Public Health Assessment for the UGI Columbia Gas Plant Site Which You Transmitted to Me on June 2, 1995
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UNfTED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION III 841 Chestnut Building Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107 SDMSDOCID 20/4531 SUBJECT: UGI Columbia Gas Plant Site DATE: 7-27-95 EPA Health Assessment Comments FROM: Steven J. Donohue, RPM $j3 //;/K,r Central Pennsylvania Section (3HW24) TO: Jack Kelly, Regional Representative ATSDR Region III EPA has received and reviewed the Public Health Assessment for the UGI Columbia Gas Plant Site which you transmitted to me on June 2, 1995. EPA has the following comments on the Assessment. Page 1 In the fourth paragraph of the Summary section, PAHs can bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms, via the pathways of sediment and diet. Bioconcentration is greater for the higher molecular PAHs than for the lower weight compounds. Bioconcentration also tends to be very species specific, with lower forms of organisms showing higher BCFs than higher forms. While fish can metabolize PAHs, some PAHs are associated with tumors, neoplasms, and other growth anomalies. Some metabolic intermediates of PAHs are likely to be a much greater threat to aguatic biota than to fishermen. Page 2 In the fourth paragraph, the Borough of Columbia waste water treatment plant is directly across Front Street to the south of the Site. Page 6 In the fourth paragraph, the Lancaster Water Authority water intake on the Susquehanna River is approximately 400 feet offshore. Page 8 In the Environmental Contamination and Other Hazards section, EPA believes that some contaminants of concern at the UGI Site have not been included in the Public Health Assessment including but not limited to xylene. Also, considering benzo[a]pyrene but not other PAHs is likely to lead to an underestimate of risk. Page 9 In the first paragraph, please define B(a)P as benzo (a) pyrene the first time it is used in the report. Page 11 The River Sediments paragraph states that in 1991 the contaminated sediments could not be found. More recent investigation of the sediments, in 1994, confirmed and located contaminated tar in the sediments. Page 13 In the first paragraph of the Air, it is not clear what the last sentence is referencing. Page 18 In the last paragraph of the Arsenic section, it is unclear what the basis is for the conclusion reached in the second sentence. Page 22 In the second paragraph in the Conclusion section, there are plans to sample the private water wells in the area during the summer of 1995. In the last paragraph of the Conclusion section, surface soil samples will be taken as part of the ongoing Remedial If you have any guestions on these comments please contact me at (215) 597-3166. OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES Public Health Service Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Atlanta GA 30333 June 2,1995 From: Regional Representative ATSDR Region III Re: Public Health Assessment UGI Columbia Gas Plant To: Steven J. Donohue, Remedial Project Manger EPA Region III Enclosed is the final Public Health Assessment on the UGI Columbia Gas Plant, Columbia Borough, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. This Public Health Assessment, prepared by the Pennsylvania Department of Health under a cooperative agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, represents an evaluation of the relevant health and environmental data and community concerns collected for this site. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at (215) 597-8216. Attachment cc: Monty Howie, ATSDR/DHAC/PERIS Art Dalla Piazza, PADER, Southcentral Office Peter Gearhart, PADOH, Southcentral Office */**»« l» Kandiah Sivarajah, Ph.D., PADOH \ Public Health Service DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Memorandum Date May 23, 1995 From Chief, Program Evaluation, Records, and Information Services Branch, DHAC, ATSDR Subject public Health Assessment To Charles J. Walters Senior Regional Representative, ATSDR, Region III Attached are seven copies of the May 23, 1995, Public Health Assessment on the following site prepared by the Pennsylvania Department of Health under a cooperative agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. UGI COLUMBIA GAS PLANT COLUMBIA, LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA CERCLIS NO. PAD980539126 The Program Evaluation, Records, and Information Services Branch requires copies of all letters used to transmit this document to the agencies, departments, or individuals on your distribution list. The copy letters will be placed into the administrative record for the site and serve as the official record of distribution for this Public Health Assessment. Please address correspondence to the Chief, Program Evaluation, Records, and Information Services Branch, Division of Health Assessment and Consultation, ATSDR, Mailstop E-56, 1600 Clifton Road, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30333. If you have any questions, you may call Ms. Chris Brandt, our Community Involvement Specialist, at 1-800-447-4784, then dial 329-1175. Max M. Howie, Jr. Attachments r cc: B. Johnson D. Cronin H. Longest S. Williams-Fleetwood H. Cassell (no attachs) R. Gillig J. Andrews G. Godfrey Public Health Assessment for UGI COLUMBIA GAS PLANT COLUMBIA, LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA CERCLIS NO. PAD980539126 MAY 23, 1995 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT UGI COLUMBIA GAS PLANT COLUMBIA, LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA CERCLIS NO. PAD980539126 Prepared by Pennsylvania Department of Health Under Cooperative Agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry THE ATSDR PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT: A NOTE OF EXPLANATION This Public Health Assessment was prepared by ATSDR pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund) section 104 (i)(6) (42 U.S.C. 9604 (i)(6), and in accordance with our impkmenting regulations 42 C.F.R. Part 90). In preparing this document ATSDR has collected relevant health data, environmental data, and community health concerns from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), state and local health and environmental agencies, the community, and potentially responsible parties, where appropriate. In addition, this document has previously been provided to EPA and the affected states in an initial release, as required by CERCLA section 104 (i)(6)(H) for their information and review. The revised document was released for a 30 day public comment period. Subsequent to the public comment period, ATSDR addressed all public comments and revised or appended the document as appropriate. The public health assessment has now been reissued. This concludes the public health assessment process tot this site, unless additional information Is obtained by ATSDR which, in the Agency's opinion, indicates a need to revise or append the conclusions previously issued. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., Administrator Barry L. Johnson, Ph.D., Assistant Administrator Division of Health Assessment and Consultation Robert C. Williams, P.E., DEE, Director Juan J. Reyes, Deputy Director Exposure Investigations and Consultations Branch Edward J. Slcowronslti, Acting Chief Federal Facilities Assessment Branch Sandra G. Isaacs, Acting Chief Petitions Response Branch Cynthia M. Harris, Ph.D., Chief Superfund Site Assessment Branch Sharon Williams-Fleetwood, Ph.D., Chief Program Evaluation, Records, and Information Services Branch Max M. Howie, Jr., Chief Use of tnde names is for identification only and does not constitute endorsement by the Public Health Service or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Additional copies of this report are available from: National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia (703) 487-4650 The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, ATSDR, is an agency of the U.S. Public Health Service. It was established by Congress in 1980 under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, also known as the Superfimd law. This law set up a fund to identify and clean up our country's hazardous waste sites. The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, and the individual states regulate the investigation and clean up of the sites. Since 1986, ATSDR has been required by law to conduct a public health assessment at each of the sites on the EPA National Priorities List. The aim of these evaluations is to find out if people are being exposed to hazardous substances and, if so, whether that exposure is harmful and should be stopped or reduced. (The legal definition of a health assessment is included on the inside front cover.) If appropriate, ATSDR also conducts public health assessments when petitioned by concerned individuals. Public health assessments are carried out by environmental and health scientists from ATSDR and from the states with which ATSDR has cooperataive agreements. Exposure: As the first step in the evaluation, ATSDR scientists review environmental data to see how much contamination is at a site, where it is, and how people might come into contact with it. Generally, ATSDR does not collect its own environmental sampling data but reviews information provided by EPA, other government agencies, businesses, and the public. When there is not enough environmental information available, the report will indicate what further sampling data is needed. Health Effects: If the review of the environmental data shows that people have or could come into contact with hazardous substances, ATSDR scientists then evaluate whether or not there will