[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 164 (Friday, August 23, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 54602-54605]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-21553]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 300

[FRL-7266-7]


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

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of intent to delete Gould Site from the National 
Priorities List.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 10, 
announces its intent to delete the Gould Site (Site) from the National 
Priorities List (NPL) and requests public comment on this proposed 
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 (CERCLA) of 
1980, as amended. EPA and the State of Oregon Department of 
Environmental Quality (DEQ) have determined that the remedial action 
for the site has been successfully executed.

DATES: Comments concerning the proposed deletion of this Site from the 
NPL may be submitted on or before September 23, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to: Beverly Gaines, EPA Point of 
Contact, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10, 1200 Sixth 
Avenue, Mail Stop, ECL-110, Seattle, Washington 98101.
    Comprehensive information and the deletion docket for this Site are 
available through the Region 10 public docket which is available for 
reviewing at: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10, 1200 
Sixth Avenue, Superfund Records Center, Seattle, Washington 98101.
    Information on the site and a copy of the deletion docket are also 
available for viewing at the Information Repository which is located 
at: Multnomah County Library, 801 SW 10th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 
97204.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beverly Gaines, EPA Point of Contact, 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10, 1200 Sixth Avenue, 
Mail Stop, ECL-110, Seattle, Washington 98101, phone: (206) 553-1066, 
fax: (206) 553-0124, e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

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

I. Introduction

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 10 announces 
its intent to delete the Gould Site, which is located in the City of 
Portland, Oregon, from the National Priorities List (NPL) and requests 
public comment on this proposed 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 (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended. EPA identifies sites 
that appear to present a significant risk to public health, welfare, or 
the environment and maintains the NPL as the list of these sites. EPA 
and the State of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)have 
determined that the remedial action for the site has been successfully 
executed.
    EPA will accept comments on the proposal to delete this site for 
thirty (30) days after publication of this document in the Federal 
Register.
    Section II of this document explains the criteria for deleting 
sites from the NPL. Section III discusses the procedures EPA is using 
for this action. Section IV discusses the Gould Site and explains how 
the site meets the deletion criteria.

II. NPL Deletion Criteria

    Section 300.425(e) of the NCP provides that sites may be deleted 
from, or recategorized on the NPL, where no further response is 
appropriate. In making a determination to delete a site from the NPL, 
EPA shall consider, in consultation with the State, whether any of the 
following criteria have been met:
    (i) Responsible parties or other parties have implemented all 
appropriate response actions required; or
    (ii) All appropriate Fund-financed responses under CERCLA have been 
implemented, and no further action by responsible parties is 
appropriate, or
    (iii) The Remedial Investigation has shown that the site poses no 
significant threat to public health or the environment and, therefore, 
remedial measures are not appropriate.

Even if a site is deleted from the NPL, where hazardous substances, 
pollutants or contaminants remain at the site above levels that allow 
for unlimited use and unrestricted exposure, a subsequent review of the 
site will be conducted at least every five years after the initiation 
of the remedial action at the site to ensure that the site remains 
protective of public health and the environment. If new information 
becomes available which indicates a need for further action, EPA may 
initiate additional remedial actions. Whenever there is a significant 
release from a deleted site from the NPL, the site may be restored to 
the NPL without application of the Hazard Ranking System.
    In the case of this site, the selected remedy is protective of 
human health and the environment; however, the remedy will leave waste 
on site above levels that allow for unlimited use and unrestricted 
exposure. A review of the selected remedy will occur at least every 
five years from initiation of the remedial action. The next five-year 
review will be done before September 28, 2002.

III. Deletion Procedures

    The following procedures were used for the intended deletion of 
this site: (1) All appropriate response under CERCLA has been 
implemented and no further action by EPA is appropriate; (2) the State 
of Oregon has concurred with the proposed deletion decision; (3) a 
notice has been published in the local newspapers and has been 
distributed to appropriate federal, state, and local officials and 
other interested parties announcing the commencement of a 30-day public 
comment period on EPA's Notice of Intent to Delete; and (4) all 
relevant documents have been made available in the local site 
information repositories.
    Deletion of the site from the NPL does not in itself, create, alter 
or revoke any individual's rights or obligations. The NPL is designed 
primarily for informational purposes and to assist Agency management. 
As mentioned in section II of this notice, Sec. 300.425(e)(3) of the 
NCP states that the

[[Page 54603]]

deletion of a site from the NPL does not preclude eligibility for 
future response actions.
    For deletion of this site, EPA's Regional Office will accept and 
evaluate public comments on EPA's Notice of Intent to Delete before 
making a final decision to delete. If necessary, the Agency will 
prepare a Responsiveness Summary to address any significant public 
comments received.
    A deletion occurs when the Regional Administrator places a final 
notice in the Federal Register. Generally, the NPL will reflect 
deletions in the final update following the notice. Public notices and 
copies of the Responsiveness Summary will be made available to local 
residents by the Regional Office.

