EPA's NPL listing have documented sediment contamination with PCBs, PAHs,
phthalates, and inorganics. In 1997, the natural resource trustees for the Duwamish River collected 328 sediment samples to evaluate the extent and
severity of PCB and polychlorinated terphenyl contamination in the sediments of the waterway. Concentrations of PCBs at many sample points in the
middle portion of the waterway were 10 to 100 times the Washington State Sediment Management standards. The report also concluded that the
quantity and concentrations of PCBs found in Duwamish Waterway sediments could potentially injure natural resources.
In 1997, King County's Department of Natural Resources performed a combined sewer overflow water quality assessment for the Duwamish River
and Elliott Bay to better understand the risk to aquatic life, wildlife, and people who use the resources of the estuary. King County concluded that
there is clear evidence that conditions in the estuary pose potential risks to aquatic life, wildlife, and people. There are nine City of Seattle or King
County combined sewer overflows in the Lower Duwamish Waterway. Seven of these outfalls discharge 318 million gallons of untreated sewage
annually.
In October 1997, The Boeing Company took samples in the waterway to generate information that could be used as a first step in evaluating potential
chemical releases to the Duwamish Waterway attributable exclusively to Boeing. A total of 88 surface (0 to 10 centimeters) sediment samples were
collected from locations adjacent to Boeing facilities. Sample results indicated the presence of PCBs, mercury, and semivolatile organic compound
contamination of surface sediment throughout this waterway segment.
In August and September 1998, consultants for EPA conducted site inspection sampling in the Lower Duwamish Waterway. Sampling included the
collection of 312 surface (0 to 10 centimeters) sediment samples and 35 subsurface sediment samples from the waterway. Surface sediment sample
results documented polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon, phthalate, PCB, and inorganic, contamination in both surface and subsurface sediments.
The Lower Duwamish Waterway is fished for recreational, commercial, and subsistence purposes. Three salmon hatcheries within the GreenDuwamish River system release approximately 10 million juvenile salmon each year. The Duwamish River is part of the traditional fishing grounds
for the Muckleshoot and Suquamish Indian tribes.
For several species of Pacific salmon, the Lower Duwamish River serves as a nursery, migratory route, and transition zone from freshwater to
saltwater. Puget Sound Chinook salmon, federally listed as a threatened species, use the Lower Duwamish Waterway during a critical stage of their
migration from a freshwater to a saltwater environment. The federal candidate species Coho salmon also occurs in this area, as does a nesting
territory for ospreys and bald eagles, and a wetland. The National Marine Fisheries Service has conducted numerous studies on the effects of
contaminated sediments on biotic resources in the Duwamish River and elsewhere in Puget Sound. This research has shown that juvenile salmon
from the river have reduced growth and immune system function relative to salmon from uncontaminated areas.
Cleanup Progress
On December 20, 2000, EPA and the Washington State Department of Ecology signed an agreement called an administrative order on consent with
four parties to investigate the nature and extent of chemical contamination in Lower Duwamish Waterway sediments. The four parties are the City of
Seattle, King County, the Port of Seattle, and The Boeing Company. Under the agreement, the parties are collecting information, evaluating potential
risks to human health and the environment, and recommending areas that warrant early cleanup action. The four parties will prepare a final
investigation report and an evaluation of options for long-term cleanup.
The first phase of the investigation was completed in 2003. In this phase, the parties compiled data from past studies of the waterway and prepared a
Phase 1 Remedial Investigation Report. This report includes a preliminary assessment of human health and ecological risks based on existing data.
Phase 2 of the investigation was completed in 2009. It includes collection of fish, shellfish, and benthic invertebrate tissue samples, as well as
sediment samples and toxicity tests. These new data have been used to revise the human health and ecological risk assessments. The risk assessments
were completed in 2007 after being reviewed by the agencies and stakeholders, including members of the public and the Muckleshoot and Suquamish
Indian Tribes. The risk assessments were revised to address reviewers' comments. The risk assessments concluded that contaminants pose a risk to
people who would consume large amounts of resident fish and shellfish, and that contaminants in sediments are harming resident fish, worms and
clams living in river sediments as well as other animals such river otters which eat the resident fish. EPA and Ecology will use the risk assessments
tor determine what long-term cleanup action is needed in the river. The Washington Department of Health has issued and posted fish advisories in a
variety of languages along the river warning people not to eat resident fish and shellfish. EPA is currently reviewing a draft Remedial Investigation
and Feasibility Study submitted by the City of Seattle, King County, the Port of Seattle, and The Boeing Company. A second draft of the Feasibility
Study is expected in fall 2010.
