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! United States i Environmental Protection Agency Office of Public Affairs SUPERFUND Community Relations Plan for the Holton Circle SuperiRind Site Londonderry, New Hampshire Snperfi!no Records Center SITE: TdW^ i-Q^n^hi^ BREAK; 13. > OTHER: H^O hO ^ August 1990 prepared by IGF Kaiser Engineers, Inc. under subcontract to Metcalf & Eddy \ Table of Contents Overview of the Community Relations Plan 1 A- Site Background 1 B. Community Background . 2 C. Key Community Concerns 3 D. Objectives of the Community Relations Program 5 E. Future Community Relations Activities 6 APPENDIX A: Locations for Information Repositories, the Administrative Record, and Public Meetings APPENDIX B: Key Contacts List Community Relations Plan Holton Circle Superfund Site Londonderry, New Hampshire August 1990 Overview of the Community Relations Plan This community relations plan identifies issues of community interest and concern regarding the Holton Circle Superfund site in Londonderry, New Hampshire, and describes the program of community relations aaiviUes to be conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address these issues during the Remedial InvestigaUon and Feasibility Stu(ty (Rl/FS) for the site. The community relations program outlined in this plan is designed to inform interested citizens and officials about the progress of EPA activities at the site and to provide an opportunity for public involvement in the Superfuhd process. This plan is based on interviews held in March 1S)90 with Londondeny residents and town oflicials, and on a public informational meeting held at the Londonderry Junior High School on March 27, 1990. In addition, this plan is based on a review of EPA site files, and on meetings between EPA technical and conununity relations staff. This community relations plan is divided into the following sections: A Site Background B. Community Background C Key Community Concerns D. Objectives of the Community Relations Program E. Future Community Relations ActiviUes APPENDIX A. Locations for Information Repositories, the Administrative Record, and Public Meetings APPENDIX B. Key Contacts List EPA's Region I Office in Boston, Massachusetts has overall responsibility for managing the RI/FS for the site. An EPA Superfund Community Relations Coordinator fi'om the Region I Office of Public Affairs will oversee all community relations activities at the site as outlined in this plan. EPA is conducting site aaivities in cooperation with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES). A. Site Background The Holton Circle site encompasses a residential development of approximately 25 homes (Holton Circle), the land surrounding the town garage located north of Pillsbury Road in Londondeny, NH, and a second partially developed subdivision, Isabella Drive. The Londonderry High School and the fire station are located Holton Circle Superfiind Site : Community Relations Plan 1 approximately one-half mile to the northeast of the site (see Figure 1). Most of the lots on Isabella Drive are vacant although some housing construction is under way. In 1984, Holton Circle residents complained to the New Hampshire Water Supply and Pollution Control Commission about the deteriorating water quality in their private wells. Subsequent testing of the residential wells and the two town garage wells by the NHDES indicated the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the town garage wells and in some residential wells. The VOCs found were 1,1­ dichloroethane (DCA), 1,1-dichloroethylene (DCE), as well as lower concentrations of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA), and tetrachloroethylene (PCE). EPA has determined that, in cenain concentrations, these contaminants are toxic and can cause various health threats rangingfi-om liver damage to cancer. In 1985, EPA conducted a preliminary assessment of the site which included analyses of water and soil samples. A total of eight Holton Circle residential wells were found to be contaminated. In addition to the contamination found in the : residential wells, VOCs also were found in wells serving the town garage. Based on these investigations, the site was added to EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) on March 31, 1989. The investigations did not identify a specific source for, the contamination at Holton Circle. •^•'^^-^ K :' " Five of the residences with contaminated wells have been connected to a recently installed Southern New Hampshire Water Company (SNHWC) waterline at •the expense of the property owners. Of the three contaminated wells not oonhected to the SNHWC waterline, one honae has installed a water filtration system and two homes are using bottied water for drinking and cooking purposes, in addition, the high school and fire station have connected to the SNHWC water system and have ­ discontinued use of their wells. ^ EPA began the RI for the site in March 1990 with an initial round of residential well testing to assess any immediate health risks. The results of the sampling showed no evidence of an immediate health risk. Funher rounds