[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 180 (Monday, September 16, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 48657-48659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-23518]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 300
[FRL-5608-3]
National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan;
National Priorities List
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Delete the Twin Cities Air Force Reserve
Base, Small Arms Range Landfill, Minneapolis-St. Paul International
Airport Site, from the National Priorities List.
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SUMMARY: The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA),
Region 5, announces its intent to delete the Twin Cities Air Force
Reserve Base, Small Arms Range Landfill, Minneapolis-St. Paul
International Airport Site (SARL), from the National Priorities List
(NPL) and requests public comment on this proposed 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 (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended.
U.S. EPA and the State of Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)
have determined that the SARL poses no significant threat to public
health or the environment and, therefore, further remedial measures
pursuant to CERCLA are not appropriate.
DATES: Comments concerning the proposed deletion of the SARL from the
NPL must be submitted on or before October 16, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to: Thomas Bloom, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Region 5, Mail Code SR-6J, 77 West Jackson
Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60604. Comprehensive information on the SARL is
available for viewing through the site information repositories at the
following locations: Southdale Public Library, 7001 York Avenue South,
Edina, MN 55435 934th Air Wing/Public Affairs Office, 760 Military
Highway, Minneapolis-St. Paul IAP Air Reserve Station, MN 55450-2000
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Bloom, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Region 5, Mail Code SR-6J, 77 West Jackson
Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60604, (312) 886-1967
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. NPL Deletion Criteria
III. Deletion Procedures
IV. Basis for Intended Site Deletion
V. Conclusion
I. Introduction
The U.S. EPA, Region 5 announces its intent to delete the Twin
Cities Air Force Reserve Base, Small Arms Range Landfill (SARL) from
the National Priorities List (NPL), Appendix B of National Oil and
Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), 40 CFR Part 300,
and requests comments on this deletion. U.S. 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 these sites. As
described in Sec. 300.425(e)(3) of the NCP, sites deleted from the NPL
remain eligible for remedial actions in the unlikely event that
conditions at the site warrant such action.
[[Page 48658]]
The U.S. EPA will accept comments on the proposal to delete the
SARL for thirty days after publication of this document in the Federal
Register.
II. NPL Deletion Criteria
Section 300.425(e) of the NCP provides that releases may be deleted
from, or recategorized on the NPL where no further response is
appropriate. U.S. EPA, in consultation with the State of Minnesota, has
concluded that the Site meets the following criteria for site deletion:
(i) Responsible parties or other parties have implemented all
appropriate response actions required; and
(ii) All appropriate response under CERCLA has been implemented,
and no further action by responsible parties is appropriate.
Even if a site is deleted from the NPL, where hazardous substances
remain at the site above levels that allow for unlimited use and
unrestricted exposure, U.S. EPA's policy is that a subsequent review of
the site will be conducted at least every five years after the
initiation of the remedial action at the site. If new information
becomes available which indicates a need for further action, U.S. EPA
may initiate remedial actions. Whenever there is significant release
from a site deleted from the NPL, the site may be restored to the NPL
without the application of the Hazardous Ranking System.
III. Deletion Procedures
The following procedures were used for the intended deletion of the
SARL: (1) U.S. EPA, Region 5 issued a Record Of Decision (ROD) which
addressed the site conditions, quality assurance and control during
construction, and technical criteria for satisfying the completion
requirements; (2) a notice has been published in the local newspaper
and has been distributed to appropriate federal, state, and local
officials announcing the commencement of a 30-day public comment period
on U.S. EPA's Notice of Intent to Delete; (3) All relevant documents
have been made available for public review in the local site
information repositories; and MPCA has concurred with the proposed
deletion decision.
Deletion of the SARL from the NPL does not itself create, alter, or
revoke any individual's rights or obligations. The NPL is designed
primarily for information purposes and to assist Agency management. As
mentioned in Section VI of this document, Sec. 300.425(e)(3) of the NCP
states that deletion of a site from the NPL does not preclude
eligibility for future response actions.
For deletion of the SARL, U.S. EPA's Regional Office will accept
and evaluate public comments of U.S. EPA's Notice of Intent to Delete
before making a final decision to delete. If necessary, the Agency will
prepare a Responsiveness Summary to address any significant public
comments received.
