961513 DONNELSVILLE CONTAMINATED AQUIFER SUPERFUND SITE
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT 2020 PLAN
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION Purpose of this CIP and community outreach objectives.
5 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT GOALS AND ACTIVITIES
Goals, activities and timeline to keep residents and local officials informed and involved.
13 THE COMMUNITY Composition of the village of Donnelsville, Bethel Township and Clark County.
25 THE SITE Description and history of activities.
29 COMMUNITY CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS Community members concerns, questions and comments.
APPENDICES
Appendix A – Glossary – Initials – Acronyms: Definition of key words, initials and acronyms (words are in bold throughout the document).
Appendix B - Community Interview Questions: Questions asked during community interviews.
Appendix C – Community Resources: Places where community members can find more information about the site and possible meeting locations.
Appendix D – List of Contacts: List of federal, state and local agencies and interested groups.
Appendix E – Community Engagement and the Superfund Process: U.S. EPA’s step-by-step process to determine the best way to clean up a contaminated site and opportunities for community involvement.
Appendix F – Fact Sheets: U.S. EPA’s site-related fact sheets and additional fact sheets on contaminants of concern and vapor intrusion.
i INTRODUCTION Describes the purpose of this CIP and presents U.S. EPA’s community outreach objectives.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency prepared thisCommunity Involvement Plan to engage and support the community affected “Consistent communication by the Donnelsville Contaminated Aquifer Superfund site located in forms the foundation for the village of Donnelsville, Bethel Township, Ohio. Our community a positive and productive involvement effort is committed to promoting effective and relationship between the meaningful communication between the public and the Agency. We community and the U.S. EPA.” want to make sure the community’s concerns and informational needs are considered while activities at the site progress.
This CIP was prepared to support environmental andcleanup activities Ruth Muhtsun, U.S. EPA at the Donnelsville Contaminated Aquifer site. We used several Community Involvement information sources to develop this plan, including research, discussions Coordinator with community members and information gathered at community interviews. We conducted interviews with residents and local officials interested in the site activities and cleanup efforts on June 23 – 26, 2020. We spoke with around 20 people in developing this plan. A majority of the people interviewed by U.S. EPA are long-time residents of Donnelsville.
(Words in bold are defined in Appendix A.)
The CIP is a working document that will evolve as the investigation and cleanup process continues and input is received from the community. It is intended to be flexible, adaptable and used as a guideline for our communication with the community.
1 U.S. EPA’s community outreach objectives: Assist the public in understanding the decision-making process during the investigation and cleanup phase during the Superfund process and the community’s role in that process.
Give the public accessible, accurate, timely and understandable information about the project as it moves forward.
Ensure adequate time and opportunity for the public to give informed and meaningful input and for that input to be considered.
Reflect community concerns, questions and information needs.
Respect and fully consider public input throughout the entire process.
This CIP describes U.S. EPA’s plan for addressing concerns and keeping residents informed and involved in investigation and cleanup activities at the site. We will use this document as a guide to involve and communicate with residents, businesses and the local governments in the village of Donnelsville, Bethel Township and Clark County.
If you are interested in submitting comments or have questions or suggestions concerning this CIP, please contact:
Ruth Muhtsun Community Involvement Coordinator U.S. EPA Region 5 312-886-6595 [email protected]
2 ± Site Location Map
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S:\Banh\Cheryl's Projects\mxd\Donnelsville CIP.mxd Brief Overview of the Site The Donnelsville Contaminated Aquifer site is an area of contaminated groundwater in the village of Donnelsville and portions of Bethel Township, Ohio. The site consists of an industrial/residential area that is bordered to the north by Donnelsville Cemetery; to the west by agricultural land; and to the south and east by residential properties and agricultural land. (See Site Location Map above.) The site includes residential properties and a public park withtetrachloroethylene-, or PCE-, contaminated drinking water. To date, U.S. EPA has installed 27 whole-house water treatment systems to treat the contamination in area drinking water wells. In the spring of 2020, U.S. EPA began a long-term, in-depth study to determine how widespread the contamination is.
3 Community Engagement is Essential to the Success of Superfund Cleanups Ongoing input and involvement by the community is essential to successful community engagement. The Agency has learned that effective decision-making is enhanced by actively seeking input and information from the community. Residents, business owners and local government officials may be able to provide valuable information about a hazardous site that can help us determine the best way to clean it up. Information provided to U.S. EPA can help determine the location of contamination, how people may be exposed to the contamination and perhaps sources of the contamination. Community members need to be involved in all phases of the investigation and cleanup so that the contamination is addressed in a way that protects people and the environment – now and in the future.
Local residents and officials of the village of Donnelsville, Bethel Township and Clark County educated U.S. EPA about their community. They told us about past activities at the site and explained their concerns, including concerns about the lack of communication, their drinking water and health, the investigation and cleanup, the cost, property values and the length of time it is taking to investigate and clean up the site. These and other concerns are explained in the Community Concerns and Questions section beginning on Page 29.
4 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT GOALS AND ACTIVITIES Highlights U.S. EPA’s goals, activities and timeline to keep residents and local officials informed and involved.
When establishing the goals for a site-specific community involvement program, we consider several factors, including federal requirements and U.S. EPA policy that assess the nature and extent of known site contaminants and known community concerns and requests.
To be effective, our community involvement program is designed to meet the community’s need to know, give information in a timely manner and accommodate the community’s interests and its willingness to participate in decision-making processes. We must also share information in language the public can understand.
To meet the needs of the community and to respond to information obtained during the community interviews conducted in June 2020, and to meet federal requirements, we have established the following goals for our community involvement efforts: • Enlist the support, coordination and involvement of village of Donnelsville, Bethel Township and Clark County officials and community leaders. • Enlist the support, coordination and involvement of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, or Ohio EPA. • Monitor citizen interest in the site and respond accordingly. • Keep the community well informed of ongoing and planned site activities. • Explain technical site activities and findings in an understandable format for residents. • Get public input on key cleanup decisions. • Take the community’s input into consideration when planning site activities. • Update U.S. EPA’s website regularly with useful information for the community. • Update village of Donnelsville, Bethel Township and Clark County officials on a periodic basis even if no activities are occurring at the site. • Hold public meetings, when necessary, within the community to give all residents an opportunity to attend.
U.S. EPA has or will put in place the activities described on the following pages to meaningfully and actively engage the community in decisions regarding the investigation and cleanup of the Donnelsville Contaminated Aquifer Superfund site. The following plan is intended to provide opportunities for communication between the community and U.S. EPA and to address key concerns and questions raised during the community interviews conducted in June 2020.
5 Specific Community Involvement Activities To address community concerns and questions described in the Community Concerns section, U.S. EPA has conducted (or will conduct) the activities described below. Through these activities, it is our goal to inform, involve and engage the community during site cleanup decisions and efforts. As the needs of the community change, we will modify the community involvement strategies to address them.
• Maintain point of contact. Ruth Muhtsun is the primary liaison between U.S. EPA and village of Donnelsville, Bethel Township and Clark County communities. Ms. Muhtsun serves as the point of contact for community members and fields general questions about the site. For technical site issues, she coordinates with U.S. EPA’sremedial project manager, or RPM, for the site. Robie Anson is the RPM for the site.
We will include current contact information for the project staff on all written and electronic information and will notify the community of any contact information changes.
U.S. EPA has designated the following people as primary site contacts for local residents: Ruth Muhtsun Community Involvement Coordinator 312-886-6595 [email protected] They can also be reached weekdays toll-free at Robie Anson 800-621-8431 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Remedial Project Manager 312-886-1502 [email protected]
• Establish a toll-free number for residents to ask questions and receive information. Ms. Muhtsun (ext. 66595) and Mr. Anson (ext. 61502) are located in the Chicago office and can be reached using the toll-free number listed in the box above. Ask for them by name or use the telephone extensions listed above. Residents can call these numbers as questions or concerns arise instead of waiting for a public meeting or to receive written information. We will provide the toll-free number periodically in local newspaper advertisements and include the toll- free number in all our fact sheets and all other communications with the public.
• Maintain communication with local officials, agencies and community residents. We interviewed local officials from the village of Donnelsville, Bethel Township and Clark County. They indicated that they would like to be contacted with updated site information on a periodic basis so that they can keep their constituents informed. We will continue to maintain communication with the local officials throughout the investigation and cleanup process. We also interviewed community residents and will continue to update residents on the progress at the site.
6 • Share site information on the Internet. We will provide information on activities and past communications on the following U.S. EPA website. The website will be updated as events occur. About half of the community members U.S. EPA spoke with said that they had looked at the website. Most of those said that they thought it was easy to navigate. A few said that the information was lacking, and one said the information was too technical.
www.epa.gov/superfund/donnelsville-contaminated-aquifer
Community members interviewed said they also get information from Facebook and Twitter. As appropriate social media sites are identified, U.S. EPA may post information on those as well. Everyone we spoke with said they had access to the internet.
• Update and maintain the site mailing list. We Donnelsville Contaminated Aquifer webpage. have established a mailing list of local residents, organizations, businesses and officials for the site. This list will be used for mailing fact sheets, site updates, invitations to public meetings and events and other site-related information mailed to the community. We will update the list regularly to reflect address changes and changes in elected officials and to add new people interested in site activities.
