SDMS Document

v.. 64366

EPA WORK ASSIGNMENT NO. 110-2602 EPA CONTRACT NO. 68-01-7250

EBASCO SERVICES INCORPORATED

FINAL REVISED COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN FOR THE FIBERS PUBLIC SUPPLY WELLS SITE GUAYAMA,

JANUARY 1989

NOTICE

The preparation of this document has been funded by the United o States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) under REM III o lO Contract No. 68-01-7250 to Ebasco Services, Inc. (EBASCO).

to ~t7 REM III PROGRAM REMEDIAL PLANNING ACTIVITIES AT SELECTED UNCONTROLLED HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE DISPOSAL SITES WITHIN EPA REGIONS I-IV

EPA WORK ASSIGNMENT NUMBER: 110-2602 EPA CONTRACT NUMBER: 68-01-7250

FINAL REVISED COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN FIBERS PUBLIC SUPPLY WELLS SITE

GUAYAMA, PUERTO RICO

JANUARY 1989

Finalized by: Approved by;

UOUU^^HAL /-^-9? Date Mark DowfeDowrajk Date _ aty REM III Site Manager Specialist NUS Corporation l^hnology. Inc. 1 M X)t V S'v^-^^•U v 'l"j^l Dev R. Sachdev, PhD, P.E, Date o o REM III Region II to Manager Ebasco Services, Inc. o o REVISED COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN FIBERS PUBLIC SUPPLY WELLS SITE GUAYAMA, PUERTO RICO

This final Revised Community Relations Plan identifies issues of community interest and concern regarding the Fibers Public Supply Wells site (Fibers Site) in the Town of Guayama, Puerto Rico, and describes a suggested program of community relations activities to be conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address these issues. This final revised community relations plan updates information included in the community relations plan prepared by EPA in December 1984, reassesses community concerns, and updates EPA on these changes.

EPA Region II will be responsible for the technical and community relations activities at the Fibers site. A Potentially Responsible Party (PRP)^ has developed the site work plan and is currently developing the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) for the site. Technical oversight will be provided by NUS Corporation, an EPA contractor. This final revised community relations plan is divided into the following sections: Site Background; Community Background and Key Issues; Objectives of the Community Relations Program at the Fibers Public Supply Wells Site; Suggested Community Relations Activities, and Proposed Schedule and Staffing Plan. Also included in this plan are two appendices. Appendix A provides suggested locations for information repositories and public meetings. A contact list of key officials and media representatives is included as Appendix B. This final revised community relations plan is based on a review of EPA files and conversations with the EPA Remedial Project Manager and Community Relations Coordinator.

; M 03 ^PRPs are any individual or organization identified as potentially liable for release of hazardous substances into the o environment. Such parties may include those who generate, '^ transport, treat, store or dispose of hazardous substances. EPA ^ may require PRPs, through administrative or legal action, to m assume responsibility for the cleanup of sites they have '^ contaminated. I. SITE BACKGROUND A. Site Description The Fibers Public Supply Wells site is located along Route 3, approximately one mile (1.6 kilometers) southeast of the Town of Guayama, Puerto Rico (See Exhibit 1). The site is defined as five public supply wells and an industrial complex. (See Exhibit 2). The wells are located south of Route 3 and are owned and operated by the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA). The five public water supply wells are located approximately two- tenths of a mile apart. Each well is located within a concrete building that houses a pump, metering equipment and a chlorination chamber. Each equipment building is fenced. Wells #2 through #5 are not currently operating and the pump has been removed from Well #3. The industrial complex extends from Well #1 to Well #5 along the northern side of Route 3 and consists of a pharmaceutical plant and an anesthetic manufacturer.

Groundwater from the site area is used as a source of drinking water for the communities of Guayama and Jobos. In addition, industries north and south of the site use groundwater in their manufacturing processes. Groundwater in the site vicinity generally flows to the southwest and discharges into the, Caribbean Sea approximately 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) south of the site. Several irrigation ditches are located in proximity to the site and drain into sugar cane fields that are located immediately south of the site. Currently, the Fibers Public Supply Wells serve as an alternative water supply for the Town of Guayama.

