13
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY TECHNICAL ENFORCEMENT SUPPORT AT HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES
EPA REGION V CONTRACT NO. 68-01-7351 WORK ASSIGNMENT NO. 535
COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN CITY DISPOSAL TOWN OF DUNN, WISCONSIN
JACOBS ENGINEERING GROUP INC. PROJECT NUMBER: 05-B535-00 JULY 1988
I I TABLE OF CONTENTS Page SECTION 1.0 Introduction...... _...... 1 SECTION 2.0 Site History...... 3 SECTION 3.0 Community Profile...... ™^ SECTION 4.0 Issues and Concerns...... _...... 7 SECTION 5.0 Community Relations Objectives and Activities ...... 9
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1: Regional Map...... _...... FIGURE 2: Site Map...... _...._.„...... _.._...... FIGURE 3: Implementation Timeline...... _......
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: Mailing List...... ™...... APPENDIX B: Public Meeting Locations and Information Repositories ...... APPENDIX C: Glossary of terms and acronyms...... 1.0 INTRODUCTION This community relations plan has been developed to prepare for community relations activities to be conducted prior to and during the remedial activities at the City Disposal Corporation Landfill site in the Town of Dunn, Wisconsin. The purpose of this document is to provide information about community concerns and present a plan to enhance communication between local residents and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). This plan will be revised as the remedial activities at the site move toward completion and community concerns are reassessed. Information presented in this document was obtained from the U.S. EPA; the Madison, Wisconsin public library; the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), and interviews with township and county officials, and residents of the Town of Dunn. The interviews were conducted in January 1988. This community relations plan consists of the following sections:
o A description and brief history of the site; o A profile of the Town of Dunn community; o A discussion of past community involvement with the site and present community concerns about the site, and o A discussion of community relations objectives for the site and activities designed to implement them.
This community relations plan contains several appendices, including a mailing list of interested parties and organizations; a list of suggested locations : for public meetings and information repositories, and a glossary of acronyms and technical terms. 1.1 A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE SUPERFUND PROCESS The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, also known as Superfund) was enacted in December 1980. The new law established a program to provide for the investigation and cleanup of actual or potential releases of hazardous substances throughout the United States. U.S. EPA administers the Superfund program in cooperation with individual states. The Superfund process involves several steps after initial identification of a potential site. After an initial inspection by the state or U.S. EPA, the site is evaluated for its potential impact on the health and environment of the community using the Hazard Ranking System (HRS). If the site poses a serious enough threat to the community, it is placed on the National Priorities List (NPL), a roster of the nation's most serious hazardous waste sites. Sites on the NPL are eligible for federal cleanup money under the Superfund program. After the site is placed on the NPL, U.S. EPA plans and conducts a remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS) at the site. The RI/FS is a long-term study to identify the nature and extent of contamination from the site and to evaluate alternative remedies for contamination problems. After the public has had an opportunity to provide input, U.S. EPA selects the most appropriate alternative as a final remedy, which it then designs and implements. If potentially responsible parties (PRPs) can be identified and are willing to cooperate, one or more of the PRPs may pay for and conduct the RI/FS under U.S. EPA and WDNR supervision. Waste Management of Wisconsin, Inc. (WMI) was identified as a PRP at the site. 2.0 SITE HISTORY The City Disposal Corporation Landfill site occupies 38 acres of land just west of Sand Hill Road in the Town of Dunn, Wisconsin (Figure 1). The site is known variously by local residents as the Sand Hill Dump, the Blatterman Farm Dump and by the name used herein, the City Disposal Corporation Landfill. The site is located in a predominantly agricultural area, about 700 feet southwest of Grass Lake. Grass Lake is reported to be a habitat for Sand Hill cranes and other wildlife species. A residential subdivision is located southwest of the site, and a i wooded lowland is located immediately south of the site. Badf ish Creek is located 300 feet east of the site (Figure 2). The creek is a man-made drainage channel into which the City of Madison discharges its treated waste water. Runoff from the site also drains into Badfish Creek. The site was opened in 1966 by City Disposal Corporation, later known as Waste Management of Wisconsin, Inc. (WMI) on property leased from the Blatterman family. The site was licensed as a solid and hazardous waste landfill by WDNR in 1971 and it was closed by the Town of Dunn in 1977. During its years of operation the site was divided into 12 cells (figure i.). Eleven of these cells were for the disposal of municipal waste. Hazardous waste was disposed of in •u «yB&y. fJA «. a^U. VL in. tJut *&&. swift. 