We use the site mailing list to distribute written information such as fact sheets and meeting notifications. This is a way to ensure that those that do not have access to the Internet or other information sources still have a way to receive information directly about the site and are notified about important meetings. The mailing list is for U.S. EPA use only and is not shared with outside entities. During community interviews, most people we spoke with said they preferred to receive information via e-mail. Therefore, U.S. EPA has developed an e-mail list of people that would like to receive their information in that way. If a community member is interested in being placed on the mailing list or the e-mail distribution list, they can contact Ruth Muhtsun, the Community Involvement Coordinator, or CIC, for the site.
• Prepare and distribute fact sheets and site updates. We will prepare and distribute fact sheets, letters and site updates to those on the site mailing and e-mail lists summarizing current information about the site and describing upcoming activities. These documents are written in non-technical language and typically done to coincide with important site activities.
We use these types of documents to give the community detailed information in a relatively quick and easy-to- understand manner. In addition to being shared with individuals on the site mailing list, we also place the fact sheets and site updates in the information repository and post them on U.S. EPA’s website: www.epa.gov/superfund/ donnelsville-contaminated-aquifer.
7 • Establish and maintain site-specific information repositories.We have set up two local information repositories for the site at the following locations:
New Carlisle Public Library 111 E. Lake Ave. New Carlisle, OH 45344
Enon Branch Clark County Public Library 209 E. Main St. Enon, OH 45323
The repositories are a collection of site information available to the public for reading and photocopying. Documents include fact sheets, technical reports, the CIP, general Superfund information and other documents. U.S. EPA adds new documents about the site as the documents become available. Information repositories give residents local access to site information in forms that can be easily read and photocopied for future use. During U.S. EPA’s interviews with the community, about half said they would use the New Carlisle Library and the other half said they would use the Enon Library. Therefore, U.S. EPA has set up repositories at both locations. An online information repository is also available on the site’s web page www.epa.gov/superfund/donnelsville-contaminated-aquifer for the community to access information electronically.
• Establish and maintain the administrative record. A copy of the administrative record for the site can be found at the libraries listed above and at the U.S. EPA Region 5 Superfund Records Center in Chicago (see Appendix C). We will update the administrative record as necessary. The administrative record gives residents a paper trail of all documents U.S. EPA relied on, or considered, to reach decisions about the site cleanup.
• Conduct public meetings, hearings and information sessions. A public meeting is an opportunity for U.S. EPA to present specific information and a proposed course of action to address contamination at the site. Meetings may either be held in person or virtually. At a public meeting, U.S. EPA staff is available to share information and answer questions. A public meeting is not a formal public hearing where testimony is received. Instead, it might be a meeting to exchange information or comments. In addition, we may hold an informal open- house style meeting, called an availability session, where residents can meet U.S. EPA experts one-on-one to discuss the activities at the site. Either type of meeting allows community members an opportunity to express their concerns and ask questions of the Agency, state or local government officials. Public meetings or availability sessions can be held at various times throughout the investigation and cleanup process. We typically schedule a meeting when there are technical milestones, or the community has expressed an interest in having a meeting.
8 A public hearing is a formal meeting where we hear the public’s views and concerns about a U.S. EPA action or proposal. There are specific regulations about when the Agency is required to consider such comments when evaluating its actions. A public hearing may be held in person or virtually. Public hearings are recorded by a professional transcriber and become part of the administrative record. The comments are also posted on the Web.
U.S. EPA will consider conducting additional meetings at different times and different locations Meeting held by U.S. EPA with residents to discuss the groundwater contamination in May 2010. throughout the community to give all residents an opportunity to attend as needed. During our interviews with community members, most said they would likely attend a public meeting either in-person or virtually. Locations community members recommended for in-person public meetings are listed in Appendix C.
• Assist the communities in forming a community advisory group. A community advisory group, or CAG, is made up of local residents and provides a formal mechanism for community members to have a voice in the Superfund cleanup process. U.S. EPA encourages the formation of CAGs. CAGs are eligible for technical assistance and funding to help residents more fully understand the technical aspects of environmental investigations, sampling data and interpretation of results, and potential health risks. CAGs assist U.S. EPA in making decisions on how to clean up the site. You can find more information on CAGs atwww.epa.gov/superfund/community-advisory- groups. If requested by the community, U.S. EPA can hold a meeting to present information on how to form a CAG.
• Provide additional tools for communities as needed. There are additional programs that can be helpful to the community if there is a need for them. Two of these programs are the Technical Assistance Services for Communities, or TASC, and the Technical Assistance Grant, or TAG. The TASC program supplies communities with technical help so they can better understand the science, regulations and policies of environmental issues and U.S. EPA actions. TAGs provide money for activities that help communities participate in decision making at eligible Superfund site.
9 • Write and distribute news releases and public notices. We will prepare and release announcements to local newspapers such as the Springfield News-Sun and/or the Dayton Daily News to share information about events such as significant site investigation findings,public comment periods, public meetings and completion of major milestones such as the proposal of a cleanup plan. During U.S. EPA’s interviews with community members, most said they read the Springfield News-Sun, but others said they read the Dayton Daily News. Therefore, we will post announcements in both newspapers. We will also provide this information to the village of Donnelsville, Bethel Township and Clark County for them to distribute.
News releases allow us to reach large audiences quickly. We will also post the news releases on the website, www.epa. gov/superfund/donnelsville-contaminated-aquifer.
U.S. EPA will issue news releases and public notices as site activities progress. We will also put copies of the news releases and public notices in the site information repositories. • Evaluate community involvement and outreach efforts and make adjustments, as necessary. This CIP was designed to consider site- and community-specific factors, as well as to comply with federal requirements. Within this CIP, community concerns, the objectives of the community involvement program for the site and the specific activities to address these concerns were based on information obtained during interviews with local residents and village, township and county officials. We recognize that changes in areas such as community perceptions, informational needs and population demographics can occur over time and that such changes may necessitate a revised approach to conducting community involvement activities. For this reason, as well as to determine whether the activities in this plan are achieving their intended goals, we will conduct periodic reviews to determine whether additional activities are warranted or whether changes to current methods of starting up the activities outlined in this plan are necessary. As the needs of the community change, we will modify the community involvement strategies to address them in a CIP revision.
The following page presents the status of the activities above.
10 Status of Community Involvement Activities
Maintain point of contact Establish and maintain a site-specific information repository Ruth Muhtsun Community Involvement Coordinator New Carlisle Public Library U.S. EPA Region 5 111 E. Lake Ave. 312-886-6595 New Carlisle, OH 45344 [email protected] Enon Branch Clark County Public Library Establish a toll-free number 209 E. Main St. Enon, OH 45323 800-621-8431, Ext. 66595 Establish and maintain the Conduct community interviews and develop administrative record Community Involvement Plan New Carlisle Public Library Community Interviews - 2020 111 E. Lake Ave. Final Community Involvement Plan - 2020 New Carlisle, OH 45344
Maintain communication with local Enon Branch officials, agencies and community Clark County Public Library residents 209 E. Main St. Enon, OH 45323 Share site information on the Internet Conduct public meetings, hearings and www.epa.gov/superfund/ information sessions donnelsville-contaminated-aquifer
Write and distribute news releases and Create and maintain site mailing list public notices
Prepare and distribute fact sheets and site Evaluate community involvement and updates outreach efforts and make adjustments as warranted
11 Community Involvement Efforts The graphic on the opposite page shows the types of community involvement activities U.S. EPA organizes at a site and how they follow along with the investigation and cleanup process. The following is a list of past community involvement activities at the site:
• May 2, 2010 – U.S. EPA held a meeting with residents.
• May 15, 2018 - U.S. EPA prepared a press release announcing the proposal of the site to be placed on the National Priorities List.
• May 17 – July 16, 2018 - U.S. EPA held a public comment period on the site being proposed for the National Priorities List. One comment was received. It was in support of placement on the list.
• Sept. 11, 2018 – U.S. EPA prepared a press release announcing the placement of the site on the National Priorities List.
• May 2020 - U.S. EPA prepared and mailed out a postcard inviting area residents and officials to participate in community interviews, which would be used to help in developing this CIP.
• June 7, 2020 – U.S. EPA prepared and placed an advertisement to run in the Springfield News Sun inviting area residents and officials to participate in community interviews, which would be used to help in developing this CIP.
• June 23-26, 2020 - U.S. EPA conducted community interviews with area residents and officials. The interviews were conducted over the phone.
• October 2020 - U.S. EPA completed this CIP.
Postcard mailed inviting residents and officials to participate in community interviews.
12 THE COMMUNITY Provides a brief summary of the composition and history of the village of Donnelsville, Bethel Township and Clark County.
Community Profile Village of Donnelsville Many Native American tribes lived in the area in which Donnelsville now sits prior to the arrival of Europeans in the late 1790s. The last Native American tribe that called this part of Ohio home were the Shawnee, who were driven west after the signing of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Although, during community interviews, U.S. EPA learned that some Native Americans currently live in the area.
The following is an excerpt from a beautiful passage written by Charles Sprague, a writer at the time, about the last days of the Shawnee in Ohio:
“Not many generations ago, where you now sit, encircled with all that exalts and embellishes civilized life, the rank thistle nodded in the wind, and the wild fox dug his hole unscarred. Here lived and loved another race of beings. Beneath the same sun that rolls over your head, the Indian hunter pursued the panting deer; gazing on the same moon that smiles upon you, the Indian lover wooed his dusky mate. Here the wigwam beamed on the tender and helpless; the council-fire glared on the wise and the daring.”
Among the first European settlers in the area were friends David Lowry and Jonathan Donnels, who settled in Bethel Township in 1795. Mr. Lowry lived near the mouth of Donnels Creek, which was named after Jonathan Donnels. Jonathan settled a little farther east. In 1830, Donnelsville was platted by and named after Jonathan’s brother James.
