[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 206 (Wednesday, October 26, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-26383]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: October 26, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
40 CFR Part 300

[FRL-5095-9]

 

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

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Delete the Boise Cascade/Onan/Medtronics 
Site from the National Priorities List; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region V announces 
its intent to delete the Boise Cascade/Onan/Medtronics Site from the 
National Priorities List (NPL) and requests public comments on this 
action. The NPL is 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 all Fund-
financed response actions under CERCLA have been implemented and EPA, 
in consultation with the State of Minnesota, has determined that no 
further response is appropriate. Moreover, EPA and the State have 
determined that remedial activities conducted at the site to date have 
been protective of public health, welfare, and the environment.

DATES: Comments concerning the proposed deletion may be submitted 
November 25, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to Gladys Beard (HSRM-6J) Associate 
Remedial Project Manager, Office of Superfund, USEPA, Region V, 77 W. 
Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604. Information on the site is available 
at USEPA and at the local information repository located at: Minnesota 
Pollution Control Agency Public Library, 520 Lafayette RD, St. Paul, MN 
55155-4194. Requests for comprehensive copies of documents should be 
directed formally to Region V's Docket Officer. The address for the 
Region V Docket Office is Jan Pfundheller (H-7J), USEPA, Region V, 77 
W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604, (312) 353-5821.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gladys Beard (HSRM-6J) Associate 
Remedial Project Manager, Office of Superfund, USEPA, Region V, 77 W. 
Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604, (312) 886-7253; or Cherly Allen (P-
19J), Office of Public Affairs, USEPA, Region V, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., 
Chicago, IL 60604, (312) 353-6196.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

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

I. Introduction

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Region V announces 
its intent to delete the Boise Cascade/Onan/Medtronics Site from the 
National Priorities List (NPL), appendix B to the National Oil and 
Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan, 40 CFR part 300 (NCP), 
and requests comments on the proposed deletion. The EPA identifies 
sites which appear to present a significant risk to public health, 
welfare or the environment, and maintains the NPL as the list of those 
sites. Sites on the NPL may be the subject of Superfund (Fund) financed 
remedial actions. Pursuant to Sec. 300.425(e)(3) of the NCP, any site 
deleted from the NPL remains eligible for additional Fund-financed 
remedial actions in the unlikely event that conditions at the site 
warrant such action.
    The USEPA will accept comments on this proposal for thirty (30) 
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 history of this site and explains 
how the site meets the deletion criteria.
    Deletion of sites from the NPL does not itself create, alter, or 
revoke any individual's rights or obligations. Furthermore, deletion 
from the NPL does not in any way alter EPA's right to take enforcement 
actions, as appropriate. The NPL is designed primarily for 
informational purposes and to assist in Agency management.

II. NPL Deletion Criteria

    The NCP establishes the criteria the Agency uses to delete sites 
from the NPL. In accordance with 40 CFR 300.425(e), sites may be 
deleted from the NPL where no further response is appropriate. In 
making this determination, USEPA 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;
    (ii) All appropriate Fund-financed response actions under CERCLA 
have been implemented, and no further response action by responsible 
parties is appropriate;
    (iii) The remedial investigation has shown that the release poses 
no significant threat to public health or the environment and, 
therefore, remedial measures are not appropriate.

III. Deletion Procedures

    Upon determination that at least one of the criteria described in 
Sec. 300.425(e) has been met and if the State has concurred with the 
intent to delete EPA may formally begin deletion procedures. This 
Federal Register notice, and a concurrent notice in the local newspaper 
in the vicinity of the site, announces, the initiation of a thirty day 
comment period. The public is asked to comment on USEPA's intention to 
delete the site from the NPL. All critical documents needed to evaluate 
EPA's decision are generally included in the information repository and 
the deletion docket.
    Upon completion of the public comment period, if necessary, the EPA 
Regional Office will prepare a Responsiveness Summary to evaluate and 
address comments that were received. The public is welcome to contact 
the EPA Region V Office to obtain a copy of this responsiveness 
summary, if one is prepared. If USEPA then determines that deletion 
from the NPL is appropriate, a final notice of deletion will be 
published in the Federal Register.

