[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 176 (Thursday, September 11, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 47784-47786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-23840]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 300
[FRL-5889-9]
National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan;
National Priorities List
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice of intent to delete the Northern Engraving Corporation
site from the national priorities list; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA)
Region V announces its intent to delete the Northern Engraving
Corporation Site (the 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 U.S. 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 by U.S. EPA, because it has been determined that
all responses under CERCLA have been implemented by the responsible
party and U.S. EPA, in consultation with the State of Wisconsin, has
determined that no further response is appropriate. Moreover, U.S. EPA
and the State have determined that remedial activities conducted at the
Site to date have been protective of public health, welfare, and the
environment.
DATES: Comments concerning the proposed deletion of the Site from the
NPL may be submitted on or before October 14, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to Gladys Beard, Associate Remedial
Project Manager, Superfund Division, U.S. EPA, Region V, 77 W. Jackson
Blvd. (SR-6J), Chicago, IL 60604. Comprehensive information on the site
is available at U.S. EPA's Region V office and at the local information
repository located at: Sparta Free Library, W. Main & Court Sts.,
Sparta, WI 54656.
Requests for comprehensive copies of documents should be directed
formally to the Region V Docket Office. The address and phone number
for the Regional Docket Officer is Jan Pfundheller (H-7J), U.S. EPA,
Region V, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604, (312) 353-5821.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gladys Beard (SR-6J), Associate
Remedial Project Manager, Superfund Division, U.S. EPA, Region V, 77 W.
Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604, (312) 886-7253 or Briana Bill (P-
19J), Office of Public Affairs, U.S. EPA, Region V, 77 W. Jackson
Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604, (312) 353-6646.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. NPL Deletion Criteria
III. Deletion Procedures
IV. Basis for Intended Site Deletion
I. Introduction
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region V announces
its intent to delete the Northern Engraving Corporation Site from the
National Priorities List (NPL), which constitutes Appendix B of the
National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP),
and requests comments on the proposed deletion. The EPA identifies
sites that appear to present a significant risk to public health,
welfare or the environment, and maintains the NPL as the list of those
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sites. Sites on the NPL may be the subject of remedial actions financed
by the Potentially Responsible Parties or the Hazardous Substance
Superfund 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 the conditions at the Site warrant such
action.
The U.S. EPA will accept comments on this proposal for thirty (30)
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 history of this site and explains
how the Site meets the deletion criteria.
Deletion of sites from the NPL does not itself create, alter, or
revoke any individual's rights or obligations. Furthermore, deletion
from the NPL does not in any way alter U.S. EPA's right to take
enforcement actions, as appropriate. The NPL is designed primarily for
informational purposes and to assist in Agency management.
II. NPL Deletion Criteria
The NCP establishes the criteria that the Agency uses to delete
sites from the NPL. In accordance with 40 CFR 300.425(e), sites may be
deleted from the NPL where no further response is appropriate. In
making this determination, U.S. 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 responses under CERCLA have been
implemented, and no further response action by responsible parties is
appropriate; or
(iii) The Remedial Investigation has shown that the release poses
no significant threat to public health or the environment and,
therefore, remedial measures are not appropriate.
III. Deletion Procedures
Upon determination that at least one of the criteria described in
300.425(e) has been met, U.S. EPA may formally begin deletion
procedures once the State has concurred. This Federal Register notice,
and a concurrent notice in the local newspaper in the vicinity of the
Site, announce the initiation of a 30-day comment period. The public is
asked to comment on U.S. EPA's intention to delete the Site from the
NPL. All critical documents needed to evaluate U.S. EPA's decision are
included in the information repository and the deletion docket.
Upon completion of the public comment period, if necessary, the
U.S. EPA Regional Office will prepare a Responsiveness Summary to
evaluate and address comments that were received. The public is welcome
to contact the U.S. EPA Region V Office to obtain a copy of this
responsiveness summary, if one is prepared. If U.S. EPA then determines
the deletion from the NPL is appropriate, final notice of deletion will
be published in the Federal Register.
IV. Basis for Intended Site Deletion
The Northern Engraving Corporation (NEC) Site (Site) is located in
Sparta, Wisconsin. Sparta is a rural community with a population of
6,800 approximately 25 miles east of LaCrosse. The NEC facility is
adjacent to residential and business areas and abuts the LaCrosse River
which forms the southern boundary of the Site. Domestic water is
supplied to most residences in the city through a public distribution
system. Production wells for this system are about 3/4 mile from the
Site and draw water from bedrock aquifer at depths from 105 to 260
feet. The closest private well is located approximately 1/4 mile from
the NEC facility. Private wells are completed in the bedrock aquifer.
The Site is presently the location of NEC manufacturing activities.
NEC produces metal name plates, dials, and decorative trim for the
automotive industry utilizing anodizing, chemical etching, and chromate
conversion coating processes. The Site was proposed for the Federal
National Priorities List (NPL) on September 8, 1983. The listing was
finalized on September 21, 1984.