Phase 1 also included identification of candidate areas for early cleanup actions. Partial cleanups have been completed at two of these areas under a
Natural Resource Damage Assessment consent decree. Other cleanups are taking place or are planned under the oversight of EPA's Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act program, including the Boeing Plant 2, Jorgensen Forge, and Rhone-Poulenc sites. Two additional early cleanup
actions, Terminal 117 and Slip 4, are being pursued under EPA Superfund oversight.
The Terminal 117/Malarkey Asphalt Early Action Area has been studied by the Port of Seattle and City of Seattle with EPA oversight. In July 2005,
EPA selected a cleanup option that involved removal of PCB-contaminated sediments and replacement with clean fill. Following this decision, high
concentrations of PCBs in soils were discovered in the upland area. EPA completed a time-critical removal action in October 2006 to remove isolated
areas of high PCB contamination. EPA, Washington State Department of Ecology, the City of Seattle and the Port of Seattle have tested a large
number of soil samples from streets and yards adjacent to Terminal 117. The City and the Port tested soil from streets and yards for PCBs in 2008
and 2009. The City and Ecology also tested some of these soil samples for dioxins/furans in 2009. In 2009, additional soil samples were collected
from streets and yards in the area of South Cloverdale Street, South Donovan Street and 16th Avenue South. These samples were analyzed for PCBs
and dioxin/furans. PCB concentrations were found from 0 to 8.1 parts per million (ppm). Dioxin/furan concentrations were found from 1.81 to 395
parts per trillion (ppt). The City saved a portion of the samples they collected from the streets and yards along South Cloverdale Avenue, 16th
Avenue South and South Donovan Street, for future dioxin/furan testing if needed. Based on the PCB contamination here, EPA has delineated a
Removal Study Area for the streets and yards between Dallas Avenue South and South Donovan Street and T-117 and 14th Avenue South. EPA
expects to issue a draft Engineering Evaluation and Cost Analysis for public comment in June 2010. Once a removal plan is completed, cleanup
could begin as early as 2012.
The Slip 4 Early Action Area has been studied by the City of Seattle and King County with EPA oversight. Sediments are contaminated primarily
with PCBs. Cleanup options were presented to EPA in December 2005, with public comment on the selected cleanup option occurring in early 2006.
In May 2006, EPA selected the remedy -- a combination of removing contaminated sediments and placing clean sand and gravel over remaining
contamination. Project design documents were approved in February 2007. Cleanup was scheduled to occur in fall 2007, but was delayed due to
uncertainties on whether sources of PCB contamination to Slip 4 had been adequately controlled. In August 2008, Ecology entered into an Agreed
Order (under the state Model Toxics Control Act) for a comprehensive RI/FS on the North Boeing Field, while The Boeing Company, King County
Airport and the City of Seattle continue to investigate, clean, and sample storm drains across and around the airfield. In 2009, the City of Seattle
replaced the Georgetown Steam Plant flume, which discharges to Slip 4, and signed an Agreed Order with Ecology with Crowley Marine Services
for development of a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study of their parcels. Sediment cleanup is currently scheduled to begin in 2011.
EPA and Ecology are also working to ensure that upland sources of contamination are adequately addressed prior to sediment cleanup. In 2001, the
two agencies signed a memorandum of agreement, which describes how EPA will manage and lead remedial investigation of waterway sediments,
while Ecology will manage and lead source control efforts to protect sediment quality. The agreement requires Ecology to develop a strategic
approach for controlling sources of sediment contamination. In January 2004, Ecology issued the Final Source Control Strategy for the Lower
Duwamish Waterway. It describes the process of source control, the roles of various regulators responsible for providing source control, and the
methods Ecology uses to track and document the progress of source control. The physical extent of the source area for this Superfund sediment site is
approximately 32 square miles. There are all types of urban land use, including interstate highways and airports, which reflect much of Seattle’s
industrial and commercial history.
Based on interviews with community members, EPA and Ecology prepared a community involvement plan for the site and a Hispanic community
involvement supplement. EPA awarded a technical assistance grant to a member of the community advisory group (CAG) for the site, and a
subsequent grant to a subgroup of the CAG. The grants have helped the group review information about the site and share it with community
members. Draft documents are being shared with the Citizens Advisory Group (Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition), the Muckleshoot and
Suquamish Tribes, Natural Resource Damages Trustees, and other interested members of the public as part of EPA's commitment of early public
involvement.
