Updated: October 18, 2002 [Next] [Previous] [Site Overview Contents] [Region 9 Waste Home] [Region 9 Home] [Superfund Home] [EPA Home] [Site Info Home]
SAN EPA Region 9 GABRIEL City: Alhambra VALLEY County: Los Angeles (AREA 3 - Other Names: Alhambra)
CALIFORNIAClick here for interactive site area map EPA ID# CAD980818579 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Click on a category below or scroll down the page.
● Site Description and History
❍ Maps ❍ Images ● Threats and Contaminants
❍ Description ❍ Environmental Data ● Cleanup Approach
❍ Response Action Status ● Environmental Progress
● Potentially Responsible Parties
● Site Documents and Reports
● Community Involvement: Public Meetings, Newsletters, and Fact Sheets
● Site Repositories/Library Sources
● Contacts
● Miscellaneous Information SITE DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY
Description: The San Gabriel Valley sites include multiple areas contaminated groundwater in the 170-square-mile San Gabriel Valley. Over 30 square miles of groundwater under the Valley may be contaminated. The sites include large areas of groundwater contamination that underlie significant portions of the Cities of Alhambra, Arcadia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Industry, El Monte, La Puente, Monrovia, Rosemead, South El Monte, West Covina, and other areas of the San Gabriel Valley. Contamination of the groundwater by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was first detected in 1979 when Aerojet Electrosystems in Azusa sampled wells in the Valley County Water District. Following this discovery, the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) initiated a well sampling program to assess the extent of contamination. By 1984, 59 wells were found to be contaminated with high levels of various VOCs. Hundreds of individual facilities could be contributing to the contamination in the basin through improper handling and disposal practices. Analyses show that many wells in the area do not meet the EPA's standards for water quality. The basin's groundwater provides approximately 90 percent of the domestic water supply for over 1,000,000 people who live in the Valley. Over 400 water supply wells are used in the basin to extract groundwater for industrial, business, agricultural, and domestic uses. Forty-five different suppliers of water operate in the basin and provide drinking water to more than 1,000,000 people.
Alhambra Operable Unit (OU) includes the cities of Alhambra, San Gabriel, San Marino, and Temple City. Currently the EPA in cooperation with the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) are conducting facility investigations in an effort to identify Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) and associated sources of groundwater contamination. No PRPs have yet been identified.
Site Responsibility: NPL LISTING HISTORY
This site is being addressed through Federal Proposed Date: 09/08/83 and State actions. Final Date: 05/08/84 Deleted Date:
THREATS AND CONTAMINANTS Groundwater and soil are contaminated with various VOCs. People who inhale vapors from groundwater that contain VOCs could be exposed to hazardous substances. Currently, all drinking water provided meets Federal and State drinking water standards. The San Gabriel Valley Area 3 site includes contaminated groundwater in the cities of Alhambra and San Gabriel. The groundwater is contaminated with low levels of trichloroethene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE) up to 3 times the maximum contaminant level (MCL) allowed by Federal and State Law.
CLEANUP APPROACH
This site is being addressed in two long-term remedial phases focusing on cleanup of area-wide contamination and identification and control of the source of contamination. Response Action Status
Area-wide Contamination: In 1984, the EPA began a study of the nature and extent of contamination throughout the San Gabriel Valley. The intent of this investigation is to identify specific areas at the San Gabriel Valley site for focused study as well as to support ongoing activities at other areas of the San Gabriel Valley sites. Under this investigation, additional groundwater cleanup or monitoring may be required. Source Identification and Control: The California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region, working under a Cooperative Agreement with the EPA, is identifying sources of contaminants. To date, nearly 400 individual facilities throughout San Gabriel Valley have been confirmed as having soil contamination. RI/FS: In July 1999, the EPA officially started the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS). The purpose of the RI is to fully determine the nature and extent of contamination and the potential for harm to the public health or welfare or the environment caused by the groundwater contamination at or from the Alhambra OU. The purpose of the FS is to develop, screen and evaluate appropriate cleanup alternatives to prevent and eliminate the release or the threat of release of contaminants at the site. EPA is still conducting the RI/FS.
Site Facts:
ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS After adding this site to the NPL, the EPA performed preliminary investigations and determined that no immediate actions were required at the San Gabriel Valley (Area 3) site while studies are taking place and final cleanup actions are planned. The EPA is now conducting additional investigations to identify PRPs responsible for contamination of the groundwater within this operable unit.
POTENTIALLY RESPONSIBLE PARTIES
Potentially responsible parties (PRPs) refers to companies that are potentially responsible for generating, transporting, or disposing of the hazardous waste found at the site.
Online information about the PRPs for the site is not yet available.
SITE DOCUMENTS AND REPORTS
Administrative Records: Online versions not yet available.
Records of Decision: Online versions not yet available.
Technical Documents: Online versions not yet available.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Public Meetings:
Newsletters and Fact Sheets: 1) Sept 2002 - EPA to begin field work to investigate groundwater quality in Alhambra (English/Spanish/Vietnamese/Chinese) SITE REPOSITORIES/LIBRARY SOURCES
The public information The most complete collection of documents is repositories for the site are the official EPA site file, maintained at the at the following locations: following location:
Rosemead Library Superfund Records Center 8800 Valley Boulevard Mail Stop SFD-7C Rosemead, CA 91770 95 Hawthorne Street, Room 403 (626) 573-5220 San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 536-2000 West Covina Library 1601 West Covina Parkway Enter main lobby of 75 Hawthorne street, go to West Covina, CA 91790 4th floor of South Wing Annex. (626) 962-3541
CONTACTS
EPA SITE MANAGER: Lisa Hanusiak
ADDRESS: 75 Hawthorne Street (SFD-7-3) San Francisco, CA 95105 PHONE NUMBER: (415) 972-3152
E-MAIL ADDRESS: [email protected]
EPA COMMUNITY Don Hodge INVOLVEMENT COORDINATOR:
ADDRESS: 75 Hawthorne Street (SFD-3) San Francisco, CA 95105 PHONE NUMBER: 1-800-231-3075 E-MAIL ADDRESS: [email protected]
PUBLIC INFORMATION (415) 947-8701 CENTER:
E-MAIL ADDRESS: [email protected]
STATE CONTACT:
ADDRESS:
PHONE NUMBER:
PRP CONTACT:
ADDRESS:
PHONE NUMBER:
COMMUNITY CONTACT:
ADDRESS:
PHONE NUMBER:
After Hours (Emergency Response) State Environmental Protection Agency US Environmental Protection Agency (800) 852-7550 (800) 424-8802 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
STATE: CA
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: 31
EPA ORGANIZATION: SFD-7-3
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