NCD980602163_19971104_Warren County PCB Landfill_SERB C_Letter from Mike Kelly to Rep. R.L. Eddins-OCR

State of North Carolina
Department of Environment,
Health and Natural Resources
Division of Waste Management
James B. Hunt, Jr., Governor
Wayne McDevitt, Secretary
William L. Meyer, Director
MEMORANDUM
November 4, 1997
TO:
FROM:
REPRESENTATIVE R.L. EDDINS ~
MICHAEL A. KELLY, DEPUTY DIRECTO
Division of Waste Management
SUBJECT: WARREN COUNTY PCB LANDFILL
In 1995 one million dollars was appropriated for use in studying the potential
detoxification of the PCB landfill in Warren County. A copy of the budget for this money is
attached, and as of today we estimate that approximately $15,000 remains .
.. One of the first things done with the money was to hire two Science Advisors to provide
technical support to the Warren County Working Group (note the statement from Henry
Lancaster, attached, for history notes on the process). The individuals selected were Dr. Joel
Hirschhorn, Wheaton, MD, and Mr. Patrick Barnes, P.G., from Orlando, FL. These two
individuals have provided a variety of reports and recommendations to the Working Group, as
well as oversee the Site Investigation Work and Phase I (and currently Phase 11) detoxification
work.
In February of this year, we mobilized on site to begin intensive work in three areas:
1) Monitoring wells: we installed 18 new monitoring wells around the landfill, nearby woods and
three "off-site" background wells. Previously, only 4 wells were located on site. The new wells
provided additional sites for us to sample, monitor and use for determining groundwater
conditions (flow, direction, levels, etc.).
2) Bore-holes/extraction wells: two Bore-holes were placed in the landfill to extract soil that
could be shipped off to companies selected to do a pilot detoxification study and provide results
to us on the feasibility of detoxification. The holes were replaced by extraction wells which may
be used in the future to extract water out of the landfill.
3) Sampling/ analysis:· using various sampling teams from the division, with oversight by the
Science Advisors, we took over 100 samples from the monitoring wells, landfill, soil surfaces,
sediment and streams around the area. These samples were analyzed for a variety of
P.O. Box 29603, Raleigh, North Carolina 27611-9603 Telephone [phone]
An Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer 50% Recycled / 10% Post-Consumer Paper
Representative R.L. Eddins
Page 2
substances, to include PCB and dioxin. This extensive sampling event was to provide an overall
site picture of the conditions around the landfill and to help determine if contaminants from the
landfill had escaped into the environment.
I am supplying a copy of the draft Site Investigation Report (SIR) and conclusions drawn
by the Science Advisors. In the back of the notebook are comments from the Division of Waste
Management regarding the report. The division disagrees with many of their conclusions. It
seems that many of the conclusions drawn by the Science Advisors use portions of information
from the Site Investigation while totally ignoring other pieces. They responded to our notes with
various comments which are also included in the last section of the SIR.
ETG Environmental and ECO LOGIC, were chosen as the two companies to be awarded
a contract for Phase I pilot scale demonstration of their treatment technologies on soils from the
landfill. The purpose of the Phase I was to provide real test data on actual PCB landfill soils to
show its potential for detoxification. After review of the Phase I reports, a contract for Phase II,
a preliminary remedial design, was awarded to ETG Environmental. Their detoxification process
is called Base Catalyzed Decomposition (BCD). We expect their final report in January.
Once that report is received, we anticipate the Science Advisors and PCB Working Group
to develop a plan to be used in seeking funding for the detoxification efforts. Based on the
preliminary information provided in the Phase I studies, we are currently estimating the cost of
detoxification to be $20-25 million.
A public meeting was held in Warrenton on Saturday, November 1, at which time the
Science Advisors presented their findings to the citizens attending ( estimated at 50). I was
present and read the attached statement from Henry Lancaster.
In August of this year, EPA issued a Notice ofNon-compliance to the state ofNorth
Carolina for items associated with the PCB landfill. We were cited for not having completed some
of the semi-annual monitoring required in our permit and for failure to maintain the leachate
collection system in working order, therefore not removing water from the landfill as required.