IV. Basis for Intended Site Deletion

    The following site summary provides the Agency's rationale for the 
proposal to delete this Site from the NPL.

Site Background and History

    The Gould Site is located in the City of Portland, Oregon between 
NW Saint Helen's Road and NW Front Avenue in a heavily industrialized 
area northwest of downtown Portland known as the Doane lake area. The 
Site includes a 9.2 acre property currently owned by Gould Inc. that 
was the location of the former secondary lead smelter and battery 
recycle facility. Areas outside the property boundary is where battery 
casings and other residues from operations on the Gould property were 
placed.
    A secondary lead smelting operation began at the Gould Site in 1949 
under the ownership of Morris P. Kirk and Sons, a subsidiary of NL 
Industries, Inc. (NL). Facility operations included lead-acid battery 
recycling, lead smelting and refining, and lead oxide production. Gould 
purchased the property in 1979 and closed the facility in 1981. During 
facility operations, discarded battery casing materials and other lead 
smelter wastes were used as fill on the Gould Site and an adjacent 
property. Acid from batteries was drained to Doane Lake during several 
years of operation.
    The Gould Site is adjacent to the former location of the Rhone-
Poulenc Ag Company (Rhone-Poulenc) facility. Rhone-Poulenc is 
conducting an investigation under DEQ oversight and State authority of 
on-site and off-site contamination associated with their former 
pesticide and herbicide manufacturing facility.
    The Gould Site is approximately one thousand feet southwest of the 
Willamette River. The Lower Willamette River, known as the Portland 
Harbor area, was recently added to the NPL because of sediment 
contamination. A remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS) 
of the Lower Willamette River is being conducted by a group of 
Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) under a Consent Order signed by 
EPA and the PRPs in September 2001.
    In 1981 and 1982, a joint investigation of contamination at the 
Gould Site was conducted by EPA and Oregon Department of Environmental 
Quality). EPA included the site on the NPL in 1983 because of 
documented lead contamination. In 1985 NL and Gould signed a Consent 
Order with EPA under which the two companies conducted an RI/FS. The 
RI/FS was completed in February 1988. The RI/FS showed there were high 
levels of lead contamination in battery casings and other smelter 
waste, soil, debris and in East Doane Lake sediments at the Site.

Selected Remedy

Soil Operable Unit
    In March 1988, EPA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Soils 
Operable Unit. The selected remedy included excavating and treating 
battery casings, recovering lead for recycle, excavation of 
contaminated soil and East Doane Lake sediments followed by 
stabilization of material that exceeds Resource Conservation and 
Recovery Act (RCRA) characteristic hazardous waste levels, monitoring 
air, groundwater, and surface water quality. The 1988 ROD also included 
additional study of groundwater to determine whether action was needed 
because there was insufficient hydrogeologic information available to 
make a decision on the groundwater.
    The selected remedy was expected to control the migration of 
contaminants from the Site by minimizing releases to the air and 
groundwater. Surface soil cleanup levels for lead of 1000 mg/kg were 
selected to be protective of human industrial exposures, including 
direct contact, inhalation, and ingestion. The intent was to recycle 
materials that could potentially be recycled (lead and casing 
materials).
    Excavation and treatment of contaminated surface soils, battery 
casing piles, buried battery casings, matte (smelter waste), and other 
debris began in the summer of 1993. Excavated battery casings were 
processed through a treatment plant to separate materials (lead fines, 
metallic lead, clean plastic, and clean ebonite) for recycle. 
Contaminated soil and matte were stabilized to bind contaminants for 
backfilling on Site.
    An estimated 24,000 tons of contaminated battery casings were 
treated through the treatment/separation process, with 244 tons of 
plastic and 88 tons of coarse lead recycled. An estimated 20,000 blocks 
(each measuring one cubic yard) of stabilized material was produced. 
Several hundred tons of contaminated debris were shipped off site for 
disposal. Approximately 15,000 cubic yards of contaminated material 
were stockpiled on Site.
    The treatment/recycle process was suspended in 1994 because of 
operational problems, inconsistent results, and significantly increased 
costs. EPA subsequently determined that the selected remedy was no 
longer appropriate based on operating experience and conditions at the 
Site.
    In June 1997, EPA issued a ROD Amendment for the Soils Operable 
Unit that changed the cleanup remedy previously selected at the Site. 
The modified selected remedy included the following:

--Excavation and dewatering of contaminated East Doane Lake remnant 
(EDLR) sediments followed by backfilling the EDLR with clean imported 
backfill;
--Excavation of the remaining battery casings on the Gould property;
--Treatment (stabilization or fixation) of the lead fines stockpile, 
the screened Gould excavation stockpile, and other lead contaminated 
material identified as principal threat waste;
--Construction of a lined and capped on-site containment facility 
(OCF), with leachate collection and treatment, on the Gould property;
--Consolidating contaminated material, including sediments, treated and 
untreated stockpiled materials, casings, soil and debris in the line 
and capped OCF;
--Filling the East Doane Lake remnant and the open excavation in the 
Lake Area of the Rhone-Poulenc property;
--Performing groundwater monitoring to ensure the effectiveness of the 
cleanup, and that contaminants were not mobilized during its 
implementation.

Response Actions

    The 1997 ROD Amendment also required mitigation/restoration to 
compensate for the loss of the estimated 3.1 acres of EDLR open water 
habitat. The ROD Amendment retained the surface soil cleanup level for 
lead at 1,000 mg/kg (the cleanup level selected in the 1988 ROD). Lead 
contamination was the principal threat addressed in the ROD and the 
primary contaminant of concern addressed in the 1997 ROD Amendment. The 
ROD Amendment modified the contaminated subsurface

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material that would be excavated as part of the remedial action. 
Instead of requiring all subsurface material contaminated above RCRA 
characteristic waste levels to be excavated, it allowed some subsurface 
materials in excess of those levels to remain in place based on types 
of materials, location and updated information about groundwater 
contamination.
    In the 1997 ROD Amendment, EPA determined that results of previous 
groundwater monitoring had not confirmed lead contamination in area 
groundwater. Data collected in 1995 and 1996 indicated that lead 
contamination was not widespread or significant in groundwater near the 
site. The ROD Amendment further concluded that although it did not 
appear there was a need for treatment of groundwater for lead, 
monitoring would be continued to further evaluate site conditions, and 
provide a basis for future cleanup or no action decisions for 
groundwater.
    DEQ issued a Removal Action Decision Memorandum under State law in 
May 1998 that evaluated removal alternatives for organic contamination 
in portions of the East Doane lake remnant that could be performed in 
conjunction with the sediment removal action described in EPA's ROD 
Amendment for the Gould Site. DEQ's evaluation was based on additional 
sampling in the East Doane Lake remnant which indicated that sediments 
were also contaminated with organic chemicals that appeared to be 
related to past waste management practices at the Rhone-Poulenc Ag 
Company (Rhone-Poulenc) facility that was located adjacent to the Gould 
property. DEQ determined that removal of additional sediments in 
portions of East Doane Lake was warranted to address organic 
contamination and that the removal should occur in conjunction with 
sediment removal under the Gould Site remedial action. Rhone-Poulenc 
did not agree to perform the removal action and DEQ funded the removal 
of additional contaminated sediments.
    Nine Gould Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) signed a Consent 
Decree with EPA that was lodged in U.S. District Court in Portland, 
Oregon in March, 1998. The PRPs began work in the summer of 1998 with 
the excavation, dewatering, and stockpiling of contaminated sediments 
from EDLR. Construction of the on-site containment facility, excavation 
and treatment of other contaminated materials, placement of the waste 
in the containment facility, and other cleanup actions required by the 
ROD Amendment have been completed as described below:

--East Doane lake contaminated sediments: Dredging, mechanical 
dewatering and stockpiling an estimated 8,700 cubic yards of 
contaminated EDLR sediment (including sediment removed as part of the 
DEQ removal action) and debris was completed in November of 1999. In 
addition, 55 compressed gas cylinders that were buried in the east 
portion of EDLR sediments were recovered, overpacked, and transported 
to an off-site facility for treatment and disposal.
--Gould property battery casings--An estimated 3590 cubic yards of 
battery casings and other waste material were excavated from the south 
shoreline of EDLR.
--Treatment of principle threat/stockpiled material--An estimated 7850 
cubic yards of stockpiled material, including the lead fines stockpile, 
were treated by fixation to pass RCRA characteristic waste levels.
--On-site containment facility--Construction of the 4.5 acre 
containment facility on the Gould property is complete. The OCF 
includes a double bottom liner, leachate collection and treatment, and 
a multi-media cap. The leachate collection and treatment system are 
operational. Leachate is pre-treated for metals prior to transport to 
the Rhone-Poulenc wastewater treatment facility for additional 
treatment prior to discharge to the Willamette River in accordance with 
Rhone-Poulenc's NPDES permit.
--Consolidating contaminant material in the OCF--An estimated 77,700 
cubic yards of contaminated material have been placed in the OCF. The 
OCF was capped with a multimedia cap following materials placement. The 
final topsoil covering and seeding were completed in August 2000.
--East Doane Lake remnant and the open excavation in the Lake Area of 
the Rhone-Poulenc property--backfilling the East Doane Lake remnant and 
the open excavation in the Lake Area of Rhone-Poulenc with clean 
material was completed in 1998 following excavation of the contaminated 
sediments.
--Groundwater monitoring--groundwater monitoring was carried out during 
remedial action to ensure the effectiveness of the cleanup and that 
contaminants were not mobilized during its implementation; and to 
gather additional information for the groundwater evaluation. Long-term 
groundwater monitoring will continue as part of the remedial action 
requirements for the Soils Operable Unit and the operation and 
maintenance plan for the OCF.

    Other cleanup activities performed as part of the remedial action 
included demolition of on-site structures, asbestos abatement and 
polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) light ballast removal and disposal, and 
excavation of surface soils contaminated above the 1,000 ppm lead 
cleanup level established by the ROD Amendment. Extensive air 
monitoring of lead and particulate levels was conducted to ensure that 
fugitive dust from construction activities were adequately controlled. 
Perimeter security fencing was installed to restrict access to the OCF.
    EPA has approved a wetlands mitigation plan which provides funding 
and requires acquisition of an off-site property as mitigation for the 
loss of East Doane lake wetland and open-water habitat. EPA will 
approve the specific property in consultation with U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service prior to acquisition.
Groundwater Operable Unit ROD
    EPA released a proposed plan that described the agency's preferred 
alternative of no further action for the Gould Site Groundwater 
Operable Unit on August 10, 2000. No comments were received during the 
30-day public comment period.
    EPA issued a ``No Action'' ROD for the Groundwater Operable Unit on 
September 28, 2000. The ROD concluded that cleanup of the Gould Site 
Soils Operable Unit has addressed lead-contaminated waste, soil, 
debris, and other potential sources of groundwater contamination from 
the Gould site operations. Groundwater investigations and monitoring 
have not shown a need for additional cleanup of Gould site contaminants 
in groundwater. Long-term groundwater monitoring will continue as 
required by the ROD Amendment for the Soils Operable Unit.

Cleanup Standards

    The remedial action cleanup activities at the Gould Site are 
consistent with the objectives of the NCP and will provide protection 
to human health and the environment. The major sources of 
contamination, including battery casings, smelter waste, and lead-
contaminated waste, soil, and debris have been addressed.
    Air monitoring for dust and lead was performed during remedial 
construction and non-construction activities. The action levels for the 
Site ranged from 0.5 to 1.5 ug/cubic meter with specific