One of the village’s most important features is that it is located along National Road. The development of National Road, which goes right through Donnelsville, followed Indian and Buffalo trails. In 1806, construction of the road began by commissioners who had been appointed by President Jefferson. The road started in Maryland and reached Springfield in 1832. By 1837, the road reached as far west as Vandalia, Illinois. After its construction, many small villages, including Donnelsville, and taverns were established along National Road. Stagecoaches traveled National Road up until 1853. National Road was a toll road until 1883.
Today, old motels in Donnelsville that were built along National Road to accommodate people who traveled by car after the road was paved have been converted into other types of buildings. National Road was renamed Route 40 in 1926 as part of the National Highway system. National Road, also called “Main Street of America”, was designated an “All-American Road” by the U.S. Department of Transportation. At one time the Route 40 crossed the entire U.S. Now, it ends in Utah, near Salt Lake City.
Sources: https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/National_Road https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_40 20th Century History of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawnee and Representative Citizens, William Mahlon Rockel Jan 1908, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donnelsville,_Ohio Biographical Publishing Company https://creekdontrise.com/real_stories/realstories.htm?_sm_ https://books.google.com/ https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Enon_Mound books?id=XNoyAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA19&source=gbs_ toc_r&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false
13 Governmental structure The village of Donnelsville has a mayor council form of government. The mayor and six council members are elected to four-year terms. The mayor oversees the day-to-day operations and proposes the village budget to the council and the council discusses and approves the budget, although the mayor has final authority. Demographics According to the 2018 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated current population of the village of Donnelsville is 370. At the time of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population was 304. Of the residents of the village of Donnelsville aged five and older in 2018, 100 percent said they speak only English or speak English “very well”. The following demographic information was obtained from the survey conducted by the U.S. Census in 2018.
Source: U.S. Census - American Community Survey 2018 *The U.S. Census Bureau considers race and ethnicity separate and distinct identifies and the Hispanic/Latino origin is considered an ethnicity. In addition to being asked an individual’s race, all respondents are categorized into one of two ethnic categories, which are “Hispanic or Latino” and “Not Hispanic or Latino.” Therefore, the population that self-identified ethnicity as “Hispanic/Latino” is also represented within the “Race” chart shown above. In Donnelsville, 2.4 percent defined their ethnicity as Hispanic/Latino.
14 15 16 Bethel Township Bethel Township occupies about 38 square miles in Clark County. The township is primarily rural with eight small villages scattered throughout. Governmental structure The government of Bethel Township consists of a three-member board of trustees. The election of the trustees takes place on odd-numbered years in November. Trustees are elected to four-year terms, with terms beginning on January 1. The elections are staggered so that all three officials are not up for re-election at the same time. One is elected the year before a presidential election and the other two are elected in the year after the presidential election. The township also elects a fiscal officer, who also serves a four-year term. Demographics According to the 2018 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated current population of Bethel Township is 18,058. At the time of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population was 18,523. Of the residents of Bethel Township aged five and older in 2018, 93.1 percent said they speak only English. About 3.5 percent of those that speak a language other than English say they speak English “less than very well,” with the majority of those being Spanish speakers.
Source: U.S. Census - American Community Survey 2018 *The U.S. Census Bureau considers race and ethnicity separate and distinct identifies and the Hispanic/ Latino origin is considered an ethnicity. In addition to being asked an individual’s race, all respondents are categorized into one of two ethnic categories, which are “Hispanic or Latino” and “Not Hispanic or Latino.” Therefore, the population that self-identified ethnicity as “Hispanic/Latino” is also represented within the “Race” chart shown above. In Clark County, 3.5 percent defined their ethnicity as Hispanic/Latino.
17 18 19 Clark County Clark County is the 21st largest county in Ohio with a total area of 402.53 square miles. It is located between Dayton and Columbus and is predominately rural. Less than 1 percent of the 400 square miles consists of urban areas.
Clark County was established by the Ohio government on March 1, 1818. Its name is derived from General George Rog- ers Clark, who was an American Revolution war hero. The county was originally formed from Champaign, Madison and Greene counties, and the first settlement was made in 1796 at Chribb’s Station located at the fork of Mad River. A member of George Clark’s expedition, John Paul, returned to the area and built a home in 1790. He is believed to be the first white settler in what became Clark County.
Prehistoric mound builders were, however, inhabitants of the area long before the Europeans. According to archeologists, the Enon mound was built by the Adena Culture around 800 B.C. - 1 A.D. Many Native Americans lived in the area, which is now Clark County, for thousands of years until they were driven out by the Indian Removal Act of 1830.
After the completion of the National Road through Ohio in the 1830s, Clark County really began to flourish, First with agriculture and then with industry.
Sources: https://books.google.com/books?id=XNoyAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA19&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adena_culture https://www.clarkcountyohio.gov/272/History-of-County http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~henryhowesbook/genealogy/clark.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark_County,_Ohio https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Clark_County https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Enon_Mound http://www.brooklineconnection.com/history/Facts/Indians.html Governmental structure The Clark County government consists of a three-member board of county commissioners. The commissioners are elected and serve four-year terms. They meet weekly at regularly scheduled meetings to discuss county business. The commissioners hire a county administrator who implements the board’s policies. Demographics According to the 2018 American Community Survey conducted by the 2010 U.S. Census, the estimated population of Clark County is 138,193 At the time of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population was 138,333. Of the residents of Clark County aged five and older in 2018, 99.4 percent said they speak only English or speak English “very well”. Of the .6 percent that speak English less than “very well”, about one third said they spoke Spanish.
The following demographic information was obtained from the survey conducted by the U.S. Census in 2018.
20 Source: U.S. Census - American Community Survey 2018 *The U.S. Census Bureau considers race and ethnicity separate and distinct identifies and the Hispanic/Latino origin is considered an ethnicity. In addition to being asked an individual’s race, all respondents are catego- rized into one of two ethnic categories, which are “Hispanic or Latino” and “Not Hispanic or Latino.” Therefore, the population that self-identified ethnicity as “Hispanic/Latino” is also represented within the “Race” chart shown above. In Clark County, 3.5 percent defined their ethnicity as Hispanic/Latino.
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24 THE SITE Description and history of site activities.
Donnelsville Contaminated Aquifer Superfund Site Site Location Map ± Site Location Map
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SiteS:\Banh\Ch erBackgroundyl's Projects\mxd\Donnelsville CIP.mxd The Donnelsville Contaminated Aquifer site is an area of contaminated groundwater in the village of Donnelsville and portions of Bethel Township, Ohio. Based on information currently available to U.S. EPA, the site consists of an industrial/ residential area that is bordered to the north by Donnelsville Cemetery; to the west by agricultural land; and to the south and east by residential properties and agricultural land. (See Site Location Map above.) The site includes residential properties and
25 a public park with tetrachloroethylene-, or PCE-, contaminated drinking water. Trichloroethylene, or TCE, and cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, or DCE, – both of which are breakdown byproducts of PCE – have been found at low levels in drinking water at some properties.
The contamination was first found during routine testing in 1990. Throughout the 1990s, Ohio EPA conducted several rounds of sampling of area wells and one round of soil sampling. In 2010, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency referred the site to the U.S. EPA for additional investigations. Additional sampling confirmed that groundwater contaminated with volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, had migrated into the local drinking Air stripper and pressure pump components associated with a whole-house water wells. A total of 19 residential properties and water treatment system at a home. a public park were documented as having drinking water wells contaminated with PCE at levels above public drinking water standards. As a result, in 2011, U.S. EPA installed 18 residential whole-house water treatment systems to treat the contamination in the drinking water wells. (The owner of one of the properties declined having a system installed.) In addition, on February 28, 2012, Clark County Combined Health District requested assistance from U.S. EPA to install a whole-house water treatment system at a Donnelsville Public Park building. Additional residential properties sampled in 2014 and 2016 were found to have PCE at levels above drinking water standards. A manufacturing company paid to install water treatment systems at these additional residential properties, to replace previously installed water treatment systems which were no longer effectively operating, and to provide bottled water to residents until the treatment systems were installed.
While the full source of the contamination at the Donnelsville site is uncertain, the contaminants present at the site do not occur naturally. They are associated with commercial and industrial activities and are likely coming from facilities that used chlorinated solvents in the past. Next step in the investigation U.S. EPA’s next step will be to conduct an investigation into the contamination, called a remedial investigation, or RI. The purpose of the RI is to determine the nature of the contamination and how widespread it is. During that investigation, U.S. EPA will sample area groundwater wells. Also, as part of the RI, U.S. EPA will take samples of indoor air and gas in the soil to see if underground contamination is vaporizing and moving through soil. Contaminated soil gas can seep into area homes and buildings through cracks in basements or foundations. This process is calledvapor intrusion. Once the RI is complete, U.S. EPA will develop a feasibility study, or FS. The FS will evaluate potential alternatives to clean up the groundwater and any other contamination found at the site.
26 U.S. EPA will then publish the proposed plan, which is a document outlining the cleanup alternatives considered for the site as well as U.S. EPA’s preferred cleanup method. The cleanup alternatives are evaluated against the nine criteria explained in the box below. The proposed plan will be made available to the public through a direct mailing, the U.S. EPA website and the site information repository at the New Carlisle and the Enon Branch public libraries. The public will then have 30 days to comment on the proposed plan.
