nuclear metals, inc. superfund site public meeting 3 14 12.pdf · – madeqe/massdep ... •...
TRANSCRIPT
Presentation Outline • Background
• Historic Regulatory Agency Involvement / Actions
– MADEQE/MassDEP
– EPA Time-Critical Removal Actions
• Comments by Town Representatives
– Concord Fire Department - Chief Mark Cotreau
– Citizens Research & Environmental Watch – Tim Rose
– 2229 Main Street Committee Chair - Pam Rockwell
• Current Activities under EPA authority
– Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study (RI/FS)
– Non-Time-Critical Removal Action (NTCRA)
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Historical Site Activities • R&D activities included fundamental research in physical and
chemical metallurgy, fuel element development, and high temperature materials, primarily for AEC and the Department of Defense.
• Significant manufacturing operations included:
Fabricating depleted uranium (DU) metal into:
o Penetrators/armor-piercing munitions
oMedical shielding devices (radiography)
o Aircraft counterweights
Forming metal powders
Making beryllium and beryllium/aluminum alloy parts
• From 1958 to 1985, wastes were disposed of in the on-site “Holding Basin” and in other areas of the site
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Historic Regulatory Involvement • MADEQE, [now Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Protection (MassDEP)] got involved in 1980, when solvent contamination was found in an on-site water supply well.
• A variety of environmental studies were performed by NMI/Starmet and other entities between 1980 and 1998.
• With Army funding, Starmet excavated and disposed off-site 8,000 cubic yards of uranium-contaminated soil from the Holding Basin in 1997.
• Regulatory responsibility for Starmet’s licenses to possess radioactive materials was transferred from NRC to the MADPH-RCP (Mass Dept. of Public Health-Radiation Control Program) in 1997.
• In 2007, MassDEP performed removal action with Army funding to address drums of UF4 , DU metal, and other wastes.
• MADPH-RCP terminated the licenses to possess radioactive materials in November 2011.
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EPA’s Activities • In July 2000, EPA proposed the Site for inclusion on the
National Priorities List (NPL). NMI was listed on the NPL in June 2001.
• Between March 2002 and April 2003, EPA conducted a time-critical removal action (TCRA) to reduce the potential for exposure by: – Capping the “old landfill” & installing a fence around the
area; – Lining the holding basin.
• In June 2003 EPA reached agreement with Settling Parties to conduct a Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study (RI/FS) and Engineering Evaluation / Cost Analysis (EE/CA)
• Between January 2008 and September 2008, EPA conducted a second TCRA to remove hazardous and/or flammable materials from facility buildings
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Current Activities under EPA Authority Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study (RI/FS)
• Initiated in 2003
• Evaluation of nature and extent of contamination, risks to human health and the environment, and options and costs to address unacceptable risks.
• “Study of everything outside the buildings, leading to overall Site remedy”
Non-Time-Critical Removal Action (NTCRA)
• Initiated in 2011
• Maintenance, then progressive removal of buildings contents and demolition of buildings, with capping of foundations.
• “Empty, then demolish the buildings.”
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Comments regarding the site work by: Chief Mark Cotreau, CFD
Tim Rose, CREW Pam Rockwell, Head of 2229 Main Street Committee
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Citizen’s Research and Environmental Watch (CREW)
• An independent citizen’s advocacy group founded in 1989 to oversee the safe operation at Nuclear Metals and now the safe and complete cleanup of the site.
• www.CREWConcord.org
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2229 Main Street Oversight Committee
• A volunteer Concord Town Committee formed by Town Meeting Article 51 in 2002 to monitor the process leading to the cleanup at Starmet, formerly Nuclear Metals, Inc. (NMI), a former defense contractor that is now a superfund site.
• Meets the first Tuesday of each month. • www.concordma.gov/pages/ConcordMA_BComm/2229Co
mmittee
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Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study (RI/FS)
Evaluation of nature and extent of
contamination, risks to human health and the environment, and options and costs to address
unacceptable risks.
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RI/FS Timeline
Implemented Three Phases of Remedial Investigation (September 2004 – December 2009)
Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessments August 2009 - present
Remedial Investigation Report (~Summer 2012)
Feasibility Study Report (~Winter 2012)
Prepared Work Plans (September – December 2003) Finalized Work Plans (September 2004)
EPA Record of Decision (~Summer 2013)
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Remedial Investigation Field Work
• 52 monitoring wells installed (in addition to 80 pre-existing wells)
• Samples collected for laboratory analysis: – 225 groundwater – 81 surface water – 546 soil – 412 sediment
• Drums / materials buried in area between cooling water
pond and Holding Basin were excavated and disposed off-site.
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Results of Remedial Investigation
• Extent of contamination in soil, sediment, surface water and groundwater delineated sufficiently to proceed with risk assessments.
• Surface soil and subsurface soil exceeding acceptable risk levels constrained to certain areas within Site boundary.
• Sediment exceeding acceptable risk levels constrained to portion of bog and cooling water pond.
• Groundwater contamination exceeding acceptable risk levels exists on-site and in defined area off-site.