A deletion occurs when the Regional Administrator places a final
action in the Federal Register. Generally, the NPL will reflect
deletions in the final update following the Notice. Public notices and
copies of the Responsiveness Summary will be made available to local
residents by the Regional office.
IV. Basis for Intended Site Deletion
The following site summary is the Agency's rationale for the
proposal to delete Twin Cities Air Force Reserve Base, SARL, from the
NPL.
The SARL is a 2 acre landfill located southeast of the Minneapolis-
St. Paul International Airport in Hennepin County, Minneapolis, MN. The
SARL is bounded on the south by Interstate Highway 494, on the south
and east by the Minnesota River and Fort Snelling State Park, and on
the west and north by Minnesota Highway 5, Fort Snelling Military
Reservation, and the airport.
There are no residential areas within one mile of the SARL. The
SARL is within the 100-year flood plain of the Minnesota River. The
last flooding event occurred in 1993.
The SARL was used as a landfill by the USAFR from 1963 to 1972.
General base refuse and industrial wastes formed the majority of the
material disposed of in the landfill. Industrial wastes included
approximately 100 gallons of painting waste sludge, 800 pounds of paint
filters, and 100 to 200 gallons of sludge from leaded aviation gasoline
(AVGAS). The SARL was closed in 1972 and covered with approximately six
inches to one foot of native soil. In 1983, the Minnesota Department of
Transportation (MNDOT) completed construction of a stormwater retention
and settling pond in the area immediately east of the landfill. The
SARL was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1987.
The Twin Cities Air Force Reserve Base, Minneapolis-St. Paul
International Airport, was listed on the Minnesota Permanent List of
Priorities (PLP) in November 1986. The SARL is one of fourteen areas of
concern on the Twin Cities Air Force Reserve Base. Currently, response
actions have been completed at ten of the fourteen areas of concern.
Although MPCA concurs with the U.S. EPA's decision to delete the SARL
from the NPL, MPCA does not intend to delete the Twin Cities Air Force
Reserve Base from the PLP, until environmental concerns in the three
remaining areas of concern are addressed.
The SARL was first identified as a possible hazardous waste site
after the Phase I Installation Restoration Program (IRP) investigations
were conducted in 1983. Results of preliminary investigations conducted
in 1986, indicated that contaminated groundwater was present and
possibly migrating from the SARL. The SARL was placed on the NPL
because of a suspected release to the groundwater based on the
preliminary investigations.
In 1988 and 1989, a Remedial Investigation (RI) was conducted to
confirm the suspected release, further characterize the site, preform a
baseline risk assessment and obtain data necessary for evaluation of
remedial alternatives. Results concluded that inorganic contaminants
(arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, lead, nickel, selenium, and vanadium)
were present in groundwater at levels exceeding the Safe Drinking Water
Act (SDWA), Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs), and State of Minnesota
groundwater standards.
Under the current risk scenario, human health risks due to
carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic contaminants were found to exist in
the range considered acceptable to the U.S. EPA and MPCA. Under the
future use risk scenario elevated carcinogenic risk and an increased
non-carcinogenic risk from ingestion of soil and groundwater was
indicated. However, because groundwater is not a current source of
drinking water and is not expected to be in the future, potential
future risks are considered to be acceptable.
Investigation results of surface water and stormwater runoff
indicate that surface water and stormwater are not being effected by
site conditions. Therefore, there is no risk to human health and the
environment due to surface water and stormwater runoff.
A Feasibility Study (FS) was completed June 1991. An array of
remedial alternatives which addressed the two remedial objectives were
developed. The remedial objectives are to prevent risks to humans and
environmental receptors through contact with landfill components; and
to prevent risks to humans and environmental receptors from
contaminants in groundwater. Remedial alternatives were evaluated based
nine criteria: effectiveness in protecting human health and the
environment; compliance with federal and state environmental
regulations; short and long-term effectiveness; permanence; reduction
of toxicity, mobility, and
[[Page 48659]]
volume; implementability; cost; State and community acceptance.
A Record of Decision (ROD) was signed on March 31, 1992, by U.S.