Once all public comments are considered and addressed, U.S. EPA will issue a record of decision, or ROD. The ROD formally documents U.S. EPA’s selected cleanup method to address site contamination.
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28 COMMUNITY CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS Summarizes what community members are concerned about, the questions they asked and what they told U.S. EPA
What We Heard This section focuses on the concerns and issues that U.S. EPA heard from community members about the site.
We learned about concerns, questions and informational needs related to the Donnelsville Contaminated Aquifer Superfund site by conducting interviews with 18 residents, local officials and other interested community members in June 2020. Before conducting the interviews, U.S. EPA mailed postcards to residents near the Donnelsville site announcing the interviews and asking community members to schedule an appointment to talk with us about their concerns. Interviews were conducted over the phone. Pages 29-34 explain the concerns and comments expressed. Lack of communication Virtually everyone U.S. EPA spoke with talked about the lack of communication about the site. Several said that they had received information years ago (around 2011 – 2016), but that they had not received anything since then. Several said they only received the postcard U.S. EPA mailed to them inviting them to participate in the community interviews. Two people said that they had not received information about the contamination when they bought their home in the area. One homeowner said, “I did not learn about something as fundamental as a water problem until four weeks after I purchased my home.” He said he thought that there should be systems in place to make sure people are informed, especially since the groundwater problem was known for a long time. One person interviewed said he thought people did not want to know about the contamination because of disclosure requirements. Several people said that the U.S. EPA website did not have much information about the site and said that they would like to see more. One individual specifically said that he would like to see the previous investigation reports on the website. One person said that the information on the website was too technical. Several people said that U.S. EPA should use less jargon in its materials and explain things in simpler terms. A couple said that they did not understand the Superfund law (the Comprehensive Environmental Response and Recovery Act, or CERCLA). They said that U.S. EPA should explain to people how the Superfund program works. Everyone said that they would like to receive more information about the site and site activities. One person said that he got mixed signals – that he got different answers from U.S. EPA and Ohio EPA. He said that the agencies “should get their stories straight.” Another interviewee told U.S. EPA that the community looks at all the agencies (U.S. EPA, Ohio EPA and the Clark County Combined Health District) as one. He suggested U.S. EPA explain the level of involvement of the different agencies. Water concerns and health Most of the people that we spoke with expressed concern about their water. About half a dozen already had filters installed in their homes. Most of those individuals were happy with their filters but said that they would like to have their wells tested to be sure that their systems are working properly. One said that she did not believe there had been proper follow- up after the installation of her filter. She wanted her well tested to be sure her water was safe. Several other residents interviewed said that they were specifically concerned about their water. One said that she wanted to know how bad the contamination was and how people could protect themselves. A few others expressed concern about the contamination
29 of the aquifer, in general, and the health of the people in the community. One individual said that he felt most people in Donnelsville would be more comfortable if they had their wells sampled. Another said that he thought most people in Donnelsville used bottled water for drinking. Still another interviewee said that she would like to know whether the levels of the contamination were increasing and if the contamination was spreading.
A couple of people we interviewed said that they were concerned about the health of their pets and wanted to know if their water was safe for their pets. One person said several of his dogs had died of seizures and was concerned that it could be because of the water. He said, “I want to be sure my water is safe for my pets. I don’t want to be killing pets.” Investigation and cleanup concerns More than half of the people U.S. EPA talked with expressed some concern about the investigation and cleanup process.
Investigation Several people expressed concern about U.S. EPA’s investigation. Two people said that they believed that disturbing the aquifer would cause the contamination to spread. One said that U.S. EPA should be careful about any work that would involve disturbance of the aquifer. Another questioned whether the contamination came from the sewer line installation. He said that there were a lot of problems with the sewer lines. Cleanup Several people that U.S. EPA spoke with talked about Image of fractured bedrock in the area. the possibility of the Agency hooking people up to a public water system. A couple said that they would like to see U.S. EPA look at the possibility of connecting people to an alternate water supply. One said that she thought people in Donnelsville would like public water. Another said that he thought that if U.S. EPA did not select an alternative water supply as part of the cleanup of the site, the Agency would have to justify its decision. This individual said he did not know how U.S. EPA would be able to clean the groundwater with the fractured bedrock in the area and the interconnectedness of the area aquifers. However, several others said they did not want to hook up to public water. A couple said they preferred to keep their wells and use their filter systems. They said, “We do not want to go on city water.” They, and a few others, also talked about the frustration that many community members have experienced due to the requirement that homeowners pay to connect to public sewers when buying or selling a home and the increasing monthly cost of sewer service. These individuals also worried about the cost of hooking up to a public water supply. (See Cost).
Two people talked about using monitored natural attenuation to clean up the groundwater. [Monitored natural attenuation is the process of allowing the contamination to break down naturally.] One asked if the contamination “would clean itself up?” Another person said that he would like to see U.S. EPA clean up the source of the contamination so that it can be
30 removed and essentially “turn off the faucet”. Finally, one other said he was concerned that U.S. EPA would decide that Donnelsville is too small of a community to do anything to clean up the groundwater, especially since filters have been installed in homes. Cost Over a half dozen people U.S. EPA interviewed expressed concern about the cost of the investigation and cleanup. Most said they were concerned that, if U.S. EPA determined that the village should be connected to public water, the residents would end up paying for it. As described above, U.S. EPA was told how a recent sewer project cost residents a lot more than they were told it would and that people are now fearful a similar situation will happen if water lines need to be installed. One said, “If you want to put water lines in, people will want to know what it will cost them.” A few said they were concerned that U.S. EPA will not have enough funding to complete the investigation and cleanup. One said, “I know the cleanup needs to be cost-effective, but we need drinkable water.” Property Values Several people U.S. EPA interviewed expressed concern about how the groundwater contamination is affecting property values and growth in the community. One person said, “It puts a cloud over the community.” He said that he would like “to put this behind us”. Time Several people U.S. EPA interviewed expressed frustration with the length of time it is taking to resolve the groundwater contamination problem in Donnelsville. One said, “We have been battling this for a long time now.” A few said they would like to know the timeline for the investigation and cleanup – that they would like to know when things are expected to happen. One expressed concern that U.S. EPA budget cuts would affect the timeline. Grateful something being done Over half of the people U.S. EPA talked to said they were grateful U.S. EPA was doing something about the contamination. One said, “I am optimistic that we will have clean drinking water now and in the future.” Another specifically said she appreciated U.S. EPA is involving the community. Filter follow-up When U.S. EPA asked interviewees who had filters installed in their homes how the follow-up was going after the filters were installed, most said that the follow-up had been good. However, one said she did not feel the follow-up had been good. She said she rarely heard from the installers. Another interviewee said someone had complained to her about the lack of follow-up after the installation.
31 When asked what was special to know about their community, people said: • Nice, quiet town • Interesting, small, rural town – It is special to me because it is home. • Homes tend to stay in families • The town has potential, but there are not any current plans for new development • It has a pretty diverse population from low-income residents to high-income professionals and people from all education levels • It is on Route 40, which was historically a main drag across the U.S. and had a lot of motels on it. Now the motels have been turned into other things or are gone. • Has a very low crime rate • People are friendly • It is a very small community • It is a tight-knit village • Most people have lived here a long time Questions interviewees asked U.S. EPA Investigation questions Will my property be sampled? U.S. EPA used existing data collected by Ohio EPA and others to identify properties that are most likely to be impacted by contamination from the Donnelsville site. These properties are targeted for sampling first. Additional properties may need to be sampled in the future. If your property is among those that U.S. EPA has determined is important to sample, you will be notified directly. How will people be notified if their property is proposed for sampling? U.S. EPA or its contractor will contact property owners to sign access agreements so that U.S. EPA has written permission to sample. U.S. EPA or its contractor will contact the property owner to schedule sampling. Contamination and Cleanup Questions What type of contamination is present at the site? Contamination at the site includes VOCs called tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, trichloroethylene, or TCE, and cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, or DCE. PCE is a chemical that is widely used for dry cleaning of fabrics and for metal degreasing. It is also used to make other chemicals and is used in some consumer products. Much of the PCE that gets into water or soil evaporates into the air. TCE is a breakdown product of PCE and is an ingredient in adhesives, paint removers, and degreasers. DCE is a breakdown product of PCE and TCE. At the site, TCE and DCE have been found less frequently, and in lower concentrations, than PCE.