1 I 1 Figure 1 Site Location Map City Disposal Corporation Landfill Dunn Township, Wisconsin JACOBS ENGINEERING GROUP INC. I MVWONMNUL(TITIM* OMMON Figure 2 Site Map City Disposal Corporation Landfill Dunn Township, Wisconsin Cell Location Numbers of Disposal Site Not to Scale Residential Subdivision JACOBS ENGINEERING GROUP INC. JE WVMOMMMUI rnnw oivntoN In 1983, the inactive site was called to the attention of WDNR officials who were investigating other potentially uncontrolled hazardous waste sites in Dane County (Hagen Farm and Every Farm). The WDNR officials noted similarities in the disposal practices at the sites and decided to further investigate the City Disposal Corporation site. WDNR tested 11 on-site monitoring wells for the presence of chemical contaminants in 1983. Several volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which have been identified by U.S. EPA as cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) were detected in the wells, including trichloroethylene; 1,2-dichloroethane; benzene; vinyl chloride, and tetrachloroethylene. Additional organic solvents detected in the monitoring wells included: acetone; chloroethane; chlorofluoromethane; dichlorofluoromethane; 1,2- dichloroethylene; tetrahydrof uran; tolune; xylene; ethyl benzene; trichlorofluoromethane, and trichlorotrifluoroethane. Testing of surface water from Badfish Creek indicated the presence of various organic compounds, the origin of which could not be verified. WDNR also tested four nearby private wells. VOCs were not detected in any of the wells. WDNR evaluated the site to determine whether it should be proposed of inclusion on the Superfund NPL. Waste Management of Wisconsin was identified as a potentially responsible party (PRP) and signed a consent order in June 1987 to conduct a remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS). 3.0 COMMUNITY PROFILE The Town of Dunn is an unincorporated township, located about 10 miles southeast of Madison, Wisconsin in Dane County. The township is a mix of rural and bedroom communities. With a population of about 5,000 residents, the town is larger than the two adjacent municipalities, McFarland and Oregon. While sewer and other services found in nearby villages are lacking in Dunn, the town does manage its own solid waste disposal facility. The town has restrictive land use zoning plan which is intended to maintain the rural nature of the community. Town officials feel that larger developments and industry would be better suited to surrounding communities which have more comprehensive municipal services. The policy limits the development of subdivisions, and some residents do not approve of the policy, which strictly limits their ability to subdivide and sell their land. However, it has been successful in preventing Town of Dunn from becoming a Madison suburb. Unlike many neighboring rural towns, Town of Dunn has an intensely active political community. Town policies are decided in a town meeting forum where meeting attendees vote on issues such as tax rates and new town ordinances. Town meetings are often heavily attended. The five town board members and town clerk, which comprise the Town of Dunn government structure, are non- partisan elected offices. Political campaigns are usually intensely waged with typically large voter turnouts. Voters often stand in long lines to cast votes at the town hall on election day. Politically, the town is heavily Democratic, as is much of Dane County. The town residents and officials have a strong interest in land use and environmental issues. Two major Dane County lakes, Lake Kegonsa and Lake Waubesa are located in the town. There are also several designated wetlands in the Town of Dunn. There is great interest among residents to protect these areas from chemical contamination and development. Several years ago, the town prevented the construction of a hot-mix plant on the shore of Lake Kegonsa after much public outcry. Town residents are currently fighting the proposed siting of a landfill near Lake Waubesa. MEDIA Town of Dunn residents read daily newspapers from nearby Madison, including the Wisconsin State Journal and the Capitol Times. The Oregon Observer is the weekly paper which covers the community near the site. Television and radio signals are received from Madison. INVOLVEMENT WITH THE SITE There has been only limited public involvement with the City Disposal Corporation Landfill site. When the landfill was closed in 1977, it was due primarily to a town board action which rezoned the land on which the site operated. The action was taken with strong community support. After contamination was detected by WDNR in on-site monitoring wells and in Badfish Creek in 1983, WDNR tested four nearby private wells in which contaminants were not detected. WDNR was petitioned by residents and town officials to perform testing on an additional 34 private wells. In response to the petition, WDNR replied that it did not feel it was necessary to test all 34 wells, but did intend to do follow up testing of the on-site wells and other local wells. 