[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 121 (Friday, June 24, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-15309]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: June 24, 1994]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 300

[FRL-4998-4]

 

National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan; 
National Priorities List

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of intent to delete the North U Drive Well Contamination 
Site from the National Priorities List: request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 announces 
its intent to delete the North U Drive Well Contamination Site from the 
National Priorities List (NPL) and requests public comment on this 
action. The NPL constitutes Appendix B of 40 CFR part 300 which is the 
National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), 
which EPA promulgated pursuant to section 105 of the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 
(CERCLA), as amended. This action is being taken because EPA and the 
Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) have determined that 
the contaminant releases do not pose a significant threat to human 
health, welfare, or the environment. Therefore, no further response 
action is appropriate.

DATES: Comments concerning this site may be submitted on or before July 
25, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to: Steve Sturgess, Missouri 
Department of Natural Resources, Hazardous Waste Program, Superfund 
Section, P.O. Box 176 Jefferson City, Missouri 65102.

Additional Information: Comprehensive information on this site is 
available for public review at the Missouri Department of Natural 
Resources (MDNR) Hazardous Waste Program File Room (205 Jefferson 
Street) in Jefferson City, Missouri; at EPA Region 7 Waste Management 
Division Records Center, 726 Minnesota Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas; and 
at the Kearney Branch Library, 630 W. Kearney, Springfield, Missouri 
65801.
    To obtain copies of documents in the public docket contact: Barry 
Thierer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region VII, 726 
Minnesota Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas 66101, (913) 551-7515.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Sturgess, Missouri Department of 
Natural Resources, Hazardous Waste Program, Superfund Section, P. O. 
Box 176, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102, (314) 751-1807.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

I. Introduction
II. NPL Deletion Criteria
III. Deletion Procedures
IV. Basis for Intended Site Deletion

I. Introduction

    The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 7 announces its 
intent to delete the North U Drive Well Contamination site, Greene 
County, Missouri, from the National Priorities List (NPL), appendix B 
of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan 
(NCP), 40 CFR part 300, as amended, and requests comments on this 
proposed deletion. Pursuant to the requirements of the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, as amended 
(CERCLA) and the NCP, the EPA collects data and evaluates releases of 
hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants to identify sites that 
present a threat to public health, welfare or the environment. The NPL 
is a list of priority releases for long-term remedial evaluation and 
response. Sites included on the NPL may be the subject of remedial 
actions financed by the Hazardous Substances Response Trust Fund 
(Fund). Pursuant to Sec. 300.425(e)(3) of the NCP, any site deleted 
from the NPL remains eligible for Fund-financed remedial actions if 
conditions at the site warrant such action.
    The EPA, in consultation with Missouri Department of Natural 
Resources (MDNR), will accept comments on the proposed deletion of the 
North U Drive Well Contamination site from the NPL for thirty days 
after publication of this notice in the Federal Register.
    Section II of this notice explains the criteria for deleting sites 
from the NPL. Section III discusses procedures that EPA is using for 
this action. Section IV discusses the North U Drive Well Contamination 
site and explains how the site meets the deletion criteria.

II. NPL Deletion Criteria

    Section 300.425(e) of the NCP sets forth the criteria that EPA uses 
to delete sites from the NPL. Sites may be deleted from the NPL where 
no further response is appropriate. In making this determination, EPA 
will consider, in consultation with the State, whether any of the 
following criteria have been met:
    (i) Responsible parties or other persons have implemented all 
appropriate response actions required; or
    (ii) All appropriate Fund-financed response under CERCLA has been 
implemented and no further response action by responsible parties is 
appropriate; or
    (iii) The remedial investigation has determined that the release 
poses no significant threat to public health or the environment; and 
therefore, taking of remedial measures is not appropriate.