32 What potential health problems are associated with this type of contamination? According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, or ATSDR, short-term exposure to very high levels of PCE or TCE can cause dizziness, headaches, sleepiness, incoordination, confusion, and nausea, among other effects. ATSDR reports that prolonged exposure to PCE may impact mood, memory, attention, and cause other changes. Additionally, U.S. EPA has classified PCE as “likely to be carcinogenic,” and has determined that TCE is “carcinogenic to humans.” According to ATSDR, breathing high levels of DCE for a short period can cause nausea, drowsiness, and other symptoms, while long-term health effects after exposure to low concentrations of DCE are unknown. U.S. EPA has determined that there is not enough information to assess the cancer-causing potential of DCE. More information on PCE can be found at the following URL: www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts18.pdf. Additional information on TCE and DCE can be found at the following URLs: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts19.pdf and https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts87.pdf. What steps has U.S. EPA taken to protect residents from site contamination? The state of Ohio requested U.S. EPA’s involvement at the site in 2010. Since that time, U.S. EPA installed, and oversaw the installation of, drinking water treatment systems for residential properties and a public park that had unacceptable levels of contamination in well water. The site was listed on the National Priorities List in 2018 and U.S. EPA has begun long-term cleanup efforts at the site. U.S. EPA will use the results from the RI to evaluate current and future exposure to contaminants and take steps to mitigate unacceptable risks. What are the boundaries of the contamination? As of October 2020, U.S. EPA has not fully characterized the site. Based on the limited information from previous sampling efforts, the highest levels of contamination are near the intersection of North Hampton Road and Willowbrook Drive. The extent of known contamination extends from just west of Donnels Creek to the west, to Donnelsville Cemetery to the north, to East Mill Street to the east, to approximately the 300 block of South Hampton to the south. Where did the contamination come from and where is it going? Will you clean up the source of the contamination? The full source of the contamination at the Donnelsville site is uncertain. However, these contaminants do not occur naturally. They are associated with commercial and industrial activities and are likely coming from facilities that used chlorinated solvents in the past. The RI will define the extent of the contamination and attempt to identify its origin. Once U.S. EPA defines the source, we will evaluate options to remove/treat it to ensure long-term effectiveness of the final remedial action. Are you going to put us on public water? It is too early to identify whether the community will be placed on a public water supply as part of the Donnelsville site cleanup plan. Could the contamination go away on its own? Although PCE, TCE, and DCE can naturally deteriorate over time, whether this happens and the speed of deterioration depend upon several factors that have yet to be evaluated, such as geological setting, rate of groundwater movement, groundwater quality, etc. U.S. EPA will evaluate several options to remediate this site once we have fully characterized it through the RI.
33 Cost questions How does Superfund funding work? Where are we on the Superfund List? In 2018, U.S. EPA added the Donnelsville site to the National Priorities List, the list of hazardous waste sites in the United States that are eligible for long-term remedial action and federal funding under the Superfund law. Each year, U.S. EPA evaluates the listed sites in the country and prioritizes funding for investigation and construction projects based upon which sites pose the greatest risk to people and the environment. Although this site is eligible for federal funding, U.S. EPA will attempt to identify parties responsible for the site contamination, referred to as potentially responsible parties, or PRPs, and get them to commit to fund or implement cleanup activities. Who is going to pay for the investigation and cleanup? U.S. EPA will fund the initial investigation for this site to make sure that any current unacceptable exposures are identified and mitigated as soon as possible. However, it is U.S. EPA’s policy to seek negotiated agreements with potentially responsible parties to fund or conduct the cleanup to preserve the national cleanup fund – the Superfund. We are currently investigating the source(s) of contamination at the site, which will help us to identify responsible parties and engage in negotiations with such parties to conduct or fund the cleanup.
34 Appendix A Glossary – Initials – Acronyms
Administrative Record. The body of documents that forms the basis for the selection of a particular response at a site. For example, the Administrative Record for remedy selection includes all documents that were considered or relied upon to select the remedy through the record of decision.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, or ATSDR, is directed by congressional mandate to perform specific functions concerning the effect on public health of hazardous substances in the environment. These functions include public health assessments of waste sites, health consultations concerning specific hazardous substances, health surveillance and registries, response to emergency releases of hazardous substances, applied research in support of public health assessments, information development and dissemination, and education and training concerning hazardous substances.
ATSDR. See Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
CAG. See Community Advisory Group.
CERCLA. See Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act.
CIC. See Community Involvement Coordinator.
CIP. See Community Involvement Plan. cis-DCE. See cis 1,2 Dichloroethylene. cis-1,2 Dichloroethylene. 1,2-Dichloroethylene, also called 1,2-dichloroethene, is a highly flammable, colorless liquid with a sharp, harsh odor. It is used to produce solvents and in chemical mixtures. 1,2-Dichloroethylene evaporates rapidly into air. 1,2-Dichloroethylene can travel through soil or dissolve in water in the soil. It is possible that it can contaminate groundwater. You can smell very small amounts of 1,2-dichloroethene in air. Breathing high levels of 1,2-dichloroethylene can make you feel nauseous, drowsy, and tired; breathing very high levels can kill you. More information can be found on in Appendix F and on the following website: www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts87.pdf.
Cleanup. Actions taken to deal with a release or threat of release of a hazardous substance that could affect humans and/or the environment. The term “cleanup” is sometimes used interchangeably with the terms “remedial action,” “remediation,” “removal action,” “response action,” or “corrective action.”
Community. An interacting population of various types of individuals, or species, in a common location; a neighborhood or specific area where people live.
Community Advisory Group. A committee, task force, or board made up of citizens affected by a hazardous waste site. CAGs provide a public forum for community members to present and discuss their needs and concerns about the decision-making process at sites affecting them.
Community Engagement. The process of involving communities in all phases of the cleanup process. Communities
A-1 are asked to provide input on how the cleanup will be conducted and how it may affect community plans and goals. See also Community Involvement.
Community Involvement. The term used by U.S. EPA to identify its process for engaging in dialogue and collaboration with communities affected by the Superfund site. U.S. EPA’s community involvement approach is founded in the belief that people have a right to know what the Agency is doing in their community and to have a say in it. Its purpose is to give people the opportunity to become involved in the Agency’s activities and to help shape the decisions that are made.
Community Involvement Coordinator. The U.S. EPA official whose lead responsibility is to involve and inform the public about the Superfund process and response actions in accordance with the interactive community involvement requirements set forth in the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan.
Community Involvement Plan. A plan that outlines specific community involvement activities that occur during the investigation and cleanup at the site. The CIP outlines how U.S. EPA will keep the public informed of work at the site and the ways in which residents can review and comment on decisions that may affect the final actions at the site. The document is available in the site’s information repository maintained by U.S. EPA. The CIP may be modified as necessary to respond to changes in community concerns, information needs and activities.
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. A federal law passed in 1980 and modified in 1986 by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act. Commonly known as Superfund, CERCLA is intended to protect people’s health and the environment by investigating and cleaning up abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste site. Under the program, U.S. EPA can either: • Pay for site cleanup when parties responsible for the contamination cannot be located or are unwilling or unable to do the work; or • 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.
Contaminant. Any physical, chemical, biological or radiological substance or matter that has an adverse effect on air, water or soil.
Contamination. Introduction into water, air and soil of microorganisms, chemicals, toxic substances, wastes or wastewater in a concentration that makes the medium unfit for its next intended use. Also applies to surfaces of objects, buildings and various household use products.
Groundwater. Underground supplies of drinking water.
Hazardous Substance. Any material that poses a threat to human health and/or the environment. Typical hazardous substances are toxic, corrosive, ignitable, explosive or chemically reactive. Any substance designated by U.S. EPA to be reported if a designated quantity of the substance is spilled in the waters of the United States or is otherwise released into the environment.
Hazardous Waste. Byproducts that can pose a substantial or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly managed. Hazardous wastes usually possess at least one of four characteristics (ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity or toxicity) or appear on special U.S. EPA lists.
Information Repository. A file containing current information, technical reports and reference documents regarding a site. The information repository usually is located in a public building convenient for local residents such as a public school, town hall or library.
A-2 Maximum Contaminant Levels. The maximum permissible level of a contaminant in water delivered to any user of a public system. MCLs are enforceable standards for drinking water.
MCLs. See Maximum Contaminant Levels.
National Priorities List. U.S. EPA’s list of serious uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites identified for possible long- term cleanup under Superfund. The list is based primarily on the score a site receives from the Hazard Ranking System. U.S. EPA is required to update the National Priorities List at least once a year.
NPL. See National Priorities List.
PCE. See Tetrachloroethylene.
Potentially Responsible Party(ies). Any individual or company (including owners, operators, transporters or generators that has been identified as being potentially responsible for or contributing to a spill or other contamination at a Superfund site. Whenever possible, through administrative and legal action, U.S. EPA requires PRPs to clean up hazardous site that have been contaminated.
Proposed Plan. A plan for a site cleanup that is available to the public for comment.
PRP(s). See Potentially Responsible Party(ies).
Public Comment Period(s). A formal opportunity for community members to review and contribute written comments on various U.S. EPA documents or actions.
Public Meeting. Formal public sessions that are characterized by a presentation to the public followed by a question-and- answer session. Formal public meetings may involve the use of a court reporter and the issuance of transcripts. Formal public meetings are required only for the proposed plan and Record of Decision amendments.
Public. The community or people in general or a part or section of the community grouped because of a common interest or activity.
Record of Decision. A ROD is a legal, technical and public document that explains which cleanup alternative will be used at a Superfund NPL site. The ROD is based on information and technical analysis generated during the remedial investigation and feasibility study and consideration of public comments and community concerns.
Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study. The remedial investigation is a study designed to collect the data necessary to determine the nature and extent of contamination at a site. The feasibility study is an analysis of the practicality of a proposal—e.g., a description and analysis of potential cleanup alternatives for a site such as one on the National Priorities List. The feasibility study usually recommends a selection of a cost-effective alternative. It usually starts as soon as the remedial investigation is under way; together, they are commonly referred to as the remedial investigation/feasibility study.
Remedial Project Manager. The U.S. EPA official who is the technical lead on a project.
Responsiveness Summary. A summary of oral and/or written public comments received by U.S. EPA during a comment period on key U.S. EPA documents and U.S. EPA’s responses to those comments.
A-3 RI/FS. See Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study.
ROD. See Record of Decision.
RPM. See Remedial Project Manager.
SARA. See Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act.
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act. Modifications to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, enacted on October 17, 1986.
Superfund. The program operated under the legislative authority of CERCLA that funds and carries out U.S. EPA solid waste emergency and long-term removal and remedial activities. These activities include establishing the National Priorities List, investigating site for inclusion on the list, determining their priority and conducting and/or supervising cleanup and other remedial actions.