HANFORD 100-AREA (USDOE)
WASHINGTON
EPA ID# WA3890090076
EPA Region 10
Benton County
Richland
4th Congressional District
Other Names: USDOE-Hanford Site-100Area
Last Update: October, 2009
Site Description
The Hanford 100 Area site covers 26 square miles, 35 miles north of Richland, Washington. It is one of four areas at the Hanford Nuclear
Reservation (Hanford) originally listed on EPA's National Priorities List (NPL); the other three are the 200, 300, and 1100 Areas. These areas are
part of a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) complex which includes buildings, disposal sites, a national monument, and other vacant land totaling
about 586 square miles.
Hanford was established in the 1940s to make plutonium for nuclear weapons. Since then the site mission has expanded to include other uses of
nuclear materials, environmental cleanup, and research and development.
The 100 Area cleanup is focused on contamination that originated from nine nuclear reactors, the last one shutting down in 1988. Cooling water
contaminated with radioactive and hazardous chemicals was discharged to both the adjacent Columbia River and infiltration cribs and trenches.
Contaminated solid wastes were disposed of in burial grounds. Contaminated soil, solid wastes, and buildings are being removed to protect the
environment and restore future beneficial uses. Approximately 11 square miles of groundwater are contaminated, primarily with chromium and
radioactive elements. Groundwater is not currently used for drinking water; however, it does discharge into the Columbia River which is used by
downstream communities for drinking water and other purposes. Groundwater contamination is addressed by source removals, pump-and-treat
actions, and in-situ barriers.
Site Responsibility: This site is being addressed through federal and state actions.
NPL Listing History
Dates
Proposed Date:
06/24/1988
Removed Date:
Withdrawal Date:
Final Date:
10/04/1989
Deleted Date:
Threats and Contaminants
Media Affected: Soil & Sludges, Groundwater
Soils are contaminated with both radiological and chemical waste. Groundwater contains radioactive waste material, including strontium-90, carbon14, and tritium. It also contains hexavalent chromium, which is particularly toxic to aquatic organisms where groundwater discharges into the
Columbia River. People may be exposed to hazardous substances through direct contact or accidental ingestion of contaminated groundwater. The
Columbia River traverses the 100 Area adjacent to the reactor areas and is the main source of water for downstream municipal supply systems. The
metropolitian area which includes the cities of Richland, Pasco, and Kennewick, immediately downstream of Hanford and with a combined
population of over 170,000, maintain water intakes on the Columbia River. Over half a million people live within 50 miles of Hanford.
Cleanup Progress
In May 1989, EPA, the State, and DOE entered into an Interagency Agreement and Consent Order to set up a process and legal framework for
cleanup and regulatory compliance at Hanford. EPA, DOE, and the State developed an action plan addressing Superfund and Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act (RCRA) issues. One final and numerous interim action remedies have been selected for essentially all the waste sites and all but
two groundwater operable units. From 2000-2004, 2300 tons of spent nuclear material was removed. Over 7.37 million tons of contaminated soil and
debris have been removed from the site’s waste areas since 1996 and disposed of in Hanford's 200 Area as of March 2010. Currently there are four
active groundwater pump-and-treat systems for hexavalent chromium in the 100 Area designed to protect the Columbia River. Over 3.80 billion
gallons of chromium-contaminated water has go through the pump and treat system and 1,176 kg of hexavalent chromium has been removed as of
March 2010. DOE has installed a 2200 foot long in-situ barrier for hexavalent chromium-contaminated groundwater. During September 2006 and
February-March 2007 DOE installed a 300 foot long in-situ barrier using appatite to treat radioactive Strontium-90 contaminated ground water.