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corrective actions required at each level. Results for individual 
sampling events ranged from non-detect to 3.5 ug/cubic meter. Average 
quarterly lead concentrations for the Site did not exceed Federal and 
State of Oregon standard for lead (1.5 ug/cubic meter).
    Groundwater samples were collected during six sampling events 
during construction activities from on-site and off-site wells. Sample 
results indicated that there were no exceedences of the 15 micrograms/
liter action level for lead established under the Safe Drinking Water 
Act.
    Surface soil (0 to 1ft depth) sampling was performed at the Site to 
identify soils exceeding 1,000 mg/kg total lead and confirm removal. 
Surface soils that required removal outside the footprint of the OCF 
were located in the lake area of the Rhone-Poulenc property and the 
eastern and southern portions of the Gould property. Surface soil 
inside the footprint of the OCF was also removed as part of the site 
preparation for the OCF. Contaminated surface soils from these areas 
were excavated and disposed of in the OCF. Confirmatory sampling was 
performed and sample analysis was conducted for areas outside the OCF 
footprint in accordance with the Quality Assurance Project Plan results 
were reviewed and approved by EPA representatives prior to backfilling 
with imported non-contaminated soil.
    East Doane lake was divided into sampling quadrants and dredging 
depths were predetermined based on sample results. Post-dredging 
sampling was also conducted to evaluate whether dredging achieved the 
criteria of EP Toxicity for lead. Total lead levels were also collected 
for comparison purposes. Re-dredging of sediment in quadrants that did 
not meet the criteria was conducted until the sample results within the 
quadrant indicated the criteria was met and/or EPA approved backfilling 
the sample quadrant based on sample results in the quadrant and 
consideration of the practical limits of dredging. The East Doane lake 
remnant was then backfilled in accordance with the ROD and contract 
documents.
    Two stockpiles of waste material were designated as principle 
threat waste, the lead fines stockpile and the screened excavation 
stockpile. This waste was treated by stabilization to achieve a RCRA 
waste characteristic level of less than 5 mg/l of lead. Quality control 
confirmatory samples were collected to verify that the results met the 
performance standard.

Operation and Maintenance

    Operation and maintenance activities began in January 2000 in 
accordance with the Final Remedial Design Report and Draft Operation 
and Maintenance Plan. The Final Operation and Maintenance Plan was 
completed November 6, 2001. It addresses activities, responsibilities 
and schedules for the following site components: OCF cover condition 
and stability, erosion and sedimentation controls, access roads, 
security fencing, storm water systems, leachate collection and removal, 
and groundwater monitoring. The plan also addresses monitoring and 
inspection frequency and responsibilities. Site inspections, 
maintenance and monitoring have been performed and will continue to be 
performed in accordance with the Operation and Maintenance Plan. EPA 
approved the Final Operation and Maintenance Plan on May 15, 2002.

Institutional Controls

    Future use of the property is limited to industrial or other uses 
compatible with the cleanup under the terms of the Environmental 
Protection Restrictive Covenant and Easements that were granted by 
property owners to meet the requirements of the Consent Decree. EPA 
will evaluate the institutional controls at least every five years as 
part the five-year reviews that will be conducted at the Site.

Five-Year Review

    Hazardous substances will remain at the Site above levels that 
allow unlimited use and unrestricted exposure after the completion of 
the remedial action. Pursuant to CERCLA Section 121(c) and provided in 
the current guidance on Five-Year Reviews, EPA must conduct a statutory 
five-year review to ensure that the remedy continues to provide 
adequate protection of human health and the environment. EPA conducted 
the first five-year review of the Gould Site on September 28, 1997, and 
the next five-year review is scheduled to be completed by September 28, 
2002.

Community Involvement

    EPA provided routine progress fact sheets to keep the public 
advised of site cleanup activities. There was not a great deal of 
interest in the excavation of waste materials and construction of the 
On-site Containment Facility (OCF) from the general public, but workers 
at an adjacent Metro waste transfer facility did raise concerns about 
the potential for off-site migration of lead-contaminated dust. 
Arrangements were made to provide air monitoring results directly to 
representatives from the transfer facility to keep workers advised and 
provide assurances that lead levels were being adequately controlled.

Applicable Deletion Criteria

    One of the three criteria for deletion specifies that EPA may 
delete a site from the NPL if ``responsible parties have implemented 
all appropriate response actions required.'' EPA, with the concurrence 
of the State of Oregon, believe that this criterion for deletion has 
been met. There is no significant threat to human health or the 
environment and, therefore; no further remedial action is necessary. 
Subsequently, EPA is proposing deletion of this site from the NPL. 
Documents supporting this action are available in the deletion docket 
at the information repositories.

State Concurrence

    In a letter dated August 8, 2002, from the Oregon Department of 
Environmental Quality (DEQ), DEQ concurs with the proposed deletion of 
the Gould Superfund Site from the NPL.

    Dated: August 15, 2002.
Ronald A. Kreizenbeck,
Acting Regional Administrator, U.S. EPA, Region 10.
[FR Doc. 02-21553 Filed 8-22-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P