TCE. See Trichloroethene.
Tetrachloroethylene. A chemical that is widely used for dry cleaning of fabrics and for metal-degreasing. It is also used to make other chemicals and is used in some consumer products. Other names for include perchloroethylene (PERC), PCE, and tetrachloroethene. Much of the tetrachloroethylene that gets into water or soil evaporates into the air. High concentrations of tetrachloroethylene (particularly in closed, poorly ventilated areas) can cause dizziness, headache, sleepiness, confusion, nausea, difficulty in speaking and walking, unconsciousness, and death. Irritation may result from repeated or extended skin contact with it. These symptoms occur almost entirely in work (or hobby) environments when people have been accidentally exposed to high concentrations or have intentionally used tetrachloroethylene to get a “high.” More information can be found in the fact sheet in Appendix F and on the following website: www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts18.pdf
Trichloroethylene. A chemical that is used as a solvent to remove oils and grease from metal products and is found in adhesives, paint removers, typewriter correction fluids and spot removers. TCE is colorless liquid with an odor similar to ether and is a manufactured substance which does not occur naturally in the environment. It minimally dissolves in water and can remain in groundwater for a long time. TCE evaporates from surface water and soil, although it evaporates less easily from soil. Exposure from TCE is most commonly through breathing air that has TCE vapors, drinking or showering in contaminated water, or direct contact with contaminated soil. Long-term exposure to this family of chemicals is suspected of causing cancer, as well as problems of the liver and weakening of the immune system. More information can be found in Appendix F and on the following website: www.atsdr.cdc. gov/toxfaqs/tfacts19.pdf.
Vapor Intrusion. Occurs when underground pollutants release chemical vapors that travel up through the soil and accumulate beneath building foundations. Air in the building becomes polluted when vapors enter through cracks or holes in foundations and crawl spaces.
VOCs. See Volatile Organic Compounds.
Volatile Organic Compounds. A type of organic compound that tends to change from a liquid to a gas at low temperatures when exposed to air. As a result of this tendency, VOCs disappear more rapidly from surface water than from ground water. Since ground water does not come into contact with air, VOCs are not easily released and can remain in groundwater that is being used for drinking water, posing a threat to human health. Some VOCs are believed to cause cancer in humans.
A-4 Appendix B Community Interview Questions List of questions asked during community interviews
Donnelsville Contaminated Aquifer Site Interview Questions - June 2020
Name:______Address: ______
Home Phone: ( ) ______Cell Phone: ( ) ______E-Mail Address: ______Date: ______
BASICS
1. Are you a resident in the area? Yes No If yes, how long have you lived in the area?
Do you own or rent? Own Rent
If you rent, can you provide us with the contact information for the owner?
2. How do you identify yourself demographically in terms of race, ethnicity, and language preference?
COMMUNICATION
3. Do you have access to the Internet? Yes No
4. How do you want to be informed about site activities?
Mail (do you want to be on U.S. EPA’s mail list?) Yes No
E-mail (do you want to be on U.S. EPA’s email list?) Yes No
Newspaper (what newspapers?) ______
Television (what stations?) ______
Radio (what stations?) ______
Social Media (what form, Facebook, etc.?) ______
Websites or online sources ______
Other (such as word of mouth, city/state officials, etc.) ______
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B-1 Donnelsville Contaminated Aquifer Site Interview Questions - June 2020
5. Are you aware of U.S. EPA’s website? Yes No
a. If yes, have you been on it? Yes No
b. Is it easy to navigate? Yes No c. Other comments: ______
6. Would you go to the library to review any documents about the site? Yes No If so, which library?
7. Would you attend a virtual public meeting about the site? Yes No
Would you prefer a virtual meeting or conference calls? Virtual Conference Call
8. Once social-distancing restrictions are lifted, would you likely attend meeting an in-person public
meeting about the site? Yes No
a. If not, what obstacles keep you from attending?
9. What days, times, and locations would be best for public meetings/virtual meetings/conference calls? (List)
10. Are there any community organizations that might have an interest in the site? Yes No What organizations?
11. Again, once social-distancing restrictions are lifted, are there any area community groups that have
meetings we might attend? Yes No
a. Group/Contact: ______b. Group/Contact: ______
12. Have you received any information about the Donnelsville site? Yes No Donnelsville Contaminated Aquifer Site 13. Where are you getting your information about the site? From whom? In what form? When? Interview Questions - June 2020
CONCERNS
14. What concerns do you have about the site?
15. Is there anything we should know about the past or current use of the site?
16. Was your property sampled and/or did you have an air stripper or granular activated carbon filter
installed? Yes No
If so, is there anything you would like us to know about that process? Please explain.
17. Would you be willing to have your property sampled if it is in the study area? Yes No If not, please explain. 2
18. What is special/important to you about your community?
19. Is there anything else you would like to share about either the site or U.S. EPA’s involvement with the local community?
20. Do you have any questions?
21. Is there anything else you would like to add?
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Appendix C Information Repository, Administrative Record, Website and Public Meeting Locations
Due to COVID-19, as of the publication of this Local Information Repository document, the New Carlisle library hours are: New Carlisle Public Library 9:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m., Monday – Thursday 111 E. Lake Ave. 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., Friday New Carlisle, OH 45344 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday 937-845-3601 We suggest calling the library to verify the library’s current hours. (Masks required) https://www.newcarlislelibrary.org/ Enon Branch Due to COVID-19, as of the publication of this document, the Enon Branch library hours are: Clark County Public Library 10 a.m. – 7:30 p.m., Monday – Thursday 209 E. Main St. (closed from 12 noon to 1 p.m.) Enon, OH 45323 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 937-864-2502 (closed from 12 noon to 1 p.m.) https://ccplohio.org/locations/enon-branch/ We suggest calling the library to verify the library’s current hours. (Masks required) Official Information Repository U.S. EPA Region 5 Superfund Record Center Room 711, 7th Floor Ralph Metcalfe Federal Building 77 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60604 U.S. EPA Site Web Page www.epa.gov/superfund/donnelsville-contaminated-aquifer Possible Meeting Locations U.S. EPA office building in Chicago. Arise in Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church 116 E Main St. P.O. Box 69 Donnelsville, OH 45319 937-882-6916 Capacity: 80 people Donnelsville Elementary 150 E. Main St. Donnelsville, OH 45319 937-845-4540 Capacity: 125 people
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C-2 Appendix D List of Contacts (Information is current as of April 2020) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Officials
Robie Anson Ruth Muhtsun Remedial Project Manager Community Involvement Coordinator Superfund and Emergency Management Division, SR-6J External Communications Office, RE-19J U.S. EPA U.S. EPA 77 W. Jackson Blvd. 77 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60604 Chicago, IL 60604 312-886-1502 or 800-621-8431 x 61502 Phone: 312-886-6595 or 800-621-8431 x 66595 [email protected] [email protected] Federal Elected Officials
Sherrod Brown Cincinnati Office Senator 312 Walnut St., Suite 3425 403 Hart Senate Office Building Cincinnati, OH 45202 Washington, DC 20510 513-684-3265 202-224-2315 Columbus Office https://www.brown.senate.gov/contact 37 W. Broad St., Room 300 Cincinnati Office Columbus, OH 43215 425 Walnut St., Suite 2310 614-469-6774 Cincinnati, OH 45202 Warren Davidson 513-684-1021 U.S. Representative Columbus Office 1107 Longworth House Office Building 200 North High St., Room 614 Washington, DC 20515 Columbus, OH 43215 202-225-6205 614-469-2083 https://davidson.house.gov/contact
Rob Portman Springfield Office Senator (part-time, please call ahead) 448 Russell Senate Office Building 76 E. High St., 3rd Floor Washington, DC 20510 Springfield, OH 45502 202-224-3353 937-322-1120 https://www.portman.senate.gov/meet/contact
D-1 State Elected Officials
Mike DeWine J. Kyle Koehler (District 79) Governor State Representative 77 S. High St., 30th Floor 77 S. High St., 13th Floor Columbus, OH 43215 Columbus, OH 43215 614-644-4357 614-466-2038 https://governor.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/governor/ http://www.ohiohouse.gov/j-kyle-koehler/contact contact
Bob Hackett (District 10) State Senator 1 Capitol Square, 1st Floor Columbus, OH 43215 614-466-3780 https://www.ohiosenate.gov/senators/hackett/contact Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Official
Astrea Taylor Environmental Response and Revitalization 401 E. Fifth St. Dayton, OH 45402 937-285-6061 [email protected] Village of Donnelsville Officials
15 S. Hampton St. Richard Baker P.O. Box 36 Member Donnelsville, OH 45319 937-882-9368 (home)
Marie Kettlehake Theresa Alig Mayor Member 937-207-4079 (cell) 937-882-6885 (home) [email protected] Doug Frank Hobert Kendrick Member Member 937-608-2585 (home) 937-882-6886 (home)
D-2 Dana Rothery Linda Myers Member Fiscal Officer 937-206-3119 (home) [email protected] Mike Dusina Member 937-605-5601 (home) Bethel Township Officials
3333 Lake Road Don Minton Medway, OH 45341 Member 937-673-0521 (cell) Nancy Brown 937-849-9499, Ext. 3 (work) Chairwoman 937-603-1826 (cell) [email protected] 937-849-9499, Ext. 3 (work) Ray Nelson [email protected] Coordinator David Phares 937-673-1378 (cell) Vice-Chairman 937-849-9499, Ext. 1 (work) 937-845-0347 (home) [email protected] 937-605-5725 (cell) 937-849-9499, Ext. 3 (work) Clark County Officials
