COLORADO LINCOLN PARK NEWS - US Environmental … · 2014, EPA, CDPHE and Cotter ... Cotter, EPA...
6
LINCOLN PARK NEWS What is Superfund? Superfund is EPA’s program for cleaning up some of America’s most contaminated land and responding to environmental emergencies, oil spills and natural disasters. In This Issue Lincoln Park Site Background Annual Meeting Recap Site Update & Activities New Member Info How to Get Involved Lincoln Park Superfund Site: What is it? The Lincoln Park/Cotter Mill Superfund site consists of a former uranium processing mill located adjacent to the community of Lincoln Park. The mill started operating in 1958. Cotter Corporation (Cotter) produced yellowcake, a uranium product. Historic mill operations and disposal practices released radioactive and metal contamination into the environment. These releases contaminated soils and groundwater around the mill, Sand Creek, and the Lincoln Park area. Waste products are now stored in two lined impoundments on the site. What’s being done to help? Cotter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) are working together to clean up the Lincoln Park Superfund site. In July 2014, EPA, CDPHE and Cotter signed an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) to begin the remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/ FS) for the site. The 2016 activities included assembling existing information for the RI/FS, finalizing the Quality Management Plan (QMP) and compiling the Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP). The Quality Management Plan is now final and outlines how Cotter will meet future requirements to administer the QAPP. The QAPP, along with the Data Summary Technical Assessment, and the Draft Remedial Investigation Report are expected to be finalized in 2017. Why am I receiving this newsletter? You are receiving this newsletter because you live near the Lincoln Park Superfund site. EPA wants to make sure that anyone who might be affected by activities at the site is aware of what’s going on, and knows who to call with any questions. Let’s help reduce paper This year we’ve added website links for those would like to know more details. To receive an electronic copy of this newsletter please visit the CDPHE website. To be added to our electronic distribution list email Warren Smith at [email protected]. To continue receiving paper updates, call Jasmin Guerra at (303) 312-6508 to be added to the mailing list. Community Newsletter — Fremont County April 2017 COLORADO Department of Public Health & Environment &EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency
Transcript of COLORADO LINCOLN PARK NEWS - US Environmental … · 2014, EPA, CDPHE and Cotter ... Cotter, EPA...
LINCOLN PARK NEWS
What is Superfund?
Superfund is
EPA’s program
for cleaning up
some of
America’s most
contaminated
land and
responding to
environmental
emergencies, oil
spills and natural
disasters.
In This Issue
Lincoln Park Site Background
Annual Meeting Recap
Site Update & Activities
New Member Info
How to Get Involved
Lincoln Park Superfund Site: What is it? The Lincoln Park/Cotter Mill Superfund site consists of a former uranium processing mill located adjacent to the community of Lincoln Park. The mill started operating in 1958. Cotter Corporation (Cotter) produced yellowcake, a uranium product. Historic mill operations and disposal practices released radioactive and metal contamination into the environment. These releases contaminated soils and groundwater around the mill, Sand Creek, and the Lincoln Park area. Waste products are now stored in two lined impoundments on the site.
What’s being done to help?
Cotter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) are working together to clean up the Lincoln Park Superfund site. In July 2014, EPA, CDPHE and Cotter signed an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) to begin the remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) for the site. The 2016 activities included assembling existing information for the RI/FS, finalizing the Quality Management Plan (QMP) and compiling the Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP). The Quality Management Plan is now final and outlines how Cotter will meet future requirements to administer the QAPP. The QAPP, along with the Data Summary Technical Assessment, and the Draft Remedial Investigation Report are expected to be finalized in 2017.
Why am I receiving this newsletter?
You are receiving this newsletter because you live near the Lincoln Park Superfund site. EPA wants to make sure that anyone who might be affected by activities at the site is aware of what’s going on, and knows who to call with any questions.
Let’s help reduce paper
This year we’ve added website links for those would like to know more details. To receive an electronic copy of this newsletter please visit the CDPHE website. To be added to our electronic distribution list email Warren Smith at [email protected]. To continue receiving paper updates, call Jasmin Guerra at (303) 312-6508 to be added to the mailing list.
Community Newsletter — Fremont County April 2017
COLORADO Department of Public Health & Environment
&EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency
2
Annual Meeting Recap The Annual Superfund Public Meeting for the Lincoln Park site was held in October 2016. Cotter, EPA and CDPHE staff presented information on site-related activities.