4.0 ISSUES AND CONCERNS The City Disposal Corporation site has been inactive for more than 10 years. The location of the site is on private land in a sparsely populated part of town. Therefore, current community interest in the site is minimal. Generally, residents, town officials, and local environmental interest groups seem to believe that U.S. EPA will ensure that the site is cleaned up. However, some are also somewhat skeptical of the bureaucracy and the lengthy remedial process. The community \ interviews seemed to renew community awareness about the site, which has } received very little media or community attention since WDNR was petitioned to test local wells in 1983. While no organized groups are actively monitoring the site, representatives of several Madison-based groups may attend meetings and will review publicly available reports and documents. The groups include the Sierra Club, League of Women Voters, Audobon Society and Environment Wisconsin. Because of a strong environmental awareness in the community, interest in the site may'increase when the field work gets underway. The following list of community concerns was developed based on community interviews conducted in January 1988. Ground Water Contamination All Town of Dunn residents rely on private wells for drinking water. Therefore the impact of the site on local ground water greatly concerns town residents and officials. Although contaminants from the site have not yet been detected in local private wells, there is some concern by residents that VOCs, which were found in on-site monitoring wells, may eventually migrate into the local private water supplies especially into wells along Sand Hill Road. Surface Water Contamination and Site Impact on nearby Wetlands There was concern expressed about the potential impact of the site on nearby Badfish Creek and Grass Lake. Grass Lake, a freshwater marsh, is reported to be a wetland habitat for sand hill cranes, yellow-winged blackbirds and other wildlife species. There was concern expressed that contaminants may enter Grass Lake and harm the wetland ecosystem contained in the marshy body of water. Badfish Creek is a man made channel which receives treated waste water from the City of Madison Sanitary District. Some residents said however, that the quality of the creek has declined during recent years. They are concerned that contaminants from the site are entering into the creek along with the waste water. Some residents said they had once been able to fish in the creek and catch several species of fish including bass and pike. However, they said, the creek is now inhabited only by carp, which can withstand polluted waters. Some residents said that birds which landed in the creek have been seen "staggering away," allegedly after exposure to the water. Implementation and outcome of remedial activities Residents and officials expressed both interest and concern about the eventual outcome of the clean up effort at the site. They expressed concern about what will be found during RI/FS, and the length of time it will take to resolve the site problems. They were interested in what solutions could potentially be implemented if serious contamination problems were found at the site. For example, residents were concerned about where contaminated soil may be removed to if such a remedial action would ultimately need to be taken. 8 5.0 COMMUNITY RELATIONS GOALS AND ACTIVITIES Several community relations goals and activities have been developed to encourage public participation during upcoming activities at the City Disposal Superfund site. They are intended to ensure that residents and interested officials are informed about remedial activities taking place at the City Disposal site and, at appropriate times, have an opportunity to have input during the remedial process. Community interest in the site is currently low. However, it is likely that interest will increase after field work begins at the site and more information becomes available to the community. Town of Dunn residents and officials appear to be very interested in keeping informed of site activities and the town has a history of strong community involvement in issues concerning the land and environmental protection. Residents are aware of environmental issues and seem to be generally very interested of keeping informed of all issues which may affect the town or its inhabitants. 