B. Site History The Fibers site is owned by the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Corporation (PRIDCO) and has been leased to operators of several different manufacturing facilities since 1966. From 1966 to 1980, nylon fibers were manufactured at the site in a building that is now occupied by a pharmaceutical manufacturer. From 1966 to 1976, the fiber manufacturing facility was operated by Phillips Petroleum Company, and from 1976 through 1980, the plant was operated by Chevron Chemical Company.

Prior to 1969, the plant began using an on-site wastewater lagoon for storage of liquids used for floor washings from the plant. The plant used solvents and degreasers such as perchloroethylene (PCE), also known as tetrachloroethylene, and trichloroethylene 2 (TCE) to clean their machinery. These materials were discharged, OJ along with wastewater, into the plant's wastewater system, and ultimately into on-site storage lagoons which were located oS approximately 150 feet north of PRASA Well #3. These storage "^ lagoons were lined by the fiber manufacturer in 1969. or to EXHIBIT 1 SITE LOCATION MAP FIBERS PUBLIC SUPPLY WELL FIELD SITE GUAYAMA, PUERTO RICO

ATLANTIC OCEAN SAN JUAN

PROJECT SITE

CARIBBEAN SEA 1:^ SCALE

0 8 MILES

£eso ZOO aid EXHIBIT 2 SITE MAP FIBERS PUBLIC SUPPLY WELL FIELD SITE

^eso zoo aij In 1976, residents complained about a foul odor and "medicine" taste in their drinking water. PRASA tried to mitigate these problems by pumping Well #3 into a sugar cane field south of the well for a period of one week. As a result of PCE detection in the well. Well #3 was shut down three months later by PRASA. In December 1982, the United States Geologic Survey (USGS) conducted a comprehensive, island-wide groundwater sampling program that revealed PCE contamination in Well #2. The USGS subsequently informed PRASA of these findings and recommended that Well #2 be shut down for additional testing and that further testing be conducted on the remaining wells. Subsequent sampling by EPA's Field Investigation Team (FIT) in February 1983 revealed PCE contamination in Wells #2 through #5. Well #3 had been shut down since 1976 and use of Wells #2, #4 and #5 was discontinued in 1984. Well #1, which did not exhibit PCE contamination, continues to be used to maintain water pressure for emergency services in a portion of the Guayama Water Distribution System. The site was leased from PRIDCO in 1984 by American Home Products Corporation (AHP), a pharmaceutical manufacturer. In 1985, AHP converted the two on-site wastewater settling lagoons into a single stonnwater retention basin. During excavation, company officials noted that portions of this lagoon were not lined, and there were breaches in the existing liner, therefore, chemicals present in the wastewater lagoon could have contaminated the earthen material beneath the lagoon. Soil excavated from these lagoons was spread over an area measuring approximately 4 00 feet by 150 feet located in the northwest corner of the site thereby creating an additional area of potential contamination.

In November 1985, EPA issued an Administrative Order of Consent to the PRPs to conduct the RI/FS for the Fibers site. The PRPs are currently developing the RI/FS. The Fibers site was added to EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) of hazardous waste sites in September 1983.

II. COMMUNITY BACKGROUND AND KEY ISSUES A. Community Profile According to the 1980 census, the Town of Guayama is home to approximately 20,000 residents and is governed by a Mayor and Municipal Assembly who are elected by the community at large and serve four year terms. ^q M Industries in the immediate area include pharmaceutical manufacturers and a petroleum refinery. There are nearby areas o of agricultural use and sugar cane is a major crop. o

