| Work
Plan for Testing
at Hamden Middle
School Presented
to Public |
|
 The
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
held its April quarterly meeting at the Keefe
Community Center on April 27, 2004. Two items
were on the agenda: (1) a presentation by Michael
Manolakas, a consultant from the firm of Leggette,
Brasheers and Graham, Inc. hired by the by the
South Central Regional Water Authority (RWA)
to perform testing at the Hamden Middle School
site and (2) an update on the plan to test for
contamination at residences in the Newhall Neighborhood.
Thirty five
people were
present to learn
about testing
proposed for
Hamden Middle
School, the
athletic fields,
a part of the
Newhall Community
Center, and
two residential
properties (251-253
Morse Street
and 253-255
Morse Street).
The testing
will:
- Define the
edge and content
of former
landfill:
RWA will take
more soil
borings along
the northern
wetland area
to the north
of the school,
the two residential
properties
to the south,
just north
of the Community
Center, and
underneath
the tennis
and basketball
courts. More
soil borings
will be made
to make sure
the edge of
the fill has
been identified
within these
areas. Some
of these borings
will be sent
to a lab for
testing.
- Search
for metal
objects (drums
and tanks)
underground:
Scanning for
objects, using
X-ray type
equipment,
will be done
at the Middle
School Site,
except for
underneath
the buildings.
Test pits
may also be
used to dig
down into
the ground
to uncover
objects and/or
for more testing.
- Locate the
exact boundaries
of the soil
cap placed
on the athletic
field: More
testing of
the soil at
the surface
will be done
to find the
exact location
of the cap.
It is not
known if the
soil cap extended
north beyond
the athletic
field.
- Test surface
water quality:
DEP is concerned
about surface
water quality
of the wetland
immediately
north of the
Middle School
Site. RWA
will collect
water samples
to find out
if contamination
is in this
surface water
area. This
wetland area
is the only
surface water
area within
the Newhall
neighborhood.
- Identify
groundwater
flow direction:
More groundwater
monitoring
wells will
be installed
to better
understand
the flow of
groundwater
at the site.
- Look for
where ETPH
in groundwater
is coming
from: ETPH
will be tested
in soil boring
samples and
monitoring
wells throughout
the site.
More soil
borings and
monitoring
wells would
be installed
if the source
of the ground
water contamination
is not found.
- Find the
location of
halogenated
VOCs in soil
and groundwater:
Soil testing
will done
in the area
immediately
to the west
of the tennis
and basketball
courts for
halogenated
VOCs. The
testing will
identify the
source of
the halogenated
VOCs and its
location within
the groundwater.
Ground water
testing will
be completed
onsite and
offsite.
- Find the
location of
PCBs and any
groundwater
pollution:
Testing for
PCBs will
be done within
the central
and southern
half of the
site. If significant
amounts of
PCBs are identified,
then monitoring
wells will
be installed
for on going
testing of
the groundwater
for PCBs.
 Elsie
Patton of DEP
reported that
the department
had approved
with conditions
Olin Corporation’s
proposed Work
Plan to do testing
a+t residential
properties.
The following
conditions were
made as a result
of public comment
and DEP review:
- Test for
more substances
in certain
samples (dioxins/furans,
asbestos,
2 metals,
volatiles & semivolatiles)
- More field
testing for
Edge of Fill
investigation
- More reporting
will be required.
Copies of
lab data to
each property
owner will
be sent within
30 days of
receiving
results. Olin
will also
be required
to immediately
notify DEP
of very high
surface soil
results from
Bare Spot
Testing
- Insurance – Olin
must provide
proof to all
property owners
- Revise Quality
Assurance
Project Plan
(lower detection
limits will
be required)
- Different
surveying
requirements
The
following
links allow
the reader to
view both slide
shows presented
by Mike Manolakas
of Leggete,
Brasheers
and Graham,
Inc. and Elsie
Patton of the
Connecticut
Department of
Environmental
Protection,
respectively.
Copies of the
slide
shows are
available in
PDF format,
and are suitable
for printing.
OPEN
a copy of the slide presentation on the Middle
School site.
DOWNLOAD
a PDF version of the slide presentation on the
Middle School site.
OPEN
a copy of the slide presentation made by DEP.
DOWNLOAD
a PDF version of the slide presentation made
by DEP.
|
Questions/comments
during RWA Presentation
Responses by: Mike Manolakas, Leggette, Brasheers
and Graham, Inc. |
| Q. Don’t PCBs cause cancer? |
| While PCBs have been identified
in the RWA investigation, the concentrations found
so far at the Middle School site are below state
clean up standards made to protect health. [ Editors
Note: PCBs are known to cause cancer in animals.