Jennifer Hutchinson Charles Patterson County Administrator Commissioner 50 E. Columbia St. Clark County Combined Health District Springfield, OH 45501 529 E Home Road 937-521-2005 Springfield, OH 45503 [email protected] 937-930-5600 [email protected] Clark County Board of Commissioners 50 E. Columbia St. Lisa D’Allessandris Springfield, OH 45501 Emergency Management Director 937-521-2005 3130 E. Main St., Suite 1E [email protected] Springfield, OH 45505 937-521-2176 Commissioners [email protected] Richard Lohnes Melanie Flax Wilt Lowell McGlothin
D-3 Deborah Burchett Sheriff 120 N. Fountain Ave. Springfield, OH 45502 937-521-2050 [email protected] Interested Parties
The Chamber of Greater Springfield 20 S. Limestone St., Suite 100 Springfield, OH 45502 937-325-7621 https://www.greaterspringfield.com/ Newspapers
Springfield News-Sun Dayton Daily News 202 N. Limestone St. 1611 S. Main St. Springfield, OH 45503 Dayton, OH 45409 937-328-0300 937-222-5700 https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/ https://www.daytondailynews.com/ Radio
WBLY Radio ESPN-WING - 1410 AM/WCLI - 101.5 FM 2 W. Columbia St. 717 E. David Road Springfield, OH 45502 Dayton, OH 45429 937-342-3720 937-294-5858 http://wblyspringfield.com/ WING: [email protected] [email protected] WCLI: [email protected]
WHIO - 95.7 FM/1290 AM WYSO - 91.3 FM 1611 S. Main St. 150 E. South College St. Dayton, OH 45409 Yellow Springs, OH 45387 937-259-2111 937-767-6420 [email protected] wyso@wyso.org [email protected]
D-4 WPKO - 98.3 FM/WBLL - 1390 AM WEEC - 100.7 FM 1501 County Road 235 1205 Whitefield Circle Bellefontaine, OH 43311-9505 Xenia, OH 45385 937-592-1045 937-424-1640 [email protected] https://weec.org/contact/ Television
WHIO - TV 7, CBS WKEF - ABC 22/WRGT - FOX 45 1611 S. Main St. 2245 Corporate Place Dayton, OH 45409 Miamisburg, OH 45342 937-259-2237 937-263-4500 [email protected] WKEF: [email protected] WRGT: [email protected] WDTN - TV 2, NBC 4595 S. Dixie Dr. Moraine, OH 45439 937-293-2101 [email protected]
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D-6 Appendix E Community Engagement and the Superfund Process
Superfund is an environmental cleanup program enabled by a federal law enacted in 1980 known as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, or CERCLA, also called Superfund. In 1986, another law, the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act, or SARA, reauthorized CERCLA to continue Superfund cleanup activities. The CERCLA law gives U.S. EPA the authority to require those parties responsible for creating hazardous waste site to clean up those sites or to reimburse the government if U.S. EPA cleans up the site. U.S. EPA compels responsible parties to clean up hazardous waste site through administrative orders, consent decrees and other legal settlements. U.S. EPA is authorized to enforce the Superfund laws within Indian reservations, in all 50 states and in U.S. territories. Superfund site identification, monitoring and response activities are coordinated with state, tribal and territorial environmental protection or waste management agencies.
There are several steps involved in cleaning up a contaminated site. Once U.S. EPA has been made aware of a contaminated site from individual citizens, local, tribal or state agencies or others, U.S. EPA follows a step-by-step process (see the next page of this Appendix) to determine the best way to clean up the site and protect human health and the environment.
If the site poses an immediate threat to public health or the environment, U.S. EPA can intervene with an emergency response action. The goal of U.S. EPA’s Emergency Response and Removal Program is to protect the public and the environment from immediate threats posed by the release or discharge of hazardous substances.
The Superfund program encourages active dialogue between communities affected by the release of hazardous substances and all of the agencies responsible for carrying out or overseeing cleanup actions. U.S. EPA considers community involve- ment to be an important part of the Superfund program and opportunities for community involvement occur through- out the process. At each step in the process, there are opportunities for various levels of community involvement (see the following page for more details). Visit these U.S. EPA website for more information on the Superfund process. Superfund: www.epa.gov/superfund Cleanup Process: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/cleaning-superfund-sites Community Involvement: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-community-involvement
E-1 E-2 Appendix F Fact Sheets on contaminants of concern and vapor intrusion
1,2-DICHLOROETHENE CAS # 540-59-0, 156-59-2, and 156-60-5
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ToxFAQs September 1997
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about 1,2-dichloroethene. For more information, call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
HIGHLIGHTS: Exposure to 1,2-dichloroethene occurs mainly in workplaces where it is made or used. Breathing high levels of 1,2-dichloroethene can make you feel nauseous, drowsy, and tired. cis-1,2-Dichloroethene has been found in at least 146 of the 1,430 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). trans-1,2-Dichloroethene was found in at least 563 NPL sites. 1,2 Dichloroethene was found at 336 sites, but the isomer (cis- or trans-) was not specified.
What is 1,2-dichloroethene? � There is a slight chance that 1,2-dichloroethene will break down into vinyl chloride, a different chemical (Pronounced 1,2-di-k16rf o-ethfen) which is believed to be more toxic than 1,2-dichloro ethene. 1,2-Dichloroethene, also called 1,2-dichloroethylene, is a highly flammable, colorless liquid with a sharp, harsh odor. It is used to produce solvents and in chemical mixtures. You can How might I be exposed to 1,2-dichloroethene? smell very small amounts of 1,2-dichloroethene in air (about 17 � parts of 1,2-dichloroethene per million parts of air [17 ppm]). Breathing 1,2-dichloroethene that has leaked from haz ardous waste sites and landfills. There are two forms of 1,2-dichloroethene; one is called � Drinking contaminated tap water or breathing vapors cis-1,2-dichloroethene and the other is called trans-1,2-di from contaminated water while cooking, bathing, or chloroethene. Sometimes both forms are present as a mixture. washing dishes. � Breathing 1,2-dichloroethene, touching it, or touching contaminated materials in the workplace. What happens to 1,2-dichloroethene when it enters the environment? � 1,2-Dichloroethene evaporates rapidly into air. How can 1,2-dichloroethene affect my health? � In the air, it takes about 5-12 days for half of it to break Breathing high levels of 1,2-dichloroethene can make down. you feel nauseous, drowsy, and tired; breathing very high � Most 1,2-dichloroethene in the soil surface or bodies of levels can kill you. water will evaporate into air. � 1,2-Dichloroethene can travel through soil or dissolve in When animals breathed high levels of trans-1,2 water in the soil. It is possible that it can contaminate dichloroethene for short or longer periods of time, their livers groundwater. and lungs were damaged and the effects were more severe � In groundwater, it takes about 13-48 weeks to break down. with longer exposure times. Animals that breathed very high
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
F-1 1,2-DICHLOROETHENE Page 2 CAS # 540-59-0, 156-59-2, and 156-60-5
ToxFAQs Internet address via WWW is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html levels of trans-1,2-dichloroethene had damaged hearts. Has the federal government made Animals that ingested extremely high doses of cis- or recommendations to protect human health? trans-1,2-dichloroethene died. The EPA has set the maximum allowable level of cis-1,2 Lower doses of cis-1,2-dichloroethene caused effects on dichloroethene in drinking water at 0.07 milligrams per liter of the blood, such as decreased numbers of red blood cells, and water (0.07 mg/L) and trans-1,2-dichloroethene at 0.1 mg/L. also effects on the liver. The EPA requires that any spills or accidental release of The long-term (365 days or longer) human health effects 1,000 pounds or more of 1,2-dichloroethene must be reported after exposure to low concentrations of 1,2-dichloroethene to the EPA. aren’t known. One animal study suggested that an exposed The Occupational Health Safety and Health Administra fetus may not grow as quickly as one that hasn’t been exposed. tion (OSHA) has set the maximum allowable amount of Exposure to 1,2-dichloroethene hasn’t been shown to 1,2-dichloroethene in workroom air during an 8-hour workday affect fertility in people or animals. in a 40-hour workweek at 200 parts of 1,2-dichloroethene per million parts of air (200 ppm). Glossary How likely is 1,2-dichloroethene to cause cancer? Carcinogenicity: Ability of a substance to cause cancer. The EPA has determined that cis-1,2-dichloroethene is not CAS: Chemical Abstracts Service. classifiable as to its human carcinogenicity. Fertility: Ability to reproduce. No EPA cancer classification is available for trans-1,2 Ingest: To eat or drink something. dichloroethene. Milligram (mg): One thousandth of a gram. ppm: Parts per million. Is there a medical test to show whether I’ve been Solvent: A chemical that can dissolve other substances. exposed to 1,2-dichloroethene? References Tests are available to measure concentrations of the break This ToxFAQs information is taken from the 1996 Toxico down products of 1,2-dichloroethene in blood, urine, and tis logical Profile for 1,2-Dichloroethene produced by the Agency sues. However, these tests aren’t used routinely to determine for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Public Health Ser whether a person has been exposed to this compound. This is vice, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public because after you are exposed to 1,2-dichloroethene, the Health Service in Atlanta, GA. breakdown products in your body that are detected with these tests may be the same as those that come from exposure to other chemicals. These tests aren't available in most doctors' offices, but can be done at special laboratories that have the right equipment.
