[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 121 (Friday, June 24, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-15309]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: June 24, 1994]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 300
[FRL-4998-4]
National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan;
National Priorities List
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice of intent to delete the North U Drive Well Contamination
Site from the National Priorities List: request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 announces
its intent to delete the North U Drive Well Contamination Site from the
National Priorities List (NPL) and requests public comment on this
action. The NPL constitutes Appendix B of 40 CFR part 300 which is the
National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP),
which EPA promulgated pursuant to section 105 of the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980
(CERCLA), as amended. This action is being taken because EPA and the
Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) have determined that
the contaminant releases do not pose a significant threat to human
health, welfare, or the environment. Therefore, no further response
action is appropriate.
DATES: Comments concerning this site may be submitted on or before July
25, 1994.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to: Steve Sturgess, Missouri
Department of Natural Resources, Hazardous Waste Program, Superfund
Section, P.O. Box 176 Jefferson City, Missouri 65102.
Additional Information: Comprehensive information on this site is
available for public review at the Missouri Department of Natural
Resources (MDNR) Hazardous Waste Program File Room (205 Jefferson
Street) in Jefferson City, Missouri; at EPA Region 7 Waste Management
Division Records Center, 726 Minnesota Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas; and
at the Kearney Branch Library, 630 W. Kearney, Springfield, Missouri
65801.
To obtain copies of documents in the public docket contact: Barry
Thierer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region VII, 726
Minnesota Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas 66101, (913) 551-7515.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Sturgess, Missouri Department of
Natural Resources, Hazardous Waste Program, Superfund Section, P. O.
Box 176, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102, (314) 751-1807.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. NPL Deletion Criteria
III. Deletion Procedures
IV. Basis for Intended Site Deletion
I. Introduction
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 7 announces its
intent to delete the North U Drive Well Contamination site, Greene
County, Missouri, from the National Priorities List (NPL), appendix B
of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan
(NCP), 40 CFR part 300, as amended, and requests comments on this
proposed deletion. Pursuant to the requirements of the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, as amended
(CERCLA) and the NCP, the EPA collects data and evaluates releases of
hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants to identify sites that
present a threat to public health, welfare or the environment. The NPL
is a list of priority releases for long-term remedial evaluation and
response. Sites included on the NPL may be the subject of remedial
actions financed by the Hazardous Substances Response Trust Fund
(Fund). Pursuant to Sec. 300.425(e)(3) of the NCP, any site deleted
from the NPL remains eligible for Fund-financed remedial actions if
conditions at the site warrant such action.
The EPA, in consultation with Missouri Department of Natural
Resources (MDNR), will accept comments on the proposed deletion of the
North U Drive Well Contamination site from the NPL for thirty days
after publication of this notice in the Federal Register.
Section II of this notice explains the criteria for deleting sites
from the NPL. Section III discusses procedures that EPA is using for
this action. Section IV discusses the North U Drive Well Contamination
site and explains how the site meets the deletion criteria.
II. NPL Deletion Criteria
Section 300.425(e) of the NCP sets forth the criteria that EPA uses
to delete sites from the NPL. Sites may be deleted from the NPL where
no further response is appropriate. In making this determination, EPA
will consider, in consultation with the State, whether any of the
following criteria have been met:
(i) Responsible parties or other persons have implemented all
appropriate response actions required; or
(ii) All appropriate Fund-financed response under CERCLA has been
implemented and no further response action by responsible parties is
appropriate; or
(iii) The remedial investigation has determined that the release
poses no significant threat to public health or the environment; and
therefore, taking of remedial measures is not appropriate.
III. Deletion Procedures
The EPA Region 7 will accept and evaluate public comments on its
proposal to delete the site from the NPL before making a final
decision. The Agency believes that deletion procedures should focus on
notice and comment at the local level. Comments from the local
community are often the most pertinent to deletion decisions. The
following procedures were used for the intended deletion of this site:
1. The EPA Region 7 has recommended deletion and in conjunction
with the State of Missouri has prepared the relevant documents.
2. The State of Missouri has concurred with the proposed deletion
decision.
3. Concurrent with this National Notice of Intent to Delete, a
local notice has been published in a major local newspaper of general
circulation at or near the site and has been distributed to appropriate
federal, state and local officials and other interested parties. The
local notice announces a thirty (30) day public comment period on the
deletion package, which starts June 24, 1994 and will conclude on July
25, 1994.
