The letter provides a list of chemicals which have been released or might be released from the site: arsenic, lead, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 1,2,3-trichloropropane, 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, 2-butanone (MEK), 2-propanone (acetone), 4-methyl-2-pentanone (MIBK), benzene, chlorbenzene, ethylbenzene, isopropylbenzene, xylene, n-butylbenzene, n-propylbenzene, naphthalene, para-isopropyltoluene, sec-butylbenzene, tetrahydrofuran, toluene, trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride (VC), bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, butylbenzylphthalate, and di-n-octyl phthalate. Organic chemistry names sound sound pretty scary (to me, but then I did horribly in Orgo). However the kinds and levels of chemicals at the Walnut Street site do not rise to the level of the famous Superfund sites like Love Canal. For example, I was calmed when I learned that butylbenzylphthalate is found in traffic cones (on the other hand, maybe I should now fear traffic cones, what do I know?).
The remainder of the six-page notice is mostly legal--determining potential liability for the clean-up.
Potentially responsible parties (PRPs) may be required to implement cleanup actions deemed necessary by the EPA to protect public health, welfare, or the environment. PRPs may also be responsible for all costs incurred by the Government in responding to any release or threatened release at the Site, ...
Based on information gathered during investigations of the Site, EPA believes that the City of Middletown is a PRP... as 1) a former owner/operator; and 2) as an arranger, who by contract or agreement, arranged for the disposal, treatment or transportation of hazardous substances at the Site.... Specifically, EPA has reason to believe that the City of Middletown contributed to historical contamination at the Site.The Eye has made the full notice available HERE.
Unfortunately, the notice is a potent mix of organic chemistry and legal issues, and the Eye research staff is a little shy on expertise in these matters, so if you have any to spare, please help with a comment or an email.
4 comments:
Stephen no need to be overly excited about what the EPA has listed as potential Organic compounds on that site. The list is a composition of many chemicals used on that site, and what they know could have been dumped there. Without seeing exactly what information and documentation they have on this site, it is safe to assume these are all the POTENTIAL contaminants and the compounds they may have formed. However as with any Hazardous Chemical site, there also could be more.
It is always best to remember that the site has been identified, no hazard exists unless ground water has been contaminated or ground surfaces disturbed. Both of these things seem to have been covered by the City's Water Department testing, and the fact Mr. Warner has put the Common Council on notice a potential liability looms for the City.
The City has been through this before, and has successfully mitigated these types of problems in the past. I see no reason for alarm here, and one thing you can bet on, the site will be remediated.
Im sorry I forgot to add, organic compounds are simply put, those compounds that have a carbon atom attached to them. Organic compounds occur either naturally, IE those that exist in living organisms, or those synthisized in labratories which produce materials for every day use, such as your road cones. If you'd like to research further, I can help get you going in the right directions!
The organic chemicals named in the article are Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Semivolatile Organic Compounds (SVOCs) that are dangerous and some are carcinogenic if inhaled, ingested or contacted via skin (ie digging in dirt etc). Yes many of them are found in plastics but that is not a good analogy. the media in a contaminated site is soil, water , and air and that is the matrix that holds the chemicals, not traffic cones.
To Anonymous of May 3
Please do not alarm the public by saying this site has Volatile or semi Volatile Organic compounds. Both of these terms means that the site has specific vapor pressures associated with the chemicals and compounds found to be dumped and are venting into the atmosphere. The site has been tested, through air quality and water and soil tests. These are the chemicals to be found on site, and must be remediated. Some of the chemicals found on the list are carcinogens, Toluene and Poly Chlorinated Biphenyls to be exact (PCB's). What Stephen talked about was a chemical synthesized to make traffic cones. I believe that is called humor. What you did was scare the public, and I personnally much prefer the traffic cone analogy rather than your "scare the general population" tactic.
For the time it is all encapsulated by the soil in the area. It must be cleaned up, and is now a Superfund site. Please do not scare the public into believing this is doomsday.
Oh by the way gasoline with MTBE, the fuel additive was successfully remediated a few years back right next to a City waterway. Encapsulated in place after most of the contaminated soil was removed. Also a site on Newfield Street was remediated successfully another on Pameacha Avenue, which all three have current working business's. Remington Rand is also slated for cleanup, and the City just received grant money to assist in it! The City will successfully clean this one too, as this municipality understands the obligations before it. So relax, Stephen was just attempting humor, and I think it was very appropriate.
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