III. Deletion Procedures

    The EPA Region 7 will accept and evaluate public comments on its 
proposal to delete the site from the NPL before making a final 
decision. The Agency believes that deletion procedures should focus on 
notice and comment at the local level. Comments from the local 
community are often the most pertinent to deletion decisions. The 
following procedures were used for the intended deletion of this site:
    1. The EPA Region 7 has recommended deletion and in conjunction 
with the State of Missouri has prepared the relevant documents.
    2. The State of Missouri has concurred with the proposed deletion 
decision.
    3. Concurrent with this National Notice of Intent to Delete, a 
local notice has been published in a major local newspaper of general 
circulation at or near the site and has been distributed to appropriate 
federal, state and local officials and other interested parties. The 
local notice announces a thirty (30) day public comment period on the 
deletion package, which starts June 24, 1994 and will conclude on July 
25, 1994.
    4. The Region has made all information supporting the proposed 
deletion available for public inspection and copying in the EPA 
Regional Office, MDNR and a local site information repository (Kearney 
Branch Library).
    5. The EPA, in consultation with MDNR, will respond to each 
significant comment and all significant new data submitted during the 
comment period and will include this response document (Responsiveness 
Summary) in the final deletion package.
    6. A deletion occurs after the EPA Regional Administrator places a 
final notice of deletion in the Federal Register. The final deletion 
package will be placed in the local information repository once the 
notice of final deletion has been published in the Federal Register. 
The NPL will reflect any deletions in the next final update.

IV. Basis for Intended Site Deletion

    The following summary provides the Agency's rationale for 
recommending deletion of the North U Drive Well Contamination site, 
Greene County, Missouri, from the NPL.
    The North U Drive Well Contamination site is located approximately 
1.25 miles north of Springfield, Greene County, Missouri. Land use 
adjacent to the site is mostly residential, woodlands, manufacturing 
and commercial businesses.
    In 1983, the residents near the North U Drive Well Contamination 
site became concerned over the taste of their water. When MDNR 
investigated, it was discovered that twelve wells were contaminated.
    Sampling by MDNR identified benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, 
and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) as the primary contaminants in 
the groundwater. These compounds are constituents of gasoline. MTBE is 
used as an additive in gasoline, and was not commercially available 
until 1979.
    Water lines were installed in 1985 to provide Springfield city 
water to all affected residents. In addition, 62 wells were plugged to 
control the spread of contamination and to prevent residents from 
drinking contaminated water.
    The North U Drive site was placed on the National Priorities List 
in 1985 and a Remedial Investigation (RI) was performed by MDNR. The RI 
included sampling of site soil, sediments, air, ground water and 
surface water. Dye trace studies were also conducted as part of the RI. 
The RI concluded that the original contamination at the site was 
related to a release of gasoline. The RI identified three main 
contaminants--petroleum-related contaminants, metals and non-petroleum-
related organic contaminants.
    Petroleum-related contaminants, the original contaminants of 
concern, decreased significantly in concentration between the time of 
site discovery and the remedial investigation. In many areas 
contaminant concentrations dropped below detection limits. The site is 
situated in a karst region, and dye traces documented very rapid ground 
water flow rates. The reduction in petroleum-related contaminant 
concentrations may be a result of the relatively rapid discharge of 
these light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) contaminants through the 
karst system.
    Metals were not included as contaminants of concern at the site at 
the time the site was listed on the NPL. During the RI, however, it 
became apparent that metal concentrations were elevated in some water 
samples.
    The RI concluded that this was a natural phenomenon. First, no 
evidence exists to suggest a release of metals has occurred at the 
site, and the types of metals found are inconsistent with industrial/
commercial activities at the site. Metals in groundwater samples were 
found to correlate with turbidity, indicating a natural phenomenon.
    A variety of non-petroleum-related organic contaminants were 
identified during the RI, but none are considered to be of significant 
concern. Most of these contaminants were found in very low 
concentrations in isolated soil samples. This suggests the contaminants 
are not related to a significant release, but are a result of small-
scale, localized surface releases. The site risk assessment did not 
identify any significant risks associated with non-petroleum-related 
organic contaminants.
    Past releases of contaminants at this site do not appear to present 
a current or future threat to the environment. Throughout the history 
of the site, the only significant contamination was found in the 
groundwater. All area residents were supplied with a permanent 
alternative water source so that private wells are no longer used for 
drinking. Furthermore, concentrations of contaminants in groundwater 
dropped dramatically between the time of site discovery and the RI, 
indicating that natural processes are attenuating contaminant levels. 
Additionally, risks posed by all manmade contaminants at this site, 
including petroleum contaminants, do not warrant further cleanup.
    Community relations activities have included issuance of fact 
sheets and public meetings at various phases of the project in order to 
keep the public informed of ongoing activities.
    Therefore, EPA, with concurrence of the State of Missouri, has 
determined that the North U Drive site poses no significant threat to 
public health and the environment, and therefore, taking of further 
remedial measures is not appropriate.

    Dated: May 27, 1994.
Dennis Grams,
Regional Administrator, Region VII.
[FR Doc. 94-15309 Filed 6-23-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P