5.1 COMMUNITY RELATIONS OBJECTIVES The following objectives have been developed as a guideline for the implementation of community relations activities. o Provide the community with information about the site and Superfund Town of Dunn residents and officials will be very receptive to receiving periodic updates on site activities and on the Superfund process. Town officials have expressed an interest in understanding the remedial process and assisting U.S. EPA in any way possible. The town officials have offered the use of table space in the town hall for placing brochures, fact sheets and other Superfund and site related information. Residents have indicated an interest in obtaining information about the RI/FS at the site and would like to be informed about test results, and findings of interest to the community. o Educate the community about the remedial process The community is receptive to the presence of U.S. EPA in resolving site problems at the City Disposal site. Trust in the Agency, however, may disappear if town residents become frustrated about what they perceive as a protracted schedule for the RI/FS, delays and other obstacles. The nature of the RI/FS and why it takes so long, the roles of the various actors in the process, such as the various agencies, PRP, contractors and other personnel should be explained to the community to avoid future frustration with the process. A public meeting held at the start of field activities will provide an ideal forum for disseminating this kind of information. o Define the scope of the study Hazardous waste and landfills are very sensitive issues in Dane County. There are several Superfund sites in the county and Town of Dunn residents are currently fighting a proposal to site a new landfill in the town. In addition, some residents also are upset about an apparent change in the quality of water in Badfish Creek. While these issues are important to town residents, and EPA should show concern for these issues, it is important that EPA clarify that it is studying only the City Disposal site within the scope of this RI/FS. o Establish A communication link with town residents and officials The community interviews have already set up an initial communication link between the town and U.S. EPA. The presence of a contact may help avoid the frustration that may accompany attempts to obtain information. The contact 10 should communicate with the several agencies and organizations involved and interested in the RI/FS. 5.2 COMMUNITY RELATIONS ACTIVITIES The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) requires that certain community relations activities be conducted at designated milestones during the remedial process. In addition, Region V of U.S. EPA undertakes other activities to strengthen its communication with communities. Activities which will be conducted during the remedial process at the City Disposal Corporation site are described below. Figure 3 illustrates the timing of the activities. Information Repository A repository is an information file or notebook which contains a series of site- related documents and information about the site and Superfund, including consent orders, workplans, reports and copies of applicable laws. The establishment of an information repository provides for public access to site related information which is required under SARA. A repository for the City Disposal site has been established by U.S. EPA. Its location is listed in Appendix B of this community relations plan. Public Comment Period SARA requires that a minimum 30-day public comment period be held after completion of the feasibility study (FS) and U.S. EPA has selected its recommended alternative. The purpose of the comment period is to enable all interested parties, including local officials, residents, groups, and PRPs an opportunity to express their opinions about the selected alternative and participate in the final decision making process for site cleanup. The comment period will be announced by an 11 advertisement published in local and Madison newspapers. A press release announcing the comment period will be sent to the local media. U.S. EPA will also directly contact interested parties on the mailing list contained in Appendix A of this community relations plan. Community input during this period will be encouraged whenever possible. Published Notices Before adoption of any plan for remedial action is undertaken, SARA requires that a notice and brief analysis of the proposed plan must be published in a major local newspaper of general circulation, such as the Capitol Times or Wisconsin State Journal. A notice which explains the final remedial action plan adopted by U.S. EPA will be published and the plan will be made available to the public before commencement of any remedial action. Notices or advertisements also will be published to announce all public meetings sponsored by U.S. EPA. Public Meetings SARA requires that the public has an opportunity for a public meeting during the public comment period. A public meeting held during the public comment period provides an opportunity for U.S. EPA to directly address citizens' questions and comments, and to discuss the recommended remedial alternative(s). Public meetings also will be held at other times during the remedial process such as at the start of the field work phase of the RI/FS and at the conclusion of the remedial investigation. The U.S. EPA community relations coordinator, and remedial project manager may conduct these meetings. The meeting time and place will be coordinated with local officials. Planning for public meetings should remain flexible to account for fluctuations in public interest. 