•—i SDMS DocID 284040 ' Of !.;•<> r- FIELD INVESTIGATIONS OF UNCONTROLLED HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES FIT PROJECT TDD # Fl-8011-03 December 29, 1980 TASK REPORT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY CONTRACT NO. 68-01-6056 WORK IN SUPPORT OF EPA ENFORCEMENT CASE: DRAFT REPORT PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION of the ABANDONED LANDFILL Old Turnpike Road Southington, Connecticut Submitted to: Submitted by: Mr. John Hackler, Chief Paul J. Exner, Project Leader Office of Uncontrolled Waste Sites Ecology and Environment, Inc. (E & E) U.S. EPA, Region I FIT Team, Region I Prepared by: Margret Hanley Ecology and Environment, Inc. FIT Team, Region 1 ecology and environment, inc. International Specialists in the Environmental Sciences 53100 Fl-8011-03 CONTENTS Section Page Fi gures i i Tables iii 1. Introduction 1.1 Background 1- 1 1.2 Summary and Conclusions 1- 2 2. History 2.1 Prior to 1947 1-5 2.2 1947 - 1967 1-8 2.3 1967 to present 1-10 3. Geohydrology 3.1 Topography 1-15 3.2 Geology 1-16 3.3 Groundwater and Soil Contamination 1-17 4. Hazardous Waste Generators 4.1 Solvents Recovery Services of New England 1-21 4.2 Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Corporation 1-23 4.3 Other Industrial Sources 1-25 5. References 1-30 6. Appendix A - Engineering Data 6.1 Engineering Data 1-35 7. Appendix B - Analytical Data for Hazardous Waste Disposed of at Abandoned Landfill, Southington, Connecticut 1-45 7.1 Description of Waste from Pratt & Whitney Aircraft.1-46 7.2 Analysis of SRSNE Liquid Waste 1-49 7.3 Analysis of Sediment Sample taken from Abandoned Landfi11 1-53 8. Appendix C - Summary of Industrial Located in Southington, Connecticut 1-61 8.1 1956 1-62 8.2 1963 1-66 8.3 1966 1-70 Fl-8011-03 FIGURES Number Page 2-1 Size and Location of Landfill, Southington, Connecticut - 1947 1- 7 2-2 Size and Location of Landfill, Southington, Connecticut - 1965 1- 9 2-3 Size and Location of Abandoned Landfill Southington, Connecticut - 1973-1980 1-11 2-4 Property Map of Lots located on Abandoned Landfill..1-13 3-1 Groundwater Contour Map (un Ft. MSL) For Abandoned Landfill, Southington, Connecticut 1-19 Fl-8011-03 TABLES Number Page Table I Summary of Hazardous Waste Generators 1- 4 Table I Summary of Hazardous Waste Generators 1-29 Fl-8011-03 1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 1.1 Introduction On November 13, 1980, Ecology and Environment's ( E & E) Field Investigation Inspection Team (FIT) accepted Technical Direction Document (TDD) No. F-l-8011-03 to perform work in support of EPA Enforcement in Southington, Connecticut. One of the elements of the TDD is to perform an assessment of the hazardous waste disposal practices at the abandoned landfill on Old Turnpike Road. This report has been written in fulfillment of that element and includes: 1. Th egeohydrology of the abandoned sanitary landfill and vicinity; 2. Abrief history of the abandoned sanitary landfill; and 3. A nanalysis of the generators and the disposers of the hazardous waste suspected to exist at the abandoned sanitary landfill including an estimate of the volume of solvent waste. The information for this assessment was obtained through a variety of sources including files from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Solid Waste Division of Engineering in Southington, the Southington Town Planner's and Town Manager's offices and finally the 1 - 1 Fl-8011-03 1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 1.1 Introduction - continued Southington Public Library. In addition, personal interviews with DEP and local officials, particularly Edward Parker and Paul Marin of the DEP and Robert Kuchta of the Southington Town Planner's office, provided up to date analytical data and official verification of unconfirmed data. Two fact-finding field trips to Southington, Connecticut were conducted which included two perimeter surveys of the abandoned landfill on Old Turnpike Road. The scope of E & E's assignment was strictly to perform a preliminary assessment of the disposal practices at the Old Southington Landfill. Further work in Southington including a study of the impact of the abandoned landfill on town drinking water supplies, must be tasked under future TDDs. 1.2 Summary/Conclusion The abandoned landfill on Old Turnpike Road is known to have received hazardous waste between the years 1950 and 1967 from the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft facilities and Solvents Recovery Services of New England in Southington. 