| Work
Plan for Testing at Town Properties Presented
to Public |
| The Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP) held its July
quarterly meeting at the Keefe Community Center
on July 27, 2004. The agenda included: (1) a presentation
by Bill Kay, a consultant from the firm of Haley
& Aldrich, Inc. hired by the Town of Hamden
to perform testing at the town owned parks in
the project area; (2) an update from DEP’s
Michael Harder on the investigations at residences
in the Newhall Neighborhood and the Hamden Middle
School; (3) an announcement by DEP of the opening
of a community office at the Keefe Center and
the formation of a Community Advisory Group. Sixty
people attended the information meeting. Jill
Barrett from Fitzgerald & Halliday welcomed
those in attendance. Mike Harder answered a
few questions and provided a brief overview
of the project. Bill Kay explained that the
Town of Hamden has submitted a Work Plan to
DEP to test soil and groundwater at three town
owned properties – Rochford Field, Mill
Rock Park and the Winchester Avenue Sewer Pump
Station. The proposed Work Plan, conducted in
two phases, will:
- Search for metal objects (drums and tanks)
underground: X-ray type equipment will be
used to scan for buried objects and identify
location of underground utility lines such
as storm drains and water lines.
- Map location of fill and underground utility
lines: The map will identify areas in need
of further investigation.
- Take soil samples from boring sites and
water samples from wells drilled during previous
study: This will be done in areas investigated
in the Phase III study completed in 2002.
Soil samples will be collected at 2 foot intervals
- Conduct 25 new testing borings: Twelve
(12) will be done in Rochford Field, 13 in
Mill Rock Park.
- Install 10 monitoring wells: Seven (7)
will be done at Rochford Field and 3 at Mill
Rock Park.
- Collect soil samples at sewer pump station:
Five (5) shallow hole soil samples will be
taken.
- Complete laboratory testing: Soil and water
samples will be sent to a laboratory for testing
and analysis.
Soil samples will be tested for: Pesticides
and Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), Volatile
Organic Compounds (VOCs), Chlorinated Pesticides,
Extractable Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (ETPH),
Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds (SVOCs), Total
Metals, Leachable Metals and Total Cyanide.
Groundwater samples will be tested for: Pesticides
and Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), Volatile
Organic Compounds (VOCs), Chlorinated Pesticides,
Extractable Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (ETPH),
Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds (SVOCs), Total
Metals and Total Cyanide.
Mr. Kay pointed out numerous display boards
set up around the room and reviewed the site’s
history. He summarized existing data and explained
the methods that his firm will use to complete
its investigation. Once the Town of Hamden gets
approval from DEP to carry out this additional
work, testing will start in the fall of 2004.
Soil sampling will be complete by the winter
of 2004. Groundwater testing will be on-going.
Please click the following link "July
27 Public Meeting" to see a copy of
the slide presentation.
Mike Harder
gave an update
of other aspects
of the overall
investigation. Please
click the following
link "Hamden
Middle School
Testing Update" to
see a copy of
the slide presentation.
|
| Q. What do these
results on Rochford Field and Mill Rock Park have
to do with residential properties built on a landfill? |
DEP wants to
conduct a thorough investigation to portray
the entire landfill site. Each piece of the
investigation, including the Olin investigation
of the residential areas, the Regional Water
Authority investigation at the Hamden Middle
School and the Town investigation being presented
tonight, will complete the data that DEP needs
to decide on cleanup remedies for the entire
project area. |
| Q. What are the
health impacts from this contamination? |
The CT Department
of Public Health (DPH) has conducted a health
assessment for the properties owned by the Town
of Hamden. While contaminants have been identified
in the investigation, the concentrations found
at the ground surface so far are below state
clean up standards made to protect health. [Editors
Note: Click on the Health
link to you can learn more]. |
| Q. Does “above
standard” mean “above average”
or does it mean toxic? |
| Soil standards
are set by CT DEP and CT DPH to protect human
health and are set at very conservative levels.
Standards are designed to protect the most vulnerable
population, children. “Above standard”
is not the same as “above average”.
Contaminant levels “above standard”
will need to be cleaned up. |
| Q. Have any studies
been conducted for cancer clusters in the area? |
| No comprehensive
cancer studies have been conducted, although the
Quinnipiack Valley Heath District and the state
Department of Public Health have looked at reports
to determine if more needs to be done. Based on
the results, the DPH is not finding unusual cancer
rates. |
| Q. If there is no
health risk, what is the point of all the investigation? |
| The Department
of Environmental Protection needs to determine
whether the levels of contamination require remediation.
It is assumed that remediation will be required,
but detailed measurement will determine exactly
what needs to be done. |
| Q. Of all the testing
that has been done, don’t you have enough
information? |
| No.
The previous testing was done for safety reasons.
Contamination that could come in contact with
people at the ground surface level was removed
and the area was made safe. Now the DEP is looking
for a long term remedy that will address contamination
below the ground surface. |
| Q. If Olin created
the problem, how can they be trusted to investigate? |
DEP
has been and will continue to provide oversight
of Olin’s investigation, as well as investigations
being completed by the RWA and Town. DEP conducts
its own tests of soil samples taken at the same
time as Olin testing to compare sample results.