4. The Region has made all information supporting the proposed
deletion available for public inspection and copying in the EPA
Regional Office, MDNR and a local site information repository (Kearney
Branch Library).
5. The EPA, in consultation with MDNR, will respond to each
significant comment and all significant new data submitted during the
comment period and will include this response document (Responsiveness
Summary) in the final deletion package.
6. A deletion occurs after the EPA Regional Administrator places a
final notice of deletion in the Federal Register. The final deletion
package will be placed in the local information repository once the
notice of final deletion has been published in the Federal Register.
The NPL will reflect any deletions in the next final update.
IV. Basis for Intended Site Deletion
The following summary provides the Agency's rationale for
recommending deletion of the North U Drive Well Contamination site,
Greene County, Missouri, from the NPL.
The North U Drive Well Contamination site is located approximately
1.25 miles north of Springfield, Greene County, Missouri. Land use
adjacent to the site is mostly residential, woodlands, manufacturing
and commercial businesses.
In 1983, the residents near the North U Drive Well Contamination
site became concerned over the taste of their water. When MDNR
investigated, it was discovered that twelve wells were contaminated.
Sampling by MDNR identified benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene,
and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) as the primary contaminants in
the groundwater. These compounds are constituents of gasoline. MTBE is
used as an additive in gasoline, and was not commercially available
until 1979.
Water lines were installed in 1985 to provide Springfield city
water to all affected residents. In addition, 62 wells were plugged to
control the spread of contamination and to prevent residents from
drinking contaminated water.
The North U Drive site was placed on the National Priorities List
in 1985 and a Remedial Investigation (RI) was performed by MDNR. The RI
included sampling of site soil, sediments, air, ground water and
surface water. Dye trace studies were also conducted as part of the RI.
The RI concluded that the original contamination at the site was
related to a release of gasoline. The RI identified three main
contaminants--petroleum-related contaminants, metals and non-petroleum-
related organic contaminants.
Petroleum-related contaminants, the original contaminants of
concern, decreased significantly in concentration between the time of
site discovery and the remedial investigation. In many areas
contaminant concentrations dropped below detection limits. The site is
situated in a karst region, and dye traces documented very rapid ground
water flow rates. The reduction in petroleum-related contaminant
concentrations may be a result of the relatively rapid discharge of
these light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) contaminants through the
karst system.
Metals were not included as contaminants of concern at the site at
the time the site was listed on the NPL. During the RI, however, it
became apparent that metal concentrations were elevated in some water
samples.
The RI concluded that this was a natural phenomenon. First, no
evidence exists to suggest a release of metals has occurred at the
site, and the types of metals found are inconsistent with industrial/
commercial activities at the site. Metals in groundwater samples were
found to correlate with turbidity, indicating a natural phenomenon.
A variety of non-petroleum-related organic contaminants were
identified during the RI, but none are considered to be of significant
concern. Most of these contaminants were found in very low
concentrations in isolated soil samples. This suggests the contaminants
are not related to a significant release, but are a result of small-
scale, localized surface releases. The site risk assessment did not
identify any significant risks associated with non-petroleum-related
organic contaminants.
Past releases of contaminants at this site do not appear to present
a current or future threat to the environment. Throughout the history
of the site, the only significant contamination was found in the
groundwater. All area residents were supplied with a permanent
alternative water source so that private wells are no longer used for
drinking. Furthermore, concentrations of contaminants in groundwater
dropped dramatically between the time of site discovery and the RI,
indicating that natural processes are attenuating contaminant levels.
Additionally, risks posed by all manmade contaminants at this site,
including petroleum contaminants, do not warrant further cleanup.
Community relations activities have included issuance of fact
sheets and public meetings at various phases of the project in order to
keep the public informed of ongoing activities.
Therefore, EPA, with concurrence of the State of Missouri, has
determined that the North U Drive site poses no significant threat to
public health and the environment, and therefore, taking of further
remedial measures is not appropriate.
Dated: May 27, 1994.
Dennis Grams,
Regional Administrator, Region VII.
[FR Doc. 94-15309 Filed 6-23-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