BLACKBIRD MINE
IDAHO
EPA ID# IDD980725832
EPA Region 10
Lemhi County
Town of Lemhi
2nd Congressional District
Other Names:
Last Update: May, 2010
Site Description
The Blackbird Mine site encompasses approximately 830 acres of private patented mining claims and 10,000 acres of
unpatented claims within the Salmon National Forest. The site is located 20 miles west of Salmon, Idaho and is in the
Panther Creek drainage basin, which drains into the Salmon River. Big Deer Creek and Blackbird Creek drain into
Panther Creek. Since the late 1800s, several companies have mined cobalt and copper on the site with both mine tunnels
and open-pit methods. The current owner, the Noranda Mining Company, ceased operations in 1982. Mine tunnels, waste
rock piles, and the open pit are located at the headwaters of Meadow and Bucktail Creeks which drain into Big Deer and
Blackbird Creeks. There is a tailings impoundment located on the West Fork of Blackbird Creek and tailing deposits
located along Blackbird Creek from transport of tailings to the West Fork tailings impoundment or direct discharges of
tailings into the creek. The waste rock piles alone are approximately 4 million cubic yards. Investigations have shown that
acid rock drainage and leachate from the tunnels, waste piles and tailings have contributed to the poor water quality in
local creeks. High levels of heavy metals such as copper, cobalt, and arsenic are present in surface water and/or sediments
downstream from the site. The copper levels exceeded EPA's Fresh Water Ambient Water Quality Criteria. Arsenic in
soils located along the banks of Blackbird Creek and Panther Creek downstream of the mine may pose a potential risk to
humans. The Snake River sockeye spring/summer Chinook salmon, Snake River steelhead and bull trout, listed as
threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act, are threatened by the poor water quality.
Site Responsibility: This site is being addressed through federal and potentially responsible parties' actions.
NPL Listing History
Dates
Proposed Date:
05/10/1993
Removed Date:
Withdrawal Date:
Final Date:
Deleted Date:
Threats and Contaminants
Media Affected: Groundwater, Soil & Surface Water
Surface water and sediments are contaminated with high levels of heavy metals such as copper, cobalt and arsenic.
Groundwater and surface water are primarily contaminated with copper and cobalt. Sediments and soils are primarily
contaminated with copper, cobalt and arsenic. Site studies have shown that acid rock drainage from tunnels and waste
piles have contributed to the poor water quality of local creeks. This water quality affects local aquatic life, including the
Snake River spring/summer Chinook salmon and other endangered or threatened species. People who come into direct
contact with or ingest contaminated sediments or soils could be at risk.
Cleanup Progress
This site is being addressed by early actions and a long-term remedial phase focusing on the cleanup of the entire site.
In 1983, the Idaho Attorney General filed a natural resources damage suit against current and two previous site
owners/operators for alleged damages to State surface water and groundwater. The suit was settled in 1995. In 1993, the
potentially responsible parties (PRPs) initiated early actions to stabilize the West Fork Tailings Dam by diverting the West
Fork of Blackbird Creek to prevent failure of the tailings impoundment. In late 1994, the PRPs, under EPA supervision,
began an investigation to determine the nature and extent of site contamination. Results of this investigation, scheduled to
be completed in 2002, will be evaluated to determine the most effective remedy for final site cleanup.
In late 1994, the PRPs began investigations and analysis of alternatives for an early removal action on major sources at the
mine that release metals to surface water. In 1995, the PRPs began a removal action to address the waste rock piles,
underground mine tunnels, the open pit and impacted groundwater and surface water at the mine. The action includes
relocating some of the waste rock piles, capping waste rock, construction of a water storage dam and a water diversion
dam, expansion of the existing water treatment plant and interception of ground water and surface water for treatment, and
were completed in November 1998.
The West Fork of Blackbird Creek diversion channel and the early removal action on sources at the mine have helped to
support restoration of water quality downstream of the Blackbird Mine site while site studies are being conducted.
Another removal action was conducted at the Panther Creek Inn (PCI) property, located about 7 miles east of the
Blackbird Mine where Blackbird Creek and Panther Creek meet.
The PCI property is comprised of an inn, a cabin and adjacent campgrounds. Investigations conducted in the past
identified elevated concentrations of arsenic in soils which pose a potential risk to humans. The soils were removed to a
minimum depth of one foot and replaced with clean fill. The removal action also included construction of three sediment
ponds along Blackbird Creek and removal of contaminated overbank deposits (sediments and soils) that are susceptible to
erosion along Blackbird Creek. This will reduce the potential for recontamination of the PCI property. This removal
action was completed in August 1999.
Another removal action was completed in October 2001 to address potential risks to humans from arsenic found in soils
along the bank (overbank deposits) in some locations along Panther Creek. Contaminated soils were removed to cleanup
levels or the water table, whichever comes first, and then replaced with clean fill.