|
| Q. Olin tested my
property and said that they would return, but
they have not. |
Olin
and its consultant will be glad to answer questions
about specific parcels to be tested. Jimmy Young
(Olin) can be reached at (800) 295-6141. Andy
Danzig (Malcolm Pirnie) is available at (860)
613-7421. |
| Q. Did you find
any gasses while testing? |
No, gasses
were not found in previous testing at the town
parks. |
| Q. What metals were
found? |
Antimony, arsenic,
beryllium, cadmium, copper, lead, selenium and
thallium. |
| Q. Did any of these
metals get into the soil and groundwater? |
Yes. These
metals were all detected in soil, mostly in
the fill areas. Some of the metals were also
detected in groundwater. |
| Q. Why do you need
to test groundwater if it is not used for drinking? |
| By testing groundwater
quality and its flow direction, it can help us
learn where the contaminants are coming from. |
| Q. Why are you planning
to test in cold weather in November and February? |
| To finish testing
as soon as possible. However, testing can be completed
at any time of the year. |
| Q. If contaminants
are under the ground, why is the school being
moved? |
| DEP can not answer
that question. The decision to move the Middle
School was made by the Town of Hamden. |
| Q. How was a 50
foot grid determined for finding buried objects
when other parts of the investigation are using
a 10 or 20 foot grid? |
| The consultant
has suggested this plan based on the equipment
that will be used. Once the proposed plan and
comments are reviewed by DEP the consultant may
be asked to use a different size grid in the approved
Work Plan. |
| Q. Why are there
no health dangers when contamination is detected?
Different individuals have different tolerances. |
| Heath standards
are set in consideration of these differences,
and are set conservatively, for a child’s
health. |
| Q. Why is a single
monitoring well being proposed for the park? |
| Actually, a single
test pit is being proposed for Mill Rock Park,
along with 3 monitoring wells. 4 monitoring wells
are proposed for testing at Rochford Field. |
| Q. Will there be
a deadline for when the public can submit comments
on the proposed work plan? |
| We hope to get
comments by September 30 to avoid any delay in
approving the work plan so testing can begin before
the weather turns cold. |
| Harold
Moritz of Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. provided an update
on Olin’s investigation of the residential
properties. Olin has obtained access permission
for approximately 200 of the 300 properties. Drilling
has been completed on most of those properties,
and inspections will be done within 2 weeks. As
more access agreements are received, the drill
rig for soil sampling and large rig for monitoring
well installation will be sent back to the neighborhood. |
| Q. Why is Olin responsible
for testing? |
| The legal framework,
or Consent Order, under which the project is being
conducted includes investigation by the responsible
parties with DEP’s oversight. The contamination
levels will determine the waste treatment options
available. The cost for cleanup in residential
areas will be shared by the State and Olin. |
| Q. What if Olin
says a cap is OK and that is all that needs to
be done? How can we trust Olin to do what’s
needed. |
| DEP will be responsible
for the decision on what is the best remedy for
dealing with the cleanup. DEP also oversees Olin’s
testing to make sure that the results and conclusions
are correct. One of the ways that DEP assures
that testing is correct is by taking duplicates
of about 20% of the samples Olin collects and
sending those to a different certified laboratory
for independent analysis. |
| Q. Why are some
properties not being tested? |
| The testing plan
may provide reasons why some properties are excluded.
One example could be that if the two properties
on either side show contaminated soil at the same
depth, it might be assumed that the one in between
would show similar results. |
| Q. When will homeowners
learn the results of all the testing? |
| All results are
expected to be submitted to DEP in March 2005.
Olin will provide written results to individual
homeowners within 30 days of receipt of certified
true laboratory results. |
| Q. Why is remediation
missing from tonight’s presentation, and
has Olin done any investigation on where contaminated
soil will be placed? The contaminated soil is
not wanted behind the school. |
| DEP cannot decide
on a cleanup method until the investigation is
completed. DEP is in control of the timeline for
all parts of the investigation, and all the results
for the residential areas, middle school and parks
are expected in March 2005. DEP will ask for additional
work to be done as soon as the need arises and
not wait. At that time DEP will evaluate alternatives
with the public and expects to be back in Hamden
within a year to convey what the remediation will
be. In the meantime, DEP will continue to inform
the public of any new information as it becomes
available. |
| Q. Which houses
will be bought? Will houses that are sinking be
first to be bought? |
| It has not been
determined if any houses will be bought. DEP is
not aware of any houses in the project area that
are in danger of collapse. |
| Leslie
Balch from the Quinnipiack Valley Health District
summarized blood lead screening results from last
month’s health forum that was held at the
Keefe Center. She also explained that her office
manually conducted a file search of blood lead
records back to 1978, and that results did not
indicate a threat in the Newhall neighborhood.
She invited anyone interested in lead testing
to call her. Mike
Harder gave
an update of
DEP’s
investigation
of structures
that were
built on fill
in the neighborhood.
He said
that 40 responses
were received
to a recent
letter inquiry
mailed by Loureiro
Engineering
Associates (DEP’s
consultant),
and that DEP
has invited
structural engineering
firms
to bid on conducting
the work. He
anticipates
that decisions
related to structural
problems
will be made
by DEP earlier
than those related
to contamination.
He explained
that if a house
is purchased
as part of the
remedy, it will
likely be demolished.
Go to: Hamden
Middle School
Testing Update
DEP also announced that it has given conditional
approval as of July 19 to the Regional Water
Authority to conduct its work plan for continued
testing of the Hamden Middle School part of
the site. This plan was presented at the previous
quarterly public information meeting in April.
DEP provided information on the summer office
hours for the recently opened Community Office
at the Keefe Center [Tuesdays from 10 am - 2
pm and Thursdays from 2 – 8 pm]. He asked
for feedback on what the most convenient hours
would be and offered to adjust the hours as
needed.
Mr. Harder spoke about the need for a Community
Advisory Group (CAG) to help provide input from
all stakeholders in the community. He stressed
that residents will continue to be the most
important stakeholder group, but not the only
one. Residents will be on the CAG. Residents
in attendance made the point that people in
the community should have the most say in what
gets done, and expressed concern that the Town
does not equally allocate resources to various
neighborhoods.
|