of sampling will be conducted in the next few months. B. Community Background Community Profile Londondeny is a town of approximately 19,000 residents located in rural Rockingham County in southeastem New Hampshire. Londondeny operates under a Town Meeting form of government with a five member Board of Selectmen, which also serves as the Board of Health, and an appointed Town Administrator. ,:;Thefe is an appointed Town Health Officer and a five-member elected Water CtommissioiL' ­ Londonderry is primarily a bedroom community for people who work in the towns and cities nonh of Boston. The town itself is the location for the regional headquarters of a large soft drink bottling company and it has many small light industrial firms as well. The commercial development surrounding the Manchester Airport, which is located partially in the town, is an expanding source of industrial activity and employment for Londonderry. '^'. Two Olher Superfund sites are located in the town: Tinkham's Garage and the Auburn Road Landfill. Both of these sites were placed on the National Priorities List ~ (NPL) several years before Holton Circle, and both are currently in the Remedial Design/Remedial Action phase of site cleanup. TTiere is no known connection between these other sites and the Holton Circle contamination. Both the Tinkham's Garage Holton Circle Supeifund Site : Community Relations Plan 2 and Auburn Road Landfill sites received a great deal of public attention due to the number of persons affected and the seriousness of the contamination. Although the residents in the Holton Circle area know al)out these other sites, they do not seem to have been closely involved with activities at either of them. History of Community Involvement at the Holton Circle Site EPA's community relations program as ouUined in this plan is designed to provide information to the community about site aaivities, and to provide opportunities for the public to become involved in EPA's decision-making process for the site. Formal community relations activities to date are listed below. • 198 —9 EPA established two information repositories at the Leach Public Library and the EPA Records Center (see APPENDIX B for the addresses and hours of operation of the repositories). c • March 1990 ~ EPA distributed a fact sheet describing the site history, EPA's plans for further site investigations, and opportunities for public ihvolvernent. • March 1990 - EPA conducted community interviews to gather information for the preparation of this Comihunity Relations Plan. .,•,••:/''•^'^.r,.. • March 27,1990 - EPA conducted a pubUc information meeting to present the results of the most recent sampling of residential wells conducted by the NHDES and EPA's plans fbr conducting the RL ':-,-•• : V^^f^ " ^ Although no formally organized citizens' group has come together over this site, the negative sentiments among residents toward the NPL listing produced a hi ^ level of attendance at the RI/FS pubUc meeting. The interest of the residents in the Holton Circle site is likely to remain high because of the widespread concem over property values. However, due to the perceived lack of a serious threat to human health, the Holton Qrcle siie may not stir as much town-wide interest as did the other two sites in Londondeny. C. Key Community Concerns A review of EPA files on the Holton Circle site, discussions with EPA personnel, and community interviews held in March 1990 indicate that the three primary concerns of area residents are the cost of the public water connections, the potential loss of property values, and the difficulties with obtaining loans and selling homes. Although some Holton Circle homeowners have had problems with ihe qualitj^^^ of their well water in the past, residents were generally surprised and dismayed at the designation of their neighborhood as a Superfund site. Londondeny town officials were similarly displeased. Although residents have made numerous negative comments concerning EPA and the listing of the site, many are glad to know that something is going %> be done about the pollution. While they wish that the problem had never arisen in the first place, now that the process is underway, many seem supportive, cooperative, and 4-:, , understanding in their attitude toward the site investigation. Based on the public meeting proceedings, resident interviews, and contacts with public officials, the cunent community concerns are summarized below. Holton Circle Superfund Site : Corhmunity Relations Plan 3 1. Cost of PubUc Water Connections The cost of connecting a home to the public water main is between S3,000 and S 10,000 according to residents. The rates for the water itself are also considered to be high. Residents are concerned that some households in the neighborhood may not l>e able to afford the connections. Residents stated that they are frustrated that EPA would not designate a ponion of the money being spent on the site for the connection of homes to the municipal water line, and to reimburse those homeowners who had already connected at their own expense.

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