EPA has also instructed us to replace the cap on the landfill (by August of 1998) if detoxification
is not pursued. We are working on the response to EPA, which is due on November 27.
Please feel free to call me at 733-4996, ext. 203 or 201 if you wish additional information.
Copy: Henry Lancaster
Richard Rogers
Bill Meyer
Beginning Balance: Expenditures: ACCOUNT 2170 2210 2521 2712 2714 2715 2718 2724 2725 2728 2731 2811 2840 2850 2860 3110 3900 4522 5900 6961 6961 6989 6989 6989 6989 6989 6989 PCB LANDFILL FUND BUDGET CODE 24300 FUND 2103 Temporary Employee Electricity Rent/Lease -Motor Vehicles Diners Club (AIR TRAVEL BILLED DIRECTL y TO ST ATE) In-State Transportation -Ground Out-State Transportation -Ground Out-State Other (Parking, Tolls) In-State Meals Out-State Meals Out-State Misc. (Baggage) Travel (WORK GROUP & SCIENCE ADVISORS/PRIOR TO CONTRACT) Telephone Postage Printing Advertising General Office Supplies Other Materials & Supplies Computer (FAX) Other Expenses Contract (Warren County) Contract (Warren County {$23,161.00} Contracts (Science Advisors) Contracts (ETG Environmental) Contracts (Canadian Comm. Corp.) Environmental Investigations Soil & Materials Engineering Southwest Lab of Ok. Total Expenditures To Date Ending Balance Date 11/4/97 $1,000,000.00 $10,510.00 $169.40 $84.36 $20,051.32 $275.04 $23.24 $11.50 $68.00 $6.00 $11.00 $837.48 $6,793.45 $916.16 $2.86 $401.19 $60.95 $5,603.26 $554.38 $34,787.43 $25,000.00 $17,485.59 $211,797.89 $166,400.00 $125,286.00 $74,358.49 $44,320.44 $49,060.00 $794,875.43 $205, 124.57
OTHER MISC. ENCUMBRANCES -NON-CONTRACT Lab Analysis -Southern Testing GN Engineering Fence Disposal Non-Hazardous ECOFLO -Remaining encumbrance on PO# 1690000412) VWR Scientific Products (PO#1640008105) Total Misc. Encumbrances ---$1,200.00 $1,210.00 $5,000.00 $5,000.00 $2,300.00 $477.89 $15,187.89
... ~--. -PCB LANDFILL CONTRACTS Expenses CQntract Amt. Diner's Amt, Remaining CQntract Name Contract AmQunt TQ Date Minus Expenses Club Charges in CQntrnct . 536961 Warren County $ 25,000.00 $ 25,000.00 $ -$ Warren County $ 23,161.00 $ 17,485.59 $ 5,675.41 $ 5,675.41 536989 S&ME $ 44,321.00 $ 44,320.44 $ 0.56 $ SW Lab $ 50,400.00 $ 49,060.00 $ 1,340.00 $ 1,340.00 Env Invest $ 74,359.00 $ 74,358.49 $ 0.51 $ 0.51 Canadian Comm $ 141,786.00 $ 125,286.00 $ 16,500.00 $ 16,500.00 ETG Env $ 255,420.00 $ 166,400.00 $ 89,020.00 $ 89,020.00 Hirschhorn $ 136,796.00 $ 97,855.24 $ 38,940.76 $ 9,196.10 $ 29,744.66 Barnes $ 154,035.00 $ 113,942.65 $ 40,092.35 $ 7,570.04 $ 32,522.31 Totals $ 905,278.00 $ 713,708.41 $ 191,569.59 $ 16,766.14 $174,802.89 SUMMARY Beginning Balance: $1,000,000.00 Total Expenditures to Date $794,875.43 Total Misc. Encumbrances $15,187.89 Remaining Contract Amounts $ 174,802.89 Total$ Amount Used to Date $ 984,866.21 Ending Balance: $15,133.79