Human studies aren’t as clear-cut in their
findings. Soil cleanup levels are designed to
be conservative and lean on the conservative side
to protect human health. It is still important
to remember that if you do not come in contact
with the PCB-containing soil, then it can’t
make you sick. Click on the link and you can learn
more about PCBs http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts17.pdf] |
| Q. How large of an area were
the VOCs found in? How far does it extend? |
| There were positive tests
showing VOCs at one location, but we don’t
know the exact boundaries of this area. More testing
will be done to find this out. [Editor’s
note: VOCs represents a class of chemicals that
have similar chemical properties, most notably
they have the ability evaporate into the air in
a gaseous form. An example of a common VOC is
the dry cleaning agent, 1,1,1-trichloroethylene,
or TCE. Benzene is another example. When you pump
gas, the smell you smell are some of the volatile
organic compound component in gasoline.] |
| Q. If you have two testing holes,
will you be testing in between these testing holes
to find out if there is contamination in between
the holes? |
| Proposed testing will proceed
from where we know there is contamination outward
until no contamination is detected above background
(naturally occurring) levels. If no contamination
is found on the outer location, then, yes, testing
between the holes will occur until the edge of
the contamination is found. |
| Q. What is Barium? |
| Barium is a metal that
naturally occurs in soils but was also reportedly
used in manufacturing processes. |
| Q. What do they use Barium for? |
| Not sure of the various uses.
[Editor’s Note: According to the Agency
for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR),
barium compounds are used by the oil and gas industries
to make drilling muds. Drilling muds make it easier
to drill through rock by keeping the drill bit
lubricated. They are also used to make paint,
bricks, tiles, glass, and rubber. A barium compound
(barium sulfate) is sometimes used by doctors
to perform medical tests and to take barium-rays
of the stomach. For more information see http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts24.html] |
| Q. What is the depth to the groundwater? |
| At the Hamden Middle School,
groundwater is found about 20 feet below the surface
of the ground. |
| Q. What is groundwater? |
| Think of a lake filled
with water that is then completely filled with
rocks. The water between the rocks would be considered
groundwater. [Editor’s note: Groundwater
is water found below the ground surface that completely
fills all of the air spaces between soil particles
or cracks in bedrock. Groundwater comes from rain
water that seeps down into the soil. Think of
soil as being similar to a sponge, with air spaces
when the sponge is dry. When you put a sponge
in water, the water is held in the air spaces
in the sponge. When all of the air spaces in the
sponge are filled with water and it can’t
hold any more water, the sponge is considered
to be “saturated” with water. If the
sponge were located below the ground surface,
the water in the saturated sponge would be called
groundwater. Groundwater generally flows downhill,
like a river or stream, and is often the source
of water to lakes, ponds, rivers and streams.
Sometimes, geologists mention “aquifers”
when they talk about groundwater. Aquifers are
the underground geologic formations where groundwater
can collect, forming an underground lake. Aquifers
are groundwater areas where soil conditions allow
you to pump a lot of water out of the soil spaces
using wells.] |
| Q. Where is the contamination
coming from that is contaminating the groundwater? |
| Groundwater contamination
is caused by the contaminated soil and waste materials
found in the (former) landfill at this site. |
| Q. Is the groundwater affecting
the aquifer? |
| We won’t know until
the testing is finished. |
| Q. Isn’t the aquifer used
for drinking water? |
| No, the groundwater in
the aquifer below the school flows into Long Island
Sound and is not used for drinking water. |
| Q. Where is the drinking water
coming from? |
| (Tom Chaplik, RWA): Drinking
water for this neighborhood comes from reservoirs
in North Branford and Woodbridge, and as soon
as a new treatment facility is in use, it will
also come from Lake Whitney. The contamination
here is completely separate from the aquifers
that supply drinking water to the neighborhood.