A remedial action is underway to address potential risks to aquatic life from remaining releases of metals into surface
water from the mine site. Construction activities to address releases of metals to surface water have been underway since
2003 and are projected to be complete in 2012. Removal of contaminated soils along the banks of Panther Creek to
address potential human health risks were completed as part of the remedial action. However, during the spring of 2008
and 2009 high water in Blackbird Creek resulted in contaminated sediments and tailings to be mobilized and redeposited
along the banks of Panther Creek at levels that pose a potential human health risk. Additional removal of the contaminated
soils along the banks of Panther Creek occurred in 2009 and will continue in 2010. Additional measures are being taken to
stabilize and remove contaminated sediments along Blackbird Creek to reduce the potential for remobilization during high
flow events. These actions are planned to be completed in 2010.
HARBOR OIL INC.
OREGON
EPA ID# ORD071803985
EPA Region 10
Multnomah
Portland
Congressional District
Other Names: Chempro of Oregon Inc.
Last Update: April, 2010
Site Description
Harbor Oil is a waste oil reprocessing facility located on approximately 4.2-acres in an industrial area of northeast Portland, Oregon. A tank truck
cleaning facility also previously operated on the part of the property. Wetlands located west and south of the site connect to Force Lake, where
recreational fishing occurs.
Major events at the site:
* March 1974 - a major waste oil spill from on-site storage tanks resulted in a fish kill in Force Lake.
* October 1979 - a severe fire destroyed the facility and melted/ruptured five 20,000- gallon aboveground used oil tanks, causing large volumes of
used oils and smaller volumes of waste paints to flow across the site, into wetlands bordering the site and Force Lake.
* 1980 - the facility was rebuilt and a new tank farm was constructed.
* 2000 - Consultants for EPA conducted a Preliminary Assessment/Site Inspection at the facility. Using historical documentation, sampling, and
analytical results, the assessment documented the presence of several hazardous substances on-site including volatile organic compounds, semivolatile organic compounds, metals, pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Waste oil storage tanks and contaminated soil were identified
as two primary sources of contamination.
*2007- Negotiated two Administrative Orders on Consent to investigate the site and a large holding tank.
* 2008/2009 - Conducted two phases of sampling for the remedial investigation. Prepared the Draft Human Health and Draft Ecological Risk
Assessments. A draft Remedial Investigation Report was submitted in April 2010 for review.
Present day site operations: Used oil recovery and recycling and biofuels production.
Site Responsibility: This site is being addressed through federal and potentially responsible parties' actions.
NPL Listing History
Dates
Proposed Date:
09/05/2002
Removed Date:
Withdrawal Date:
Final Date:
09/29/2003
Deleted Date:
Threats and Contaminants
Media Affected: Soil, sediments and shallow groundwater are contaminated with metals, PCBs, pesticides, and oil.
Cleanup Progress
EPA negotiated a Settlement Agreement and Administrative Order on Consent with a group of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) in May 2007.
The Order requires the PRPs to conduct a remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS) to characterize the contamination and health risks and
develop cleanup alternatives for the site. EPA also negotiated a Settlement Agreement Administrative Order on Consent with the current operator to
characterize a 300,000 gallon tank to determine its contents. Tank 23 was sampled and determined to be non-hazardous per Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste rules. The tank contents were removed and recycled as used oil according to state of Oregon regulations
and the tank was cleaned. The operator satisfied all the requirements of the Order. The PRPs conducting the RI have completed two phases of
sampling and EPA is currently reviewing the Draft Remedial Investigation Report. EPA provided a Technical Assistance Grant to the Harbor Oil
Community Action Group and Cooperative Agreement Grants to the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation and the Nez Perce Tribe
for technical oversight of the Site.
Coeur d’Alene Basin
Cleanup Work
More Information
Cleanup Areas:



Bunker Hill
Coeur d'Alene
Spokane River
"Box"
Basin
Cleanup
Site Background
The Bunker Hill
Mining and
Metallurgical
Complex Superfund
Site is located in
Northern Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene River Basin. It was placed on the National Priorities list in 1983. The Coeur d'Alene Basin
is one of the largest areas of historic mining in the world. Since the late 1880s, mining activities in the Upper Coeur
d'Alene Basin contributed an estimated 100 million tons of mine waste to the river system. Many of the Basin
communities were built on mine wastes. Until as late as 1968, tailings were deposited directly into the river. Over time,
these wastes have been distributed throughout more than 160 miles of the Coeur d'Alene and Spokane Rivers, lakes, and
floodplains.
Young children continue to be exposed to lead in residential and recreational area soils that are above safe levels.