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RI/FS – Next Steps • Finalize Risk Assessments
• Finalize and submit Remedial Investigation Report
• Prepare Feasibility Study Report
– Define “Preliminary Remediation Goals” (PRGs)
– Determine volumes of various media (soil, sediment, groundwater) exceeding PRGs within areas with unacceptable risk
– Evaluate remedial alternatives and costs for each affected media with unacceptable risk
• EPA prepares “Proposed Plan” that identifies overall remedy
• EPA issues “Record of Decision” that sets forth required remedy for Site.
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Public Involvement in RI/FS • Public Meetings will continue to be held at major project
junctures.
• CREW Concord and the 2229 Main Street Committee have been, and remain, closely involved in the process.
• The community will be able to review and comment on the proposed remedy prior to selection by EPA.
• Project Website at WWW.NMISite.Org
– Provides historic investigation reports
– Provides information on RI/FS activities
– Provides Geographic Information System (GIS) access to all RI sampling results (overlay of data on site map)
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Timeline Leading to NTCRA Project • In June 2006, EPA triggered preparation of Engineering
Evaluation / Cost Analysis (EE/CA) with respect to Starmet buildings
• Draft EE/CA submitted in November 2006, revised and finalized in February 2008
• Public meeting on EE/CA in April 2008
• In September 2008, EPA issued an Action Memorandum authorizing performance of Non-Time-Critical Removal Action (NTCRA) to empty and demolish buildings
• An Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) for the NTCRA became effective August 2011
• Last Starmet entity abandoned Site November 2, 2011
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Project Scope • Monitoring, access controls and site security • Building stabilization, removal and disposal of
hazardous and flammable and combustible materials • Removal and disposal of asbestos, universal waste,
and building contents • Demolish ~180,000 feet2 of buildings down to slabs • Fill voids and place a temporary cap over foundation. • Dispose of debris off-site at appropriately licensed
facilities • Post-removal site control (security and monitoring)
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NTCRA Timeline • Spring 2012 – prepare first set of “Construction Submittals”,
which will detail specific steps to remove and package building contents for off-site disposal, procure transportation and disposal contractors
• Summer / Fall 2012 – Proceed with removal of building contents
• Winter / Spring 2013 – Prepare second set of Construction Submittals, addressing removal of equipment, ductwork, etc from buildings
• Summer / Fall 2013 – Proceed with removal of equipment
• Winter / Spring 2014 – Prepare third set of Construction Submittals, addressing demolition of buildings and installation of temporary cap over foundation slabs
• Summer / Fall 2014 – Proceed with demolition and capping
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Completed Tasks • Interim NTCRA Work Plans submitted November 5,
2011, approved by EPA on December 19, 2011
• NTCRA Work Plans submitted on January 18, 2012
• Installed fencing / gate at street, placed “No Trespassing” signs around fence perimeter
• Secured facility (reinforced doors, changed locks)
• Shut down essentially all building electrical panels
• Setup Office Trailers
• Cleared brush from around buildings and perimeter fence
• Completed site familiarization training for CFD
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Completed Tasks (continued) • Disconnected and blanked high pressure natural gas
supply, installed new meter on low pressure natural gas supply
• Initiated inventory of building contents, with focus on flammable materials, gas cylinders, and chemicals
• Performed interior wipe and high volume air sampling
– Detected beryllium in most wipes, none in air samples
• Performed HEPA vacuuming and/or applied fixing agent in areas with significant surface contamination
• Initiated beryllium lymphocyte proliferation testing on project team, due to potential for exposure.
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Completed Tasks (continued)
• Installed five 2 Million BTU heating units and fuel supplies
– Running on portable generators pending installation of electrical supplies (near complete)
– Installed fans/ductwork to help circulate heat through out buildings
• Cleaned up metal debris/wood pallets outside building D (in courtyard area) – temporarily stored in roll off boxes
• Reinforced bottom areas of Butler Building B3 (walls were rotting wood)
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Completed Tasks (continued) • Installed electrical service , internet and phone lines to
trailers • Removed OSB Boards covering Bldg A windows • Removed air conditioner units from Bldg A windows and
blanked open windows with metal sheeting • Initiated actions in response to Fire Hazard Analysis
recommendations (access pathways, remove plastic sheeting, etc.)
• Completed design of internal lighting / power system • Initiated installation of lighting • Disconnected / Disabled Groundwater Supply Wells
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Beryllium Area after clean up
Be Waste placed in white packs & moved to Rep area Starmet Drums moved into Rep Area
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NMI Site - Points of Contact
Title Name Phone # E-Mail Address
EPA Project Manager
Melissa Taylor
617 918 1310 [email protected]
EPA Community Relations
Kelsey O’Neil 617 918 1003 [email protected]
MassDEP Project
Manager
Garry Waldeck 617 348 0417 [email protected]
de maximis Project
Coordinator
Bruce Thompson 860 298 0541 [email protected]
Project Website: WWW.NMISite.Org
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Areas of Soil or Sediment with Unacceptable Risk
Unacceptable Risk Area
(where remediation will
need to be evaluated in Feasibility
Study)
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