|
| Q. Aren’t plants using
the groundwater? |
| Plants are not getting
water from groundwater here because the groundwater
is too far below the plants’ roots. Plants
get water from rain that filters into the shallow
soil. |
| Q. What happens when it rains
and the rain goes through the contamination, then
can’t plants absorb the groundwater before
it goes deeper into the ground? |
| If contamination is present
at the ground surface, then rain will go through
the contamination before it gets to the plant
roots and possibly pick up contaminants. However,
considering how shallow most plant roots are,
it is unlikely that the rain water will pick up
much contamination before getting to the roots. |
| Q. What is a groundwater monitoring
well? |
| It is a plastic tube with
small holes called a screen that is inserted into
the ground that allows the groundwater to be drawn
up and tested. |
| Q. If the groundwater results
are negative [showing contamination], what will
you do? |
| It is known that contamination
will be found. If any unusually high levels are
found, DEP will be notified. |
| Q. Will the monitoring wells
collect specific data? |
| Yes. We will be looking
for specific contaminants [that have already been
identified through previous testing]. |
| Q. What about vapor in buildings,
will that be tested? |
| No. [ Editor’s note:
The Town has previously tested the indoor air
quality at Middle School. No contaminants caused
by the waste in the landfill have been found in
indoor air at levels that are of health concern.
DEP and Town consultants have also tested the
soil vapor beneath the main classroom building.
Methane was found beneath the boiler room floor,
but not in the indoor air. An indoor methane monitoring
program is currently in place for the Middle School]. |
| Q. When would you be adding monitoring
wells off site? |
| We will place more monitoring
wells off site once we have tests that show us
the exact direction of the groundwater flow and
the edge of the landfill. This information will
help us decide the best location for these wells. |
| Q. Is groundwater at the southwest
corner of the site above proposed residential
volatilization criteria? |
| Yes, in a range between
the DEP’s current and proposed volatilization
criteria. [Editor’s note: The residential
volatilization criteria sets a limit for volatile
chemicals (like benzene) in groundwater, that
easily evaporate from water and get into the air
in the soil. If the chemicals get into the air
spaces within the soil and that air gets into
cracks in the foundation or basement of a house,
it is possible for the chemicals to accumulate
in indoor air. Depending on several factors such
as how drafty a house is, how much time is spent
in the basement, how much traffic of coming and
going out, leaving windows open, etc. it is possible
that VOCs can accumulate in indoor air to levels
that may cause a health concern. The volatilization
criteria establish acceptable levels of volatile
compounds in groundwater that are not anticipated
to cause health problems if they evaporate and
get into indoor air. Currently the State is evaluating
the standards and have recently proposed changes
to several chemical standards based on new scientific
studies.] |
| Q. This plan [work to be performed]
isn’t going to be a duplicate of the existing
data or work, is it? |
| No, the previous work tested
for many contaminants and gave us a good idea
what contaminants are at the Middle School site.
This plan is a more focused investigation that
builds on what we already know. |
| Q. Wouldn’t tanks or drums
underground already have been discovered based
on the testing that has already occurred? |
| So far, no tanks or drums
have been found. However, we’ve heard reports
that drums were buried at the site and we plan
to do enough testing to rule that out completely.
|
| Q. Olin said they would test
for Dioxins/Furans when/if they find PCBs. Why
isn’t RWA going to test for Dioxins/Furans
if they already know that PCBs exist? |
| RWA will wait for guidance
from the Heath Department and DEP to finalize
its plans for testing. |
| Questions/comments
during DEP’s Update Responses by: Elsie
Patton, DEP, Planning and Standards Division Director |
| Q. Will there be a deadline for
when the public can submit comments on the proposed
work plan? |
| We hope to get comments
by May 31 to avoid any delay in approving the
work plan. |
| Q. Will DEP make RWA test for
Dioxins/Furans? |
| DEP will have discussions
with RWA about what amount of testing for dioxins
and furans makes sense. |
| Q. How will DEP assess the need
to test beyond the Consent Order boundary? |
| [Editor’s note: DEP
already has some results from surface soil testing
in residential areas that has been on-going.]
DEP will need to receive results from the testing
by Olin before making a plan to test properties
outside the Consent Order. However, DEP intends
to conduct tests during the same time frame of
the Olin testing so that the potential need for
additional testing will not delay the Department
in using the testing information for evaluating
what needs to be done for clean up. |
| Q. Olin “gridded”
out a pattern for earlier testing, will they develop
a “pattern” for testing so that homeowners
might know when to expect testing on their property? |
| The schedule for testing
at residential properties will depend on getting
a critical mass of signed access forms. The consultants
plan to test properties in cluster, as signed
access forms are received. Homeowners will be
notified of the sampling schedule in advance of
the sampling being done on their properties. |
| Q. If Olin is having difficulty
in getting permission from residents to access
their property, how will they do the testing? |
| A. Shannon Pociu will be
coordinating the effort, and will be helped by
people from the Newhall Coalition (Elizabeth Hayes,
Community Advocate), who are willing to help make
contact with these residents in order to get their
permission. |
| |
