January 29, 2003

Tetra Tech EM Inc. Personnel: Greg Young
Earth Tech, Inc., Personnel: John Bassett
Reporting Period: November 25 through December 19, 2002

INTRODUCTION

As requested by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Tetra Tech EM Inc. (Tetra Tech), is conducting site visits and environmental sampling activities at the Neal's Landfill site in Bloomington, Indiana. Tetra Tech is performing this work for EPA under Contract No. 68-W6-0037, Work Assignments No. 943-RSBD-0539 and 944-ANLA-05ZZ, respectively. Tetra Tech was assisted in the field by its subcontractor, Earth Tech, Inc. (Earth Tech). Viacom, Inc. (Viacom), is the responsible party for the site. PSARA Technologies, Inc. (PSARA), is Viacom's consultant. This report summarizes Tetra Tech's and Earth Tech's activities at the Neal's Landfill site from November 25 through December 19, 2002.

This report discusses Tetra Tech's and Earth Tech's activities and observations as well as issues and developments and future activities at the site. Appendix A contains a photographic log of field activities, Appendix B contains a copy of Tetra Tech's and Earth Tech's field notes, and Appendix C contains a figure of Neal's Landfill survey locations observed during the reporting period.

ACTIVITIES AND OBSERVATIONS

Tetra Tech's and Earth Tech's activities and observations at the Neal's Landfill site from November 25 through December 19, 2002, are summarized below.

Monday, November 15, 2002

Earth Tech briefly visited the site and observed construction of the concrete pump vault portion of Viacom's recently proposed new spring flow collection system. PSARA was also present at the site overseeing vault construction. Pump vault construction consisted of pouring concrete inside plywood forms to construct the sides of the pump vault (see Photographs No. 1 and 2). The spring flow collection system is designed to collect spring flow from a network of new springs that have appeared at the headwaters of Conard's Branch located north and downstream of the Neal's Landfill site. Water collected by the system will be pumped from Conard's Branch to the inlet clarifier basin of the existing spring treatment facility currently operated by Viacom to capture site Groundwater emerging from the South Spring.

Friday, December 13, 2002

Tetra Tech and Earth Tech arrived at the Neal's Landfill site at 9:30 a.m. PSARA was at the site overseeing the construction of the new spring flow collection system at Conard's Branch. The collection system consists of a concrete weir with inlet piping (see Photograph No. 3), a concrete pump vault (see Photograph No. 4), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) piping connecting the clarifier inlet pipes to the pumps (see Photograph No. 5). PSARA reported that the collection system would be fully operational on Wednesday, December 18, 2002.

At 9:45 a.m., Tetra Tech collected one low-flow (nonstorm) surface water sample from South Spring (see Photograph No. 6). The sample was packed by Tetra Tech and shipped by overnight courier to TriMatrix Laboratories, Inc. (TriMatrix), in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOC) using SW-846 EPA Method 8260. Pending receipt of the TriMatrix data package, the validated sample analytical results will be presented to EPA under separate cover.

Tetra Tech observed a gauge reading on the Conard's Branch weir of 0.13 foot, which corresponds to a flow rate of about 12 gallons per minute (gpm). Tetra Tech and Earth Tech left the site at 9:55 a.m.

Earth Tech arrived at the site at 10:00 a.m. to examine properties surrounding Neal's Landfill for possible future dye trace test injection points, such as sinkholes or swallets. Viacom was present at the site.

The first location observed was the Sarber residence, south of State Route 48 across from the Neal's Landfill entrance gate. No one was present at the residence. A trash-filled feature was observed in a valley south of the house. Because of the amount of trash, it could not be determined if the feature was a swallet or cave. This feature is identified as location 4 in the Appendix C figure. A sinkhole was also observed in the valley upstream of the trash-filled feature. The sinkhole was not observed in detail because of a "No Trespassing" sign posted on a nearby tree. Earth Tech left a business card and telephone number at the Sarber residence.

