ABB Plant
 The EPA sampled five springs near ABB and Stout’s Creek West Branch on June 6, 2002. These springs are known as Detmer 1, Detmer 2, Detmer 3, Detmer 4, and Robinson Springs. They also sampled Stout’s Creek upstream and downstream of Bennett’s Dump.
The results were:
- Detmer-1 ND (0.1 ppb) Detmer-2 0.15 ppb PCBs, 0.14 ppb PCBs
- Detmer-3 ND (0.1 ppb)
- Detmer-4 ND (0.1 ppb)
- Robinson 0.12 ppb PCBs
- Stout’s Creek upstream ND (0.1 ppb)
- Stout’s Creek downstream 0.12 ppb PCBs
Downstream sampling has shown consistant numbers for a while, and the
EPA plans to do storm sampling on some of these springs both above and below where the west branch of Stouts (from ABB) comes in.
Neal's Landfill
 Viacom has finished cap maintenance repairs, and they are reviewing the EPA's Draft Ecological and Human Health Risk Assessments. EPA has begun implementing the new Long-Term Groundwater Monitoring Plan and Groundwater Investigation Plan.
EPA will also be doing gas vent sampling using 4 PUF samplers to determine the impact of gas vents on ambient air (due to releases of methane produced by the composting organic matter).
IDEM released Fish Data for Neal's in July, and the EPA compiled a
historical comparison of all fish data.
- Creek Chub Location 1 (0.5 mile) - 1982 (108 ppm PCBs), 1998 (14.1 ppm PCBs), 2001 (6.2 ppm PCBs)
- Creek Chub Location 2 (1 mile) 1982 (6.2 ppm PCB), 1998 (0.4 ppm PCBs)
- Longear Sunfish Location 2 1982 (6.3 ppm PCBs), 2001 (0.6 ppm PCBs)
- Rock Bass Location 2 1982 (12.1 ppm PCBs), 1998 (1.2 ppm PCBs)
Neal’s Landfill Treatability Study
 The EPA conducted a 2nd Treatability Study in June to determine the settlability of PCBs.
Recent storms showed PCB levels of 7ppb coming from Neals , while at ICS 290ppb was recorded. However the flow rate at Neals is at least 4 times the volume at ICS. These facts are why the EPA is conducting settling tests on the water at Neal's, as a possible technique for treating the low concentration/high volume water situation.
The goals of the test were:
- To determine fraction of PCBs remaining from storm event for up to 24 hours under unaided, quiescent settling
- To determine fraction of PCBs remaining from storm event for up to 24 hours under aided (organo-clay flocculent), quiescent settling
The Treatability Study began on June 5, 2002 and ended June 6, 2002.
The Conard’s Branch flow rate at the time reached 6000 gpm. Fourteen 55 gallon drums with sampling ports were used for the test. They took 30 minute samples once the flow peaked, and 1 hour samples after 12 hours on the falling limb and 4 hour samples for 24 additional hours.
Barrels were filled initially every 30 minutes with both unaided and aided samples at one hour for a total of seven. Samples were taken from each barrel at 0, 1 hr, 2 hrs, 3 hrs, 4 hrs, 8 hrs, 12 hrs and 24 hrs (excluding QA/QC). Results of treatability study will be available shortly, with mixed results, and additional tests are most likely.
Bennett's Dump
 The EPA's Five Year Review is complete, and they have approved and are implementing the Long-Term Groundwater Monitoring and Groundwater Investigation Plans.
Viacom has completed a number of soil cover repairs and new drainage ditch was dug to prevent water from running off from the parking area to the dump site, and routed to Stout's Creek..
Map of Bennetts
PCB Levels at the various monitoring sites at Bennett's
Middle is the largest of the springs, and empties into Stout's Creek at about 20 gpm during low flow, although it can stop flowing during dry weather. The numbers at the downstream location indicate that there is a need for futher work at Bennett's, and the issue of the West Branch being contaminated by ABB further complicates the issue.