Throughout the Basin, contaminants are above EPA’s Ambient Water Quality Criteria. About 20 miles of streams are
unable to sustain a reproducing fish population, and about 10 miles of tributaries have virtually no aquatic life. Lead
poisoning is responsible for a large number of waterfowl deaths each year: more than 15,000 acres of wildlife habitat
contain sediments and soils which are acutely toxic to waterfowl. Twenty-one of the twenty-four species of birds
evaluated are at risk from the elevated metals.
This site covers a large geographic area, and is divided into areas for manageable cleanup. One such area is known as “the
Box” – a 21-square-mile area surrounding the historic smelter area. The Box includes the Shoshone County cities of
Kellogg, Wardner, Smelterville, and Pinehurst. Residential, community and smelter area cleanups have been ongoing
since the 1980s. A significant portion of these cleanups have been completed. For example, in 1998, residential cleanup in
the City of Smelterville was certified complete by the EPA, the State, and the mining companies conducting residential
cleanup. In 2004, the City of North Kellogg was certified complete.
Contaminants from mining operations in the Silver Valley spread harmful levels of heavy metals down the South Fork of
the Coeur d'Alene River and into the flood plains. The part of the site outside of the Box where mining contamination is
being addressed is called “the Basin.” A plan for cleaning up residential and recreational areas in the Basin was
developed in coordination with community members; federal, state, and tribal governments; and local entities. The
common goals are reducing heavy metals, improving fisheries, reducing downstream migration of contaminated
sediments, and providing safe feeding habitat for waterfowl.
EPA has been working at this site with our Federal, State, and Tribal partners to protect people and wildlife from harmful
exposures to heavy metals. Other Basin cleanup actions have been completed by Federal agencies, States, Tribes, and
Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs).
The picture on the main page is a montage of four separate photographs. From
left to right, it shows heavy equipment laying clean soil for the East of Rose
Lake Boat Launch cleanup, two Coeur d'Alene Basin residential yard cleanups,
and the completed East of Rose Lake Boat Launch cleanup.
H.O.D. LANDFILL
EPA ID# ILD980605836
Last Updated: December, 2009LAKE COUNTY
ANTIOCH, Illinois
Congressional District # 08
Site Description
The H.O.D. Landfill is located in Lake County, Illinois. The site occupies about 121 acres, of which approximately 51
acres are the landfill. The site is currently closed. There are approximately 14,300 people living within three miles of
the site. Approximately 40 private wells and six public water supply wells are in the vicinity and are used for domestic
water purposes. The site is adjacent to a freshwater wetland. Sequoit Creek is adjacent to the landfill and flows into a
series of lakes used for recreation. An industrial park, constructed on former landfill areas unrelated to the site, is
located west of the site, across Sequoit Creek. The landfill is divided into the "old landfill" and the "new landfill."
Operations began in the old landfill in 1963, when wastes were placed in excavated trenches that were covered with
excavated materials from each subsequently dug trench. Operations in the new landfill began in 1975 that included
construction of a clay barrier between the old and new landfills and the installation of a leachate collection system.
The new landfill was closed in 1984, and the entire landfill was covered with a continuous clay cap. Refuse thickness
ranges from 12 to 64 feet, with a total estimated in-place volume of 1.5 million cubic yards of waste at the site.
Site Responsibility
This site is being addressed through federal and potentially responsible parties' actions.
Threats and Contaminants
The primary threat to human health is through the ingestion of vinyl chloride-contaminated groundwater. Vinyl
chloride contamination has appeared in a monitoring well, nearby and downgradient of the site.
Cleanup Progress
Under U.S. EPA Region 5 oversight, the potentially responsible party (PRP) performed a remedial investigation,
detailing the nature and extent of contamination. This work was performed as a result of a 1990 Administrative Order
on Consent (AOC) between the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Region 5 and the PRP,
directing the PRP to perform a remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS). As part of this work, the PRP
replaced a municipal well, downgradient of the site. Contamination of this well was one of the main reasons the site
was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL). The PRP completed the final RI report in January 1997, after receiving
much input from the Region and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). Region 5 and IEPA received and
commented on the PRPs draft FS, and the Region approved the FS in June 1998.
Region 5 issued the Record of Decision (ROD) on September 28, 1998. The selected remedy includes containment of
contaminant migration through leachate and gas extraction, waste cap improvements, and groundwater-monitored
natural attenuation.