IV. Basis for Intended Site Deletion

    The Boise Cascade/Onan/Medtronics Superfund Site covers 183 acres 
and is located in the City of Fridley in Anoka County in the state of 
Minnesota. From approximately 1921 through 1961, National Pole and 
Treating Company and its affiliate, Minnesota and Ontario Paper Company 
(M&O) operated a wood treating facility at the site. Initial operations 
included the use of creosote treatment of wood for the manufacture of 
railroad ties and utility poles. In approximately 1958, 
pentachlorophenol (PCP), another wood preservative, was also used for 
treating lumber. Wood-treating operations ceased in early 1961. In 
1964, M&O merged with the Boise Cascade Corporation (Boise). Boise sold 
the site in 1967. Subsequently, Medtronics, Inc. acquired 50 acres of 
the Boise Cascade property located to the west and south, and Onan, 
Inc. acquired 133 acres of the site to the north and east.
    In 1979, Onan began excavation for construction purposes and 
encountered large quantities of creosote and PCP saturated soil. 
Similar deposits were subsequently discovered on the Medtronics portion 
of the Site. Wood-treating operations had contaminated soils and 
groundwater with creosote and PCP by spillage, dripping, and wastewater 
disposal.
    The Boise Cascade site was placed on the National Priorities List 
on September 21, 1984, at 49 FR 37066-37090. In conjunction with the 
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), Boise conducted extensive 
soil and groundwater investigations from 1979 through 1982. Because the 
Site's ownership is divided between two different companies, Site 
investigations at the Boise Cascade Site were conducted separately 
within the individual property boundaries.
    On the Onan property the analyses verified that the major 
contaminants of concern were creosote derived polynuclear aromatic 
hydrocarbons (PAHS) and phenolic compounds (phenolics are also derived 
from PCP). The heaviest concentrations of these substances were found 
on two areas where significant aspects of the tie treating process had 
been conducted: (1) The area where the ties were pressure treated in 
the retorts; and (2) the area where the ties were left to cool and dry 
after they were removed from the retorts and before they were loaded 
onto railroad cars for shipment.
    Seven shallow monitoring wells were installed at locations to 
sample surficial groundwater in the coarse Fridley Formation to 
determine the Glacial Drift Stratigraphy in the Site area. Heavy 
concentrations of PAHs were found in the vicinity of the Retort 
building in an area where tanks were removed in mid-1979. A plume of 
PAH compounds was found to extend to the southwest of the Retort area; 
however, the concentrations of PAH compounds decreased by more than two 
orders of magnitude by the time the plume reached the southern boundary 
of the Onan property, which was likely due to the attenuation of the 
PAH compound in the soil system. Phenolics were not present in the 
samples from the shallow groundwater beneath the Onan property at 
concentrations above the detection limits with the one exception of 4-
methylphenol which was detected in the Retort area.
    The Hillside sand aquifer was sampled and found to contain 
insignificant levels of PAHs and no phenolics compounds. An eight inch 
diameter bedrock well, uncovered in 1979 during earth moving 
activities, was investigated. Approximately two feet of creosote sludge 
was discovered at the bottom of the well. All contaminated soil was 
excavated and placed in a vault formed by slurry wall and a cap 
consisting of clean soil and a vegetative cover was constructed over 
the vault.
    The direction of groundwater movement in the surficial groundwater 
system in the upper portion of the Fridley Formation beneath the Onan 
property is southwesterly toward Rice and Norton Creeks. Water and 
sediment samples were collected from two monitoring stations along 
Norton Creek and from three monitoring stations along Rice Creek. PAH 
samples were measured above detection limits in the surface water and 
sediment samples from all sampling stations on Rice and Norton Creeks, 
including stations upstream of the site, therefore it was impossible to 
attribute an impact from the Site to the Creeks.
    At the Medtronic Property the waste water treatment lagoons were 
utilized for disposal of the waste waters generated by operations. The 
waste waters contained quantities of creosote and PCP which 
subsequently contaminated soils and groundwater beneath the primary and 
secondary wastewater treatment lagoons and a trench leading to the 
lagoons. Both the trench and the lagoons were located on the Medtronics 
portion of the site, east of Old Central Avenue. Eight shallow soil 
borings were installed along the waste water trench and around the 
primary and secondary waste water treatment lagoons. High levels of 
PAHs and heterocyclics were found. Additionally, about 5000 gallons of 
free oil were discovered in the vicinity of the primary waste water 
lagoon.
    As with the Site Investigations, remediation at the Boise Cascade 
Site was conducted separately within the individual property 
boundaries. The following remedial actions were implemented at the 
Site:
    A slurry wall containment system was constructed around the former 
retort building. Visually contaminated soil was excavated and placed in 
a vault formed by a slurry wall, and a cap was constructed over the 
vault. The excavated areas were backfilled with clean soil. A subdrain 
system was installed in the former loading area to remove groundwater 
from the coarse Fridley Formation and discharge it into the City of 
Fridley sanitary sewer system. A long-term monitoring of groundwater, 
surface water, and air quality has been ongoing.
    At the Medtronics Property on the basis of the investigations 
above, Boise and Medtronics companies developed a Remedial Action Plan 
(RAP) to excavate and dispose of visibly contaminated soils on the 
Medtronics portion of the site. The following Remedial Actions were 
implemented at the Site:
    All the visibly contaminated soil in the two wastewater lagoons and 
in the trench that was used to convey wastewater from the retort to the 
lagoons were excavated and disposed of in a hazardous waste facility 
that had interim status pursuant to RCRA. Excavated areas were 
backfilled with clean soil. Groundwater that was in contact with and 
directly beneath contaminated soil was collected, treated and disposed 
of into the City of Fridley sanitary sewer system. About 5000 gallons 
of free oil discovered in the vicinity of the primary wastewater lagoon 
was collected and disposed offsite. Long-term monitoring of 
groundwater, surface water, sediments, and air quality has been 
ongoing. A final Close Out Report which documents completion of Site 
construction, was signed on September 30, 1992.
    EPA, with the concurrence of the State of Minnesota, has determined 
that all appropriate Fund-financed responses under CERCLA at the Boise 
Cascade/Onan/Medtronics Site have been completed, and no further 
Superfund response is appropriate in order to provide protection of 
human health and the environment.

    Dated: October 6, 1994.
David A. Ullrich,
Acting Regional Administrator, USEPA, Region V.
[FR Doc. 94-26383 Filed 10-25-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P