EPA Regional Administrator, which selected Natural Attenuation,
Maintenance, Site Access Restrictions, and Groundwater and Surface
Water Monitoring. The MPCA concurred with the remedy selected in the
ROD. The ROD concluded that due to site environmental characteristics,
natural attenuation of low level contamination would occur through
adsorption, biodegradation, physical/chemical degradation and
dispersion. Groundwater and surface water monitoring were necessary to
assess the quality of groundwater and surface water immediately
downgradient from the landfill and evaluate the effectiveness of
natural attenuation. Access restrictions and site maintenance were
included to achieve the remedial objective of protecting human health
and the environment from contact with landfill components.
Construction of the fence was completed on September 21, 1992. The
Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) for monitoring the SARL groundwater
and surface water and installation of one monitoring well were
completed by September 1992.
Groundwater and surface water monitoring was conducted every two
months during 1993. A revised monitoring schedule of quarterly
monitoring was approved and implemented in 1994. Groundwater and
surface water monitoring results, and a review of all data collected
during the history of the SARL, confirm that natural attenuation has
proven to be an effective remedial action at the site. Site access
restrictions (fence) and site maintenance have proven effective in
protecting human health and the environment from contact with landfill
components.
The RI report was presented to the community in July 1990. The FS
report and Proposed Plan were presented to the community in August
1991. These documents were available for public comment through the
administrative record in two information repositories. The information
repositories are maintained at the Southdale Public Library, Edina, MN,
and at the Public Affairs Office located at the Minneapolis-St. Paul
IAP Air Reserve Station.
A public meeting to explain the proposed remedial action was held
on September 5, 1991. Representatives from the USAFR, U.S. EPA and MPCA
answered questions about remedial activities at the site. One member of
the community attended. One comment was received from the MPCA public
affairs officer regarding improvement of the USAFR community relations
program. A Responsiveness Summary addressing the comment is attached to
the ROD.
In 1994, USAFR re-initiated community relation activities for the
purpose of forming a Restoration Advisory Board (RAB). The RAB was to
consist of USAFR, U.S. EPA, MPCA, Technical Review Committee (TRC)
members and the surrounding community. The purpose of the RAB is to
enhance community relations at Department of Defense sites.
Notice of formation of the RAB was placed in local newspapers and
flyers were sent out to the local community inviting community
participation. At that time, there was no response from the community.
Newspaper notices inviting community participation have been issued
annually. Presently, there has been no response from the community.
How Twin Cities Reserve Air Force Base--SARL Meets NPL Deletion
Criteria
Section 300.425(e) of the NCP provides that releases may be deleted
from, or recategorized on the NPL where no further response is
appropriate. U.S. EPA, in consultation with the State of Minnesota, has
concluded that the Twin Cities Air Force Reserve Base, Small Arms Range
Landfill, meets the following criteria for site deletion:
(i) Responsible parties or other parties have implemented all
appropriate response actions required; and
(ii) All appropriate response under CERCLA has been implemented,
and no further action by responsible parties is appropriate.
State Concurrence To Delete Twin Cities Reserve Air Force Base--SARL
The State of Minnesota concurred with the deletion of the SARL by
letter dated August 28, 1996. U.S. EPA, in consultation with the State
of Minnesota, has concluded that the SARL meets the following criteria
for site deletion: (1) U.S. EPA and the State of Minnesota have
implemented all appropriate response actions required; (2) All
appropriate response under CERCLA has been implemented; and (3) the
confirmation sampling conducted as follow up to the recommendations in
the SARL 1994 Annual Report, verifies that the SARL poses no
significant threat to public health or the environment and, therefore,
taking of further remedial measures is not appropriate. U.S. EPA and
the State of Minnesota believe that the above listed criterions for
deletion have been met.
Subsequently, U.S. EPA is proposing deletion of the Twin Cities
Reserve Air Force Base--SARL from the NPL. Documents supporting this
action are available at the local information repositories.
V. Conclusion
U.S. EPA has determined that all appropriate Fund-financed
responses under CERCLA at the Twin Cities Air Force Reserve Base, Small
Arms Range Landfill, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport site
have been completed, and no further Superfund response is appropriate
in order to provide protection of human health and the environment.
Therefore, it is proposed that the SARL be deleted from the NPL.
Dated: August 29, 1996.
Jo Lynn Traub,
Acting Regional Administrator, U.S. EPA, Region V.
[FR Doc. 96-23518 Filed 9-13-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