Earth Tech and Viacom visited a residence located on the south side of State Route 48 east of the landfill entrance on top of the adjacent hill. No one was present at the residence; no business card was left. The Hamilton residence at the southeast comer of State Route 48 and Cave Road, which intersects State Route 48 about 3,000 feet east of the Neal's Landfill entrance gate, was not visited; the owner had not responded to telephone messages left by Viacom.

Earth Tech and Viacom then visited a residence located on the north side of Holland Hill Road about 1,300 feet west of Cave Road. No one was present at the residence, but a neighbor indicated that Mr. Mike Bryant owned the residence. A sinkhole was observed in the yard of the residence (see Photograph No. 7). This sinkhole is identified as location 1 in the Appendix C figure.

Earth Tech and Viacom left a business card at a residence immediately north of State Route 48 and Cave Road; the address of this residence is not known. An 8-foot-diameter sinkhole was observed across the street from residences located at 531 and 577 Cave Road (see Photograph No. 8); this sinkhole is on the Hamilton property. This feature is shown as location 2 in the Appendix C figure.

Earth Tech and Viacom visited the Waggoner residence located on Holland Hill Road about 3,000 feet east of Cave Road. The property owner showed Earth Tech and Viacom several sinkholes on the west side of the property (see Photograph No. 9). The largest sinkhole was about 50 feet in diameter and 15 to 20 feet deep. This feature is shown as location 3 in the Appendix C figure.

Earth Tech and Viacom left the site at 11:30 a.m.

Earth Tech arrived at the site at 12:50 p.m. to collect one treatment plant effluent sample and one storm surface water sample from the South Spring. Steady rain had fallen for the previous 3 to 4 hours in addition to about 0.8 inch of rainfall the previous evening.

At 12:55 p.m., Earth Tech collected the treatment plant effluent sample from the rip-rap located below the Conard's Branch weir. The weir stage was 0.61 foot, corresponding to a flow rate of about 565 8pm. At 1:15 p.m., Earth Tech collected the storm flow sample from the South Spring from the same location as the nonstorm sample collected on December 13, 2002. Both the effluent and South Spring storm samples were packed by Earth Tech and shipped by overnight courier to TriMatrix for VOC analysis using SW-846 EPA Method 8260. Pending receipt of the TriMatrix data package, the validated sample analytical results will be presented under separate cover to EPA. Earth Tech also observed the new spring collection system in operation (see Photograph No. 10). The system appeared to be functioning properly.

At 1:20 p.m., the Conard's Branch weir read 0.64 foot, corresponding to a flow rate of about 637 8pm. These readings indicate that the Conard's Branch flow was increasing during the sampling event. Earth Tech also observed flow emerging from Overflow Springs 0, 1, 2, and 3, and a slight amount of flow emerging from Overflow Spring 4. The overflow springs are located downstream of Neal's Landfill and just upstream of Conard's Branch and South Spring. Earth Tech left the site at 1:30 p.m.

ISSUES AND DEVELOPMENTS

Sample analytical results for the three water samples collected during the reporting period will be presented under separate cover to EPA. The analytical results will include a data validation summary.

The construction plan for the new spring collection system was presented in correspondence from Viacom dated November 13, 2002. Several deviations from the plan were observed. The plan calls for the pump vault to measure 8 by 8 feet, but according to PSARA, the vault was constructed larger than proposed; however, the exact dimensions of the pump vault were not measured during the site visits. In addition, the construction plan calls for four pumps in the collection system; however, Tetra Tech observed that the system used only two pumps (see Photograph No. 4). Finally, the plan calls for the check valves to be on the discharge side of the pumps leading to the spring treatment facility, but Tetra Tech observed the check valves were installed on the inlet side of the pumps. These deviations should not affect the spring collection system operation originally proposed by Viacom.

FUTURE ACTIVITIES

As directed by EPA, Tetra Tech will conduct future site visits and environmental sampling activities at the Neal's Landfill site.