SAN FRANCISCO — The U.S. Environmental Protection is ordering a $60 million clean-up of rocket fuel-polluted groundwater at the Aerojet Superfund Site in Sacramento County, Calif., the latest phase of a long-term decontamination project at the site. The extent of toxic pollution at the site makes it one of the largest and most comprehensive Superfund groundwater cleanups in California.
A 27-square mile swath of groundwater underneath and around the former aerospace facility is polluted with several compounds, including very high levels of perchlorate — a main component of rocket fuel — and a known developmental toxin. Aerojet, under the direction of the EPA, will contain the underground plume to prevent it from spreading into nearby rivers and streams. Future plans will also treat groundwater within the site’s boundaries.

This site is one of many former aerospace facilities that requires site investigation, cleanup, and various other compliance-related focus.

Form more information, see the EPA website: www.epa.gov/region09/Aerojet

Here is a link to the press release from the EPA website.

The full text of the press release:

U.S. EPA fines Van Nuys metal plater $100,000 for hazardous waste violations
For Immediate Release: June 29, 2011, Contact: Francisco Arcaute, (213) 244-1815, Cell (213) 798-1404, arcaute.francisco@epa.gov

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fined TMW Corporation, 14660 Arminta Street, Van Nuys, $100,000, for violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
The violations were discovered at the company’s facility, Crown Chrome Plating, a Division of TMW Corporation, during an inspection conducted by EPA in April 2009. The facility, which does metal plating primarily for the aerospace industry, is located in a light industrial zone of Van Nuys, a San Fernando Valley community of approximately 136,000 residents.
“The toxic wastes and sludges at the Crown Chrome facility have the potential to pose a danger to employees, the surrounding community and the environment,” said Jared Blumenfeld, the EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “EPA is committed to enforcing the federal laws that require all companies to properly store and handle their hazardous wastes.”
TMW Corporation generated multiple hazardous wastes including, paint wastes, alkaline and acidic corrosive liquids, and sludges containing heavy metals such as chromium and lead. These hazardous wastes, and the waste handling violations associated with them, are typical of those produced by metal plating shops, which are often the target of EPA enforcement actions.
The federal hazardous waste regulations require companies to properly manage hazardous waste to prevent harm to human health and the environment. EPA discovered the following violations at TMW Corporation’s facility:
• Storage of hazardous waste for over 90 days without a permit
• Failure to conduct required inspections
• Failure to train personnel or maintain training records
• Failure to maintain required emergency communications equipment
• Failure to make a hazardous waste determination
As a result of this enforcement action, TMW Corporation has returned to compliance with federal law and will pay a fine of $100,000.
EPA’s hazardous waste rules require facilities to properly store, label and close hazardous waste containers. Facilities must also have properly trained staff, as improperly stored hazardous waste can spill and pose a risk to workers and the environment.

Federal, state and local regulatory agencies have formed a Los Angeles Enforcement Collaborative to focus resources over a multi-year effort to ensure that businesses and industries in this area are complying with environmental laws. U.S. EPA is joining forces with several state and local agencies under this collaborative including Cal/EPA, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the California Air Resources Board as well as local non-profit organizations to improve environmental and public health conditions in Los Angeles communities.

My personal opinion, aside from the fact that I do some work that is paid out of RDAs, is that the redevelopment agencies have done a tremendous amount of good for the various cities and local agencies that utilize them throughout the state. Numerous blighted properties have been taken over, cleaned up, and returned to beneficial use. These uses include community benefits such as parks and public spaces, and as tax revenue generating commercial properties. This is still my opinion, but this is a major mistake and will lead to unchecked blight in neighborhoods and will slow the economic recovery even further.

Here is a video of the drilling in progress:

The EPA guidance documents can be found here:

EPA on Cr-6

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
information on Cr-6 can be found here:

CDPH on Cr-6

Generally speaking, the new EPA Method 200.8 is capable of reporting total Cr concentrations as low as 0.2 µg/L and Cr-6 concentrations as low as 0.02 µg/L.

It should be noted that these concentrations are simply the lower limit of what the laboratory equipment and procedures can reliably report. These are not the limits at which the water purveyors would need to report to their customers (Known as “Notification Level”), or the concentrations at which remediation needs to be performed (Known as “Maximum Contaminant Levels”). There currently is no Notification Level in California for Cr-6 and the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) is currently set at 50 µg/L in California and 100 µg/L nationally.

The California Office of Environmental Health and Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has published a draft Public Health Goal (PHG) for Cr-6 of 0.06 µg/L and the public comment period closed earlier this month (February 15, 2011). I would expect the PHG to be heavily contested because this concentration is arguably lower than naturally occurring or “Background” concentrations in many areas.

Perhaps most interestingly, 1,4-dioxane, 1,2,3-TCP, NDMA, and Nitrosamines now have notification limits, but do not have MCLs. These notification limits really only pertain to potable water suppliers, but the same values are likely to be the MCLs in the upcoming years.

This is worth keeping an eye on.

More excitement to come in the new year!

Ethylbenzene:
Residential Soil Gas on engineered fill – 1.1 µg/L
Residential Soil Gas on base soil – 0.42 µg/L
Industrial Soil Gas on engineered fill – 3.6 µg/L
Industrial Soil Gas on base soil – 1.4 µg/L

Perchlorate:
Residential Soil – 28 mg/Kg
Industrial Soil – 350 mg/Kg

There has been a significant amount of discussion regarding regulatory limits of perchlorate in drinking water. Now that there is an adopted standard for perchlorate in soil, I would expect a standard for drinking water and groundwater to follow shortly.

More updates to follow.

The DTSC will receive $1 million of the grant and the City of Sacramento will receive $400,000 for redevelopment of blighted commercial property within the city.