o tn 00 B. History of Community Involvement To date, there has been limited community involvement regarding the Fibers site. Several complaints of foul odor and taste in drinking water were lodged with EPA in 1976, however, conversations with the EPA Remedial Project Manager indicate that community interest in the Fibers site has been minimal. EPA records indicate that complaints diminished following closure of Well #3 in 1976. Site records indicate that a San Juan newspaper. The San Juan Star, carried a story on the findings of the 1982 USGS study, however, EPA officials report that no new community interest was generated at that time. C. Key Community Concerns Overall community concern can best be described as low regarding the Fibers site. Concern appears to have diminished following closure of Well #3 by PRASA in 1976. In addition, the site is not in proxiaiity to any residential areas, but is located in an industrial and agricultural area, thus there is limited potential for an increase in community concern. However, the site is situated immediately adjacent to Route #3 and site activities are visible from the highway. Initiation of site activities could potentially generate increased interest in the Fibers site. Research of EPA files and conversations with the EPA Remedial Project Manager revealed several concerns. Specific areas of concern are as follows: 1. Taste and Odor Problems Associated with the Existing Water Supply Residents have expressed concern regarding the foul odor and a medicine taste in drinking water. This concern, however, diminished significantly following the closure of Well #3 by PRASA in 1976. 2. Water Supply and Pressure Residents and local officials have expressed concern regarding the potential for loss of water supply for drinking purposes and a reduction of system pressure required for emergency service provision. M 3. Drinking Water Contamination * Residents and local officials have expressed concern over § the potential contamination of the public drinking water '^ supply. However, as stated earlier, these complaints ceased with the closure of Well #3 in 1976 by PRASA. S Ui 4. Aquifer Contcimination Both PRASA and local government jurisdictions require that the aquifer be remediated to pre-contamination conditions. The aquifer is needed as an alternate water supply system during periods of increased demand. In addition, this aquifer is the only alternative source of water for future demand.

III. OBJECTIVES OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM AT THE FIBERS PUBLIC SUPPLY WELLS SITE By providing the community with an opportunity to learn about and participate in the Superfund remedial process, the community relations program for the Fibers site can address all of the concerns expressed by residents and local officials. Community relations efforts should focus on providing residents and local officials with comprehensive and timely information about findings and developments at the site. Recommended approaches for community relations activities at the Fibers site are discussed in detail below.

1. Provide timely, accurate and easily understandable information to residents and local officials near the Fibers site. To clarify any questions regarding the taste and odor and potential contamination of drinking water, general information on contaminants found in the wells and a chronology of the site's sampling history should be made available to local officials and interested and concerned citizens in the vicinity of the Fibers site. This infommation can provide a data source which could be used by interested residents to provide immediate responses to specific questions. 2. Provide timely and accurate information about site activities and the proposed remedial action to residents and local officials.

Accurate, detailed information on site activities during the RI/FS and proposed remedial action should be made available to residents and local officials of Guayama on a regular basis. Information disseminated through mailings, updates, press releases and public meetings will ensure *^ that residents receive accurate information regarding Q progress at the site. Local officials should be notified prior to any press releases or mailings to ensure their o o awareness of EPA activities and are prepared to answer to questions from news media as well as interested residents. o

-J 3. Inform area residents about the procedures, policies and requirements of the Superfund program. EPA community relations staff should familiarize the community with the sequence of events that take place during a Superfund cleanup. This information will help residents understand the time period required for remedial actions. Additionally, the community will become better acquainted with opportunities for public involvement during the various phases of the Superfund process. 4. Maintain a central contact at EPA A single point of contact at EPA, such as the Remedial Project Manager, would ensure that information given out is consistent and accurate and that misunderstandings would be avoided. Also, the contact person would be in a position to gauge any shift in community concerns so community relations activities can be targeted to address new needs.

IV. SUGGESTED AND REQUIRED COMMUNITY RELATIONS ACTIVITIES To accomplish the objectives of the community relations -program for the Fibers site, the following community relations activities are suggested during the RI/FS: Esteiblish and maintain an information repository. Purpose; To ensure that all technical documents, this community relations plan, fact sheets, other site-related information and general information on the Superfund process are available to interested citizens, local officials and the news media.

Technique; Possible locations for information repositories are the Mayor's office and the Municipal Library in the Town of Guayama. Appendix A lists addresses, phone numbers and contacts for these locations. Each of these facilities is accessible to residents and has copying equipment. Timing: Establish prior to the RI/FS and update on an as needed basis so that all technical information is available to the public.