Viacom is developing a Long-Term Groundwater Monitoring Plan, which should be done this year. This will include Quarry Springs, Slaughterhouse Springs, and wells near the site. There should be storm sampling at Slaughterhouse to see if the PCB levels rise during high water. From the earliest delineation of the basin (Fitch, 1994) Slaughterhouse Springs was considered to be connected to the Lemon Lane. There are occasional hits of PCBs during low flow, but future storm sampling is needed to determine if the PCB levels rise at Slaughterhouse during storm events.
There have been access issues associated with final fence placement, and they may have to be resolved through action by the EPA.
Viacom's Conduit Study is still underway, despite data related setbacks to the orgiinal theory (that pumping at LF6 will reduce PCB levels at ICS). Dye injection at LF6 shows a 6 hour lag for dye v. PCBs at ICS, indicating that LF6 (the southeast corner of the Landfill) is not the origin of the big PCB surges at ICS. This is why Viacom is now extending its range of testing, hoping to find a new spot where they can pump, possibly in Valhalla.
Charts showing PCB, water, and dye levels over time (Hard Copy at MCPL)
Viacom is moving ahead full steam, using an informed trial and error methodology. This type of research is not being done anywhere else, so there is no model to follow. The will be drilling and testing in new areas as their hope of finding a main conduit at the southeast corner
The EPA is working on a Status Report update for Lemon Lane, and it is organized for easy intepretation by the public.
ICS
At the Illinois Central Spring water treatment plant,
rainfall from August 2001 to June 2002 was 12.85 inches above normal. There has been no downtime in April/May, and the third roll-off box is to be sampled and sent for disposal next month. Here are the latest composite reports from IDEM.
During spring of 2002 some citizens and the EPA addressed an ongoing concern: PCB volatilization from spring water in treatment plant posing possible risk to treatment plant operators. In 2001 Tetra Tech's Ken Thieson had staged two 8-hour air sampling events inside treatment plant (Jul/Oct 01). Air sampling locations included the spring receiving sump and above the sludge thickener tanks (with the ventilation system shut down).
PCB results ranged from 0.541 to 43.71Fg/m3, while the OSHA PEL = 1.0 mg/m3 (1,000 ug/m3) Aroclor 1242] and
the NIOSH PEL = 0.001 mg/m3 or 1.0 Fg/m3
Results interpretation for 2001 initial testing:
treatment plant operators not at risk according to OSHA; however, more conservative NIOSH level was exceeded
Concerns regarding presence of PCBs and airborne exposure to nearby residents:
Earth Tech (plant O&M contractors) deem levels safe-no further action necessary
It was determined from these results however, that more refined sampling needed to occur, and EPA conducted a sampling event over 2-week period in Spring 2002 to encompass low-and high-flow spring water rates. There was high-volume (<200 m3) site perimeter sampling and low-volume (1-4 m3) personnel monitoring.
There were 4 site perimeter sampling locations:
Results
- 61 PUF samples collected in April 7 1999 & May 2
- Results ranged from 0.004 to 0.361 Fg/m3 PCBs for perimeter high-volume samples (24-hour sampling time)
- Results ranged from nondetect to 0.993 Fg/m3 for personnel monitoring samples (8-hour sampling time)
- ICS maximum spring receiving sump water flow rates ranged from 284.4 to 2,284 gpm
- All personnel samples collected resulted in concentrations below NIOSH Standard
- Nearby residents or persons visiting facility, including women would have no significant cancer or non-cancer health risks
PCB Air Risks at ICS
[EPA risks factors begin at 1 in 1,000,000]
| Area |
Air Level
(ug/M3 |
Hrs/Day
Exposure |
Cancer Risks |
Hazard Risk |
| Sump SRS |
0.185 |
2 |
2 in 1,000,000 |
0.16 |
| North |
0.022 |
2 |
4 in 10,000,000 |
0.02 |
| South 1 |
0.011 |
24 |
2 in 1,000,000 |
0.16 |
| South 2 |
0.013 |
24 |
2 in 1,000,000 |
0.19 |
| Background |
0.003 |
24 |
6 in 10,000,000 |
0.04 |
Winston-Thomas
The Longterm Groundwater Monitoring Plan has been approved, and it includes sampling at wells springs, and Clear Creek, as well as for water levels in Clear Creek (Gordon Pike).
Summary written by Mitch Rice from video tape of the meeting and the EPA Powerpoint presentation.
COPA
August 15, 2002
|