12 Public Meeting Transcript A verbatim transcript will be taken if a public meeting is held during the public comment period on the U.S. EPA recommended alternative. U.S. EPA will place the transcripts in the information repository. Responsiveness Summary All comments received during the public comment period will be addressed in a document called a responsiveness summary. This report is required by SARA as « part of the Record of Decision (ROD) which formalizes the method in which the final cleanup action for the site was chosen by U.S. EPA. The responsiveness summary documents how U.S. EPA responded to and incorporated each public comment into the ROD. Revised Community Relations Plan After the ROD has been signed by U.S. EPA, this community relations plan (CRP) will be revised to take into account changing concerns of the community. The revised CRP will update and verify the information contained in this plan, assess the community relations program to date, and to develop community relations activities appropriate for the cleanup phase of the project. Meetings with Local Officials and Residents Various city and county officials, and residents have indicated that they want to be kept informed about sampling results and other activities at the City Disposal site. U.S. EPA meetings with these officials may be held at various key times throughout the remedial process when requested by the interested parties. Update Reports A series of update reports will be issued by U.S. EPA whenever new or pertinent information is available on the City Disposal site. The updates will be produced 13 and distributed periodically during the Superfund process as deemed necessary by the U.S. EPA. Fact Sheets Fact sheets, developed at certain time points during the remedial process, are intended to provide the community with detailed information about the site but written in understandable terminology. A fact sheet will be released at the beginning of the remedial investigation to explain the activities to be conducted during the study and the to explain Superfund process. A second fact sheet will be prepared to explain the findings of the remedial investigation and feasibility study, and to outline each of the remedial alternatives being considered for cleanup of the City Disposal site. A detailed description of the U.S. EPA recommended remedial alternative also will be provided in this fact sheet. An additional fact sheet may be issued to describe the remedial design and remedial action phases to be implemented at the site. Press Releases Prepared statements will be released to local newspapers, radio and television stations to announce the discovery of any significant findings at the site during the remedial investigation and feasibility study, and to notify the community of any public meetings or public comment periods. Additional press releases are advisable at the cQmj&lfttian. of. Out dxaJCt C 14 CMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE FO CITY DISPOSAL SITE TOWN OF DUNN, WISCONSIN CONSENT INITIATE COMPLETE INITIATE COMPLETE INITIATE ORDER RI RI FS FS/ROD RD/RA ACTIVITIES Public Comment Period X Published Notices X X X Public Meetings X X X Public Meeting X Transcript Respons iveness X Summary X Information X------Ongoing ------Respositories Community Relations X X Plan (Revise) Communication with X------As Needed ------Local Officials and Residents Update Reports X------As Needed ------X Fact Sheets X X X X Press Releases XX X X X RI/FS = Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study RD/RA - Remedial Design/Remedial Action ROD = Record of Decision APPENDIX A MAILING LIST OF INTERESTED PARTIES A. FEDERAL ELECTED OFFICIALS - 2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT The Honorable William Proxmirc, Senator (D) Washington DC Office (202) 224-5653 5241 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC, 20510 District Office (414) 469-6697 Federal Court Building 517 E. Wisconsin Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53202 The Honorable Robert Kasten, Senator (R) Washington DC Office (202) 224-5323 110 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 District Office (414) 784-5315 120 Bishops Way Brookfield, WI 53005 The Honorable Robert W. Kastenmeyer, Representative (D) Washington DC Office (202) 225-2906 2328 Rayburn House Office Building Washington DC, 20515 District Office (608) 264-5206 119 Martin Luther King Boulevard., Stc. 505 Madison, WI 53703 B. STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS The Honorable Tommy G. Thompson (R) (608) 266-2211 Governor Capitol Office Building Madison, WI 53702 