After an unsuccessful effort to have the PRPs sign an AOC for the remedial design and remedial action (RD/RA),
Region 5 issued a unilateral administrative order to the PRPs in April 1999 to perform the RD/RA. A PRP began the RD
in May 1999, and Region 5 approved the RD in August 2000. The PRP began construction in August 2000 and finished
in June 2001. A preliminary closeout report was issued in June 2001 which documents that the PRPs have completed
remedial action construction activities at the site.
The PRPs are responsible for long-term maintenance and monitoring of the site. A PRP performed the first periodic
long-term monitoring event in February 2002. Long-term operations and maintenance (O&M) is ongoing. A five-year
review was completed on September 30, 2005.
Success Story
H.O.D. Landfill was the first SRI pilot awarded to a site where the construction of the remedy had been completed. A
Landmark Ready for Reuse (RfR) Certificate was issued to the H.O.D. Landfill site in fiscal year (FY) 2005.
U.S. EPA worked successfully with stakeholders to update the risk assessment for the site and demonstrated that the
remedy would remain protective under a recreational use scenario. Then, U.S. EPA issued an Explanation of
Significant Differences (ESD)to remove the unnecessary requirements of the remedy that were impeding reuse, and
prepared a Ready for Reuse (RfR) Determination to reassure Antioch residents that the site is protective for use
as sports fields.
After receiving approval from all parties involved, construction of an energy system to use the H.O.D. Landfill's gas to
produce electricity and heat the Antioch Community High School began on December 2002. The project's design and
construction serves as a model for other communities that are interested in beneficial reuse of nearby landfill gas
resources. It is an example of how to deal with the numerous community concerns related to developing an
alternative energy system based on landfill gas. Determining suitable equipment for the system design, construction
and operation, while considering local community needs is critical to a successful project.
Design of the landfill gas energy system was so successful, it was recommended by Capstone Turbine and Alliant
Energy and has inspired an author to write a "case study of a successful application of microgenerator technology" for
inclusion in McGraw-Hill's "Sustainable Energy System Engineering" textbook. The author cites in an abstract "this
project is a prime example of how innovative partnerships and programs can take a liability and turn it into a benefit.
Solutions have created a "win-win" situation for all involved, including H.O.D. Landfill, the Village of Antioch, Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency, Antioch Community High School, Commonwealth Edison, the PRP (WWII) and its
contractor (RMT) and U.S. EPA."
Community Involvement
U.S. EPA Region 5 issued the Proposed Plan (PP) to the public in July 1998 and held a public meeting in Antioch,
Illinois, in August 1998. Activities to involve the community in the five-year review were initiated in February 2005.
U.S. EPA placed a public notice of the five-year review in the Antioch, Illinois Lakeland Newspaper on May 13, 2005
and Libertyville, Illinois Daily Herald on May 11, 2005. (Also, see sections under Property Reuse and Success Story
for more on community involvement.)
Property Reuse
In July 2002, U.S. EPA awarded a Superfund Redevelopment Initiative (SRI) program grant to promote
redevelopment of this 121 acre site.
Approximately 14,300 people live within three miles of the site near Antioch
Community High School, which was in need of athletic fields. Thirty acres of the H.O.D. Landfill are being converted
to athletic fields to serve the adjacent Antioch Community High School. When completed, the athletic facility will
include five soccer and hockey fields; three softball fields, and twelve tennis courts. A concession stand and restroom
building will serve students and spectators. The tennis courts are now complete; in fact, the 2005 conference
championships were held on the new courts. Construction of the remaining athletic fields are underway. The
athletic fields have been ready for play since 2006, and are currently being used by the community.
Methane gas extracted from the landfill currently supplies heat and electricity to the school. The school district
estimates a savings of $100,000 per year by reducing energy costs and selling the electricity generated during nights
and weekends to Commonwealth Edison, the energy services company that serves the Antioch area.
The Antioch Community School Superintendent saw the cleaned-up, grass-covered landfill and its associated wetlands
as potential amenities for the high school, and the site's potentially responsible party (PRP), Waste Management of
Illinois Inc. (WWII), had cleaned the site up in a way tha would facilitate future use as athletic fields. The wetlands
area along one side of the site offers an example wetlands habitat for environmental education and school science
projects.
Contacts
Remedial Project Manager, U.S. EPA
Karen Mason-Smith (mason-smith.karen@epa.gov)
(312) 886-6150
(312) 886-6150