In case you missed it…
The Annual Superfund Public Meeting started off with presentations from Cotter, CDPHE and EPA. Cotter provided a detailed presentation of the annual report. The annual report focused on data collection and groundwater quality mapping. CDPHE discussed the background and history of the Lincoln Park site, the events that led to the contamination, the different regulatory authorities involved, and governing documents for the cleanup. EPA shared a presentation on what milestones were achieved in 2016 and what to expect in the coming year.
Site Updates and Activities
CAG members’ report on site successes
During the annual meeting, members of the Community Advisory Group (CAG) shared successes they’ve had working with the agencies and Cotter over the last 11 years. Superfund CAG successes include, but are not limited to, regular meetings, an EPA grant for technical assistance and public notifications of releases and spills at Cotter. To view the entire list, please visit the Cotter Uranium Mill / Lincoln Park Superfund site Community Advisory Group on the CDPHE website.
Third five-year review for operable unit 2
Operable Unit 2 comprises the Lincoln Park neighborhood. A Record of Decision for soils was signed in 2002, signifying that the soils part of the cleanup is complete. It was determined that the cleanup met the Superfund standard for unlimited use and unrestricted exposure.
The Lincoln Park third five-year review currently in progress is discretionary and is not required; however, the agencies value the community’s input and are conducting the review to ensure that site decision remedies remain protective of human health and the environment. The five-year review community interviews were completed in March 2017 and the report is expected to be completed in the fall of 2017. Please contact EPA community involvement coordinator Jasmin Guerra or visit EPA’s Lincoln Park website (https://www.epa.gov/superfund/lincoln-park).
What is an
AOC?
An
Administrative
Order on
Consent (AOC)
is a legally
binding
agreement that
defines the roles
and obligations
of Cotter, EPA
and CDPHE in
the cleanup of
the Lincoln Park
Superfund site.
The first phase
of the cleanup
will be a
comprehensive
remedial
investigation
and feasibility
study.
Site 2005
Agencies use many acronyms. View our helpful guide to
acronyms frequently used at the Lincoln Park site:
http://recycle4colorado.ipower.com/Cotter/
CAG/140820AcronymsTermsFinal.pdf
3
Updates to the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) pumpback pipeline replacement
The SCS pumpback pipeline flows from the SCS dam valve pit to the Water
Distribution Pond. Groundwater and surface runoff flow in the direction of
the SCS dam (away from the Water Distribution Pond) and are intercepted
by the dam. The main purpose of the SCS pumpback pipeline is to move
surface water runoff and groundwater from the dam back to the Water
Distribution Pond
and eventually to the
primary
impoundment to
prevent off-site
migration of
contaminated water.
Due to on-site
pipeline breaks
Cotter has proposed
replacing 3,500
linear feet of the
pipeline. The
replacement is
considered
necessary
maintenance to
achieve the goals of the SCS pumpback pipeline. CDPHE provided a
conditional approval that allowed Cotter to start work in February 2017.
Cotter replaced the pipeline using high-quality pipe materials (called high
density polyethylene, or HDPE) that resulted in an improved, properly-
functioning pipeline. A Colorado licensed professional engineer oversaw the
soil-compaction part of the installation and will stamp the soil compaction
report. A licensed engineer also confirmed and stamped the pipeline design
calculations. In addition, engineers
contracted by the CDPHE and EPA
oversaw the majority of the pipeline
installation activities to verify that
the work was completed
appropriately. Once the project is
complete Cotter will submit an
installation report to the Agencies.
The completion report is expected
in April 2017.
What is an
RI/FS?
After placement
on the
Superfund list, a
remedial
investigation /
feasibility study
(RI/FS), or site
characterization,
is completed.
The RI collects
data needed to
determine the
nature of the
contamination,
cost and any
health risks for
the cleanup. The
FS helps
develop, screen
and evaluate
possible cleanup
actions.
Site 2015
Not to scale
Flow of Soil Conservation Service (SCS) Pumpback Plpellne
2. Contamlnat d surface w t r and groundwater drain Into th SCS pump pit, where it Is then
Waler D1slribution Pond
pumped into the pipeline
distribution pond via pipeline
4
Site Partners
CAG The CAG exists to give
residents a forum to discuss
their concerns related to the
Superfund process, and for
EPA and partners to listen
and respond to these
concerns. The CAG is made
up of community members
from varying backgrounds
and interests. The CAG
generally meets on the third
Thursday of the month.
Community members are
encouraged to attend.