Designate an EPA information contact. 2 oa Purpose; To provide accurate and timely responses to questions o from citizens, local officials and media personnel during the o RI/FS and site cleanup, and to ensure that EPA statements are M coordinated and consistent. o U1 U) 00 Technique; An EPA designated contact person located at EPAs Caribbean Field Office (CFO) in Santurce, Puerto Rico, should respond directly to public inquiries regarding site activities and maintain the information repositories. A toll-free telephone number should be made available to residents, local officials, and the media, and should be placed in the information repositories. Timing: The designated contact person from the EPA CFO should ensure that information dissemination is coordinated from the start of the RI/FS and throughout subsequent remedial action. Prepare and distribute updates. Purpose; To inform residents about the Superfund cleanup process, activities to be conducted during the RI/FS and subsequent remedial action. Technique; Prior to the start of the RI/FS, an update providing basic information on the Superfund process as well as planned site activities should be distributed. This update should provide the name and address of the designated EPA contact person. A second fact sheet describing the cleanup alternatives recommended in the draft FS report should be distributed prior to, and during, the public comment period on the FS to facilitate public understanding of the proposed alternatives and to encourage public review and comment. All fact sheets on site activities should be made available at public meetings and in the information repositories. Conduct Public Meetings Purpose; To explain plans and activities under consideration to interested community members, local officials and media representatives and to provide an opportunity for EPA to solicit public comment and answer residents' questions. Technique; EPA will hold a public information meeting during the public comment period on the draft FS report to allow the public an opportunity to provide comments on the proposed remedial alternatives for cleanup at the site. EPA must provide a transcript of this meeting. Appendix A provides possible locations for public meetings concerning the Fibers site. hg H Timing; During the public comment period on the draft FS report. t» o o ^J o Ol 9 vo Prepare and distribute news releases to local news media and local officials. Purpose; To ensure the general public receives notification of upcoming public meetings and accurate information on the results of the RI/FS and cleanup alternatives for the Fibers site. Technique; News releases should be prepared and released by EPA to announce upcoming public meetings and any significant findings during the RI/FS. In addition, EPA should issue news releases at the completion of significant technical milestones such as release of the draft FS report, release of the final FS report, and upon approval of the Record of Decision (ROD). To ensure that all potentially interested parties are informed of the public meetings, EPA should secure the services of a sound truck to publicly announce upcoming public meetings in communities in order to reach the widest possible audience in the vicinity of the Fibers site. A list of media contacts is provided in Appendix B.

Timing; Upon release of the draft FS report, after release of the final FS report, and upon approval of the ROD. Conduct a public comment period on the draft FS report. , Purpose; To ensure that public input and comments are incorporated into selection of the remedial alternative for this site. Technique; As required by law, EPA must hold a minimum three week public comment period following the release of the draft FS report. Timing; Required following release of the draft FS report. Prepare a responsiveness stimmary. Purpose; Required by law to ensure that public input and comments are incorporated into selection of the remedial alternative for cleanup of this site. Technique; The responsiveness summary should describe major comments raised by the public during the public comment period and EPA responses to the comments. The responsiveness summary must be included as part of the Record of Decision document. »i M 03 Timing; Required following completion of the public comment period on the draft FS report. o to

o tn >u o 10 SCHEDULE AND STAFFING PLAN

Ccnnunity Relations activities at the Fibers site will be coordinated by Lillian Johnson, EPA Region II Connunity Relations Coordinator and Jose Font, EPA Region II Enforcement Project Manager.

Technical Milestones

Finalization Conpletion of Conpletion of Conpletion of Ccnnunity Relations of the During Remedial the Remedial the Draft the Final FS Technique Work Plan Investigation Investigation FS Report Report & ROD

1) Information Repository X- -(ifxjate as needed)-

2) Information Contact X- -(update as needed)-

3) Fact Sheets/Updates X

A) Publicize Pii>lic Meetings

5) News Releases

6) Public Meetings

7) Public Ccnment Period

8) Responsiveness Sumiary

T^so zoo aij APPENDIX A SUGGESTED LOCATIONS FOR INFORMATION REPOSITORIES AND PUBLIC MEETINGS

A. INFORMATION REPOSITORY Guayama Public Library (809) 864-0600 P.O. Box 360 Guayama, Puerto Rico 00655 Hours of Operation Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Contact: Evelyn Solivan