Where can I get more information? For more information, contact the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32, Atlanta, GA 30333. Phone: 1-888-422-8737, FAX: 770-488-4178. ToxFAQs Internet address via WWW is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate, and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.
Federal Recycling Program Printed on Recycled Paper
F-2 F-3 F-4 Trichloroethylene - ToxFAQs™ CAS # 79-01-6
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about trichloroethylene. For more information, call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-800-232-4636. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects. It is important you understand this information because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
HIGHLIGHTS: Trichloroethylene is used as a solvent for cleaning metal parts. Exposure to very high concentrations of trichloroethylene can cause dizziness headaches, sleepiness, incoordination, confusion, nausea, unconsciousness, and even death. Trichloroethylene has been found in at least 1,051 of the 1,854 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
How can trichloroethylene affect my health? What is trichloroethylene? Trichloroethylene was once used as an anesthetic for Trichloroethylene is a colorless, volatile liquid. Liquid surgery. Exposure to moderate amounts of trichloroethylene evaporates quickly into the air. It is trichloroethylene may cause headaches, dizziness, and nonflammable and has a sweet odor. sleepiness; large amounts may cause coma and even death. Eating or breathing high levels of trichloroethylene The two major uses of trichloroethylene are as a solvent to may damage some of the nerves in the face. Exposure to remove grease from metal parts and as a chemical that is high levels can also result in changes in the rhythm of the used to make other chemicals, especially the refrigerant, heartbeat, liver damage, and evidence of kidney damage. HFC-134a. Skin contact with concentrated solutions of trichloroethylene can cause skin rashes. There is some What happens to trichloroethylene when it enters evidence exposure to trichloroethylene in the work place the environment? may cause scleroderma (a systemic autoimmune disease) in some people. Some men occupationally-exposed to • Trichloroethylene can be released to air, water, and soil trichloroethylene and other chemicals showed decreases in at places where it is produced or used. sex drive, sperm quality, and reproductive hormone levels. • Trichloroethylene is broken down quickly in air. • Trichloroethylene breaks down very slowly in soil and How likely is trichloroethylene to cause cancer? water and is removed mostly through evaporation to air. • It is expected to remain in groundwater for long time There is strong evidence that trichloroethylene can cause since it is not able to evaporate. kidney cancer in people and some evidence for • Trichloroethylene does not build up significantly in plants trichloroethylene-induced liver cancer and malignant or animals. lymphoma. Lifetime exposure to trichloroethylene resulted in increased liver cancer in mice and increased kidney How might I be exposed to trichloroethylene? cancer and testicular cancer in rats.
• Breathing trichloroethylene in contaminated air. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) considers trichloroethylene to be a known human • Drinking contaminated water. carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified trichloroethylene as carcinogenic • Workers at facilities using this substance for metal to humans. The EPA has characterized trichloroethylene degreasing are exposed to higher levels of as carcinogenic to humans by all routes of exposure. trichloroethylene.
• If you live near such a facility or near a hazardous waste site containing trichloroethylene, you may also have higher exposure to this substance.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences
F-5 Trichloroethylene CAS # 79-01-6
How can trichloroethylene affect children? Is there a medical test to determine whether I’ve It is not known whether children are more susceptible than been exposed to trichloroethylene? adults to the effects of trichloroethylene. Trichloroethylene and its breakdown products (metabolites) can be measured in blood and urine. Some human studies indicate that trichloroethylene may However, the detection of trichloroethylene or its cause developmental effects such as spontaneous metabolites cannot predict the kind of health effects that abortion, congenital heart defects, central nervous system might develop from that exposure. Because defects, and small birth weight. However, these people trichloroethylene and its metabolites leave the body fairly were exposed to other chemicals as well. rapidly, the tests need to be conducted within days after exposure. In some animal studies, exposure to trichloroethylene during development caused decreases in body weight, Has the federal government made increases in heart defects, changes to the developing recommendations to protect human health? nervous system, and effects on the immune system. The EPA set a maximum contaminant goal (MCL) of How can families reduce the risk of exposure to 0.005 milligrams per liter (mg/L; 5 ppb) as a national trichloroethylene? primary drinking standard for trichloroethylene. • Avoid drinking water from sources that are known to be The Occupational Safety and Health Administration contaminated with trichloroethylene. Use bottled water (OSHA) set a permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 100 ppm if you have concerns about the presence of chemicals in for trichloroethylene in air averaged over an 8-hour work your tap water. You may also contact local drinking day, an acceptable ceiling concentration of 200 ppm water authorities and follow their advice. provided the 8 hour PEL is not exceeded, and an acceptable maximum peak of 300 ppm for a maximum • Prevent children from playing in dirt or eating dirt if you duration of 5 minutes in any 2 hours. live near a waste site that has trichloroethylene. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health • Trichloroethylene is used in many industrial products. (NIOSH) considers trichloroethylene to be a potential Follow instructions on product labels to minimize occupational carcinogen and established a recommended exposure to trichloroethylene. exposure limit (REL) of 2 ppm (as a 60-minute ceiling) during its use as an anesthetic agent and 25 ppm (as a 10-hour TWA) during all other exposures.
Reference This ToxFAQs™ information is taken from the 2019 Toxicological Profile for Trichloroethylene produced by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service in Atlanta, GA.
Where can I get more information? For more information, contact the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-57, Atlanta, GA 30329-4027.
Phone: 1-800-232-4636
ToxFAQsTM on the web: www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxFAQs ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate, and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.
June 2019 Page 2 of 2
F-6
What You Should Know About
the Problem of Vapor Intrusion EPA Superfund Division
What you can do to improve indoor air quality Vapor Intrusion into Indoor Air • Don’t buy more chemicals than you
need. • Store unused chemicals in appropriate tightly sealed containers. • Don’t make your home too air-tight. Fresh air helps prevent chemical build-up and mold growth. • Fix leaks promptly, as well as other moisture problems that encourage mold. • Check all appliances and fireplaces annually.
• Test your home for radon. Test kits are available at hardware and home improvement stores or you can call This diagram shows how vapors can rise up through the soil and into your home. the Radon Hotline at 800-767-7236
(800-SOSRADON). Vapors and gases from contaminated ground water and soil have the • Install carbon monoxide detectors in potential to seep into indoor spaces and cause health problems. The U.S. your home. They are available at Environmental Protection Agency wants you to know how to deal with hardware and home improvement vapor intrusion in your home. stores.
What is vapor intrusion? For more information When chemicals or petroleum products are spilled or leak from For questions on how vapor intrusion underground storage tanks, they can give off gases or vapors that can get affects your health, contact your local inside buildings. Common products that can cause vapor intrusion are health department or the federal gasoline or diesel fuel, dry cleaning solvents and industrial degreasers. The Agency for Toxic Substances and vapors can move through the soil and seep through cracks in basements, Disease Registry at 888-422-8737, or foundations, sewer lines and other openings. visit www.atsdr.cdc.gov.
Vapor intrusion is a concern because vapors can build up to a point where For detailed EPA information on the health of residents or workers in those buildings could be at risk. Some vapor intrusion, visit vapors from petroleum products have a gasoline odor, others are odor-free. www.epa.gov/oswer/vaporintrusion.
For more information on indoor air Common household items can give off vapors Common household products can be a source of indoor air problems. quality, visit www.epa.gov/iaq. Vapors and gases can come from paint, paint strippers or thinners, moth
balls, new carpeting and furniture, stored fuel, air fresheners, cleaning You may also call EPA Region 5 at products, dry-cleaned clothing and cigarette smoke. 800-621-8431, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
(Central), weekdays.
1 F-7 Vapor intrusion may affect your health Health risks vary based on the type and amount of chemicals. How healthy you are and how long you are exposed are also factors. Some people may experience eye and respiratory irritation, headaches or nausea. These symptoms are temporary and should go away when the vapors are vented. Low-level chemical exposures over many years, however, may raise your lifetime risk of cancer or chronic disease.
Steps in the study of vapor intrusion EPA first takes samples of gas in the soil and ground water near a site with known contamination. If we don’t find the type of contamination that can turn into a gas – known as “volatile” – then vapor intrusion should not be a problem.
If we find volatile contamination, we may widen the search to include sampling closer to or on individual properties. The next step is to take vapor samples from the soil under building foundations. These are called An example of a system that draws radon and other vapors out of “sub-slab soil” gas samples. the soil and vents them outside. It’s known as a “sub-slab mitigation system.”
The results of these samples will tell EPA if indoor air samples are needed. The indoor air samples will tell us EPA does not generally recommend indoor air if there are vapors in the indoor air. The samples will sampling before sub-slab sampling because indoor air also show if the vapors pose a health risk, or if they are quality varies widely day to day. Also, household at levels normally present in most buildings. products may interfere with sampling results.
Finally, we will determine if there is enough of a problem to take action. Environmental law and EPA regulations tell us when we need to do something to protect your family’s health.
If EPA finds a problem
The most common solution is to install systems often used to reduce naturally occurring radon that seeps into homes in some geographic areas. These systems remove soil vapors from below basements or foundations before they enter homes.
Vapors are vented into the outside air where they become dispersed and harmless. These systems use minimal electricity and do not affect heating and cooling efficiency. Once the source of the vapors is eliminated, the systems should no longer be needed.
One way to keep harmful vapors out of your home is to make sure common household products, especially chemical- and petroleum- based products, are tightly sealed and properly stored in a well- ventilated area.
F-8 2