[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 88 (Thursday, May 7, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 25169-25170]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-11879]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 300

[FRL-6009-2]


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

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of deletion of the Pomona Oaks Residential Wells site 
and the Vineland State School site from the National Priorities List.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region II announces 
the deletion of the Pomona Oaks Well Contamination Site in Pomona, New 
Jersey and the Vineland State School Site in Vineland, New Jersey from 
the National Priorities List (NPL).
    The NPL is Appendix B of 40 CFR part 300 which is the National Oil 
and Hazardous Substances Contingency Plan (NCP), which EPA promulgated 
pursuant to section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) as amended. EPA and the 
State of New Jersey have determined that the sites pose no significant 
threat to public health or the environment and, therefore, no remedial 
measures pursuant to CERCLA are appropriate.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 7, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Westgate, Remedial Project 
Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region II, 290 Broadway, 
19th floor, New York, N.Y. 10007-1866, (212) 637-4422.

ADDRESSES: Comprehensive information about the Pomona Oaks Site is 
available for viewing at the Administrative Record Repository located 
at Galloway Township Municipal Building, 300 East Jimmie Leeds Road, 
Absecon, New Jersey 08201, Attn: Mr. Andrew Katz, Township Manager.
    Comprehensive information about the Vineland State School 
(Developmental Center) Site is available for viewing at the 
Administrative Record Repository located at Vineland City Library, 1058 
East Landis Ave., Vineland, New Jersey 08360, Attn: Mr. Anthony 
Agnesino, Reference Director.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The sites to be deleted from the NPL are: 
Pomona Oaks Well Contamination, Pomona, New Jersey and the Vineland 
State School (Developmental Center), Vineland, New Jersey.
    A Notice of Intent to Delete was published on July 15, 1996 (61 FR 
36858). The closing date for comments on the Notice of Intent to Delete 
was August 14, 1996. There were no comments received for the Vineland 
State School Site; therefore, no responsiveness summary was prepared. 
EPA received two letters from residents of the Pomona Oaks subdivision. 
Both of the residents asked that EPA reconsider the deletion of the 
Pomona Oaks Site based on their belief that the source of the 
groundwater contamination has not been cleaned up and the once 
suspected underground gas tanks are still in the ground. They also 
inquired about additional testing of groundwater. EPA never positively 
identified the source of the groundwater contamination when the 
problems were discovered in 1982. Comprehensive sampling conducted as 
part of the Remedial Investigation in 1988 and afterwards demonstrated 
that the contamination was due to a singular event and had dispersed 
over time through natural attenuation and/or biodegradation. EPA 
concluded there was no ongoing source of contamination in the 
subdivision based on sampling conducted in 1990 and 1992.
    The commentors expressed concerns about the health effects from the 
exposure to chemicals in their drinking water. EPA, the Agency for 
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) as well as the state and 
local health departments were involved in assessing the health effects 
due to exposure to benzene in 1982. No acute effects were noted during 
the 1982 to 1985 period and no long-term health effects have been 
reported.
    Finally, the residents asked that the site remain under 
investigation. Long-term groundwater monitoring was included as part of 
the No Action Record of Decision.
    EPA provided detailed responses to these comments in a 
Responsiveness Summary, which is contained in the Deletion Docket. The 
Responsiveness Summary and entries in the Deletion

[[Page 25170]]

Docket may be reviewed at the EPA Region II office at 290 Broadway, New 
York, N.Y. or at the information repositories listed above.
    The EPA identifies sites that appear to present a significant risk 
to public health, welfare or the environment and it maintains the NPL 
as the list of those sites. Sites on the NPL may be the subject of 
Hazardous Substance Response Trust Fund financed remedial actions. 
Section 300.425(e)(3) of the NCP states that Fund-financed actions may 
be taken at sites in the unlikely event that conditions at the site 
warrant such action. Deletion of a site from the NPL does not affect 
responsible party liability or impede agency efforts to recover costs 
associated with response efforts.

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 300

    Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Chemicals, 
Hazardous waste, Hazardous substances, Intergovernmental relations, 
Penalties, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Superfund, Water 
pollution control, and Water supply.

    Dated: April 20, 1998.
Jeanne Fox,
Regional Administrator, Region II.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, 40 CFR part 300 is amended 
as follows:

PART 300 [AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for part 300 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1321(c)(2); 42 U.S.C. 9601-9657; E.O. 
12777, 56 FR 54757, 3 CFR 1991 Comp., p 351; E.O. 12580; 52 FR 
02923; 3 CFR, 1987 Comp., p 193.

Table 1 to Appendix B [Amended]

    2. Table 1 of appendix B to part 300 is amended by removing the 
sites Pomona Oaks Residential Wells, Galloway Township, New Jersey and 
Vineland State School, Vineland, New Jersey.

[FR Doc. 98-11879 Filed 5-6-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P