Four areas on the NEC facility were identified as potential sources
of contamination. These areas include a sludge lagoon, a seepage pit, a
sludge dump site, and a lagoon drainage ditch. From 1968 to 1976 rinse
water from the plant, after treatment with sodium hydroxide, was
discharged to the lagoon where metal hydroxide solids were allowed to
settle before discharge of the effluent via the drainage ditch to a
storm runoff ditch. The treated effluent was then combined with the
City of Sparta's wastewater effluent prior to discharge into the
Lacrosse River. Accumulated sludge in the lagoon was on two occasions
excavated and disposed of on-site at what is referred to as the sludge
dump. The seepage pit was used to neutralize spent acid waste by
reaction with limestone.
A waste water treatment system was installed in 1976 which uses
above ground steel settling tanks. Waste previously treated in the
settling lagoon and in the seepage pit were combined and routed to the
treatment system. The lagoon was used for emergency storage of
untreated waste water until 1980 when a lined emergency holding lagoon
was put into service. In 1981 the seepage pit was filled, graded, and
revegetated.
A Remedial Investigation (RI) Report, that was dated May 1986
identified areas within the NEC facility where hazardous constituents
posed a potential threat to public health, welfare, and the
environment. Analysis of on-site groundwater showed elevated levels of
copper, fluoride, nickel, zinc, 1,1-dichloroethylene,
trichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride. Data indicated that the
contaminants moved with the groundwater toward the LaCrosse River where
the groundwater discharges to the river at the southern boundary of the
Site. Highest levels of these indicator parameters were detected down
gradient from and adjacent to the sludge lagoon and the seepage pit.
Surface soils were not contaminated except in the immediate vicinity of
the drainage ditch.
The Health and Endangerment Assessment (EA) dated February 1987,
analyzed a variety of exposure scenarios to quantify the risk to public
health, welfare and the environment. Exposures were based on potential
contact with contaminated sludge, soil and ingestion of groundwater.
Upper bound cancer risk for groundwater exceeds 10-E06. The upper bound
scenario represented consumption from the most highly contaminated
monitoring well. Risk was also established which exceeded acceptable
levels for exposure to sludge and soils through the worst case
scenarios.
A Feasibility Study (FS) was released for comment on August 27,
1987. The FS identified remedial alternatives which provide
minimization of long-term contact with contaminated soil and sludge and
prevent ingestion of contaminated groundwater. The remedial objectives
in the FS are listed below:
1. The remedial objectives to minimize contact with the sludge and
prevent contact with and use of groundwater downgradient to the
LaCrosse River are achieved by stabilizing the sludge, capping the
lagoon and monitoring the groundwater. The institutional control was
achievable because there are no downgradient
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groundwater users, no surface water impact attributable to the
discharge and the site is wholly owned by NEC.
2. The remedial objective to eliminate the potential for contact
with contaminated soil was achieved by placement of the excavated
drainage ditch soil in the sludge lagoon. The excavated area was
filled, graded, and vegetated.
3. The remedial objective to eliminate the potential for exposure
to buried contaminated soil was met by access restriction by NEC
ownership, since the area is already capped preventing casual exposure.
A restriction in the property deed prevents future development in the
seepage pit area.
4. The remedial objective to eliminate contact with buried sludge
and contaminated soil was achieved by excavation of the contaminated
materials and stabilization in the sludge lagoon. The dump site would
be backfilled with native soil following excavation to its former
grade.
No comments were received during the 30 day public comment period
beginning August 27, 1987. Although an opportunity for a public meeting
to discuss the remedy selection was provided, no interest in such a
meeting was expressed by the public.
On September 30, 1987, the Regional Administrator approved a Record
of Decision (ROD) which selected the following remedies:
A. Source Control. 1. Excavate and place contaminated materials
from the drainage ditch and sludge dump site in the sludge lagoon for
solidification.
2. All contaminated materials in the sludge lagoon would be
solidified, and the lagoon would be provided a RCRA soil waste cover
and monitored for proper closure.
3. Restrict access and apply deed restrictions to the seepage pit
property.
B. Management of Migration. Ground water contamination would be
regulated and monitored through the use of alternate concentration
limits (ACLs) to be applied downgradient of the sludge lagoon and the
seepage pit.
C. Operation and Maintenance. The cover over the sludge lagoon and
the seepage pit would be routinely inspected and monitored. Semi-annual
groundwater sampling and analyses at compliance monitoring wells would
be conducted.
Construction activities at the Site were performed by NEC in
accordance with the remedy selected in the September 30, 1987 ROD. The
Remedial Construction Activities started at the Site on June 6, 1988. A
Closeout Report was signed September 29, 1989, confirmatory sampling
verified that the ROD cleanup objectives have been achieved and all
cleanup actions specified in the ROD have been implemented.
In June, 1994, a Five-Year Review was conducted. The Five-Year
Review provided a basis for the Site deletion from the NPL. The report
states that remedial actions implemented at the Site continuously
remain protective of the public and the environment. Based on the
reported groundwater monitoring results, all the Site related chemicals
of concern are below the alternate concentration limits (ACLs).
EPA, with concurrence from the State of Wisconsin, has determined
that all appropriate responses under CERCLA at the Northern Engraving
Corporation Site have been completed by the responsible party, and no
further CERCLA response actions are appropriate in order to provide
protection of human health and environment. Therefore, EPA proposes to
delete the Site from the NPL.
Dated: August 29, 1997.
Michelle D. Jordan,
Acting Regional Administrator, U.S. EPA, Region V.
[FR Doc. 97-23840 Filed 9-10-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
