NCD980602163_19780822_Warren County PCB Landfill_SERB C_Raleigh Regional memo re Landfill Sites for PCB-OCR

1 RALEIGH REGIONAL OFFICE
August 22, 1978
1:-IBNO~wlT~f
TO: Mr. li. M. Peek
FROM:
SUBJECT:
Mr. Edward L. Berry
Landfill Sites for PCB
On August 18, 1978, Terry Dover, L.A. Register and I went to Chatham and Alamance
Counties to make a preliminary investigation of three solid waste disposal sites to de-
posit soil from recent PCB spills. This is to confirm our telephone conversation of
August 18, 1978, and to present the infort:'Btion to you for your consideration.
1. Site 1 is in northeastern Chatham Cotmty about three and one half north and
west of Farrington -0n the north side of State Road 1721 (See Site 1 dia-
gram). Site 1 is a 22 acre Barrow pit used by the Departraent of Transpor-
tation. It is located on the slope of a hill at an elevation of about 450
feet. Exposed rock is a weathered, medium to coarse grained granite. The
weathered rock is jointed and faulted on exposed faces of thirty to forty
feet of vertical exposure. The arealextent of the pit is about 2 acres be-
ing about 600 feet long and 100 feet to 150 feet wide. 1bere is no apparent
water (Seepage from the pit faces) and the rock material can not be augered
to a depth of more than three feet. Houses with wells are located about 500
feet up slope from the pit and one house was seen about 500 feet down slope
from the pit. The slope is about 6%. The area is thought to have a low
water level (70' below original land surface) at the pit and exposed material
appears to be very permeable except where algae has sealed it. I found the
site unacceptable because the permeable, exposed~ weathered rock would a1low
any PCB leakage direct entrance to the ground water of the State.
2. Site 2 is in south central Alamance Cotmty about three miles east of Snow
Car:;p, north of State Road 2348 (See site 2 diagram). Site 2 is a 120 acre
mountain belonging to the National Guard. It is a ridge running east and
west with a peak elevation of a little over 700 feet. Rock is exposed near-
ly everywhere at the surface and is predominantly massive and bedded meta-
volcanics. A few small quai.tzite cables were seen. The thin soil zone, where
present, is a silty clay. Much of the rock appears rippable but it is doubt-
ful that the area can be augered to a depth of more tha.."1 about two feet. The
nearest domestic water well is over 400 feet west of southwestern property
line. At the surface rock does not appear to be very permeable and the water
level near the crest of the ridge is thought to be over 50 feet below the sur-
face. To the north and south of the ridge, slopes are calculated to be about
50% and slope to the west is about 10% to 20%. The site has hardwoods grow-
ing on it and one or two acres is apparently used as a trash dump. I found
the site tmacceptable because rock at the surface and steep slopes. It
would also be impractical because extensive clearing would be necessary and
a road would be needed to make the area accessable.
3. Site 3 is about four miles north by northeast of Snow Camp in the Can Creek
~.ountains on the west side of State Road 2348 (See site 3 diagram). Site 3
is a 60 acre site owned by the University of North Carolina for a television
tower. The land is high and rocky. The base of the tower is at an elevation
of a little over 900 feet. Granite and quartz outcrop over most of the pro-
perty. To the east, there are metavolcanic rocks (See diagram for Site 3).
Much of the quartz appears to be quartzite. The slope to the west is about
6% but to the north and south the slopes rtm about 15% to 20%. Slopes are
fairly steep to the east towards State Road 2328. The granite soils are
very thin, sandy and permeable. The quartz area is permeable rock but the
metavolcanic soils are deeper and appear to be a silty clay. The granite
and quartz area cannot be augered beyond a depth of about 5 feet, but meta-
volcanic soils can probably be augered to depths of 20 or 30 feet. I found
this area unacceptable because rock outcrops and permeable soils would allow
any PCB leakage immediate movement to the water table except in the metavol-
canic area which is very close to houses. Also this site is ajacent to a
YMCA Camp area.
cc: Terry Dover
L. A. Register
John Chaplen
Lee Laymon
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PC 8 Pl T -SI TE TI
PROJECT NO. -4.5401101
COUNTY -WAKE
DATE -8-23-78
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N. C. D-..;:::>A.RJ!,:il~ '.F TIIJ.JJSPORTATION
Divi sion of H:;,gh•,-;ays
:?CB PIT BORil;G Iffi
G-5
1-78
?2.0JECT __ _;!;,;;;..: ._5,;.;h .. n..._1 .... , ..... o .... 1~ ____ COu?ITY __ ;~,rp,~,~~---------DATE
~OUTE RES. E JGINt.c .. R ___________ PIT NO. Site II
~UIP. USED ----'2~1~6_-_o_o_0_2 ________ I NVESTIGA'l'ED BY J .3o 3ritt
PROPERTY O:'i:NER
~ f5 DE??tIS ;j~ REMARKS: i.e. groundwater data H P'.:l p... P'.:l DESCRIPTION OF M.t1.TERIAL moisture content, etc. ~~ ~~ @~ FRCN TO
1 o.o 8.o 1-1'. Ye llow Ver y ?•lie a . Sa ndy Clay Eois t ,.-:. 5o0 \::o
1 8.o 17.5 1-B .Re d-3rown -,• .rine So.ndy Silt ',-le t r'.;\ '--10.0
Ground·,;a t er: 15 .2 ,,. 0 Hr. I.;
8.o ,-~ 24 Hrs . "'
2 0.0 4.o 2 ,, Yello· .. 1 Very '!. Sa n dy Clay -r1. ,1_;_2.c a .
2 4.o 1 2 .5 2-B ~ed-Brown ·ver:f ?-:ica .-Fine San dy J',:oi s t Q 3.0
Silt ·.-te t ~ 8.o ~
! Groun d;-;a t er: 11.0 0 0 Hr .
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