Senator Russell D. Feingold (D) (608) 266-6670 27th District 3705 Lynn Street Middleton, WI 53562 Representative Joseph Wineke (D) (608) 266-9650 79th District 115 Edward Street Verona, WI 53590 C. LOCAL OFFICIALS Edmond R. Minihan (608) 838-6432 Town Chairman 2379 Keenan Road McFarland, WI 53558 Rosalind Gausman (608) 255-4219 Town Clerk 4156 County Trunk Highway B McFarland, WI 53558 Stanely R. Solheim (608) 835-5818 Town Supervisor 2380 Liatris Lane McFarland, WI 53558 Eleanor A. White (608) 835-3488 Town Supervisor 4518 Schneider Drive Oregon,WI 53575 Carol Terrcl (608) 266-4137 Dane County Environmental Council 210 Monona Avenue Madison, WI 53703 Scott Podboy (608) 241-4481 Dane County Health Department 1206 Northpoint Madison, WI 53704 I I E. STATE OFFICIALS Mark Giesfeldt (608) 267-7562 City Disposal Site I Project Coordinator Bureau of Solid Waste Mgmt. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources • P.O. Box 7921 Madison, WI 53707 Joe Brusca (608) 275-3296 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources • Southern District 3911 Fish Hatchery Road — Madison, WI 53711 I I I I I I I I I I F. CITIZENS ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER REPRESENTED GROUPS League of Women Voters of Dane County (608) 255-5636 708 £. Dayton Madison, WI 53703 Audubon Society - Madison (608) 255-2473 111 King Madison, WI 53703 Environmental Political Action Committee (608) 256-0565 111 King Madison, WI 53703 Sierra Club (608) 256-0565 111 King Madison, WI 53703 Environment Wisconsin, Inc. (608) 256-0565 111 King Madison, WI 53703 Stoughton Conservation Club (608) 873-8933 984 Collins Road Stoughton, WI 53589 G. MEDIA Newspapers Stoughton Courier-Hub (608) 873-6671 301 West Main Street Stoughton, WI S3S89 Attn: Steve Eily Oregon Observer (608) 251-3252 112 Janesville Street Oregon, WI 53575 Capital Times (608) 252-6400 1901 Fish Hatchery Road Madison, WI 53713 Environmental Reporter: Dan Allegretti Wisconsin State Journal (608) 252-6100 1901 Fish Hatchery Road Madison, WI 53713 Radio WERN - FM (608) 266-0036 732 N. Midvale Boulevard Madison, WI 53706 Jim Fleming, Program Dir. WHA (608) 263-3970 821 University Avenue Madison, WI 53706 News Director: Monika Petkus WHIT (608) 271-6611 Box 4408 Madison, WI 53711 News Director: Pat Schmid WIBA/WIBA-FM (608) 274-5450 Box 99 Madison, WI 53701 News Director: Robert King WNWC - FM (608) 271-1025 5606 Medical Circle Madison, WI 53719 News Director: Gordon Govier Radio (Cont'd) WORT - FM (608) 256-2001 118 S. Bedford Madison, WI 53703 Station Manager: David LePage WSEY (608) 643-3375 Box 556 Middleton, WI 53583 Les Cook - Public Affairs Director WTDY (608) 271-1484 Box 2068 Madison, WI 53701 News Director: Boyd Britton WTSO (608) 274-1070 5721 Tokay Madison. WI 53708 News Director: Judy Newman WMAD (608) 249-9277 3392 Brooks Sun Prairie 53590 Program Director: Tom Teuber Television WHA - TV (PBS) (608) 263-2121 821 University Ave. Madison, WI 53706 News Director: David Iverson WISC - TV (CBS) (608) 271-4321 7025 Raymond Road Madison, WI 53711 Public Affairs: Ellen Pritzkow News Director : Tom Bier WKOW - TV (ABC) (608) 274-1234 Box 100 Madison, WI 53701 News Director: Randy Alien WMSN TV (IND) (608) 833-0047 7847 Big Sky Drive Madison, WI 53719 Program Director: John Noonan WMTV (NEC) (608) 274-1515 615 Forward Drive Madison, WI 53711 News Director: Bryan Brosamle Stoughton and Dunkirk are Served by Madison Cable TV: (608) 274-3822 Complete Channel TV, Inc 5723 Tokay Blvd Madison, WI 53719 Area Manager: Dennis G. Thums APPENDIX B LOCATIONS FOR INFORMATION REPOSITORIES AND PUBLIC MEETINGS 1. INFORMATION REPOSITORY LOCATIONS Rosiland Gausman, Town Clerk (608) 255-4219 456 County Trunk Highway B McFarland, WI 53558 2. PUBLIC MEETING LOCATIONS Town of Dunn Hall (608) 205-4219 Route 1 McFarland, WI 53558 Stoughton Public Library (608) 873-6281 304 S. Fourth Stoughton, WI 53589 Limited Seating: Approximately 20 people APPENDIX C List of Acronyms and Glossary Terms ACRONYMS CD - Consent Decree CERCLA - Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act of 1980. CRP - Community Relations Plan FS - Feasibility Study HRS - Hazard Ranking System NPL - National Priorities List ppm/ppb - parts per million/parts per billion PRP - Potentially Responsible Party QA/QC - Quality Assurance/Quality Control ROD - Record of Decision RA - Remedial Action RD - Remedial Design RI - Remedial Investigation RPM - Remedial Project Manager SARA • Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986. VOC - Volatile Organic Compound •iHMtov:^ I I GLOSSARY Aquifer - A layer of rock or soil below the ground surface that can supply usable I quantities of ground water to wells and springs. Aquifers can be a source of water for drinking and other uses. Community Relations Plan (CRP1 - The CRP outlines specific community relations I activities that occur during the remedial response at a site. The CRP outlines how the U.S. EPA will keep the public informed of work at the site and the ways in which citizens can review and comment on decisions that may affect the final I actions at the site. This document is available in the U.S. EPA information repository. Comprehensive Environmental Response. Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) - A Federal law passed in 1980 and modified in 1986 by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA). The Act created a special tax on chemical manufacturers that goes into a trust fund, commonly known as Superfund, to investigate and clean up hazardous waste sites. Under the program U.S. EPA can either: o Pay for site cleanup when parties responsible for the contamination cannot be located or are unwilling or unable to perform the work. o Take legal action to force parties responsible for site contamination to clean up the site or pay back the federal government for the cost of the cleanup. Consent Decree (CD) - A legal document, approved and issued by a judge, that formalizes an agreement reached between U.S. EPA and potentially responsible parties (PRPs) where PRPs will perform all or part of a Superfund site cleanup. The consent decree describes actions that PRPs are required to perform and is subject to a public comment period. Consent Order - A legal document negotiated by U.S. EPA and potentially responsible parties which sets forth the guidelines for conducting an RI/FS. Contaminant Plume - A column of contamination with measurable horizontal and vertical dimensions that is suspended in and moves with ground water. The Hazard Ranking System (HRS) - Used by U.S. EPA to decide whether a site should be placed on the National Priorities List (NPL). The score a site receives from the HRS compares the relative hazards for different sites, taking into account the impact the site has on ground water, surface water, and air, as well as the number of people potentially affected by the contamination. Sites receiving a score of 28.5 or greater are proposed for the NPL. Heavy Metals - A group of metals including lead, chromium, cadmium, and cobalt. These can be highly toxic at relatively low concentrations. Leachate - A common term when talking about landfills. Leachate is not a specific chemical itself; it is a liquid that has percolated through wastes and contains components of these wastes. For instance, water may mix with leaking wastes inside a landfill, become contaminated, and then seep into the water table, polluting drinking water wells. I Monitoring Wells - Special wells drilled at specific locations on or off a hazardous waste site where ground water can be sampled at selected depths. The samples are I then studied to determine such things as the direction of ground water flow and I the types and amounts of contaminants present. National Priorities List (NPL) -- U.S. EPA's list of the top priority hazardous waste sites in the country that are eligible for federal cleanup money under Superfund. I Public Comment Period - A time period during which the public can review and comment on various documents and U.S. EPA actions. For example, a comment period is provided when U.S. EPA proposes to add sites to the National Priorities I List. Also, a minimum 30-day comment period is held to allow citizens to review and comment on a draft feasibility study. I Remedial Action (RA) -- Response actions that stop or substantially reduce a release or threat of a release of hazardous substances that are serious but not an immediate threat to public health. Remedial Alternative -- A method or combination of methods designed to protect public health, welfare and the environment over the long term, from releases of hazardous substances at a Superfund site. Remedial alternatives are usually projects or a combination of technologies that contain, remove, or destroy most of the contaminants in the air, water, soil and/or ground water at a Superfund site. Remedial Design (RD) — A phase of the remedial action that follows the remedial investigation/feasibility study and includes the development of engineering, drawings and specifications for a site cleanup. Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) — A Remedial Investigation (RI) examines the nature and extent of contamination problems at a site. The Feasibility Study (FS) evaluates different remedial alternatives for site cleanup and recommends the most cost effective alternative. Sludge -- A generic term that describes a thickened solid/liquid waste by-product of an industrial or recycling process. Sludee Lagoon -- A pond used to dry or store semi-solid waste products (sludge). Superfund -- The commonly used term that describes the federal legislation authorizing U.S. EPA to investigate and respond to the release or threatened release of hazardous substances into the environment. Also known as CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act). In 19S6, Superfund was reauthorized as SARA - Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act. Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) -- Modifications to CERCLA enacted on October 17, 1986. Volatile Organic Compound (VOO -- Carbon-containing compound that evaporates (volatizes) readily at room temperature.