B. PUBLIC MEETING LOCATIONS Guayama City Hall (809) 864-0600 P.O. Box 360 Guayama, Puerto Rico 00655 Hours of Operation Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Contact; Evelyn Solivan Guayama Art & Cultural Center (809) 864-0600 P.O. Box 360 Guayama, Puerto Rico 00655 Hours of Operation Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Contact; Evelyn Solivan

M 03 o o ro

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to APPENDIX B LIST OF KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A. FEDERAL OFFICIALS Dr. Luis A. Izquierdo Mora (809) 764-9077 Secretary Department of Health P.O. Box 70184 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936 Justo A. Mendez (809) 723-3090 Secretary Department of Natural Resources P.O. Box 5887 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00906

B. STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS Hon. Rafael Hernandez Colon (809) 721-7000 Governor P.O. Box 82 La Fortalisa San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901 Hon. Jaime B. Fuster (809) 753-2121 Resident Commissioner P.O. Box 4751 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00902

Hon. Juan Rivera Ortiz (809) 724-3446 Senator Senado De Puerto Rico Capitolio San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901

Hon. Miguel Diaz Tiraelo (809) 723-4190 Representative Camara De Representantes Capitolio San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901

M C. STATE OFFICIALS W Santos Rohana Detancourt (809) 725-5140 «= President to Environmental Quality Board o P.O. Box 11488 Santurce, Puerto Rico 00910 u> D. D.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY OFFICIALS Pedro A. Gelabert (809) 729-6920 Director U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Carribean Field Office Santurce, Puerto Rico 00907

Adalberto Bosque (809) 729-6920 Remedial Project Manager U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Carribean Field Office Santurce, Puerto Rico 00907 Lillian Johnson (212) 264-2515 Superfund Community Relations Coordinator Region II U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 26 Federal Plaza New York, New York 10278

E. LOCAL OFFICIALS Hector L. Colon Mendoza, Mayor (809) 864-0600 Edwin R. Gonzalez, President Municipal Assembly Gadiel Melendez, Vice President Municipal Assembly Carmen Borrero, Municipal Assembly Member Angel M. De Armas, Municipal Assembly Member Candido Lebron, Municipal Assembly Member Francisco Lopez, Municipal Assembly Member Angel L. Mercado, Municipal Assembly Member Jaimb Mora, Municipal Assembly Member Luis R. Ortiz, Municipal Assembly Member Juan N. Rivera, Municipal Assembly Member Georgie Sued, Municipal Assembly Member Carmello Torrez, Municipal Assembly Member Juan Valentin, Municipal Assembly Member Elias Vazquez, Municipal Assembly Member Luis R. Vazquez, Municipal Assembly Member Irma Bachier, Municipal Secretary Soki Diaz, Municipal Assembly Secretary P.O. Box 360 w Guayama City Hall Guayama, Puerto Rico 00655 g to o •(Ju1 F. NEWSPAPERS El Nuevo Dia (809) 793-7070 P.O. Box 297 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936 El Mundo (809) 764-3000 G.P.O. Box 2408 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936 The San Juan Star (809) 782- 4200 G.P.O. Box 4187 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936 El Reportero (809) 721-2560 452 Comercia San Juan, Puerto Rico El Vocero de Puerto Rico (809) 721-2300 P.O. Box 3831 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00904

RADIO STATIONS WKAQ Radio (809) 750-5000 G.P.O. Box 4668 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936 WAPA Radio (809) 724-3000 P.O. Box 4563 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00905

WQBS Radio (809) 724-0630 P.O. Box 9986 Santurce, Puerto Rico 00908 WXRF Radio Guayama (809) 864-2320 P.O. Box 1590 Guayama, Puerto Rico 00655

H. TELEVISION STATIONS

WKAQ T.V. (Canal 2) (809) 753-9340 F.D. Roosevelt Avenue 313 Hato Rey, Puerto Rico 00919 H WAPA T.V. (Canal 4) (809) 792-4444 o P.O. Box 2050 o San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936 to

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