1 - 2 Fl-8011-03 1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 1.2 Summary/Conclusion - continued It is probable that the numerous small metal work shops located in Southington disposed of a variety of hazardous waste, including organic solvents, at the landfill. Table I summarizes the volumes of solvent waste that are known to and/or estimated to have been discarded at the abandoned landfill. As indicated, total volume of solvent may exceed 1­ 1/2 million gallons. The known quantity of solvent disposed of at the landfill is much less, probably in the vicinity of 200,000 gallons. Such quantities would pose a substantial threat to the groundwater down gradient from Black Pond. Geologic conditions in the vicinity of the abandoned landfill may serve to slow the movement of a contaminant plume, but would not be likely to prevent it from eventually reaching nearby drinking water supplies. Since geologic conditions suggest that the landfill may be located on a semipermeable aquifer, contaminant data obtained from shallow monitoring wells located down gradient from the abandoned landfill may not provide an accurate picture of the true groundwater conditions. Existing conditions might inhibit the detection of a contaminant plume in shallow wells. 1 - 3 TABLE 1 SUMMARY OF HAZARDOUS WASTE GENERATORS .^ 0^',cr • *v f:___^^ &r Xv<?X<><^>> »°x.<? " .«^<^.>o ^' 1 b ;;;: a SRSNE 41, 670 500,000 15 2 i,ooo,ooo \ 37 150,000 •['-., ?S .,­ PRATT "WHITNEY 1 r AIRCRAFT d 67,200 5 ' .. CORPORATION 1, 730° 20,800 19 17 353,600 13 OTHER INDUSTRIES (60 METAL WORK 6, 6006 79,200 90 17 1,346,400 50 1,211,800 .85 SHOPS) - TOTAL 50, 000 787,200 2,700,000 100 1,429,000 . 100 i ' • ' a. Based on mean % of solvents detected in SRSNE waste. b. .Total volume estimated in Connecticut DEP Files c. Based on 400 gallon/month quantity of solvent contaminated waste described in 6/19/79 Communication from Pratt Whitney Aircraft to Ed Parker, Conn. DEP d. Based on mean % of estimated solvent on Pratt Whitney Waste provided by William Chudzick, Environmental Engineer e. Based on 2 55-gallon drums/per shop of solvent waste per month Fl-8011-03 1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 1.1 Introduction - continued Finally, a recent sediment sample taken from the Griffin Construction Company property in the Black Pond Industrial Park (which is located on the abandoned landfill) reveals high concentrations of a variety of organic solvents (see Appendix C). It is clear that some solvents are present in the abandoned landfill. Additional hydrogeologic and groundwater quality data are necessary to accurately quantify the volumes and concentrations present, their distribution in the landfill, and their impact, both existing and potential, on nearby drinking water sources. 2. HISTORY 2.1 Up to 1947 The now abandoned Sanitary landfill on Old Turnpike Road in Southington, Connecticut may be as old as 100 years*. Prior to the late 1940's, a small population (12,400) in Southington with moderate waste disposal needs required a 1 - 5 Fl-8011-03 2. HISTORY 2.1 Up to 1947 - continued small land area for waste dumping. A 1947 aerial photograph of the Black Pond area indicates that the dump occupied a small area west of the pond on Old Turnpike Road (Figure 2-1).2. In the photograph, several trucks appear to be entering and exiting the dumping area. The property north of the landfilling area and south of Carter Street was heavily wooded and a few homes were located along Carter Street. Two gravel pits were located west of Old Turnpike Road. A small gravel pit occupied the site which is presently owned by Lori Engineering Company. The site is identified on the photograph, as the property of the Marboy Corporation, a holding company for Lori Engineering. Another gravel pit owned by Thompson Drop Forge Inc. was located south of the area presently occupied by Mitchell Auto Body, and appeared to contain a variety of trucks and heavy equipment. The operating procedures of the dump in 1947 are unknown. Some litter control was provided by a cover of sand and gravel applied monthly 3. present town officials refer to the old landfill as an "open dump". A citizen of Southington, who resided near the landfill during the late 1940's and earlier described the dump as unoffensive4. 1 - 6 w (>!<».,-,*>' « " F1-B011-03 2. HISTORY 2.2 1947 to 1967 Between 1947 and 1963, the population in Southington nearly doubled to 22,800, with a proportionate increase in household and industrial waste5 . Several pieces of private property were leased for landfill ing by the town north and south of the 1947 dump perimeter. In 1963, the town dump was described as "one of Southington's oldest and most obnoxious problems"^. To i M,^^/ alleviate the air pollution, litter problem and rodent population fostered by the uncontrolled dump, the town Highway Department and the Public Health Director in Southington implemented a sanitary landfilling program 3. The program required that the active portion of the dump be compacted and covered with clean fill once a week. Fill was purchased from the Mastrianni Gravel Pit on Flanders Road3. The 1965 aerial photographs of the Black Pond area reveal the maximum extent of the landfill during its history (Figure 2-2)7.