COTTER CORP. Cotter is the responsible
party leading site cleanup
activities. Cotter operates
multiple mines in Colorado
and is headquartered in
Denver.
CDPHE CDPHE works in partnership
with EPA to oversee site
activities. CDPHE’s mission
is to protect and improve the
health of Colorado’s people
and the quality of its
environment.
EPA EPA works in partnership
with CDPHE in overseeing
cleanup work at the site.
EPA’s mission is to protect
human health and the
environment.
Community Advisory Group receives training on use of Superfund contaminant database
Last April, through EPA’s Technical Assistance Services for Communities program (TASC), Marcus Griswold of SKEO Solutions led a training workshop for the CAG on EPA’s Scribe database. The Scribe database stores data on the locations and amounts of contaminants present at the former Cotter uranium mill site and includes historic data from the 1960s to 2016. The community at-large can use Scribe to map the data in Google Earth, review and graph trends for contaminants, and understand what contaminants are being measured. A step-by-step Scribe database community user guide is available to the public on the CDPHE website.
Scribe data training in 2016
Community resources
We would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest team
members!
Kathy Schumacher joined the Community Advisory
Group in 2016 and is currently an At Large Council
Member in Cañon City.
Kristi Parker Celico serves as the facilitator for the
Colorado Smelter community advisory group in
Pueblo and more recently the Lincoln Park community
advisory group. She has helped set up and run dozens of community
groups in the U.S. and Russia around hazardous waste sites. Her
goal is to help groups combine the best science with the realities of
the politics and the concerns of those who will be most impacted by
the decisions. She has degrees from Colorado College and Harvard
University. She lives in Lafayette, Colorado.
5
Lincoln Park Community Advisory Group membership information
Since the CAG’s formation, members have worked to keep an updated mission statement to guide their
work and efforts. The latest mission statement is:
“To assemble a representative body of concerned community members, regulators and Cotter
representatives in an innovative environment designed to facilitate an exchange of ideas to encourage
the creation and discovery of significant remedies that will restore impacted areas to acceptable levels.”
If you would like to join the Lincoln Park superfund site community advisory group,
please contact one of these members:
Member Contact Information
Doni Angell [email protected]
Sharyn Cunningham [email protected]
Carol Dunn [email protected]
Pat Freda [email protected]
Jeri Fry [email protected]
Kay Hawklee [email protected]
Bill Matthews [email protected]
James Meacham [email protected]
Cathe Meyrick [email protected]
Donna Murphy (719) 275—4633
Tim Payne [email protected]
Kathleen Schumacher [email protected]
Mary Shorter-King [email protected]
Mike Stiehl [email protected]
Emily Tracy [email protected]
*This contact information is provided with permission from the Lincoln Park CAG members.
.
Get to know your CAG members and check out bios from the 2016 Newsletter!
And don’t forget to find the Lincoln Park Community Advisory Group on Facebook:
Lincoln Park/Cotter Community Advisory Group
Royal Gorge Regional Museum and
History Center—Lincoln Park
Information Repository Location
An information repository is where current
information, technical reports and reference
materials regarding the Superfund site are
housed and accessible to the public. The
same information is also available on EPA’s
website at https://www.epa.gov/superfund/
lincoln-park
When is the Next CAG Meeting?
A great way to get involved in site activities is by
attending the monthly CAG meetings:
Third Thursday every month
1 p.m.–4 p.m.
SAVE THE DATE
Evening CAG meetings that will take the place of
the afternoon meeting for that month:
April 20 from 6 p.m.–9 p.m.
July 20 from 6 p.m.–9 p.m.
Annual Meeting
October 18, 6 p.m.–9 p.m.
Check the CDPHE or EPA website for
meeting location or time changes.
To receive email updates about site activities,
please contact:
Warren Smith ([email protected])
How can I get involved? If you would like to learn more about site
activities, or have any questions, concerns or
thoughts about the information in this newsletter
please contact the following people:
More information is available on the CDPHE’s
Cotter/Lincoln Park website
(http://recycle4colorado.ipower.com/Cotter/
index.htm) and includes:
Site maps and frequently asked questions
CAG meeting documents and documents
available for public review and comment
Current governing documents and quarterly
reports and historical documents
EPA
V. Jasmin Guerra Community Involvement Coordinator [email protected] (303) 312-6508 Toll free: (800) 227-8917 (ext. 6508)
CDPHE
Warren Smith Community Involvement Manager [email protected] (303) 692-3373 Toll free:(888) 569-1831 (ext. 3373)
