COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PLAN EAGLE PICHER CAREFREE BATTERY SOCORRO, SOCORRO COUNTY, NEW MEXICO NOVEMBER 2007 U. S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION 6 003744 THE U. S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY’S (EPA) SUPERFUND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM IS COMMITTED TO PROMOTING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN CITIZENS AND THE AGENCY. ACTIVE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IS CRUCIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF ANY PUBLIC PROJECT. EPA’S COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ACTIVITIES AT THE EAGLE PICHER CAREFREE BATTERY SITE ARE DESIGNED TO INFORM THE PUBLIC OF THE NATURE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THE SITE, INVOLVE THE PUBLIC IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS THAT WILL AFFECT THEM, INVOLVE THE PUBLIC IN THE RESPONSES UNDER CONSIDERATION TO REMEDY THESE ISSUES, AND INFORM THE PUBLIC OF THE PROGRESS BEING MADE TO IMPLEMENT THE REMEDY. 003745 Table of Contents Section Page 1.0 Overview of the Community Involvement Plan ......................................................1 2.0 Capsule Site Description...................................................................................... 1-2 2.1 Site History .............................................................................................. 1-2 2.2 Site Description/Location ............................................................................3 2.3 Site Inspections and Cleanup Activities ......................................................4 3.0 Community Background..........................................................................................4 3.1 Community Profile.......................................................................................4 3.2 History of Community Involvement............................................................4 3.3 Key Community Concerns...........................................................................5 3.4 Response to Community Concerns..............................................................5 3.5 Summary of Communication Needs............................................................5 4.0 EPA’s Community Involvement Program...............................................................5 4.1 The Plan................................................................................................. 5-11 4.2 Time Frame Summary for Community Involvement Activities................12 Appendices: A EPA Regional Contacts .........................................................................................14 B Local Officials .......................................................................................................15 C State Officials ........................................................................................................16 D Federal Elected Officials .......................................................................................17 E Environmental and Active Citizens Groups ..........................................................18 F Potentially Responsible Parties..............................................................................19 G Media Contacts................................................................................................ 20-22 H Meeting Locations .................................................................................................23 I Repository Locations .............................................................................................24 J Schools...................................................................................................................25 Section 1.0 003746 Overview of the Community Involvement Plan EPA developed this Community Involvement Plan to facilitate two-way communication between the community surrounding the Eagle Picher Carefree Batter Superfund Site and EPA and to encourage community involvement in site activities. EPA will utilize the community involvement activities outlined in this plan to ensure that residents are continuously informed and provided opportunities to be involved. This Community Involvement Plan addresses Eagle Picher Carefree Battery’s relationship to the community and EPA (Section 2.0), provides a background of the community (Section 3.0), presents EPA’s community involvement program (Section 4.0), and provides a listing of resources available (Appendices). EPA drew upon several information sources to develop this plan, including community interviews and site files. EPA’s Regional Office will oversee the implementation of the community involvement activities outlined in this Plan. Section 2.0 Capsule Site Description 2.1 Site History The property is approximately 173 acres and first owned by the U.S. Government and used as Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) barracks in 1932. From 1936 to 1956, the facility was a State of New Mexico Tuberculosis sanitarium. Septic waste from the sanitarium was discharged into unlined lagoons located in the south portion of the property. After the sanitarium was closed, the State gave the property to the City of Socorro. In 1964 the city sold the property to Eagle Picher Inc. From approximately 1964 until 1976 Eagle Picher manufactured various products, including printed circuit boards, on the property. Initial manufacturing operations were performed in the former tuberculosis sanitarium buildings until a fire destroyed several of the sanitarium buildings utilized by Eagle Picher. A new manufacturing building was constructed by Eagle Picher southeast of the former tuberculosis sanitarium. Domestic sewage and industrial waste from the circuit board operation was discharged into the lagoons. Following the circuit board operation, Eagle Picher returned the land to the City. From 1976 to 1980, Ray Chester Jewelry leased buildings at the facility. From 1980 until the early 1990s, Eagle Picher reoccupied the site and produced non-automotive lead-acid batteries. Eagle Picher constructed two lined evaporation impoundments for industrial effluent in the 1980s. The impoundments were located south of the building and west of the lagoons. In 1988, the facility began the RCRA permitting process. The domestic lagoons were used by Eagle Picher until 1989, when the City installed a septic tank. The industrial impoundments underwent RCRA closure in the 1990s. Eagle Picher Carefree Battery GWP November 2007 Community Involvement Plan 2 003747 In 2005, approximately 11 acres of the property, including the former Eagle Picher manufacturing building and surrounding property, was leased from the City of Socorro for recreational use as a motocross tract. Flash flooding events in July and August of 2006 damaged the former building and motocross track. As a result of soil erosion and exposure of lead battery plates/straps, motocross operations were suspended and this portion of the property is not longer in use. Most recently, EPA, in cooperation with the NMED, conducted a series of investigations including sampling ground water, soil, and soil vapor between 2004 and 2006. The purpose of these investigations was to determine the current condition of the Site, the source of the observed ground water contamination, and the potential risk it presents to the local community. 2.2 Site Description/Location The Eagle Picher Carefree Batteries facility is located approximately 60 miles south of Albuquerque, New Mexico, west of Interstate 25. The facility is located off of the Escondida exit, approximately two miles northwest of Socorro, New Mexico. The location is also known as West Frontage Road, Socorro, NM. 87801. The coordinates for the site are Latitude 34° 05’ 59”, Longitude 106° 54’ 23”. The street address; coordinates and contaminant locations identify the general area of the site. Comment [COMMENT1]: Geographi cal location, size, and surroundings of Site Site in relationship to: homes businesses schools playgro unds lakes streams/rivers wetlands park s health facilities wildlife species/sensitive ecological areas Maps showing location of Site within: state region community proximity to elements of concern (above) A map of the Site itself Comment [COMMENT2]: Type of hazardous materials present Nature of threat to human health and environment History of inspections and studies 2.3 Site Inspections and Cleanup Activities conducted Lead agency for the cleanup Eagle Picher Carefree Battery GWP November 2007 Community Involvement Plan 3 003748 The presence of chlorinated solvents in a City of Socorro municipal supply well (Olson Well) was discovered during compliance sampling in 1989 required by the Safe Drinking Water Act. Chlorinated solvents detected at the facility and in ground water down gradient from the facility include trichloroethene (TCE), 1,1-dichloroethene (1,1-DCE), and cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-1,2- DCE). These solvents have been detected in several municipal drinking water wells, domestic drinking water wells, and monitoring wells located downgradient from the Eagle Picher facility. Concentrations of site contaminants exceeded health-based benchmarks in both residential wells and public supply wells. The City of Socorro relies solely on the shallow aquifer for its potable water supply. Currently the city is blending its water supply to lower the concentrations of TCE below health-based Maximum Contamination Level (MCL) benchmarks. Without clean-up of the contaminated ground water plume, the remaining municipal and private wells will be impacted. In July 1999 new water lines were installed by the City of Socorro to supply drinking water to the affected residences in the plume area. Additional assessment activities are ongoing. EPA, in cooperation with the New Mexico