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Olin Chemical Superfund Site Public Meeting

October 19, 2009AGENDA

• Welcome/Opening Remarks – Michael Newhouse, Board of Selectmen– Introductions

• Olin Chemical Site Overview - Jim DiLorenzo, US EPA Project Manager– Brief History – Superfund Process– Remedial Investigation

• WERC (Wilmington Environmental Restoration Committee) – Martha Stevenson– Update

• Public Participation - Sarah White, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator– Site documents– Community Relations Plan

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Olin Chemical Superfund Site

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October 1952 (Pre-Development)

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1963 National Polychemicals, Inc.

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1967National Polychemicals, Inc.

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Operational History

• 1953 to 1986 – Manufactured specialty chemicals for the rubber/plastics industry.

• 1953 to mid-1960s - Liquid wastes discharged to unlined pits and Lake Poly.

• Late-1960s – Treated liquid wastes discharged to lined lagoons and municipal sewer.

• 1975 to 1986 - Sludges periodically excavated from lined lagoons and created calcium sulfate landfill.

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State DEP Studies• Numerous studies from the late 1980s to 2005.

– 500+ soil samples.

– 100+ sediment samples.

– Hundreds of surface water samples.

– Thousands of groundwater samples from 120+ monitoring wells.

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State DEP Studies Result

Contaminants identified to date with the most frequency by media include; – Soil: chromium, trimethylpentenes, Opex,

Kempore, BEHP, NDPA, calcium, sulfate, sodium and ammonia

– Sediment: chromium and BEHP– Surface Water: chromium, aluminum, sulfate,

ammonia and NDMA– Groundwater: chromium, aluminum, sulfate,

trimethylpentenes, BEHP, NDPA and NDMA

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Completed Clean-ups

• Removed manufactured wastes including tanks and drums.

• Excavated sludge from former lagoons, pits, Lake Poly, and drainage ditches.

• Capped the calcium sulfate landfill.

• Constructed Plant B for product recovery.

• Constructed slurry wall/temporary cap.

• Created conservation area.

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Why More Studies

• DEP studies focused on source areas.• Numerous data gaps (spatial and analytes).• Superfund is a “risk-based” clean-up program.• Must consider:

– All impacted areas & media– All potential chemicals– Community acceptance– Remedial technologies– Enforcement/$

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EPA/PRP Settlement• Approved by EPA on June 28, 2007.

– AOC: legal requirements.– RI/FS SOW: technical requirements.

• 3 Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs):– Olin Corporation (owned 1980 to current)

– American Biltrite, Inc. (owned prior to 1968)

– Stepan Company (owned 1968 to 1980)

• Requires PRPs to perform the study. • Requires PRPs to pay for EPA oversight.• This is not an agreement to clean-up the Site.

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Key Superfund Reports

1. Interim Response Steps Work Plan (August 2007)

– Proposal for Plant B, slurry wall/cap and DAPL pilot.

2. Focused Remedial Investigation Report (Oct. 2007)

– Compilation of existing data, evaluations and risk assessments.

3. Semi-Annual Status Reports (4 completed to date)

– Summary of data and evaluations each July/January.

4. **RI/FS Work Plan (August 2009)

– Proposal for Superfund investigations.

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RI/FS Work Plan Components

1. Remedial Investigation ←– Comprehensive site characterization– Human health and ecological risk assessments

2. Feasibility Study– Evaluate remedial technologies– Compare alternatives

• Proposed Cleanup Plan• Record of Decision • Remedial Design/Action

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Olin Site Current Study Area

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Target Analyte List242 chemicals

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Soil Samples

• Gaps – Analytical and spatial

• Single event

• 134 surface soil (0 – 1ft)

• 77 borings for soil (1ft to rock)

• Up to 242 analysis/sample

• Locations selected based on existing data, facility layout, potential exposure areas and spatial coverage.

• Completed in September

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Surface Water/Sediment Samples

• Gaps – Age of data and analytical• High and low flow events• Three areas of study

1. On-property• Upper South Ditch

2. Maple Meadow Brook• MMB and Sawmill

3. Nearby drainage areas• West Ditch• East Ditch/New Boston• North Pond• Landfill Brook

4. 24 sample locations/pairs5. Temperature profiling6. Up to 242 analysis/sample

Upper South Ditch Samples

5 sample locations

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East and West Ditch Drainage Areas

Maple Meadow Brook Drainage Area

11 sample locations

8 sample locations

+ Pending North Pond

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Groundwater Samples

• Private wells

• Gaps – Plume edges and analytical

• 207 existing monitoring wells

• 15 – 20 new wells to be installed

• Two sampling events planned

• 189 samples in the 1st event

• Up to 242 analysis/sample

Pre-Superfund plume

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Private Wells

• Two areas with wells• MMB/Butters Row Road• Cook/Burnham/Border

• Sampled in Fall 2008• Total of 11 wells • NDMA detected in two wells on Cook Ave. in the low part per trillion range• No unacceptable risk

• No restrictions on use• Continue active testing

• Take action if levels rise• New monitoring well

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NDMA in Groundwater

• N-nitrosodimethylamine

• Class B2 carcinogen

• Most common use was rocket fuel

• Byproduct of chlorination

• At Olin, byproduct formed in the aquifer from chemicals such as hydrazine and formaldehyde

• EPA priority pollutant and emerging contaminant of concern

• No federal or state standards

• Not common in Superfund

• Toxic in the part per trillion range

• Detected in town wells in 2003

• Most toxic and mobile compound

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Dense Aqueous-Phase Liquid (DAPL)

• Pooled in 4 valleys• Estimated to be 25 million gallons• Pending pilot pump test

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Other Activities

• Plant B continues to operate

• Monitoring of the slurry wall/containment area continues

• Status reports to EPA twice a year

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Schedule

• Soil sampling is done.• Surface water and sediment sampling this

fall and spring 2010.• New wells installed this fall. Groundwater

testing in the spring and fall 2010.• Data evaluations, risk assessments and

supplemental field work into 2011.• Proposed cleanup plans in 2012 and/or

2013.

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WILMINGTON ENVIRONMENTAL

RESTORATION COMMITTEE

(WERC)

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Community Involvement

• Informational meetings and fact sheets• Public hearings on proposed plans• Wilmington Town officials - Geoinsight• Wilmington Environmental Restoration Committee –

WERC – Cambridge Environmental• EPA web – www.epa.gov/region1/superfund/sites/olin• Contacts:

• Sarah White (EPA Community Relations Coordinator)(617) 918-1026white.sarah@epa.gov

• Jim DiLorenzo (EPA Project Manager)(617) 918-1247dilorenzo.jim@epa.gov

• Joe Coyne (MassDEP Project Manager)(617) 348-4066Joseph.Coyne@state.ma.us